I’ve come across a number of books in the last few years that attempt to define and make sense of the new media. And I’m always acutely aware that the shelf-life of these books is very short: next year, or the year after they get published, the landscape changes.
The latest is Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing in a Web 2.0 World by Tracy L. Tuten, a Professor at Longwood University.
Tuten attempts to explain what marketing and advertising efforts need to succeed in a world where the rules, if there are any, keep evolving. Second Life, Alternative Reality Games, social networks like MySpace and Facebook, consumer-generated marketing, in-game advertising, and other forms of new marketing get a close examination. Tuten even looks at the impact of consumer product reviews on the marketing of products and services.
Advertising 2.0 is quite a dense read; it’s clearly a reflection of Tuten’s academic background and there aren’t any pictures or visuals that show the work she talks about. However, there are a whole bunch of advertising professionals that simply don’t engage with this type of marketing, and if you’re one of them or you know one of them, Advertising 2.0 is a good place to start learning.
Special thanks to FSB Associates who provided me a copy for review.