DJ Edgerton on the Future of Advertising

OurBlook interviews DJ Edgerton, CEO of Zemoga.

Social media are transforming the way that companies conducting PR and marketing campaigns. Can you explain the changes you have seen?

DJE: Our customers are beginning to understand and invest in the two-way dialogue that is Social Media. The thinking by brands is no longer led by fear of what might be said, but rather, “How can I become a participant and direct the conversation in a beneficial way for my brand?” The organizations that do not make an effort to engage online in an honest dialogue with their core customers are in for a surprise when the growing stable of influencers online have a greater impact on consumer behavior and brand perception then any traditional push advertising will be able to match, regardless of the spend.

How is this affecting the journalism world, particularly newspapers who have been focused on traditional, ad-supported models? While Craigslist is usually cited for the demise of classifieds, is there anything other than the economic downturn to blame for the decline in display ads?

DJE: Journalists need to understand that content creation is no longer a one-way street; the story is the spark that creates a firepit the readers congregate around. The ensuing conversation and commentary are often what readers appreciate most, especially when the author participates actively. This presents opportunities, not only for content providers, but also the advertisers that illustrate their endorsements through advertising. Traditional display ads are a byproduct of an engagement model that is dead. Consumers want more than the short-lived vicarious dream a print ad facilitates. They want true brand interaction and engagement that makes them feel special. It goes to the core of the human condition. The Web facilitates that connection through multiple opportunities we have just begun to understand and experiment with.

What advice would you give newspapers that are currently trying to create a new model for revenue?

DJE: We have several traditional publishing customers and we are advising them to embrace this new engagement model. It requires a re-shuffle of the traditional model of content distribution and organizational support. Publishers that are brave enough to adopt a new way of providing content in an open, honest and flexible platform will build loyalty and trust with the consumers of that quality content, because they provide a real value exchange. And that value exchange delicately lies within the connection the content creates with the reader, author, publisher and even the advertiser.

Are magazines in the same boat as newspapers? If sleek, prosperous Gourmet magazine had to fold because of plummeting advertising, is there really much hope for other publications? What can they do to retain and gain advertising?

DJE: Stop pretending that this is a passing fad and that print will live in perpetuity. It's not and the data show that the way consumers are getting their information is online, especially the uber-connected generation Y. Gourmet failed because it did not attack the opportunity to move its expertise to the place where most people now get their recipes, how-to's and reviews of culinary content. They get it from the myriad of options online. It had a chance to leverage the one thing it had over the competition, and that's brand equity. It did not act fast enough or bravely enough and the ad dollars went where the engagement is: online. You should get used to writing the obituaries of content providers that don't drive their engagement with consumers online.

Is there anything else you would like to say about advertising and print media?

DJE: Advertising has moved from a push model to more of a "dance" with the consumer. Brands can increase or maintain their relevance by providing real interaction and touch points to their audience. This is almost impossible to do in print. But in online media, through the use of video and branded entertainment, companies can really drive engagement and encourage consumers to participate in the marketing through relevant, entertaining and useful content that advertisers, and more often lately, consumers create. If brands have a story to tell, that will resonate ... they will be successful. Now it's up to the agencies, big and small, to collaborate and get the stories out there.

(Editor's Note: With more than 18 years of experience in interactive marketing, DJ is a co-founder and CEO of Zemoga ... an interactive design and marketing agency based in Bogota, Colombia, Wilton, Conn., and New York City. He began his career at Saatchi and Saatchi but left to create his own award winning agency, Underline, in 1992. Underline was later sold to Context Integration in 1999. In 2001, he teamed with former Underline creative colleague Alejandro Gomez to create one of the first companies to leverage the "Near Shore Interactive Services Model" from Bogota. DJ heads up Zemoga's growth and strategy initiatives in partnership with fellow founder, Alejandro Gomez.)