A discussion of the past, current, and future of user generated content within the industry of advertising.

Introduction

Americans love the underdog. We root for the Peter Parkers, the Luke Skywalkers, and the Harry Potters of our day. We give standing ovations to the whistleblowers of corrupted companies and cheer for small businesses who withstand corporate-chain pressure. We absolutely adore the nobody who becomes a somebody. American Idol’s overnight celebrities, Kelly Clarkson or Clay Aiken, and ABC’s Bachelorette, Jen Schefft, come to mind.

Perhaps this obsession with David’s heroic story of how he slew Goliath has galvanized the popularity of what has been termed of recent past as “User Generated Content” (also known as UGC). The thought of the average consumer influencing positive change from an apathetic corporation (e.g. “iPod’s Dirty Secret” video by the Neistet Brothers) seems to have inspired the general population to action. (Not to mention companies as well.) After the explosive successes of Blogger and YouTube, Time’s bestowal of the coveted title of “2006 Person of the Year” to YOU (i.e. the consumer) is undoubtedly warranted.

But who was the voice who initiated the uproar over User Generated Content? What events pitched Consumer Generated Media into Consumer Generated Mania? Is this explosion of the university-freshman-copywriter or the bored-employee-commercial-producer increasing in magnitude or slowly disintegrating before our very eyes? Should advertisers begin seeking advice from the hobo population for cardboard sign taglines instead of vying for million dollar client accounts? The following discussion will address these questions in an effort to project the future of User Generated Content within the advertising industry, and more specifically, Consumer Generated Ads (CGAs).

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