This could be the first One Degree Mash-Up. Ken shot me an email asking if Kelly (me, Mitch Joel) would like to interview Regis (Joseph Jaffe) with Five Questions for One Degree (to understand the whole Regis & Kelly thing, you have to listen to Across The Sound #31). I figured this could be a cool One Degree mash-up, so I asked Joseph Jaffe 5 Questions. Enjoy.
One of the most sought-after consultants, speakers and thought leaders on marketing and media, Joseph Jaffe is President and Founder of jaffe, L.L.C. – a “New Marketing” consulting practice.
Jaffe is best known for his breakthrough marketing book, Life After the 30-Second Spot: Energize Your Brand With a Bold Mix of Alternatives to Traditional Advertising. Along with the book, Jaffe’s Blog, Jaffe Juice, and his Podcast, Across The Sound, are both highly trafficked and recognized as offering some of the best new marketing concepts.
Prior to consulting, Joseph was Director of Interactive Media at TBWA/Chiat/Day and OMD USA, where he worked on clients including Kmart, ABSOLUT Vodka, Embassy Suites and Samsonite.
Hailing from South Africa, Joseph lives with his wife and two children in Westport, Connecticut.
Mitch Joel: Your book is called Life After The 30-Second Spot and it has been out for a while. So, is there life after the 30-Second spot or are we not learning from any of the lessons you bring forward in the book?
The book has been out for just over a year. Here’s my report back on what’s changed and what hasn’t.
Several ideas, “predictions” and recommendations have either come to pass or are beginning to see some signs of life – most notably the notion of Advertising on Demand (AOD) with respect to TiVo’s Product Watch. Nothing has been refuted and nothing has become redundant or outdated. On the flipside, it’s not what’s in the book, but what’s NOT in the book that astounds me. For example, I can’t believe how little space I devoted to blogs and podcasting, which are both central parts of my professional life (walking AND talking) In terms of the industry’s evolution…it’s still slow and cautious. I’m not overly impressed with the progress, but I guess change takes time.
There are some noticeable cracks in the walls that protect the beleaguered 30-second spot. J&J sat out the “Upfront”, as did Coke to a lesser extent. So for sure, we have witnessed – if not the tipping point – then a peak. To cope with the change and volatility, the networks have seemingly run from one extreme to the other… running around like chickens with their heads cut off preaching the virtues of digital downloads. The problems are twofold: there’s no business model and they’re neglecting their core equity: television. I know this may sound counter-intuitive to the thesis of Life after the 30-second spot, but ultimately the answer is equilibrium and balance.
Mitch Joel: Out of your ten areas that marketers need to pay attention to, which one do you think is the most interesting and why?
I jump around from one approach to another as my favorites. I think Community is the ultimate killer-app and so I guess I would tend to lean heavily towards “Communal Marketing”, mashed-up with predominantly “Consumer Generated Content”.
That said, the reality is two-fold: a) the approaches are not mutually exclusive and in fact work better when combined and b) many of them are as much horizontal as they are vertical. For example, “interactive” runs pretty much through all of the approaches. Mobile and Gaming are massive and still largely untapped opportunities. And the list goes on…
Mitch Joel: I believe that Life After The 30-Second Spot is one of the best marketing books out there. What book would you like to write next and why?
The million dollar question (I hope!). I’m mulling over a proposal right now with my publisher. To be honest, I’m flitting between a follow-up to LA30, one that focuses strongly on the new social media revolution or one which dives into organizational change management. Suggestions are welcome!
Mitch Joel: When you look at major advertisers today, who is getting it right? Who is truly living Life After The 30-Second Spot?
I get asked this question a lot. To be honest, it’s tough to make sweeping judgments on who is hot and who is not. GM for example, seems to be experimenting an awful lot and often times, the results have been… well, awful. Give them credit for trying and hopefully this will pay off for them long term. American Express is pretty progressive, although suffers from silo mentality from time to time. I normally send some props Burger King’s way, although I think they’re slipping back to their traditional old ways. The category which impresses me the most in terms of overall innovation, creativity and new marketing would be sports/footwear/apparel and specifically, Nike, Reebok, Adidas and Converse. In the new marketing world, competition is contagious!
Mitch Joel: For the non-believers how do your Blog, Jaffe Juice, and your Podcast, Across The Sound, grow your business?
The Blog and Podcast, together with the book form my 3-pillar thought leadership approach.
Both blog and podcast have sponsors which provide some pocket money and an opportunity to invest more in them (Development, Production, Research, etc) No question they are helpful and play a substantial role in securing speaking interest, press opportunities etc. Blogs/Podcasts are no longer ways of getting fired… but instead, getting hired. I try and stay as transparent as possible, but ultimately I don’t take my eyes off the real prize… passion. I do this because I love this and I do this because I believe in this. Irrespective of the sponsorship and irrespective of the leads, I do this for my audience and I will stay the course as long as my readers/listeners find the content engaging, relevant and valuable.