Everyone's seems to be into co-creation and crowdsourcing these days. Here's a lovely reality check for lazy brands who assume too much about what to expect. It's the phenomenon of "yes I'd love for you to collaborate by washing my dishes and peeling my potatoes"
Hat tips Katie Chatfield and Kirsty
Permalink
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Pushback:
» An Open Letter to All of Advertising and Marketing from C&C Nerd Factory
Brian would like to be left alone: (click the image to enlarge) Can you blame him for not wanting to make videos for a sausage manufacturer? LINK LINK 2... [Read More]
Facebook/Johnnie Moore 
Linkedin/Johnnie Moore 
Twitter/johnniemoore 
Last.fm/johnniemoore 
Del.icio.us/johnniemoore 
Technorati/johnniemoore 
MyBlogLog/JohnnieM 
Blog/Johnnie Moore 
Email me
Comments (5)
Dear Brian,
We are terribly sorry for the misunderstanding. It turns out you weren't the target for our advert. We're working on making our content more targeted through digital distribution tools, but for now you're going to have to simply take what you can away from our messaging - which was clearly about sausage - and simply not participate in the microsite and video part.
See, there are people out there in the world who have a job that involves work they find particularly interesting, and it does more for them than paying their bills. Your attitude toward work and life suggest that you wouldn't be the type to make a video even if it brought you definite rewards. This is called a psychographic, Brian.
Also, being 27, you're right on the edge of a technological and behavioral shift. All the people younger than you have grown up with video editing software and the ability to dynamically use the Internet and technology in unprecedented ways. It is they who will go to our site and submit a video. And they will share, and comment, and take interest in the possibilities of their creativity and the creativity of others. (That is, if we do a good job providing them with a reason to be there and to contribute. Leave that up to us).
It's a new culture, Brian - your having children in the past few years and working a job that likely doesn't hinge on the latest developments of the social web has perhaps kept you a bit behind the curve. Don't worry, though - you'll eventually assimilate. And so will 100 million others just like you. In the bell curve graph you're what we call the "late majority." Maybe we can talk next year. Perhaps by then your kids will be sleeping in on Saturdays and you can use that time to explore the creative, social web. We'll be there - feel free to look us up.
Sincerely,
Advertising
August 23, 2010 19:27 Permalink for comment
I eagerly await the bound copy (well, probably e-book), 'Brian and Advertising: The Complete Correspondence'
August 24, 2010 00:26 Permalink for comment
Um, Dear Advertising. Trust me when I say this... You're wrong. I work in the industry, and have had to make 100 of these shitty microsites. I've seen the analytics. They're not on your side.
In fact, the only reason these microsites exist is so that some clueless product or brand manager can masturbate to the *idea* of Brian just LOVING YOUR BRAND OMG SO MUCH HE MAKES TEH VIDEOS!!!#111
Truth is, Brian came to your site, and was considered a "bounce."
He left immediately, and so did the 20 year olds, the 15 year olds, and the 40 year olds. Because he was hoping to find dietary information on your sausage, or maybe if it was Fred Meyers or Safeway that sold them. Turns out, he DOES make videos, they're of, and for, his friends. Not his sausage.
August 25, 2010 17:46 Permalink for comment
Dear Advertising
You may well be in marketing (as am I), but I seem to have made a better job of keeping in touch with my customers whereas you appear to treat them with arrogance and disdain.
That is why, I suspect, that you try to belittle Brian rather than listen to his sentiment and learn from it.
Maybe the whole sausage campaign was your idea and when it bombed you wanted a demographic scapegoat.
You need to go back to basics.
October 5, 2010 09:11 Permalink for comment
Brilliant & ad agencies really should take note. As should the companies that employ them because until you realise that creativity alone cannot build a brand (although I understand you like the fact that you can show all your friends a billboard or cool viral campaign), advertising agencies will continue to use creativity to wow you.
January 13, 2011 02:38 Permalink for comment