Democracy in advertising

IN AN ENVIRONMENT where the consumer increasingly takes charge of disseminating information it was only a matter of time before the consumer also became the advertising strategist. Two young Johannesburg agencies have put that into practice – in different ways.

Idea Bounty is a two-year-old agency focused on “crowd sourcing”. That involves gathering ideas from ordinary people, whatever their background, and using professionals to implement them, explains Idea Bounty MD Daniel Neville. People registering as members of a global community of ideas “experts” are incentivised by the chance of winning a US$5 000 bounty if their idea is selected. Idea Bounty’s responsibility stops with the generation of the idea and doesn’t include execution.

“Good ideas can come from anywhere – but you still need professionals for quality execution,” says Neville. “The process gives brands the chance to really listen.”

Corporate interest has come from First National Bank, Castle Lager and Unilever UK, among others.

Have You Heard, another two-year-old, offers word of mouth as its primary channel. Described as the first of its kind in SA by founding partner and MD Jason Stewart, the agency claims good returns can be earned using this age-old medium. “Though our focus is on face-to-face engagement we also include online, depending on the product and target audience,” says Stewart.

The process is driven by “influencers” whose opinions are valued among their peers and who’ll be good advocates for the product. They don’t get paid but are rewarded by the opportunity to benefit from networking opportunities. They also get free product samples. “Payment would destroy the essence of the campaign and whatever credibility the brand has,” says Stewart.