I couldn’t agree more with the piece in this week’s BrandWeek about how the marketing industry’s obsessions seem to change every couple of years. In 2004, everyone went on and on about product placement and branded entertainment. Now, the “next big thing” is “user-generated content.” At a recent BrandWeek conference case studies included a contest in which consumers were invited to send in clips of themselves dancing like pop star Shakira to her song “Hips Don’t Lie,” to get a chance to see the singer perform live. The contest was credited with vaulting the song back into the top 10, although when pressed, the speaker was somewhat vague on specific details. Many panelists referred to Mentos’ success after videos of people stuffing the candy into Diet Coke bottles to cause a small explosion benefited the former brand. “Two years ago, who talked about Mentos?” asked panelist Drew Neisser, president and CEO of Renegade Marketing, a New York guerrilla marketing firm. “Now, suddenly they’re hot again.” OK, so my question is… How do you actually measure if user generated content works? As with all these “next big things” it seems to be all about “buzz.” Personally, I’ll settle for “bucks!” 
Hey... How about five minutes?
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I think "User Generated Content" is more than a fad. It's prompting a shift in the way traditional content providers think and operate. Oh and if you can make a few bucks then why not.
Posted by: Spud | September 17, 2006 3:05 AM | Permalink to Comment