Deb Morrison doesn’t mince words when it comes to innovation in advertising. Or any other topic for that matter.
As the Chambers Distinguished Professor of Advertising at the University of Oregon, Morrison is excited and optimistic about the evolution of all forms of communication – from advertising to journalism – but has little patience for wasted creative energy or misdirected principles. I had the opportunity to talk with her this morning (since I’m playing “visiting professor” at UO this week) about the changing face of local media, journalism, higher education and yes, advertising. While she acknowledges many bright lights, there is a long way to go on all fronts, including advertising.
“Still, 90% of ‘advertising’ out there is horseshit, and 10% talks smartly and responsibly to consumers about what they care about,” Morrison said.
Here are some of the other highlights from our talk. (I will add the audio of the entire interview with Morrison as soon as I get my iTalk app to talk to my laptop again).
Q: What should local media companies be doing to grow their revenues with advertising?
A: “The entire brand development philosophy should be focused on telling rich stories. It’s sort of the same as in journalism. Obviously these compelling stories are about our brand. But I think you have to walk it more than talk it. show the ways that brands have meaning and lives.”
“A good template for that has yet to be invented, but boy could it be rich.”
Q: Are local media companies are still too intimidated by new technology?
A: “Now we’re at that place that we have permission to do much more. and that’s a little intimidating when you’ve lived your professional life by doing this protocol and this process. And this whole idea of professional innovation is at hand for all of us. Certainly, these local media concerns have an opportunity to invent and that is intimidating and confusing and that takes a while before you can see some ROI of meaning. But it’s out there.
Q: What do you see for the local retailer as the best approach to grow their audience?
A: “I think for those local retailers often times, that just jumping in to social media (like Facebook and Twitter) feels inauthentic – on both sides. So it’s the A-word. How do you stay authentic? How do you connect to your community in meaningful ways. And yes, sometimes that’s about price, and yes, sometimes that’s about new product, but many times it’s about who your advocates are, you know, who your best customers are and what they’re doing and feeling. I think it goes back to storytelling.
Q: Technically you teach advertising. But you say it’s now much bigger than that. Can you explain that?
“I think it’s about responsible and smart, consumer engagement. And it has to be all of those things because there has to be a sense of trust in there – for any messages, right? But there also has to be a sense of really understanding audience.
“In the past, I think journalists have felt that was some pejorative, persuasive, propaganda-esque and there was a lot done in that name, that was just stupid and wrong.”
“What I really teach now, rather than advertising, is brand engagement. It’s freeing in many ways. It’s much more about the experience with organize and products and people than it is about here’s the tagline.”