Advertising is in Trouble - Let's Give'r!
In marketing, it's better to be a Give'r than a Taker
Short Preamble…
Have you ever been nervous to write or say something that seems REALLY obvious and true, but that you know could make a lot of people defensive?
That's how I feel writing this post.
I am also worried that what follows is too obvious… but maybe it’s not obvious enough and needs to be said repeatedly until change happens.
I originally named this idea “Generosity-Based Marketing” and “Empathy-Based Marketing,” but “generosity” and “empathy” both sadly feel like they have been overused. I hadn’t been able to think of words that better capture the sentiment I am after, until I was hit with the inspiration to make it weird and very Canadian. Prepare yourself for “Give’r! Marketing.” (more on that below…)
Deep breath… let’s GIVE’R!
Advertising is in Trouble
These days, it feels like the entire concept of advertising is in trouble… or at least going through a reckoning.
Massive tech companies that rely on ads are suddenly struggling - Prof Galloway's recent piece about the decline of big tech stocks being linked to a decline in advertising revenue is full of smart insights. (h/t Julie Adam!)
Most interesting to me is the huge impact of Apple adding the option to opt-out of third-party tracking, with only 16% of users agreeing to be tracked. As the biggest tech company on the planet, Apple is not dependent on ad revenue, which categorically separates them from Google, Meta, and everyone else in an ad-supported business model.
Apart from their core hardware business, Apple has chosen freemium, subscription, renting, or purchasing models for all their services - cloud storage, TV and movies, fitness, games, books, podcasts, and more. And by championing user privacy and empowering users to block tracking, Apple might well be initiating a tectonic shift in how brands reach and engage with consumers.
Apart from generating a distinct competitive advantage, why is Apple making it harder to track users for advertising purposes? They are focused on creating value for their customers. They are empowering users by giving them control over their own experiences.
This is Business 101. Create value for your customers. Give them what they want. Remove friction. Design magical user experiences.
So what does this have to do with the future of advertising? A lot.
“Taker Marketing” Pop Quiz #1
Does most advertising (and a growing portion of content marketing) pass the following criteria?
Does most advertising create value for customers?
Do most customers want advertising?
Does most advertising create friction?
Does most advertising contribute to a magical user experience?
All things being equal, if there was a toggle to turn ads off in their lives, how many people would voluntarily choose to leave it on? (Apparently, less than 16%)
Back in analog days, there was often no choice. We were all fine with intrusive interruptions because they meant we got our shows and music for free. Consumers are far more empowered today. We don't need to be exposed to ads in order to access lots and lots of great things to watch, read, or listen to. We can bypass or ignore vast quantities of ads. We can skip them. We can block them. We can use browsers that stop us from being tracked. We can use Apple’s opt-out of tracking functionality. We can rent, buy, or pay subscriptions for content without advertising. We no longer have to accept unwanted advertising or content marketing in our lives. “Unwanted” is a very deliberate word choice because it necessitates a path going forward that transforms into “wanted.”
If we treat marketing like a business, and our clients are the people on the other end of our marketing, why would we deliberately create products and experiences that they are actively trying to avoid?
The Win is Earning Time & Attention
Choice matters a lot. Everyone wants to be empowered with personal choice. No one likes being forced to do anything. Too much advertising is forced upon us.
The entire concept of interrupting the thing I want with something I don’t want, regardless of what it is, is flawed. That is Taker Marketing.
And that is a big part of why we don’t like Taker Marketing. We don’t want it because we didn’t choose it; it’s not enjoyable, valuable, or worth our time and attention.
Doing the exact opposite is the key to successful marketing. The opposite is being a Giver.
You need to give consumers the choice to connect with you
You need to create value for the consumer in order to earn that choice
You need to be enjoyable, entertaining, informative, or helpful in order to create value
You need to respect and earn the time and attention of those you seek to connect with
Here is the bar you need to pass today:
At the end of spending time with you, do consumers think what you put into the world was a valuable use of their time and attention?
An even higher bar - was the experience you created for them so good that they will tell other people about it?
So Why Do Brands Make “Taker Marketing?”
Because it’s easy.
It is easy to buy ads by the truckload.
It’s easy to talk about your own products and services.
It is easy to deliver a reach number. You can guarantee it.
This is why it is a bad strategy. It’s a cliché, but in our hearts, we all know that no matter what Staples tells us, there is no such thing as an easy button. Too many campaigns are not custom designed to value the time and attention of your consumers. Too many Taker Marketing campaigns are generic “easy buttons” that end in a metrics report with a giant reach number.
More important than a reach number, how many people are you making happy and how many are you annoying? And are you comfortable with that ratio? For example, a quick Google search reveals the average conversion rates for the following types of ads:
Email marketing: 2-5%
Banner ads: 0.46%
Physical mail: 4.4%
YouTube pre-rolls: <0.7%
Social media ads: <3%
Regularly putting something out into the world that over 95% of the intended recipients don’t want or engage with is a Taker strategy.
What Does Success Look Like?
In so many circumstances, reach is the wrong metric to track. Instead, you could ask more foundational questions.
“Taker Marketing” Pop Quiz #2
It is time for many brands to raise the bar and ask some very hard questions:
What is your advertising and content marketing for?
What is the purpose and who is it serving?
It is doing those things?
How do you know if it’s working?
How many new relationships did you build?
Did your Net Promoter Score increase or decrease?
Most importantly, is there a better way to be a brand in this world, both for your brand and your potential customers?
Introducing “Give’r! Marketing” - Putting Audiences First
It is FINALLY time for the bad pun with the great double message!
A Giver is most commonly known as a person who gives generous and thoughtful gifts to others. However, “Give’r!” is ALSO a uniquely Canadian term made famous in the movie FUBAR, meaning “to fully go for it with maximum enthusiasm.”
As marketers, I am advocating that we Give’r as Givers. Go for generous giving with maximum effort and enthusiasm!
Give’rs are focused on the needs of the recipient.
Give’rs are generous and selfless.
Give’rs are thoughtful and respectful.
When you’re a Give’r, you start with putting audiences and consumers at the centre, and everything changes. When you’re a Give’r, you start with creating value for others and having empathy… and everything changes.
Give'rs make things that other people truly enjoy and value.
However, brands of all shapes and sizes continue to spend billions of dollars on Taker ads and content marketing in all shapes and sizes that aren’t valued by the end recipients.
Here’s the Give’r opportunity…
“Give’r Marketing” Pop Quiz #3
What if more brands decided to start giving consumers choice by adopting Give’r as a core marketing value?
What if more brands realized that they could choose to Give’r and make things that people LOVE?
What if more brands realized that they can Give’r and be their own media company?
What if more brands took even a fraction of the billions of dollars spent on the wrong kind of ads and content marketing and instead made world-class, highly-valued content for the audiences they want to reach?
What if more brands realized that they already have massive owned channels to distribute and promote their original content?
What if more brands decided to Give’r and build audiences that they own instead of solely renting audiences from others?
And what if those owned audiences were full of people that voluntarily opted-in because they greatly enjoyed the content from the brand?
What if more brands decided to generously give to their desired audience with a Give’r attitude?
William Gibson was Right
The good news is that the Give’r future IS here. (...and it is not evenly distributed.)
There are smart, progressive, innovative companies that have already realized the opportunity in front of them and decided to Give’r!
Red Bull has been making world-class media for years.
Patagonia, on so many levels, has figured out how to be a better brand in the world, including as a media company.
Lyft and LEGO make original YouTube series.
Airbnb made a feature documentary.
Charles Schwab, Dell Technologies, Trader Joe’s and many others make original podcasts that are highly valued by listeners.
These companies are all making content that is as good or better than anything coming out of traditional media companies. They are earning huge amounts of time and attention by making awesome stuff. It is inspiring!
The True Difference with Give’r Marketing
What is the core difference-maker with advertising and content that drives results?
It all boils down to this:
The strategies that don’t work are designed purely for the benefit of the company paying for the spots. (Taker Marketing)
The strategies that work beautifully are the ones generously designed for the benefit of the audience. (Give’r! Marketing)
That’s it.
Who’s it for and who does it benefit?
Every single thing that comes from a brand should leave the intended audience feeling that it is time well spent. Audiences should appreciate the brand for putting it out into the world.
I know at this point, some Taker Marketers will be wondering, “What’s in it for ME???” Great question.
Give’r and You Shall Receive’r
Why would any brand consider adopting Give’r Marketing? Here are a few powerful reasons to consider:
Brand love, brand lift, and brand positioning.
Net Promoter Score jackpot.
Total editorial ownership.
Guaranteed brand safety.
Relationships.
Trust.
Loyalty.
Word-of-mouth.
Content that perfectly reflects your voice, your values, and your brand.
Content designed specifically for (and only for) the people you want to reach.
An owned audience that wants to hear from you regularly.
Marketing effectiveness and efficiency. (No more wasting money on Taker Marketing and annoying >95% of the people you are paying to reach!)
Unlike a Taker Ad, which you can buy almost anytime, almost anywhere, note that these Give’r Marketing benefits are all the things you can’t buy.
You have to earn them. They are hard work. They take time, patience, and consistency. And they are worth earning.
It’s a giant opportunity. But it’s only for brands and marketers brave enough to see the size of the opportunity and have the courage to think differently. Is that you?
If so, what are you waiting for? Get out there and GIVE’R, eh!?!
This is so so so good! Definitely would like to work with you and partner on this.