It is the End of the Semester- Nontraditonal Summary Post

When I was first given the assignment of writing a weekly blog, I was terrified. Those Internet savvy people who knew the ins and outs of the cyber world intimidated me. I was extremely hesitant to start an actual blog, and to have my thoughts in a public domain. However, given this was a class assignment, which without completing it, I would probably fail; I knew I had to overcome my fears.

Picking a topic was easy. I immediately browsed through all the options, and let my eye be caught by the one that most intrigues me- nontraditional advertising. Since my Advertising final project, which was to create an Ad Plan, I have been interested in nontraditional advertising and planning, as opposed to mainstream. When I first began thinking of my topic, and even working with it in advertising class, I had no idea of its greatness. I had a hunch that it would be a growing medium since alternative has in some ways taken over the popularity of mainstream, as it has become “cooler” to like the unknown, and the unconventional. However, I didn’t know about the actual research, the data, and the evidence proving nontraditional media as a huge increasing form of advertising.

I remember when I first began researching this medium; I came across several sources revealing the importance of nontraditional media and its relevance in our culture today. The big theme throughout this semester’s blogging experience has been realizing how hard it is for companies, brands, and organizations alike to differentiate themselves from their competitors, as well as position their image correctly in the market. It is much harder than you think.
However, there are two sides to every coin. As some find Nontraditional a great alternative to the everyday mainstream television, magazine, and newspaper ads, some think of nontraditional in that same exact light. In an article titled “Nontraditional advertising needs a shower bad,” it was expressed by author Paul MacFarlane that nontraditional, just like mainstream advertising, is always in our face. With this argument comes the idea that wit nontraditional advertising on the rise, ads are everywhere. You used to be able to escape to the coffee shop, and be guaranteed that you wont have to be convinced to by any product, but perhaps the soy latte you will purchase. However, now, your napkin dispenser might have an ad on it, or better, your coffee mug. Now with nontraditional advertising, adverts have become inescapable. And that makes some campers very unhappy, and maybe even reluctant to buy the product at hand. You would think using the restroom would allow you to not only release nature duties, but also escape advertising—not anymore; now toilets and restrooms are being used for advertising locations.

Moreover, since some people do have this preconceived notion of nontraditional, some companies choose to not participate in the field whatsoever, some even ban it. A reoccurring issue I came across in my researching was Target’s ban on nontraditional advertising, and their refusal to participate in any form of it. Even when it comes to customer support, feedback, and complaints- they refrain from any negotiation. This was a highly controversial issue in the blogging world, and even changed my opinion as a consumer about the company.

Come to think of it, all this research over the weeks has kept me updated on the industry in a way I could only hope to be. I wasn’t expecting to learn so much, and to become interested in the topic in a way that compelled me to browse other blogs and trade journals for fun. Over time, you can tell, I became a relaxed blogger. I developed a style, a theme I already had, but a general sense of comfort started to ensue from my blogs, or at least I think so.


With that being said, the fact that my topic was a creative one definitely didn’t hurt. Overtime however, I learned that as much as I thought nontraditional was an alternative method of advertising, it was becoming just as mainstream as anything else. On Dec 7th, 07', the Hollywood Reporter Reported that The Association of Independent Commercial Producers' newly released membership survey found that nearly 70% of member companies produced nontraditional advertising projects during 2006. They estimate that by 2010, on average 38% of their billings will be from such projects. (Goodwin Simon Victoria Research collected the data in the report). I also discovered that different companies use nontraditional for various reasons. Some companies have turned to unconventional marketing because they are unable to support large, national, expensive advertising campaigns. Others are just more innovative than most in developing their marketing repertoires.

On the same note, throughout my research, I discovered many marketing research firms uncovering recent trends. According to “What’s your marketing firm’s strategy in 08’” many marketing forms will explode in 08', however the "savvy marketer" will realize how consumers are breaking up into smaller and smaller communities, becoming less homogeneous, and more niche. This is why the media mix must reflect this. "Concentrating advertising budgets on a single medium will not work in this complex marketplace. So there will be a diverse mix of the traditional (TV, radio, print) and nontraditional (blogging, You Tube, social networking, such as facebook and multiply)."

Throughout all my research, I realized the media seems hyped about new these marketing fads in 2008. Apparently, more than ever, companies and brands have to make sure to stand out of the clutter, pay attention to the effectiveness of their specific marketing mix, and make sure it is reaching their desired, maybe large, preferably fragmented specific audience.

Although Nontraditional is now a huge trend, it is said to have started up as a cheaper way for smaller companies to get their name out there. However, with time, and as this industry grew, multi-million dollar companies like NASCAR, Huggies, NBC, Red Bull and others have embarked upon nontraditional campaigns.

Also, the industry isn’t stopping any time soon. Currently, the new fad is facebook advertising. As my research progressed, and as months went on, I kept on encountering more and more articles on facebook advertising and its benefits. And I am sure that in years to come, we will see new popular methods of advertising being utilized more and more, as opposed to just mainstream.

In preparing my final project, a media plan promoting Bling H20 for Audience Research, we mostly concentrated on placing ads in various media. We did chose the mainstream channels such as Television, Magazine, Internet and Billboard advertising, however we focused a chunk of our $30 million budget on nontraditional. Keeping this blog over the course of the semester has definitely motivated and compelled me to buy nontraditional ad space. We created events, as well as product placement, and a building projection. We believed that using a mix of traditional and nontraditional suited Bling’s persona.

With a blog under my belt, I have something to show to future perspective employers, as well as peers. I feel I am now involved in the industry, at least in cyber space and I’m more aware of the world I am going into. Also, if I had a choice, I would like to work with more nontraditional, avant-garde firms and agencies, as well as on those types of accounts. Through all my research, writing, and rambling I’ve realized my creativity and love for this specific niche.