We’ve been seeing this going on in the blogosphere for some time now and it’s been slowly making the crossover to the mainstream media. Frito-Lay has enlisted the public to enter into a contest by creating their own ad for Doritos that will air during the Super Bowl, now Dove is asking consumers to create an ad for their Cream Oil Body Wash according to MediaPost. Just like new Bloggers, consumers want to work with big name companies and are willing to hand over their creative talents for free. However, this is now Generation Cash and free is not going to last very long.
While it still may cost big media just as much, if not more, to run a contest and convert the amateur ad into a professional one, the lure of a consumer getting their face on television or their idea on television without monetary compensation, will soon die down as this approach continues to gain popularity and grow. As with most big media companies, if one is doing it, then they all begin to follow suit, except each one tries to outdo the other. The one thing consumer generated content is creating is something I like to call the “consumer-prenuer.” Consumers who use their basic know-how to generate an income through user generated content. While big media has played a role in it’s creation, it is something they will have no control over, as a consumer-prenuer works for themselves and not big media.
I’m sure big media is not losing sleep over the costs of the consumer generated ads in the short term, as long as they are following the latest trends in the advertising world and it is generating a buzz about their products. However, as with all things, novelty wears off, especially when the bottom line involves money.
What is your take on consumer generated media?
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