‘Tis the season …
Now don’t me wrong, I do like awards and being recognized when good work and results are begotten is important. But it just seems like we’ve lost our way over the last few years (and I don’t mean 4-5, more like 30). Its like we look for approval and recognition amongst our peers and the industry more than how well the communication piece performed for our clients and their customers.
Let’s not forget that we exist and do business not for entertainment purposes, but for business purposes. We are there to help our clients do better / more business. Now if the campaign or experience is entertaining at the same time (as a by-product of good work), then GREAT! Or if the purpose of entertainment is what the brand calls for, then GREAT! That’s a definitive plus. But we should not be looking at entertaining first, and results second.
I just find that that’s what gets rewarded first in all these awards shows.
And as the great Forest Gump once said: ”That’s all I have to say about that.”
Here’s an interesting article on that as well adage.com/cannes09/article?article_id=137525
Post by Jean-Sébastien Monty, Jun 26th
Good one, JS, I thoroughly agree! Another AdAge article: Viral success doesn’t always result in sales. The example is extreme (I mean, seriously, a toilet paper holder?!) but I think it cautions against the whole genre: clients ask “and what’s the link to my product?” and try to sanitize the most egregious jokes, while the agencies defend the “viral value.” Obviously when done well, a good viral does generate brand exposure, and I suppose advertising isn’t going to die anytime soon, but I still feel that what really works is to be genuinely useful to people.
Je suis tellement d’accord. C’est justement ce que je reproche a la majorité des concours. Il ne sont pas liés aux résultats réels des campagnes de publicité. Souvent quant on demande au chef de produit ce qu’il pense du dernier prix remporté par une campagne : “C’est le fun pour l’agence, mais nous n’avons pas pu mesuré une augmentation réelle de nos ventes”