They Say They Want A Revolution

About the Book

Many of those in charge of brand strategies are clueless as to why the old ways of marketing are no longer effective. They continue their Madison Avenue crusades with disingenuous fervor. Plan their strategies with reach and frequency projections and then continue to target their audiences with 30-second sound bites. Yet they're mystified, unable to explain how it is they execute flawlessly, but still their market share declines.

From 1996 to 2000, the Big Three automotive companies increased their marketing cost per vehicle by 87 percent. Yet, their combined market share dropped by more than four percentage points! Detroit is not alone in its marketing futility. Nearly every product niche is experiencing the same.

Overwhelmed by brand overload, deafened by market din, and empowered by new technologies, the consumer is no longer a passive target simply awaiting directives from the marketing establishment.

With the ultimate desire to touch, and be touched, the consumer has taken control of when, where, and how they retrieve information relevant to their purchasing decisions. Whether it's the TiVo control that allows them to effortlessly fly past commercials, interactive DVDs that simultaneously engage and enlighten, or intelligent web sites that cater to their individual needs, the consumer has ascended the throne.

About the Author

Founder, CEO and chief creative officer of Digital Kitchen, Paul Matthaeus started Digital Kitchen as the digital studio for the advertising agency he founded in 1992. With a background in photography, filmmaking and production?as well as 16 years in the advertising agency business?Matthaeus chartered Digital Kitchen to cultivate and advance broader experimentation and creativity in full-motion electronic media, leveraged with an uncommon faculty for strategic brand marketing.