In a way, us kids in Generation 2.0 are the first in a long time to have to work harder than the generation immediately before us. Education has become inflated, the job search is merciless, and the economy has hiccuped itself into a stupor pushing to step up to the huge expectations of our future employers.
Most of all, though, we work hard because we are pushed every day to talk with our mouth full. What do I mean? Read on, digital frontiersman!
Interruptive Advertisement is Dead or Dying
With the possible exception of Hulu, a media outlet’s ability to withhold a product from you just long enough to shout an advertisement has come to an end thanks to lovely innovations such as Tivo and MP3 players. Without this ability, advertising firms have had to tap into the “digital” realm of “social media”. However, these areas are neither new or revolutionary and rely on age old human nature.
People Only Truly Trust Their Friends
For example, let’s say you go to a new Mexican restaurant for some delicious chicken fajitas and these fajitas are just TREMENDOUSLY GOOD. If you were so moved by the quality of the product, you would want to tell your friends to check out the restaurant as well, ideally returning with you so that you can share in glorious chicken fajitas with people whose company you enjoy.
This is the beating heart of advertising and the end goal of all major advertising firms. With the advent of web 2.0 it has stopped being the end goal and now has become the process. Rather than to eat your fajitas first, you now have the tools to tell your friends what you think of a product as you are consuming it. We have now become, constantly, homespun versions of Anthony Bourdain.
Advertisers Rely On You to Tweet
Or use your Facebook status, or text, tumblr, and microblog your opinion out there. Whether this is a good thing or bad thing is entirely up to debate. Take this simply as food for thought, and remember to talk with your mouth full for the good of the economy.
Popularity: 2% [?]
All very well said. Back in the day they said “word of mouth” could make or break a business, but you would only tell someone if you ran into them or called on the phone. Very slow by todays standards.
By todays standards “word of MEDIA” can make or break a person, business, or a movie real fast. In a matter of minutes you can have your opinion, right or wrong, sent to millions. Is this a good or bad thing? It doesn’t matter because it is reality.
Good luck on your project Nick.
It seems that it would be quite good for the consumer. One can research the product and decide, based on opinions of others that they feel they can trust, whether to give the Mexican restaurant a try. As for the restaurant, itself, it could be good or bad. When we were growing up, if a new place came into town, everyone simply went out to give it a try. Therefore, the new place got business, even if it really was not good at all. Now, one would read about it on the web and decide, perhaps, to not make the trip at all, based on easily accessible, numerous opinions.