A Response to Seth Godin's Blog, "The Erosion in the Paid Media Pyramid"

This blog post is in response to Seth Godin's recent post, which can be found here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/12/the-erosion-in-the-paid-media-pyramid.html


Let me first say, I love Seth Godin's work. I think he revolutionized the way people share ideas and thoughts online and changed the game when it comes to branding and marketing strategies.


And now is where you think I'm going to say, "...but..."


Well, I'm not going to say that. Seth's recent blog post concerning paid media and the degradation of the paid model is spot-on. Having worked in an advertising agency under the "media" umbrella, it's clear that the landscape is in a state of transition. 


As Seth states, real, high-production value content is easier than ever to create and distribute given technological advances.


Does this mean that the glossy television commercial is dead? Or the 60-second radio spot is a goner? No. 

The Road to Media Success is paved with planning,
collaboration and innovation.

What is means (to me at least) is that content marketing strategy is more important than ever. 


Since it is so easy for everyone and anyone to make great, interesting content to share online, the walls between big-spenders and little-guys have crumbled. Where large companies used to be able to simply outspend everyone else to get the results they wanted, that option is no longer available (or at least not as effective). 


So, who has the advantage now?


Answer - the one who plans the best. 


Strategic media planning has to consider all aspects of media, from the top of Seth's pyramid to the very bottom; from the "bespoke" to the "free". All too often media is bought in isolation. Television buying is done with demographics in mind, but does it consider how that corresponds to the online audience? How does the radio spot coordinate with the free content that is being shared? How can all of these things help each other?

The New Media Plan

Media planning is more important than ever because it needs to consider all aspects and placements of the message. Media, creative and interactive need to work together to build a comprehensive road-map for success, taking into consideration the big, glossy ads as well as the nimble social content. This way, the "mass" and "free" content work to support the high-investment content - and vice-versa.


Before you dictate which specific media to launch in the coming months, first take a step back and consider the whole media picture. Put a smart, comprehensive strategy in place, and you are guaranteed to succeed with your media plan.




In recognition of bringing these practices together, I present to you the music video of the day:

Do you have any thoughts to share regarding the new media planning model? Comment below!