The Creative Forum Just another WordPress weblog

What’s in a website?

I’ve always been bemused by the desire of marketers to ‘drive people to their website’. There are very few businesses that express the desire to ‘drive people to their head office’. And very few charities just put a collection box on their reception desk and wait for the baying hordes to fill it with fivers.

That’s because, in the non-digital world, we’re obsessed with getting in front of people, rather than making them come to us. Retailers compete for the sites with the most footfall. Direct marketers take the argument to people’s newspapers, telephones, doormats and inboxes. Face-to-face fundraisers literally won’t let you walk down the street.

And that’s the direction that digital is finally heading in, with proper investment in being where people are – on YouTube, on email, on search engines, on social networking sites. It’s all measurable too (just like hits to your website).

I love a good website. But I like to know what it’s for first. Please remember to share this with a friend.

Reuben Turner, the Good Agency

Does anyone know which agency produced this poignant and intelligent interactive banner for Amnesty International? A good old Google search draws a blank, as does speaking to Amnesty themselves. A friend of mine wants to feature it in a book he’s writing but needs permission. Please let me know ASAP – chris@chriscatchpole.com

Chris Catchpole
Creative Consultant
Chairman of The DMA Creative Forum 

I’m delighted that the DMA has finally decided to take digital seriously, with its ‘revamped’ awards for 2008.

A little bit late to the party, perhaps, but better late than never.

A couple of years ago I wrote an article for the agency blog about how DM was failing miserably to embrace digital.

I thought then – and I still do – that digital belongs to us. After all, we already understand the idea of bringing brands to life; the importance of involvement and engagement; the secret of getting people to do something. We know all about targeting and measurement and testing.

Combine that with the expertise of online practitioners - interaction designers, information architects, developers – and I think you’ve got something special in the making. And something that sits right in the middle of our domain.

So why have we been so reluctant to grab the opportunity? (more…)