WHAT do you think of current Jamaican television advertisements? Do you think they are refreshingly creative and spur you into instant action to go out and buy the products being sold? Personally, I have not been a fan of local television advertisement for years. Perhaps it is that unknowingly I have hit that ‘uncertain age’ where the youthful things are rapidly fading away, and so, perhaps generally many of the ads are not meant to appeal to the likes of someone like me. Maybe.

But come to think of it, I have never ever bolted out of my living room chair then out the door and backed my car frantically out the gate as a result of any television ad that has been broadcast. Not even if it involved freebies. Judging by the throngs that stormed the gates when LIME gave away TV phones, I am in a decided minority. However, I wonder how many persons are moved in this or any way by the collective creative genius of our advertising gurus. Who is measuring the returns on investments in traditional mass marketing advertising?

Advertisements and direct selling are the communication lifeblood of any profitable company. It is the business hawking its products at our doorsteps and in our faces. A company creates a product and after costly market research, packaging, pricing and positioning it, hopes it will land in our hearts and minds and fatten their bottom line. Even if you don’t need the product now, effective advertising will create the desire and make you want to spend where you never thought you could. My expertise in judging advertisement is as a professional and a very discriminating consumer (in no particular order).

Ad agencies are always in search of the next big idea, the next execution that will establish them firmly on the map. However, if you were from another planet and watched Jamaican ads for ten minutes, especially during the hours of prime time, no one would blame you if you concluded that all the ads were produced from one house. Either that or there is one heck of a copycat and herd mentality running amok among our ad personnel. The adverts are surprisingly monotonous, consisting mostly of loud music and grinning, dancing talent. I do not think it is a lack of ideas because some of the best one-liners I have found are from the sharpest Jamaican marketers in wayside bars (don’t ask) and Coronation market.

The creators of Jamaican ads rarely attempt to appeal to the intellect. Some of the ads hardly try to be clever, quirky or sassy — just like their target audience, the Jamaicans. There is rarely a surprising twist at the end of any 30-second ad or some titbit that will make you want to go ‘Hmm?’ I will admit that while some advertisements are playful and fun (remember the advertisement with the cows playing football?), there are a few that will make your hair stand on end and will make you want to run screaming from the room. This is not to say that some great ads have not been produced — just not of late.

Then comes the Internet and digital media to kick television’s butt. I think it is fair to say that there is a silent revolution happening in the ad world and it is not waiting to be televised. Digital marketing is driving traffic away from television sets. I hate making North American comparisons but forgive me this one last time. Last year, the makers of Old Spice pulled off what is considered an advertising coup. The advertising company invited social media users to send questions to the Old Spice man — their debonair, topless, towel-clad spokesman, Isaiah Mustafa. After wading through the submissions, the marketing team churned out a slew of videos calling out individual users by name. In no time, the clips went viral, attracting millions of eyeballs. At the close of the campaign, figures quantified the viral success of this video campaign, using the one metric that matters to any executive: sales.

According to Nielson Co, sales of the body wash jumped 55 per cent within three months and in one month alone, they rose 107 per cent. Go figure. I might be out of the loop on this one, but I have yet to see a catchy Jamaican viral ad that begs customers’ input. And I am not saying that what works for them over the other side of the pond will work for us over here. But there must be something to be considered if we just go by the recent viral success of Mr ‘De Bus Can Swim’.

Slowly, things are changing and eyeballs are moving from the static television screen (at which you can only wave and pound your fist if the content is not to your liking), to a different screen. This new screen is interactive and allows the consumer to get involved with the product. Unfortunately, some of the ‘old schoolers’ live in fear of the market taking the product in the direction in which it should grow. They want as little interference as possible from the market — so the less the feedback the better for their peace of mind, they think. However, whether we like it or not, the (digital) revolution is coming and it will not be televised.

Yvonne Grinam-Nicholson, (MBA, ABC) is a Business Communications Consultant with ROCommunications Jamaica, specialising in business communications and financial publications. She can be contacted at: yvonne@rocommunications.com. Visit her website at www.rocommunications.com and post your comments.