The relevance of a big idea in a digital environment has been the subject of many conversations between digital and traditional marketers and agencies.

I have historically taken the view that, while you need some overarching vision or positioning for a brand (which I guess could be called a ‘big idea’), it is how the technology, the content and the engagement is delivered in the context of the audience that matters. If you follow this thinking, in digital, it is the execution of a multitude of different tactical, small ideas that are important, not some single creative idea.

Sometimes, it is the tactical implementation itself that is the idea. Sometimes, it is the audience who drive the idea through consumer generated media.

I have also argued that because a website or even a social media presence frequently lives beyond the life of a campaign, that the campaign idea, no matter how big, is not relevant.

After talking to Ashley Ringrose from Soap, I started to think it was time to perhaps reframe my thinking on this subject.

I wonder if we are talking at cross purposes because we are trying to answer too many questions at once and create a generalised view for a multitude of different situations.

The key I think lies in the fundamental difference between advertising and marketing. If we take the Wikipedia definitions:
“Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to take some action.”
“Marketing: The systematic planning, implementation and control of a mix of business activities intended to bring together buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products.”
So in this context, perhaps advertising does need a big idea but marketing doesn’t. The reason we get ourselves tied up in knots is because “digital environment” is an incredibly broad term. It covers many marketing activities which may or may not be related to a campaign. A website, if created to support and advertising message, still needs to deliver an experience consistent with ‘the big idea’ but everything you do in the digital space does not necessarily need to conform.

The thing that underlies any strong marketing strategy is always a brand vision. That is what we need to replicate with consistency across every customer touch point (digital and non digital). All the big campaign ideas need to have relevance to this brand vision and all tactical executions need to support it.
That’s a bit about what I think. Hear more thoughts and perspectives from this – seriously impressive – panel at ad:tech next week. Last chance to book today, registration closes at 5.30pm, Friday 12 March.

SESSION LEADER:
Iain McDonald, Founder, Amnesia, Razorfish

SESSION PARTICIPANT:
Sudeep Gohil, Strategic Planning Director/Partner, Droga5

Ashley Ringrose, Founder, Soap Creative

Brian Giesen, Director, 360 Degree Digital Influence, Ogilvy

Yvette is speaking on the ad:tech panel discussion about the role of digital strategy (Tuesday 16th March, 9.45am). I wrote a post sharing my thoughts on this a few weeks back, you can read that here.

Ten days ’til ad:tech so book your tickets now.

ad:tech EXHIBITION, free to attend, includes international keynote presentations, expo seminar theatre and After Party
ad:tech CONFERENCE, the most thoroughly researched program and more brand speakers than any other event in Australia

Panellists:
David Whittle, Managing Director, Mark
Jason Davey, Managing Director, Bullseye
Brent Annells, Head of Radar DDB, DDB

2 or 3 years ago, many digital agencies gave strategy away with a pitch in order to win the production business. Now, the field is varied.  Some companies still consider their web presence a channel and relegate it to a project manager to … well, manage.  At the other end of the spectrum however, we are seeing more and more companies pitching strategy out separately and involving many people in their organisation who previously had no insight into marketing activities or their rational.

The question for this panel is, does a company need an overarching digital strategy or is the strategy digital?  Here are a few things to consider:
• Digital is like a retail location.  Even if customers are not wanting to buy right now, if they’re looking at your web presence, they are an opportunity.
• Customers’ expectations are to be able to transact online but delivering this often requires new products and services to be developed.
• Digital initiatives often interface and depend on large scale CRM systems and data warehouses.  Responsibility for these areas crosses many different departments and might require complex political negotiations to get working together.
• When companies start investing big budgets, they also expect ROI. 

Since this is what I do for a living, I have to say that yes, companies do need a digital strategy, but how far should we go? 

Some initiatives in digital marketing are no more complex that promoting something or gathering email addresses … over thinking a simple campaign microsite makes what used to be a cheap and effective use of the internet, prohibitively expensive.  It is interesting to debate just how necessary a digital strategy is.

Strategy also implies something fixed.  However, the ‘always live’, instantaneous digital experience affects how strategies need to evolve, like a living, breathing thing based on feedback and results. How many companies budget for and organise themselves around this kind of effort and how many are still revamping their website every few years and then leaving it alone?

So what makes a good strategy today?  One that the board can understand and ‘buy in’ to, or one that constantly evolves?  Can these be the same thing?  My view is that it is more dependent on organisational culture and less on the PowerPoint but there are times when I have wondered. 

This panel should be really interesting (Tuesday 16th March, 9.45am, Track 3).  Anthony Goldman, Citrus; Ben Dux, theirspace digital; Yvette Mayer, SMV Group Australia; and Mac Walker, Hyro would love to hear what you guys think and any other burning questions you think are worth debate on this topic.
What is the role of a strategist today?
    * What’s the right skill set for a strategist today?
    * Does digital have a role in strategic planning in 2010?

That is continuing into 2010. People want to know how to plan their product and marketing campaigns even better, particularly how to weave them more succintly into the wider buisness objectives. In order to capture new business and spark passion (even influence!) with your market, innovation is a critical requirement. Innovation in terms of products, campaigns but also business structure and relationship management. And of course measurement - the need to account for each dollar, report bottom line impact and understand return beyond black & white figures - is thoroughly in the limelight.

How important are these areas in your business right now? And what’s changing?

We’ll be addressing these issues in detail at ad:tech and finding out what the leading minds in digital media & marketing are doing and what you can learn from them.

You can register for the FREE ad:tech EXHIBITION and full ad:tech CONFERENCE here.