Consumer marketers are looking to the YouTube and Ziddio generation to help brands make a splash - not just online, but on television screens.
This year, Doritos, Chevrolet and the National Football League held contests for consumers to submit ideas for ads to run during the Super Bowl.
Doritos' approach is unique in that, unlike Chevrolet and the NFL, the Frito-Lay brand is airing a spot made entirely by the amateur contestant. Chevy and the league have brought in professional talent to bring the award winner's ideas to life.
Ann Mukherjee, vice president for marketing at the Frito-Lay unit, said the company would not change the winning ad "one iota."
"Any big gain is going to take a lot of risk, and we went in with our eyes wide open," she told The Associated Press. "It was really an effort to give our consumers control over their brand in an age where consumers really want a voice over what they love."
Discussion Questions: What are your thoughts on the current practice of marketers running ads created by consumers of their products? Are marketers taking a big chance, considering the audience and dollars involved, to run ads created by amateurs during the Super Bowl?