Seems like the topic du jour this week is Facebook Places. So I’ll jump on the bandwagon too.
Facebook Places is basically their version of Foursquare. But since they already have 500 million registered users (aka-“friends”), the assumption now is that the world is ready to let others know where they are at all times. And as you check in more frequently, the advertising messages that reach you will be even more targeted.
So what does this mean for advertising creatives (specifically copywriters)?
Well, on the surface, nothing changes. It’s just the same puzzle creatives have already been dealing with on foursquare, only now you can see the mainstream light at the end of the tunnel.
But most importantly for advertising creatives, it seems to me that as messaging gets more targeted, the less “creative” the message needs to be.
Say you check into Old Navy and get a 10% coupon off your purchase. Or check into your favorite all-you-can-eat joint and get a note from Pepto-Bismol about the nearest store where it’s sold. In both examples, the message is served at the moment of need, so cutting through the clutter becomes a lot less daunting for these brands.
The only brand messaging here is “hey look at us, we know our audience.” It hardly matters how they say it. Or maybe it does, who the hell knows! Hopefully there are some savvy creative teams who can crack this nut the same way the Old Spice team dominated Twitter and Youtube a few weeks ago. My fears will start to alleviate when somebody lets the advertising world know that copywriters are still an integral part of getting the message out. I wish I could be more positive, but until that day, this is the type of technological breakthrough that makes agencies and big brands shift salaries away from the creative department.
But then again, there’s always a chance that 499 million Facebook users could reject Facebook Places.
