One of the most important characteristics of a successful salesperson is the ability to accept rejection. Advertising accepts rejection without emotion. Advertising in digital media is the most efficient rejection machine ever invented.

The digital cold call clogs in-boxes, clutters social media posts, and pops up in interruptive and annoying frequency. The hypnotic effect of digital media scrolling has reached its ultimate end; commodity status. With a few exceptions, we are no longer invested in media as we once were because it has been cheapened by a myopic obsession on incomplete metrics. The results are in; click-bait headlines, hyperbolic images, false narratives and robots hyping up posts to compete for the dwindling attention of a worn-out populace. This is bad for your brand, it’s bad for the customers and it’s bad for the media. Media platforms behave in a similar fashion to Cronus, king of the Titans in Cretan myth; devouring his children out of fear he would be dethroned by an heir.

Because the media is cheapened, the advertising is also degraded. The platforms are little more than ad servers. Even if the work is good, the experience is cluttered with constant distractions. Like the free local newspapers that are short on content and long on ads; the ad space is sold on circulation, but few people consume the content.

Back to rejection.

Why should I buy from you if I don’t know who you are?
I’ve never heard of your company, but you want my business.
You pitch unknown products or services with baseless promises.
I don’t know your track record or what you stand for.
I don’t know who your customers are.
I don’t know your reputation.

In short, you’re running the rejection engine; it’s a game of percentages. You may generate quarterly sales, but the long-term value of your business comes from building your brand.

For people intent on building a brand; programmatic can be problematic.

A successful media property is equally valued by its audience as by its advertisers, because the content is top-notch and the “canvas” of the media experience is aspirational, informative and entertaining. The customers are engaged and value the media, ideally enough to pay for it; it’s a win-win. In this environment, advertisers enjoy a stable platform to build their brand. It’s a destination worthy of sustained investment.

In the days of mass media, advertising was driven by an aspiration for acceptance, it tried harder, and the media worked to create a supportive environment. Digital media platforms were engineered from day one to empower rejection. Do you like it or not? Do you skip it or not? Do you swipe or not? We might think that these tools of consumer empowerment would have resulted in better advertising. Not so much.

Overcoming the rejection machine means building brands based on insight, and a passion that drives an organic approach to your brand story.

One example of a brand that I think has crafted a fine piece of work is BuckMason. BuckMason is not hustling their clothes with a fast fashion, shop it now mentality. They are building their brand reputation through well-crafted storytelling. The strategy and execution are pitch perfect; celebrating a dedication to craftsmanship that results in quality products. The execution delivers. I was not waiting for the rejection machine to allow me to skip along on my merry way. I was engaged.

In addition to great execution, BuckMason is leveraging an under appreciated aspect of digital media; it’s not conforming to traditional spot lengths. Many brands are lazy and just repurpose “broadcast” TV spots and put them on the web. These become annoying in this context. The other extreme are the “micro” spots that buzz about like annoying flies at the dinner table. These efforts amplify the rejection engine. We love the skip button and paradoxically hate when it’s limited. That’s not a great context for your brand, unless your BuckMason.

Building a strong brand takes time, commitment and the vision to look beyond the rejection engine. Do work grounded in truth, tell your story with passion and support it with quality execution that builds qualified and loyal customers. That’s Brandforming.