Shock! Horror! – the ad campaign is dead

After a short sharp digital shock the advertising campaign was declared officially dead at Ad-Tech this week.

Presenters did not even express regret at its passing, focusing more on the killers – social media operating as CRM leading to massive campaign irrelevance. Expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of relationships generated by campaigns, panellists promoted the notion that SM is not a one-night stand.

Keynote speaker, Neil Hudspeth, head of digital strategy, APAC & Japan, HP, spoke of how one of the world’s largest digital brands is focusing on engagement rather than traditional marketing. Pronouncing the advertising campaign dead he spoke of “a new economy of influence” around a brand eco system.

He gave details of the new multi-million dollar HP brand strategy, Create Amazing, which has as its goal the development of digital relationships through virtual to high-intensity relationships. In a 45-minute presentation he never once mentioned advertising campaigns.

And he was not the only one

Addressing the question “Is your Campaign Irrelevant” there was unanimous agreement at between Dale Cohen, GM Big Pond Online Network, Nic Hodges, digital creative director Clemenger BBDO, and Julian Peterson, marketing & online director, Time Out Sydney, that the days of the ‘big’ campaign were over.

Despite disagreeing on the relative merits of online publishers, or even who is a publisher, all agreed that continuing communication with consumers is the goal. Big campaigns that garnered thousands of Facebook fans are almost worthless unless there is an ongoing community management strategy in place.

Hodges raised the intriguing prospect that brands are on their way to being publishers, citing Red Bull as a fine example. Cohen however, cautioned that there was more to publishing than just one strand engagement.

My take? … reports of the passing of the campaign are likely to be exaggerated, although undoubtedly there will be more concentration on developing long-term relationships between consumers and brands.