The chance for brands to talk to people when they're at their most engaged is massive
The changes in the experience for consumers of online content have barely begun. The chance for advertisers to talk to people when they're at their most engaged and enthused is massive, and the technology to do so is already here.
At football matches, many fans take their radios to listen to the commentators on their favourite radio stations. This enriches the match, so why isn't this sort of rich, live experience happening more often online? Brands could provide half-time interviews with managers, for example, or comments from other people taking part in an event. With a large audience of fans certain to listen or watch on whatever internet device, brands could serve ads for memorabilia or DVDs, all of which would enrich the experience.
Live sport adds immediacy and relevance to content and focuses the attention. The chance to put brands in front of people immediately and in an entertaining way is very real.
And it's not just in sport. During the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Yahoo delivered royal wedding content to readers worldwide at 50,000 requests a second. A switched-on ad agency would have been looking for ways to engage with this. People online discussed what sort of wedding dresses they like, so why not serve tailored ads based on that information?
There may be pitfalls. The line between editorial and advertorial is already blurring in the printed media, and manufacturing an online conversation just to sell something will fail. The opportunities to engage with genuine enthusiasts are great, however. During the London 2012 Olympics, there'll be a huge, motivated audience paying full attention. The same will happen with the next World Cup.
The challenge is to create something unique. The creative idea behind the ad has to be as compelling as the content. During the last World Cup, Yahoo streamed a 90-minute interview with David Beckham, with the help of Cisco. It broadcast to an audience of more than 600m Yahoo users and via major news networks, and used technology and digital media, combined with a live event, to deliver a unique experience.
Exclusive access and insight to an enthralled market is hard to argue with. It's tough, and it'll get tougher as the digital landscape changes. Global events need a global approach, so you're looking at territories in which mobile is more important than the fixed internet, for example. The question is whether agencies and advertisers can be ready in time.
Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors
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