An oxymoron called content advertising

The field of advertisements contains many interpretations relating to his appearance. Some argue that advertising should look more authentic, real, share a real, engaging audience. The most commonly used term is "content" - which refers to anything that does not look like traditional advertising. There are many examples: articles and content domains found in leading portals and signed "in cooperation" or "on behalf" of the brand, content on the brand site and offers tips and ideas. There are also television commercials such as Discount Bank, which creates a conversation around the families, and long digital videos such as the First International Bank, which is currently running a series of networks starring Assi Cohen. The rationale behind the creation of "content" is creating a disruption (so-called advertising lingo Disruption ) cancel the indifference of the viewer, make him enjoy the content and identify with the brand, and hopefully will motivate him to purchase.

But the basis of the statement about the future of advertising lies in one big thorn - the inability to measure the actual effectiveness in practice. This is similar to the YouTube videos, which receive millions of hits but do not necessarily reward their singers with thousands of fans on the day of the show. In an equal cut, viewers of content can enjoy it while not buying the brand and not see it as a potential purchase. In fact, the effectiveness of advertisers, especially in digital, measurement up to a certain stage. You can know the amount of views, the amount of interactions (comments, shares, etc.), as well as the conversion ratio between the viewer in the movie and the clicker for more information. In good cases, effectiveness is measured by the number of respondents who leave an email address and / or phone number.

However, like a television commercial, chance or other factors may motivate the user to take an interest in the brand. The surfer may have already been ripe for the service or product, and when he saw the content before his eyes, he decided to press for interest. He might have purchased even if he saw an ad for sale rather than a content advertisement, and sometimes it was also likely that he had accidentally clicked while trying to skip or press a commercial exit. In other words, it is not possible to show causation, but only to derive an interaction between the number of those interested in the success of the campaign that is based on elements other than the creative application.

The lack of causality creates a perpetual paradox for the brand. On the one hand, the less concrete a proposal, the less likely it will be to drive the purchase, and the fewer people will understand the purpose of the brand. On the other hand, the more the bid is sold, the more likely it will be "transparent" to the viewer. The paradox of advertising lies in the paradox of marketing managers - who need to justify their investment in a short-term campaign. The interim solutions almost always lead to Shatnez, which connects a sales ad to a content ad, and in many cases distances the viewers, who feel they are pushing a product through the back door, and express doubt about who submitted it to them. Like smart shoppers at the supermarket - they enter, buy the products on the offer and soon leave.

Advertising seems to face a complex problem: it must create a causal link between content advertising and actual purchase, and will be a legitimate basis for marketers to come up with content advertisements and win credit in the immediate future. As long as critical mass of successful content ads does not accumulate, many brands are likely to think they are generating relevant content, while it is perceived by the target audience as a hidden and unreliable advertisement. Perhaps the solution depends on reducing the expectation - instead of directing the actual purchase, making do with higher awareness and gathering relevant information - one that will allow the potential consumer to sell advertisements when the decision is made.