Category: Strategy

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 Nothing has been refuted and nothing has become redundant or outdated.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?