Innovative ideas for advertisers in the "post-TV" age.
2/16/2004
Joe Cappo, the former publisher of Advertising Age and president of the International Advertising Association, has been involved in the ad game for thirty-five years. The author's central message for ad agencies living in the post-TV age is sharp and clear: "Change or die." Each chapter tells a story of change in the last decade or two, such as how seventeen of the top twenty ad agencies have been consolidated by four big holding companies; how the way ad agencies generate their income has changed; how the relative importance of advertising in marketing has declined; how TV commercials have saturated and consumer attitudes toward them have changed; and how the Internet affects ad business behaviors. Solutions? Cappo says ad agencies should integrate traditional "above-the-line" advertising with "below-the-line" marketing activities, including direct marketing, public relations, and sponsorship. Firms should also learn to reposition themselves and integrate a variety of marketing services into a comprehensive marketing strategy for their clients. He has other writers provide views as "Another Voice" at the end of each chapter. The book, full of interesting anecdotes, makes informative reading.