The Potential Unpleasantness of Advertising's Future Beckons

A great article by Wharton School Professor of Operations Eric Clemsons entitled "Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet" takes a deep look at the current state (shambles) of advertising and what the future looks like after we all bid adieu to the industry's current lameness.

In a nutshell, and this is not a new line of thinking, it's all about people seeking information (because it's readily available) rather than having it shoved down their throats (as it has been since the dawn of advertising.)

Tired as it is to say, the internet has changed everything. But it really has. Just think for a minute how you go about your daily routine and how integral the internet is to that routine. Could you ever conceivably live without the internet for any period of time? Most would shudder at the thought.

Because the internet has enabled all manner of information retrieval and social networking making it ever so easy to find only what it is you are looking for and to tap your vast network of friends, there is little a person needs outside of this.

OK, well, church, hikes in the woods, a vacation Tahiti but you get the point. In fact, you'd probably use the internet to choose the aforementioned things.

Yes, there are still ad banners here on Adrants. They are here because the monolith that is the ad business will not change fast. Nothing ever really changes as fast as we'd like it too; personal, professional or otherwise. It's just the way of things. But change is coming.

The recession has amplified and increased the speed of these changes but it will be some time before a new model sets in and eradicates the old. The thing is...we can't sit around and wait for it to change around us. We have to take an active role in the change. Because if we don't, life will be a very unpleasant place indeed.