There wasn’t a whole lot of excitement at this year’s Ad:Tech, the big digital marketing conference at Navy Pier last week, headlined by the big guns in advertising, branding, metrics, publishing and search.
I’m not with an ad agency. I attended to find out what advertisers want so I can deliver it to them. Knowledge is power.
I produce a series from the campaign trail about the powerless called “CitizenKate.TV,” the outsiders’ view of inside politics.
We want to be one of the few successful sites on the web to create content that can become next year’s successful TV series and this year’s “It girl” of politics. I attended Ad:Tech to find out how.
So where were the crowds of creatives and people like me laying the groundwork for the future of advertising at Ad:Tech? I attended with one such forward thinking fellow, John Heinsen, president of L.A.-based Bunnygraph Entertainment, and a creative consultant on my show.
“Like Superdeluxe.com, we’re going to see a lot of sites fold in the coming months,” said Heinsen. “Their venture capital money dries up and they fail to attract the necessary million or so subscribers, or unique visitors advertisers think they need to sell their products.”
Things are tough all over for content producers and advertisers.
I was told that 300,000 hits a month is when things get interesting. How many sites with UGC reach that level? About five, by my count.
So by big ad standards, “Citizen Kate,” which has been seen by over a million people and covered by major media and countless blogs, is a blip.
This adds up to: Find out how to build it out or make it more intriguing to advertisers.
According to “TVWeek,” “Citizen Kate” is perfect for advertisers seeking politically-engaged adults with a can do-Mary Tyler Moore meets Michael Moore-non-partisan woman, with constantly entertaining stories to tell about her experience.
Bill Leake, president/CEO of Apogee Search, which develops competitive online search marketing programs, suggested that in my case, paid media isn’t going to work. We should develop a community through Facebook and Meetup.
In addition to my production costs, I also need a buzz marketing firm. Find a buzz marketing firm.
