TechImpact / it happens there first

http://adage.com/article?article_id=130895

Wendy's just released viral video has stirred a bit of attention, but failed to really get Gen Y in the mix. Sorry for the bad pun, but I think this type of misuse of the YouTube/MySpace video crowd merited it. Mind you, I see nothing wrong with using these captive-by-choice audiences to market your self or your product. In fact, in a rather striking way, this is becoming the only way to guarantee survival of a brand.

Many have said time over time that Gen Y is anti-marketing. Indeed this generation has shown a gross rejection of the overt and forceful marketing that traditional ads (and this Wendy's video) covet. I see this as the exact opposite of the problem. Gen Y is in fact an amazing force at providing the means to advertise, and brand building. It was this generation that made YouTube and MySpace a household name, and multi-billion dollar companies. The question is how? The answer is genuine and subtle. Neither of which is in this video.

by Chris Gamble

Television, newspaper, billboards, old marketing. Today, users spend 40+ hours a week in front of a computer, many of those hours find themselves filled with web page after web page. So how do you get users attention, stand out from the millions of web sites each vying for 5 seconds attention?

by Chris Gamble