The document summarizes a conversation the author had at a family dinner where his sister was raving about a TV ad she had seen for replacing roof tiles. Though the author hadn't seen the ad himself, it had clearly made a big impression on those at the dinner who don't work in advertising. This got the author thinking about how the best ideas are those that are talked about by regular people, not just recognized at industry awards. The goal should be communications ideas that enter public consciousness through word-of-mouth, becoming part of cultural landscape.

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comment MONEY TALKS,
CONVERSATION WALKS
Adam Joseph
THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE
AWARD GOES TO…
Nick Condon
Readership director, Managing director,
Herald Sun DDB Melbourne
The latest issue of BRW magazine has just landed I had dinner with the extended family at mum’s the
on my desk, with the editor espousing that “Social other night (don’t stop reading – it gets better). I
networking is now a favoured marketing tool – was running late, on the way home from the office,
two-thirds of the Fast Starters use Facebook, and joined the party mid-conversation. My sister
Twitter, Flickr and YouTube”. was raving about an ad she’d seen on TV:
However, on reading the Fast Starters feature It’s the one where there’s, like, these two crows
this comment related to, it became apparent to me sitting on a roof and one crow asks the other if he
that many of these fast-growing Aussie business- wants his roof tiles replaced and he answers ‘No
es are struggling to articulate any ‘return on interest’. Then he asks again and the second crow
investment’ from their social activity. just keeps saying ‘No interest’, ‘No interest’..
As a traditional marketer (i.e., someone who did There was riotous laughter all round with
marketing before Google and Facebook existed) I adults and children all parroting the ‘No interest’,
admit to being fascinated by all this social media catch cry. Everyone had seen it. And although
stuff and how it fits (or doesn’t) into the communi- those over the age of 10 probably thought it was
cations landscape. pretty inane, they all got a great chuckle from it
It was in this inquisitive spirit that I jumped at and took out the interest-free message. What
the chance to take part in a new collaborative book really struck me was just how much airtime my
called Age of Conversation 3: It's Time to Get family were giving this ad around the dinner table.
Busy! Now, apologies to the client and agency that
AoC3 is described by US-based editor Drew made the spot, for I’ve no doubt butchered it in
McLellan and Australian-based Gavin Heaton (aka retelling. I actually haven’t seen it. In fact, I’ve got
Servant of Chaos) as a global discussion about how no idea if it’s about roof tiles, gutters, TV antennas
the global marketing and media landscape is or something else. But for everyone at dinner (who
changing. didn’t work in advertising) it made a big impact, far
There are ten chapters, including more so than the work I’ve seen get up at recent
Conversational Branding, Innovation & Execution, award shows or get coverage in industry media.
Pitching Social Media, Friends & Trusted Even without knowing the finer details of the ad, it
Strangers, and In the Boardroom. doesn’t sound like it’s going to trouble the judges
The new book follows on from the success of at many shows. But then that’s kind of the point.
the previous two editions, and features short con- After I’d digested what was a lovely roast din-
tributions from over 170 leading marketers, writ- ner, I got to thinking about communications ideas
ers, thinkers and creative innovators from around that people remember. Not because I want to join
the world (oh yes, and me). the roof sellers and their friends. But because I
While around three-quarters of the authors are want our agency, and our industry, to produce
from the USA, there are fourteen Australian-based more ideas that get talked about. Not in agency
authors. corridors, but in regular Aussie homes .
The 400-word article I wrote is housed in the Ideas get recognition, it seems, in two ways.
chapter called In the Boardroom. Some get buzz on niche advertising blogs and then
As I see it, the major challenge for social media pick up metal at award shows. Others get talked
practitioners is to apply meaningful marketing about by Joe Public around the BBQ or water cool-
metrics to their social media efforts. er, slipping into the public consciousness and
Fans, friends, followers etc mean little to most becoming part of our cultural landscape. The best
C-suite leaders, who are more likely to think of ideas, of course, deserve (and receive) both kinds
‘fans’ as people you find at stadiums, ‘followers’ as of recognition. And these populist ideas are what
victims of a religious cult and ‘Tweets’ as bird-talk. we should be striving for.
I summarised my piece with the conclusion that Not meaningless, screaming, fluorescent
when it comes to social media in the boardroom, garbage that assaults people’s senses at every
money talks, conversation walks. turn. And not pretty pictures that make an impact
TO MAKE A Anyway, the AoC3 book is available on Amazon on award juries, and no-one else. My family dinner
and all proceeds from sales will go to a global chil- reminded me that it’s the people’s choice awards
COMMENT EMAIL dren's charity rather than to the authors. In this that we really need to be keeping an eye on.
EDITORIAL@BANDT.COM.AU case, money talks – philanthropy rocks. – See feature, Out of Touch, from page 16.
12 BANDT.COM.AU MAY 28 2010