Advertising 2.0- A Myth

Hugh Mcleod over at GapingVoid has written a very interesting post, which questions the very notion that advertising is being revolutionised by changing consumer behaviour and changing technology. It's an argument that I hear a lot and one that I certainly agree with. Lots of the UK's biggest advertising agencies are claiming to change by repositioning themselves as 'Idea businesses' or by launching content arms but the fact remains that it's just lip service. Advertising agencies don't want to change. They want to continue working their clunky and bulky business model- at the heart of which is a slick and expensive ad. All the other stuff they do around it/or offer to do are gestures intended to show brands that they can adapt. This model can't last. Not least because consumers are becoming less responsive to the big and glamorous ads but also because there's much more cheaper and effective ways of getting your message across.
In the ad-agencies defence, it's what they do best so if clients are happy to buy then why change. Of course big campaigns have a place and are great at planting the seed for the big idea but the real fun for me comes when you add in all the supporting activity.