What Would Consumer-Generated Marketing Do For Media Brands?

by Wayne Friedman, Jul 22, 2011, 5:45 PM

• Comment
• Recommend (1)
• Tweet
• 

We have all seen countless consumer-invented TV commercials and other consumer-inspired messaging -- for Doritos and other popular brands, especially during big TV events like the Super Bowl.

What would happen if young millennials took a real whack at re-inventing -- or curating -- a media brand, like MTV, NBC, Netflix, or a Comcast Xfinity web brand?

A new study from MTV research says that, more than ever, young digital consumers are well-versed in manipulating video, text, and ideas when it comes to their favorite brands.

But what about traditional media brands? Re-inventing media logos, taglines, and overall direction would be unique. Still, this may not be much of draw for traditional TV networks. Unlike cable networks, broadcast networks don't really have big brand campaigns to begin with. Much of their efforts are concentrated on the brands of their individual shows.

Still, newer media companies are always open to changeable ideas. We see how Google regularly changes its home page logo -- depending on the season or whatever. Of course, this isn't letting consumers change its brand. But the whimsy is noted.

In the past, many TV and film producers have mused they might just be "instigators" of entertainment content, not "finishers" of it. For example, they might let consumers vote on storylines or character changes.

Nick Shore, senior VP-strategic consumer insights and research at MTV, scratches his head, and we do the same: "What would it mean for a brand, we wondered, to be engaged in a process of constantly curating and refining its identity, especially in this online environment...?"

He didn't mention media brands, per se. But entertainment is a natural attraction.

"The world doesn't just talk back, it hyper-responds, and is engaged in a powerful and intense feedback loop. Is your brand engaged in a thousand points of conversation -- listening and responding?"

Sounds complicated. The listening is perhaps the easier chore. Assimilating all new marketing ideas through the big and busy social media cement mixer is the harder job.

• Comment
• Recommend (1)
• Tweet
• 

0 comments on "What Would Consumer-Generated Marketing Do For Media Brands? ".

1. Doug Garnett from Atomic Direct
   

   commented on: July 22, 2011 at 5:55 p.m.

   Sure sounds like chaos to me - chaos that damages brands among a mass audience in order to get a few people excited that their ideas were used.

   The point is, brands are subtle things to manage. And for a VP to abdicate his responsibility suggests mis-management, not something exciting.

   Yes, other people HAVE done the consumer sourced marketing gimmick. But should they? Probably not. But Doritos has been out to destroy their fundamental brand elements for quite a while by ill advised package changes, etc.

   Perhaps what we should take away from this is that MTV is hot to continue to erode their brand value. Anybody ready to take their place?

Leave a Comment