Speak Softly

The problem is that whilst we can all agree that something must be done actually doing something is not so straightforward Itamp8217s also easy to fall into the trap of trivializing such a tragedy and yet it39s only by taking lots of what may appear to be small steps that we get anywhereAs I pointed out last week I am these days just a commentator a blogger For change to truly occur we need far more influential people than me to come forward This is one situation when President Roosevelt39s foreign policy mantra quotSpeak softly and carry a big stickquot wins over quotShout loudly and wave your arms aroundquotThe first thing we could all do is ensure everyone knows what words mean What should be simple concepts like quotviewerquot quotreachquot and quotimpressionsquot are not always quite what they seemIf you work in media in any capacity agency sales client specialist auditor research company you know this is true So why not admit it Why not talk about it Why not do something about itWhen your client or boss makes the point that quotmediaquot is simply about buying the most impressions for the least money why not point out that an impression isn39t an impression isn39t an impressionMake the point relevant to his or her worldIn the 198039s Citroen ran a superb series of ads for their iconic 2CV In one Citroen compared their 2CV which at the time sold for around amp1632500 with a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit quotSame number of wheelsquot and a Porsche quotMore boot spacequotBut of course we all know that aamp160car isn39t a car isn39t a carIt39s up to us the media experts to ensure that our clients understand that a view on Facebook isn39t the same as a view on broadcast TV even if they both use the word quotviewquotThat39s not to suggest one is worthless and one invaluable both have their place It39s just not the same placeNext we have to accept that media is a numbers game Some of us like to think that there39s room for creativity for emotion for standing out from the crowd There is room for all these things if there wasn39t everything would be done by computer and algorithms and we would have to invent a new word like quotprogrammaticquot amp8230Oh hang on a secondProgrammatic or not tools are only there to be used by someone to achieve an end They39re not an end in themselvesThere is room for creativity thank goodness but how much more powerful the argument to sell creativity if there are numbers to back you upOne comment to last week39s post came from Jon Waite at HavasHavas it seems is launching a new tool Meaningful Social Matrix or MSM across nine markets to encourage their planners to consider factors other than sheer numbers in their construction of plansThey39re using the Conscious Ad Network39s framework to score social media vendors across a range of criteria including ad fraud brand safety viewability DEampampI sustainable development informed consent hate speech children39s wellbeing disinformation misinformation and news journalism protectionHavas has also been active as have others like OMG in understanding and embracing the importance of attentionI39m sure other networks are doing similar things but the issue is not the cleverness of the tools but whether or not the tools are usedFor them to be used the principles behind them need to be accepted by clientsFor them to be accepted they need to be understoodFor them to be understood we need to educateIt may seem a long way from arguing about the meaning of words to bringing pressure to bear on the platforms to stop carrying images that cause such distress but small steps people small stepsClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Speak Softly

Author

Publish date

Channel

Archived in

Brian Jacobs

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Speak Softly

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Brian Jacobs

TAGS:

Cookies