Marketers Tap Into User-Generated Ads, Plan To Take Them Offline

by Joe Mandese, Monday, May 8, 2006 8:32 AM EST

THE RAPID RISE IN USER-GENERATED content has created a new way for marketers to reach consumers, ironically via media created by consumers themselves.

(JB: Recently, EyeballFarm conducted its own talent search on YourTube.com and ended up hiring "Dre" to bust some moves for EyeballFarm's own "Bust Some Views" local search marketing campaign. We are so "jiggy.")

Now it is spawning a new way for advertisers to generate the kind of content they use to communicate with consumers: advertising. (JB: Think about how you might be able to use this for local search marketing and Internet marketing in your market area...)

In an announcement scheduled to be made later today, a new player will unveil an ambitious plan to tap consumers to create ads for both online and traditional media outlets, displacing the role of traditional advertising agencies.

While a grass roots movement toward consumer-generated ads has emerged over the past couple of years via individual consumers and marketers, the effort seeks to provide some structure for the process, giving marketers a place to interact with consumers, provide them with specs for creating their own ads, and sophisticated tools for reviewing, editing, approving and activating consumer-generated ad campaigns. (Story)