Beyond advertising: choosing a strategic path to the digital consumer

IBM has released a new report - it's a free download, titled Beyond advertising: choosing a strategic path to the digital consumer.

Aimed at media and entertainment company, the report is filled with great information for everyone interested in the changing consumer.

From the Abstract, here are some of the insights presented. The Abstract itself (and the report) go into all of these in greater detail.

Four primary trends blur the boundaries between traditional brand advertising and direct marketing:

• Consumer adoption of new distribution formats –
• A shift in advertiser spend –
  
• Digital migration of platforms –
  
• Emergence of new capabilities –

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New capabilities across four areas hold paramount importance as traditional advertising gives way to consumer centricity: creative, insights, collaboration and workflow.

• Creative –
  
• Insights –
  
• Collaboration –
• Workflow –
  

The End of Advertising As We Know It

IBM Global Business Services has a new report, The End of Advertising As We Know It, that is a great read for those (like me) who care about such things.

It's received lots of press already, but I include it here so you'll have an easy link.

The report has a lot to say to the media and agencies that are engaged in the business side of advertising, but all this certainly impacts local businesses. It's already common to find small local businesses struggling for creative ways to market the business without having to spend all day at the computer watching keywords, listings, consumer reviews, etc.

Now we have a forecast that shows increased consumer control, growing niche media, and reliance on self-serve advertising models.

How can small business survive and thrive in this environment? More to come in future posts.