“Once again, AdWeek is right on time, two years late” – David Lowe-Rogstad (via Twitter)

For the last week we’ve been talking around the long table about this article on AdWeek titled “Digital Shops Embrace Cheap Chic.” This quote from the article really jumped out at me,“…the approach has to do with clients wanting more of an emphasis on igniting conversation and less on the rich, textured sites that have typically accompanied their campaigns.”

Where have I heard that before? Oh, that’s right… back in July 2007 we said, “In order for interactive agencies to succeed, or really anyone involved in marketing and communications, they need to be less in the business of building web sites and more in the business of being conversation facilitators. And a web site is simply one way to allow this back-and-forth relationship between people and brands.” And there was this other nugget back in April 2008… “A great digital solution doesn’t just tell. It involves people in the story. It talks, and it listens.”

Not that we’re saying we saw this coming (you can make that conclusion for yourself), but we find it surprising that AdWeek is just now talking about the fact that the Flash microsite isn’t the end-all solution to interactive experiences. It’s not that some of the bigger agencies who have built their reputations on Flash sites are switching to “cheap chic” because it’s “cool” and “inexpensive,” it’s because marketers and smart agency folks are realizing that Flash microsites don’t usually involve people in conversations.

entertainment < education + engagement

Brands and marketers are deciding their budgets are better used to educate and engage, rather than simply entertain. Entertainment, for as many emotions as it can rise, is fleeting. Engagement is where relationships are built.

As the cliche goes, in these tough economic times, how are you – as someone in charge of a brand – going to spend your money? Better yet, why are you going to spend your money? David had this great quote in a conversation today that really sums it up:

“If all you’re doing is marketing on the web, that’s a massive failure of opportunity.” – David Lowe-Rogstad

We’re excited to see the larger interactive community move to creating sites with content that engages people, sites that make meaning. Back in April of last year we saw our friends and colleagues at the Barbarian Group launch their awesome content-focused site. I remember emailing Rick Webb about the “criticism” they were getting about having lots of words on their site (we received the same feedback on our site). We laughed about it then, and it’s pretty funny (and kind of sad) that the ad world is still trying to get their head around content creation and conversations, not monologues.

Good point made in the AdWeek article, even though it isn’t news. Anyway, made me revisit what we’ve been thinking, saying and doing. And we’ll see what AdWeek is saying two years from now…

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Historically related posts:
Less About Information, More about Conversation. – from July 10, 2007
Who Should I Make This Check Out To? – from April 1, 2008