Observations from a self-confessed analogue media dinosaur:

Who wins when the irresistible force meets the immovable object? The answer is Japie. After more than 30 years of reach, frequency and GRPS, it takes a lot to get this dyed in the wool media man on a plane for 18 hours to go listen to a  conference on digital advertising. But Japie is the digital equivalent of the whirlwind in The Wizard of Oz and so, like Dorothy, I wake up somewhere over the rainbow at AdTech Chicago 2009.
So what did I learn?
Well the bad news is that I know less about digital advertising than I thought. And the good news is that even an analogue media dinosaur like me can learn it. Why? Because speaker after speaker emphasized the simple reality that digital advertising is all about marketing. Yes the discipline has its own jargon like all media … I mean what the hell is a widget? Or the difference between upper funnel and lower funnel keywords … but if you frame the jargon within the marketing context it begins to make sense.
The biggest barrier to embracing the new technologies is not the technologies themselves, but seeing them as some kind of standalone theme park. You know you can have a lot of fun but you get off the ride wondering where the next “bigger and better” thrill is going to come from. The real challenge is not creating a closed digital ecosystem that exists apart from the brand, however exciting and engaging that may be, but to integrate digital media applications into the overall brand communication. It’s about achieving the balance between playing with the next “bright shiny object” and communicating sustainable brand values and properties.
Easier said than done. Sure! But that’s the challenge. Too many marketers see digital media as the latest form of direct response advertising.  See it only as a promotional mechanism to create short term sales spikes, rather than as a platform to enhance competitive brand positioning. You might not be able to beat the recession but you might just be able to beat the opposition.
So that’s the top line observation but what’s the bottom line takeout? From a media perspective there is a marketing communication jigsaw puzzle. It has a set number of pieces like radio, TV and print. But unless you know where the “digital piece” fits into the puzzle, you won’t ever see the big picture.
So next time Japie says “go digital” … just listen to him. It’s cheaper than flying to Chicago.
Gordon Muller
GSM Quadrant.

Gordon is a media planning specialist and has been for many years. He advises large companies on media strategies. ( soon digital strategies!)