Probably a bit old fashioned of me to suggest, but is it really enough for comms just to entertain...and hope the 'sell' happens as a consequence of the emotional engagement?
Because I was rather intrigued by this commentfrom Simon Gregory of interactive specialists Weapon 7, who did the digital component for Cabdury's Natural Confectionery Company. Advertising damned with faint praise or what...
"Our key challenge in launching The Natural Confectionery Company for Cadbury was how to ensure that we converted awareness into brand engagement and subsequent purchase. TV ads were doing a great awareness job, each one was a wonderful Fallonesque cultural happening. In fact consumers loved the ads so much they were in danger of becoming a victim of their own success; we soon learnt that just because people liked the TV ads, it didn’t necessarily follow that they liked the brand."
Personally, I think it's a bit harsh. I really like the campaign, and it does more for me than entertain. But it does raise questions about the 'entertaining is everything (and nothing else matters)' trend, and whether we sometimes lose sight of what we're being asked (and paid) to do.
