Sadly, it’s not going to be about sponsoring jet packs.
It’s going to be about disappearing below the surface of culture and becoming enmeshed in media. Already it’s hard to tell a press release from a true article in cash and talent strapped newspapers.
On television, the lines between product placements is blurring to the point where you don’t know what’s being sold anymore. On radio talk is cheap and every point of view or brand name is paid for.
Advertising revenue is declining so broadcasters have to sell more spots, publishers more ads. Online the user pays for all those flash ads that eat into your RAM and monthly plan.
This wouldn’t be so bad if most of the ads weren’t so terrible. We all know most of the ads don’t work. Turning up the volume or increasing the size is not going to make them work any better.
Quite the opposite. It’s no quite possible to access all the media you want via a browser without a pixel of advertising. Advertising blocking software is free and easy.
Which means the future of advertising is advertising that people want to see. (No, not paying to access people’s Facebook feeds. No, not gaming Google.)
The future of advertising is advertising that helps people change for the better.