Time traveling

I want to share an amusing peek at the future of traditional advertising agencies.

The Last Advertising Agency On Earth from FITC on Vimeo.

The joke has been told before but this rendition nails a real truth - fewer and fewer consumers are influenced by blunt force attempts at persuasion. If not avoided or ignored altogether, traditional advertising rarely delivers the influence conveyed when one's peers weigh-in on the merits of a product or company via social media or in person.

Many agencies ironically miss the point and assume they simply need to migrate to newer, digital communication channels. The transformation underway is not analogous to adding a department as agencies did during the mid-century transition from radio to TV. To be sure, "ads" will still be around to do things like rally enthusiasts and announce new products. But agencies will be distinguished by the ideas they bring that materially improve the customer experience or enable brand evangelists to share their convictions.

We're coming full-circle back to an era where people rely on word-of-mouth and reputation to make purchase decisions. Technology will make it easier and better than ever but I think marketing in 2020 may work a lot more like marketing in 1820 than the way it does today. That's good for (good) brands and good for consumers. I predict a buyer's market for slightly used Foosball tables.