P&G’s Digital Guru Not Sure Marketers Belong on Facebook – that’s the headline published yesterday for an AdAge article in which Ted McConnell, general manager of interactive marketing and innovation at P&G, is quoted about the ins and outs of marketing on Facebook.
This is not really what McConnell said, from what I can tell. Like with many hot-button issues covered by the press, this headline obscures the complexity of the situation by boiling it down to an either-or choice. The thrust of McConnell’s statements should not be read as an all-out indictment of marketing on social networks. They should be read as an indictment of traditional IAB advertising on social nets, but an endorsement of integrated marketing campaigns via social network applications.
There is simply no doubt that social networking is hear to stay. It might not look like Facebook or Myspace in the future, but the activities that happen in social net environments are sure to be a major piece of the media landscape from here on out. And while many brands have yet to dabble in the space, I think the question should not be, “Do I, or do I not advertise on social nets?” The question should be, “How do I advertise on social nets well?”
It seems clear now that banner ads in social networking environments underperform. That notion is quickly approaching accepted-wisdom status, and McConnell’s statements reflect this. He says, “I really don’t want to buy any more banner ads on Facebook.” But he came out vocally for “Facebook applications as a potentially valuable vehicle for advertisers, one in which they can create an environment that’s favorable for their brands and consumers alike.” Amen, brother McConnell.
Taken as a whole, McConnell’s discussion should have generated the headline, “P&G’s Digital Guru Not Sure Crappy Marketing Belongs on Facebook.” Of course, crappy marketing doesn’t belong anywhere.