Re: UKNM: money / drain

[Edd Dumbill]

Hello all. 


To my mind, there's a good reason why there aren't any FMCG sites of any

use -- few users would ever want them.  It's a bit like asking why there

aren't there any popular mainstream magazines/tv shows/newspapers run by

a consumer brand.


Sure, a site may be have good branding etc, as Leslie mentioned Pepsi -

you can brand as well as you want, but if nobody's reading then

nothing's being established.


Publishing (to have an effective website for getting return visits,

publishing - or providing a service - is what you have to be doing) is

just not core business for them.


The company/brand web site needs to be there for a variety of

utilitarian reasons, but I just don't believe in it as a major part of a

marketing strategy.


Surely what makes sense for the brands is to buy ad space/sponsorship on

web publications that users actually do find useful/interesting and that

are connected in some way if possible with the product they're offering.


And, to be honest, I can't even see that that is going to be that

effective when taken in the context of a complete campaign. I know the

UK net audience is growing but the proportion of the target market

represented by net users for these kind of products isn't huge.


So what will work, anyway?  It's not going to be banners.  More likely

to be sponsorship IMHO.  I'd be saving those marketing $$$ for

interactive TV and some of the other exciting developments (cf. the

thread on gaming).


I for one just want to _eat_ chocolate, not spend minutes wasting my

phone bill looking at animated Smarties.


regards


-- 

Edd Dumbill ------/ a new media consultant, writer & technologist /--

 | Director, Useful Information Company        <http://usefulinc.com>

 | Internet Director, Pharmalicensing    <http://pharmalicensing.com>

 : UK voice/msg: +44 702-093-6870            UK fax: +44 870-164-0230


On Wed, Sep 01, 1999 at 01:32:26PM +0100, Houston, Richard wrote:

> elizabeth,

> 

> > the question to ask yourself, for the benefit of your client,

> > is what SHOULD they be doing?  What online strategy will

> > drive their business?

> 

> with respect: yes, i know. it's my job to pose myself such questions, and

> yours.

> 

> my question remains:

> 

> > can anyone name an fmcg web site that is of any genuine value 

> > either to the brand or the consumer?

> 

> the fact that your answer, which i value, is "no i can't", is interesting.

> thanks.

> 

> thanks leslie, for your pepsi vote. anyone else?

> 

> richard houston

> account planner

> circle.com

> 

> > -----Original Message-----

>

> From: Elizabeth Van Couvering [evcorganic [dot] com (mailto:evcorganic [dot] com)]

> > Sent: 01 September 1999 11:08

>

> To: 'uk-netmarketingchinwag [dot] com'

> > Subject: RE: UKNM: money / drain

> > 

> > 

> > Think about it another way, Richard.

> > 

> > Can (FMCG brand out of the hat) Cadbury's afford to ignore 

> > the Web?  Would

> > it be better for Cadbury's not to be present?  Clearly not.  Yet also

> > clearly, they are not doing the right thing, because we 

> > never, ever hear

> > about chocolate or cocoa or think about it when we're online. 

> > 

> > If you think (and I agree) that FMCG sites are usually wastes 

> > of time, the

> > question to ask yourself, for the benefit of your client, is 

> > what SHOULD

> > they be doing?  What online strategy will drive their business?

> > 

> > E. 

********************

UKNM is sponsored by Excite UK, visit us at http://www.excite.co.uk.

Email Khalil Ibrahimi

khalilexcitecorp [dot] com (mailto:khalilexcitecorp [dot] com)

 to advertise on Excite.

********************

Change your UKNM subscription use http://www.chinwag.com/uknm.html