Round these parts we have been saying for some considerable time that advertising was not dead, as such, but it's role was massively changing and was no longer automatically the lead component of any campaign.
That lead role has been taken in the earned space, principally the VALUE that a brand can create within a situation where it is relevant. This value manifests itself in myriad forms, but the upshot is...
Creating value gives you something to advertise.
Not the product benefits - people go elsewhere for those - but the 'intangibles', the value and meaning that the brand creates.
Three steps to heaven...
1. Connect with fans via their passions
2. Create value in those situations where you are relevant. Advertise that.
3. Fans will actively seek out your advertising and spread it.