parodies good. "make our commercial" contests bad.

Matt Dickman has some good advice about embracing parody. After all, the brands (like Apple) that are parodied most frequently are the brands and campaigns that become a part of pop culture.

I'm tired of brand campaigns that try to incentivize fans to create their own spots, as a contest. Just seems like the lamest, most uncreative form of social media. I can see the meeting in the board room: "We need to utilize social media. Let the kids make our spots for us."

Technically, that works, I suppose - but the more successful campaigns are so strong on their own that they INVITE participation. Without the contest. Participation by fans, by users, and by people who would have never invested themselves in a "make our commercial" contest. A creation contest may reach existing fans - but a spot that naturally invites parody reaches people who wouldn't ordinarily interact with the brand. Thereby making new fans. And THAT'S connecting socially. Right?