The 4 Musketeers

Advertising is part of the integrated communications and not, as many believe, the only option the advertiser has when in comes to accomplish the marketing objectives. It occupies the same rank as its colleagues: promotion, direct marketing and public relations.

In everyday terms: the ad agencies did not embrace the alternative spreading methods (ATL), thus they are suffering a crisis nowadays.

At first instance, the media centers began their fierce crusade some years ago, invading agencies’ territory and grabbing the interest of potential advertisers, because they provide an integrated service, contemplating all benefits of the integrated communications.

The second point indicates the flowering of consultancies and agencies dedicated specifically to the “minor brothers” of advertising: promotions, direct marketing and public relations.

A third alarming point are the statistics, an intimate enemy for the creative advertising, but necessary to articulate stratagems to face a fierce battlefield, which is implacable when in comes to detect weaken points in the enemy lines.
In addition hard variables are a glimpse when the ROI’s measuring problem arises (check the "Great Schism" article).

There is a fourth aspect which threatens the creative leader and his troop.
By the early twentieth century theorists of European schools, including the Frankfurt School with Habermas, Benjamin, Adorno, etc. believed that the masses were ignorant, atomized and without any criteria, thus they react automatically to a stimulus delivered by the mass media.

Over the decades they realized they had no reason.
Consumers are the kings of the dance floor. Advertisers made a 180 degrees spin and inspired their designs in what the clientele wants and also be ready to satisfy every whim it has.

Markets tend to fragment, leading to establish small niches with dense thickets of impenetrable codes, values and preferences that can hardly be attracted by mass advertising, as do public relations, direct marketing and promotions.
Agencies must react quick. The media centers threaten to swell their heritage, hogging most of the advertising pie participation (currently it embraces the 65%).