One Word Wonders: The Future of Branding on the Web
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Written By Reprise Media | June 26, 2006 | Share This
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Anyone who’s ever tried to distill their company’s core brand, product attributes and promotional offers into one tiny online ad while still presenting that all-important call-to-action knows how difficult such a task can be.
But what if we made it even harder? What if you only had one word (and one word only) to convey your message?
Speaking at an annual meeting of advertising execs in the south of France, Maurice Saatchi of the advertising agency of the same name said that traditional advertisers will soon be required to meet this challenge if they want to keep pace with the Information Age.
From a Reuters news article:
“Saatchi said massive sociological and technological changes are threatening to bury advertising…’The way out of the box that people in advertising feel themselves to be in, with the earth being thrown on top of it, is for there to be a new business model.’…That business model is guided by the Bible, according to Saatchi, specifically the gospel of St. John, where it is written that ‘In the beginning was the word … and the word was God…You can’t have two words. Two words is two gods and two gods is one too many.’”
Sounds pretty high-falutin’ esoteric and esoteric, until you think about the examples Saatchi gives of this principle in action: Google owns “search”, Apple owns “innovation” and and America has a lock on “freedom”, altough we’re sure some would beg to differ.
More on the future of online brands in this related story, Advertisers Grapple with Consumer Online Revolution.
Topics: Media Convergence |
One word.
Humbug.
Brand-Category-Geography, I say.
In a word.
One is misleading.
One word that is!
WAY! Way! Misleading.
It is my considered opinion (as an ex broadcast commercial producer now turned search expert) that this attitude favors the current Ad Spending/Media buying status quo model which broadcast agencies naturally seek to preserve.
and it continues to prevent the creative dam from actually breaking - and releasing a flood of great convergent broadcast and internet work -effectively integrated and comingled and serving us up the real future of online ad-fare.
If we reduce the advertising - online search/purchasing/branding conversation to just branding.
And
If you create a Global brand from scratch -
and are strategizing for a catchy moniker
Yes, I would reluctantly agree. Mr. Saatchi’s one word theory for online branding may then be perceived as correct.
But, if you are creating a viable franchise -
Say like - Staples Office Supply
Than No.
I would disagree with his over simplification of online branding in general.
A question at this point:
How many Ad Agencies have encouraged their prime broadcast clients to build an organically feasible/content driven web site - and then launched an ad spending campaign once that was structured and completed?
Name 5 off the top of your head - quickly.
Don’t feel left out if you can’t.
Conclusion:
All Branding is now Global -
but most search is still local.
So I offer the Brand-Category-Geography alternative.
When you really want to purchase that car or that computer don’t you search for apple G5 los angeles or Infinity G35 anywhere usa.
Everyone in search knows that one word means untargeted volume.
That is what mass ad models do well.
Deliver volumes of untargeted traffic.
Targeted Search on the other hand -
delivers targeted traffic to your door.
And One word won’t do that in my opinion.
I have personally purchased my last two automobiles online. I never talked to a dealer before determining my budget. Both vehicles were delivered to my door for inspection prior to purchase.
How many words in Auto Trader Los Angeles Mr. Saatchi?
Terry Hayes
Online Consultant
Los Angeles