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Ad industry to continue defining, redefining itself2012 promises to be just as eventful as ever, as the advertising profession continues define and redefine its operations and creativity. I expect to see the following 12 trends and industry issues emerging in 2012: [multimedia] ![]()
It is becoming increasingly difficult to define advertising in terms of channels. It is not the channel through which we consume advertising that is important but rather the content we choose to consume that is important. After years of 'channels' competing to deliver impressions, it seems 2012 will finally be the year that video advertising delivered telephonically or via broadcast transmissions, satellite or fibre optics will co-exist and complement each other. Video advertising has a strong and healthy future - one only needs to look at the massive success brands have achieved by projecting their advertising into the ether through portals such as YouTube - Old Spice, VW and Nike, to name but a few. I believe 2012 will be the year when content is embraced and when it is accepted that technology simply provides a means to generate a viewing audience. It is largely expected that the digital (including mobile) and experiential sectors will yield great future growth. During 2011, we saw a gradual move by clients back to full-service integrated agencies, especially those incorporating digital and experiential in their overall offering. Such diversity within agencies is being heralded as the answer to agency survival - without the complete erosion of the entire industry. We have seen the social media sphere explode in the past year and expect to see it becoming increasingly integrated into our marketing strategies. According to Dreamgrow.com, social media marketing will not be a separate activity but rather one facet of an overall marketing plan. Much like SEO or email marketing, social media will be another valuable tool in the box. I believe we will also see large-scale integration of social media content into digital properties. Brands will use social media and user-generated content (UGC) to get closer to customers. New business was scarce during 2011 as less big pitches took place and a few large tenders were cancelled, thereby limiting agencies' potential to grow revenue. During 2011, agencies became a lot more discerning about participation in onerous, expensive and unreasonably competitive new business pitches. In addition, agencies have become a lot less agreeable regarding parting with their intellectual property free of charge; after all, it dilutes the currency of the profession. Government has earmarked 2012 as the year to tackle the social issues around alcohol abuse and unfortunately advertising of alcohol products has come under fire. It is likely that outdoor and sponsorships will be the first casualties, with severe restrictions placed on TV, radio and print. The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) will remain close to this matter and will keep members informed. For more:
![]() About Odette van der HaarOdette van der Haar joined Publicis as the MD from 1 September 2019, before which, she was the CEO of JWT Jhb. She was also CEO of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) (www.acasa.co.za), the industry body of the SA advertising and communications sector, and previously headed up Sentech's Advertising, Events and Sponsorships portfolio... View my profile and articles... |