A voyage of discovery

Today, Griffiths is the current managing director to specialist digital brand communication agency, Mnemonic.

But before this he cut his teeth at renowned digital agencies such as VWV (client service), Tinderbox (digital strategist), and TBWA Digerati (MD). He also witnessed - wide-eyed at the turn of the century - what today in the industry has become known as the 'dot.bomb era'. Big brands (particularly overseas) disillusioned, pulled their budgets and literally starved creative shops out of money and out of the game.

That disillusionment, says Griffiths, is finally beginning to dissolve.

'Ad spend going to grow'

Today, online reaches 10% of the population; in two year's time that will be 15% and high-end clients are playing in the space.

"Connectivity is opening up and there is more growth as more and more people are getting connected. The second national operator (SNO) also promises to get more people connected so the online media space and ad spend is going to grow," he predicts.

"It's been pretty static in the past but all of a sudden with this renewed energy, you're seeing some amazing things in this medium like videos with high-end graphic designs. We're able to do this as more and more people are getting online. There is a cheaper point of entry for the consumer and ADSL comes at a relatively low cost."

The SNO will mean a price war that will see the low-end market able to access this medium. "This will have a knock-on effect with a higher percentage audience and space."

At the moment, cyber-players are hitting the high LSM audience (seven and upwards) who play strongly in this arena - they're either connected at home or at the office. High-end brands do spend in this digital arena because they know the value. "We're lucky to have such clients like Levis and Virgin Mobile on board at Mnemonic," explains Griffiths.

Throughout his career, Griffiths has worked with many well-known brands. His core focus has been in strategic planning on how best to take brands to market and ensure high-end creativity is converted into measurable client deliverables through the digital medium.

"Once we can convince brands to play here they see the real value. They don't have to spend as much to get good results." This is direct marketing at a fraction of the cost - and there's an instant reaction.

Breaking the rules

"Online media is playing more in this space as well. There's lots of novelty media like sound and videos. For example, Media24 and iafrica are pushing the boundaries. They're no longer just interested in having a person's name and email address, they're getting people to interact by, say, watching a video. They're asking you to watch it, to interact. It's one way to communicate - to broadcast stuff to you to change a mindset. It breaks the rules of what websites are supposed to be.

"People are also seeing the standard website change. Instead of clicking on icons - in some instances you have to play a short game to get to where you want to go.

"It's a voyage of discovery. We're breaking boundaries and trying to be innovative."

While there is little research or case studies on the medium, big brands will try it.

"There's risk involved, but they're willing to put their trust in us. What they're realising is that you cannot turn a print ad into a website. We're starting to win the war and clients are approaching us directly and not through agencies. They're putting value in the medium. They see great returns. While the benefits are rarely seen in sales, it does help them understand their audience better."

On the blogging craze, Griffiths says: "In the '90s 'chatrooms' was the hot phrase. Blogging is the latest thing. It does have its merits, but I think one year from here it's not going to be here or at least not as hyped as it is now. You have to ask the question - as a brand does it do anything for me? People think its cool and are asking for it - but unless you're playing in the youth market there really isn't any point."

Very soon, Griffiths predicts, we'll be seeing an integration of everything. "You'll be able to watch a rugby match on your computer, for example. There's a big future ahead."