#wwrbd

So I've realized that I can speak genius after I've had a few beers in me...Hm, maybe those Mad Men guys were on to something... Anyway, this week's post is all about a special someone who is coming to Richmond this weekend.  Why he's gracing our city is beyond me (outside of the 7th largest art museum, the amazing dynamic of different people, and the fact that I love this city), but if you haven't heard, Richard Branson is coming to the RVA.

Branson is known for his eccentric behavior and his ability to see beyond the normal, which is why when I meet him on Friday night I'm going to hand him my freshly made business cards, they're made of bone.  If you haven't heard, Brandcenter is also looking for a new director, so... put the two together, and if I'm right, the man may be scouting a potential job opportunity.

I recently read an article about how Richard could single-handedly change the face of advertising as we know it if he really wanted to.  Since reading this article I immediately adopted a new mantra that I can't believe I haven't been living by until now.  WWRBD?  Yes unoriginal, but if you were gonna go with a WW.... and not WWJD, wouldn't it be Richard Branson?  I mean the man built a plane that goes into space because NASA was too inept to...

After reading said article about Richard and what his (thought to be) take on advertising would be, it got me thinking.  How could a man like Branson change the face of the industry that I'm currently studying, and how would that have an effect on me?

Branson is known around the world as a pioneer, an innovator, a knight... I mean the list goes on and on.  But if he really wanted to put his mind to it I bet he could completely revolutionize the advertising industry.  Every professor and contemporary I've listened and talked to says this is an interesting time for advertising.

The rise of social media has caused a shift in power from the brand to the consumer, deciding whether or not they even want to listen to the brand's pitch.  Advertisements have become elevator pitches and elevator pitches have become multi-lateral, cross-platform, global initiatives that hinge on whether or not they get 200,000 views in the first week on YouTube.

*** Intermission: Realized I was getting long-winded and went back for another beer (and to do some laundry, yes ladies I do laundry by night) ***

Branson would be the kind of guy that would flip the concept of social media, especially in terms of consumer power, on its head.  He'd take one look at the data and say, "Well here's what you're doing wrong."  But is the power of social media that easy to flip on its own head?  We've seen brilliant campaigns like "Whopper Sacrifice" and "Old Spice Guy" score huge points among the "social" elite, but how many times can we as a business leverage that industry to our advantage?

When faced with social media, what would Richard Branson do?

Well, I think his first idea would be to buy it, but if that weren't a possibility, he'd study it.  It's amazing how these days people are willing to simply give up so much information.  Years ago, they could have been paid for that much info, but today, to the average consumer, what they put up online can be pulled down for free.

This new dynamic of sharing would be Richard (and my) POE (point of entry) on the market.  For whatever reason, some people nowadays like to tell everyone they're in a Starbucks.  And while robbers have found this as a GREAT tool for their "lucrative-until-caught" business, the advertising world is just now understanding it.

The trick is not being reactive, but proactive; in other words, understanding how people will act online in given situations.  If you can predict a user's position, you can develop tech that will automatically respond to their comments, in the same way it would take a six-figure salaried "social media expert" and a team of highly trained sociologists to respond to them.

As a CT with a background in politics stupidity, I can appreciate how a veteran in advertising would hire a group of people to manage their "online solution".  But the fact is, you really can group people online and their decision-making skills aren't going to vary all that much.  As long as it's fresh, people love a great idea, even if everyone they know is doing the same exact thing.  

Perfect example: I lived in Arlington, VA for 2 years after graduation.  If you know anyone who was there between March 2009 and September 2009, they've all seen this.

New people that have moved to the city don't know much about the "Arlington Rap," but for the short period of time that it dominated Facebook and Twitter in the DC-metro area, "GoRemy" was an instant celebrity.  The real trick - which you'll have to wait until my next drunken escapade - is how to continue this genius even after the "online fad" has passed.

When I confer with Richard this weekend, I'll let you know what his thoughts are on a sustainable online strategy.  But until then, Cheers... from space.