Thinking small

It may seem odd for an ad person to talk about the importance of thinking small.  After all, one of the most transformative ads for any brand (and an ad many argue changed the industry) carried this thought as a headline.

Yet I think as an industry we are defined by another ad.  This one:

We believe, the bigger the better.  We want a big idea .  We want to launch it in a big way to create a spectacular firework display.  We want to shout and show our stuff in front of big audiences (hence the love of the SuperBowl).

The problem is 'big' isn't working.  Andrew Ehrenberg has shown that it most categories a brand's market share is stationary.  Copernicus Consulting have reported that people find brands and ads far more similar than different.  McKinsey reports that CPG marketers are spending three times more on price promotion than they are on brand building.

The issues, I believe, is that we have confused the end with the means.  Of course we want big business results and brands and communication that feel big, pervasive and central to culture.  But, perhaps counter-intutively, we need to think and act small not big. We need to break the tyranny of the big idea and embrace small.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about why.

Comments

[Clay Parker Jones]

Gareth:

You might be interested in this preso Alex and I did last year at Web 2.0 on this very subject.

Our approach was a little more focused on the scholarship surrounding the subject than campaign-y stuff, but the message is generally concentric.

http://exitcreative.net/blog/2010/10/size-does-matter-our-web-20-expo-talk/

It's a bit long, but some of the examples might be helpful.

[Gareth]

thanks Clay

[farid]

hi Gareth,

have you thought about recording your talks so one would be able to hear you talk while watching your pieces on slideshare?

sadly, i missed out on your presentation at aau because i had class, and i'm really interested in this whole thing of small ideas doing big things so that bums me out even more.

i know you're probably pretty damn busy and maybe don't have the time for pulling something like that off, but would love to be able to catch up on your thoughts.

all the best.
farid

[Olle]

Yes, and all the while we're told, and we say, it's all in the details.

I agree, we need to think smaller. Because small passes through the filters of scepticism, the filters of 'uah, big brand preaching to me'. Small has a chance to grow under the magnifying glass of curiosity, big ends up overwhelming us.

Often.

[faris]

nanobranding!

good stuff mate - looking fwd to the new shtick.

FX

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