User generated content is slowly turning into talent generated content. People that truly have talent are finding that they also have an audience. The ones that are not so talented (the users) might still have a few pairs of eyeballs on the content that they produce, but slowly the talent is prevailing.

Many brands are experimenting with giving users tools and material with which they can participate in creating advertising for the brands. With mixed results. The brands that are getting the best results are the ones that have realized that more freedom for the users is better.

Companies that have large marketing budgets are paying large sums to advertising agencies to try to figure out what would entice the consumers to buy their products. Due to media fragmentation the agencies are having more and more trouble finding the audience. General apprehension towards advertising is making it harder for the agencies to find the big idea that will work. The bottom line is, traditional marketing is not what it used to be.

Let’s take all this a bit further (actually quite a bit).

Talent generated marketing.

Instead of hiring an advertising agency to create one-size-fits-all, lowest common denominator, mass marketing, let the talent create the marketing. They know what the right message is. They know the people that are enthusiastic about the brand. They ARE that person. And they have friends that are that person.

Instead of paying the agency a million, pay the talent. Use digital tools to measure and figure out which people are your best talent and pay them. Not one times a million. A thousand times a thousand. Instead of one large expensive agency, a thousand small agencies. Small agencies that know the product and best of all, really know what works for the audience.

Create your own private army of agencies.