Call Of Duty marketer: if ad content is good enough, TV networks should pay to show it
Consumers have not fallen out of love with television – but are no longer willing to put up with bad shows, digital conference Ad:tech was told in a keynote presentation from the marketer responsible for launching gaming blockbuster Call Of Duty’s most recent instalments.
Brad Jakeman, chief creative officer of Activision Blizzard told the audience: “The death of the 30 second spot has occupied way too many column inches.
“The shows that have always had amazing content – and I’d include the Super Bowl in that – are seeing ratings increasing.
“But if you look at programs that never had good content that’s where the precipitous decline is taking place.
“Consumers are not inherently opposed to television.”
Jakeman suggested that he was looking to go even further. Arguing that new content promoting Call of Duty is eagerly anticipated by fans, he said he was going to ask networks to pay him for the privilege of airing it.
He said: “On the paid media side, I as a marketer go to a media owner and give them two things: content and a very large cheque. This is on the assumption that the content is of less value. The assumption is that advertising is a kind of pollution.
“We are acknowledging that the content is of lesser value to the audience. But there’s no need for that to be the case.
“I’m going to have conversations with the television networks about how much they will pay me for exclusive access to Call Of Duty. The bare minimum I’m going to ask for is to get it for free.”
But he acknowledged: “I’ll let you know how it goes – I presume not very well.”
Jakeman has pursued his marketing career – including stints with Citibank, Macy’s and Ogilvy & Mather – in the US, although he is originally a graduate of Sydney’s Macquarie University.
Jakeman also argued that the rise of connected and informed consumers, meant that brands investing large sums of money in advertising could no longer be guaranteed success if the product was no good.
He said: “There used to be a day when through the magic of advertising we could persuade people to enjoy or at least sample a product that was not very good. We now have a consumer who is more vocal.
“It’s now almost a disaster if you have a fantastic marketing project for a shitty project.”
Jakeman argued against treating digital marketing as a separate disciplione as it misunderstands how consumers behave.
He said: “If one more person asks what my twitter strategy is, I’m going to hit them.”
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Interesting, although I suspect futile, idea. Oh, and do you mean “Call of Duty”?
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Arsehat. I do, Guy – now amended – ta. (Guess who’s not a gamer…)
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Very subjective… A network’s definition of good content is different to a marketers definition.
Grey Goose have managed to do it with iconoclasts… Which the ABC air for some reason, not sure how they get around that problem.
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Was fascinated to hear the point he made about a program run on TNT in the US that Call Of Duty fans were told beforehand would house exclusive content for them (served as an ad) during the program – evidently the year on year increase in viewers was 22%.
Not all of which could be attributed to Call of Duty but makes the argument around the quality of the content driving viewers all the more interesting….
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Salad owns noobs on CoD every night. Salad knows Clans and gave the strategy to Alien Man.
Nuff said.
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Kobe Bryant is a noob
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yep – the media will be lining up to pay him.
good luck with that.
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I likes it!
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I like this guy! Good ideas although I’m not sure if they’re really that practical.
Media owners charge for use of their platform, because building and sustaining a platform takes a lot of money. In free-to-air world there’s few other ways of getting this money back any other way than advertising.
He’s hit the nail on the head though in the thought that consumers are looking for much more in advertising now, as it needs to be backed up by a good product and not just the idea they were sold on in the first instance.
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When will the networks realise that the 30 or 60 minute format does not suit everyone all the time? IPTV will surely be brave enough to leave old formats behind and give people what they want. The three minute progams have worked wonderfully for MTV et al for years. Apparently the yoof of today wants to ‘snack’ their media so when will broadcasters catch up?
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Iconoclasts has no branding in it, it’s just a great program with interesting talent that happens to be funded by a Vodka brand
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I definitely think he is onto something. Its much the same as people buying tickets to see The Seige just so they could see the Star Wars Episiode One trailer, then walking out after the trailer had aired.
It wouldnt work for everything, but gaming and films have a very involved fan base who will actively seek new content. The trick is keeping this audience engaged beyond the carrot you used to get them there…
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Wonder how many directors and film makers know that the Call of Duty franchise is the biggest money maker in any genre of entertainment ever, and it’s last version COD 4 made more money in it’s opening weekend than Avatar and Titanic. And the cost to make no 4 would have been a fraction of what James Cameron spent on either of his.
I quote the 5 Eyes. From the great book “Next An Armchair Guide to Your Future” that you can buy on the Apple App store and in bookstores
“I won’t wait, I won’t pay, I won’t watch, I want to be heard and I want to play”.
You can Google it.
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How this ad will sell any more copies of COD is a mystery to me. Both my sons said that if they had seen the ad before playing the game both of them would have bought Red Dead instead.
The ad is rubish. So as for a network paying to play this. Get over yourself.
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while it’s an interesting perspective, Jake’s comment is a bit light on logic and commercial understanding. I agree that as a marketer you go to a media proprietor and give them content and a large cheque – but it’s not on the assumption that the content is of less value. The fact that you have to pay to broadcast your content doesnt mean its of less value than programmed content – it means you need to rent a means of distribution that you don’t own. Distribution is what gives content value.
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Far from “Nuff Said”, I think Cap’n Salad should elaborate on his/her post; this time in english with a focus on coherency.
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Mish, Salad will see you on the Hanoi Map tonight where he will pwn your lillywhite ass
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Nice idea but it’s already been happening for about 30 years or so – networks used to air clips of the latest James Bond/Indiana Jones/Star Wars movies for free in their nightly news bulletins, and they still do today with films like Harry Potter, Twilight, etc.
I’m afraid that video games, regardless of their profitability, are still the domain of a small (but growing) niche. The fact that Tim didn’t get the name of the most popular gaming franchise in history right is a pretty big clue that the video game industry just doesn’t rate in the mainstream world. Even people who have never seen Harry Potter or Twilight would have at least heard of them, not so with video games.
If video game marketers want their product pushed in front of the eyes of the masses then they’re just going to have to pay like everyone else!
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@14 – it was this ad he was talking about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS-AM110Spw
Which is actually pretty f’ing good. Easter eggs all through it generated sooo much buzz apparently.
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Thanks for the link, Blue. I was slightly biased and put in the ad I most enjoyed from this morning, but in context I should probably include both – now updated.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
zombies mode, quite a few people around here…
COD Black Ops 😉
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what sven said
without advertising where is the platform going to forage for its moula?..equally, without them how are we going to broadcast on free to air or cable?…. not sure COKE could take this case study to the networks and negotiate a reduction…. back to reality….
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Sorry you feel that way @R. Mugobme ….each to his own I guess. There at 3.7MM people on YouTube that might disagree with you…Actually great content has always stirred debate. Glad this has too. Thanks for listening at Ad:Tech.
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Actually @AdamPaull video games are the fastest growing form of media and one of the most engaged. We have over 20MM players online, so I’m not sure I would say that was niche.
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Hey @sven and @thesuitwhowearsbootsandthinksthegameislame… the point I was trying to make was that the media economy and how media owners currently derive revenue will have to change if marketers develop higher quality content that consumers start “seeking out”. I’m not sure what that model is, but fortunately that’s not my problem to figure out! In any case, with the move to C3 ratings in the US and the penetration of DVRs they will have to figure this out soon anyway if consumers continue to want to “screen out” the very content they are deriving revenue from marketers to distribute. With C3 ratings we don’t pay for time-shifting now (after 3 days). Thanks for listening and for commenting.
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@Blue, thanks for the comments.
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Great point @AyDee. Exactly what I meant about the media business thinking about advertiser-supported content differently.
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Brad – The fact that no one outside the bubble knows the title of the most popular console game proves my point… Fast growing maybe, but still off most people’s radar. If you want to reach that audience, then put your hand in your pocket.
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I can see the anti-games lobbyists killing themselves just so they can roll over in their graves – after watching that CoD ad
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Actually Goldmember, COD4 I believe cost a fair bit to make (figures of between USD$20 – 60 million can be found via Google). Top brand games cost tens of millions to develop, so while they’re not as expensive as a James Cameron blockbuster, they’re still pricey.
And anyway, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is still the best military FPS ever made.
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Brad when it comes to the you tube audience and cost per view; my son (jake by the way) has you whipped. He made a scooter video that when look at your cost per click for your ad against his cost per click. You will be onto COD 197 before you catch Jake up.
Brad if you are serious about monetising COD make available ad space inside the game on various maps. Then make those maps free to consumers who don’t care about ad content. I’m sure I could sell this to MacDonald’s and half dozen other brands who want to reach your core COD Demo. Give me a call and we will make some real money so your next ad can be a real epic.
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@AdamPaull, if the “bubble” you are referring to is that significant universe of people who own an XBox360, PS3 or Wii then I am cool. On a global basis, that’s a double digit number and amongst that group the Call of Duty brand has the highest unaided awareness of any game, and at least as high as the world’s leading brands. As for the non-gamer population, I will leave the task of driving console penetration to my extremely talented marketing peers at Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. Again, thanks for engaging in the conversation.
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I loved that ad. I would buy Call of Duty if I had an Xbox 360. In fact, I would buy an Xbox 360 so that I could buy Call of Duty (and probably end up playing it for about a week before giving up).
I had the same effect with Lara Croft – bought the games after watching the movie.
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Note: Trying to play CoD on the Nintendo Wii = not fun
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@Brad – The 20m people worldwide number you quote is still a “niche” as far as the global population and main stream media are concerned. More people ride skateboards on a daily basis but I don’t see TV networks falling over themselves looking to televise the pro-circuit.
For the record Brad, before anyone thinks I’m some kind of ‘gamer-hater’, I’ve been playing video games for over 30 years – I have an Xbox360 (I just wish I had more time to play it) and have had hardware dating back to the Atari 2600… yes, I’m that old!
All I’m suggesting is that if you think network television is ready to throw cash at anyone with the latest Call of Duty preview clip I’m afraid you’re going to be in for a disappointment – a vast majority of people ‘in the real world’ have no idea what it is, so mainstream television networks just wont be interested.
Turn up with a fist full of cash however and it will be a completely different story!
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@R. Mugobme , interesting idea, but overlaying great content (that consumers seek out for free or otherwise) with advertising is what has lead to the rise of DVR’s and consumers’ movement toward non-advertising supported content distribution channels. Across the board consumers seem willing to pay for amazing content without said content cluttered with unwanted, irrelevant advertising that adds no value to their experience.
Also, would love to see Jake’s YouTube video. Please include a link. We’re always looking for talented and creative content producers, so if one day he’s interested in a job he can always call me 🙂
Thanks again for engaging in the conversation.
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Hey @Hannah thanks! Our very good partners at Microsoft will be delighted to hear this, as am I!…don’t worry, there are many features within Call of Duty:Black Ops which are designed to help new players enjoy the experience. It might be a little while before you want to jump onto a multiplayer map though, I usually end up getting my ass whipped by some 18 year old kid somewhere in the world in short order….
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Hey @Anon_Coward, fortunately in the video game business the cost of content production and the price consumers are prepared to pay for that content is an equation that is the envy of the feature film business! Obviously I’m going to argue with you about Medal of Honor (as would a number of game pundits, players and reviewers around the world), but delighted that you’re a FPS player….hopefully one day you will try Call of Duty:Black Ops and enjoy that too…..keep on playing on, and thanks for commenting here.
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@AdamPaull the universe of people who wear NIke, ride a Harley Davidson or own an Apple-branded product is a fraction of the “global population”, so by your measure 99% of brands in the world would be niche… Media is about targeting, so for those media and programs targeting Males 18-35 in markets where game consoles are available (eg: ex-China) a significant proportion of that population is aware of the Call of Duty brand, and a significant population of that group, plays.
And no I am not expecting networks to throw money at “anyone with the latest Call of Duty preview clip”. That would not conform to the high levels of creativity and imagination that the content would need to have to drive the audiences we need. I will rely on the very talented creative people at our studios and our agencies to create that content. We’ll see. As I said in my presentation, I’m sure the first time I try I will probably have limited success. But I’m not quite willing to give up now, just because that’s current media orthodoxy. All the trends toward consumer engagement in great content is and the rise of non-advertising supported media gives me encouragement that I might be successful overtime.
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oops, sorry for the few typos @Adam Paul. Blame the jet-lag.
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No worries Brad. But further to your last comment, I don’t see TV networks rushing to give exposure to the latest Harley bike, or the newest Nike design, or the latest Apple product… oh wait…
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@Brad Jakeman, I use the metric of how many hours I spent glued to the PC as a measure of how good the FPS is, and while I’ve played all the COD games (but not Balck Ops yet) I’ve wasted more time on the Omaha beach map on MOH:AA than any other. Though COD came pretty damn close.
Do you have any jobs going Brad? Online marketer with a decade + of experience and a tabletop game developer with an itch to get out of media calling!
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@ Brad… love the string. From your editorial piece I think your argument is that if you have great art then you should have someone paying you for them to display it to others?
Most will argue that the Million People who watch say Big Bang Theory would benefit from seeing your ad. And the benefit is yours not the stations. No one is turning on Ch9 to see your ad or ever will be. Now if you were to sell the producers of BBT on the value of having COD inside the programme thats another matter.
What you advocating is akin to the Lourve allowing you to display next to the Mona Lisa when your way forward needs to be concentrated on getting Leonardo to paint Mona Playing COD! Good luck with that.
Still reckon that you have a huge opportunity selling interactive opportunities within the game itself that brands pay for. Therefore making add on’s to COD free for consumers and eventually garnering the advertising Golden Egg. The one to one, brand to consumer relationship. Invitation relationships with brand and content as part of an entertainment instead of an interruption experience. Enough advertising Utopian Frriday afternoon talk. Have a great weekend.
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Thanks @Anon_Coward…No job opening at the moment, but we’re always on the talent hunt….playing Call of Duty:Black Ops will give you a better chance though 🙂
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You’re right @Adam Paull. Sadly. Since our conversation here I did some research, apparently Music brands in France used to benefit from discounted TV rates because they made a similar argument I’m making. So there’s hope! Thanks for engaging in the conversation.
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@ Brad… The advertising you are talking about in France was for 60 second promo’s of new release material and has been done in this country subject to content being primarily entertainment. This may hurt but your ad is not entertainment to the scale of a new release by Lady Gaga for instance. They cost was discounted but they still paid/pay!
Good luck on get free advertising. I know I can get you a substantial discount but then with all discount advertising replace the word “discount” with “real price”. And you have the real story!
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Nice upsell!
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I don’t think ‘sadly’ is the correct term to be using – ‘reality’ is probably more appropriate. Commercial broadcasters (try to) broadcast things that make them money. Even video clips that cost the music industry a fortune are given to music television shows at no cost to the network. While you may get some traction if you provide commercial broadcasters gaming promo content for free, the idea that you can charge for it is just fanciful – not even in 100 years of cinema has the powerful Hollywood machine managed to pull that stunt.
Good luck though!
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TV Networks pay the big studios tonnes of $$$ for content (ie programming), so sought after ads that provide audiences with entertainment should also be considered ‘content’ desirable for the TV Networks – simple
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