Pliny the Elder – Wrong About Ostriches, Possibly Right About Brand Marketers

Posted by: Ben Schmidt // February 18th, 2011

Pliny the Elder - Wrong About Ostriches, Possibly Right About Brand Marketers

There are two certainties in this world (at least so far today):

1. If scientists ever create the Unified Theory of Wildly Popular Youtube Videos, it will involve at least one Welsh Corgi.

2.  Not only is a substantial segment of the population watching video on the web (both Corgi-related and non) as part of their daily routine, research is showing that, increasingly, web video is cutting into daily TV viewing. This trend reveals to us a new and growing audience, one that Brandweek’s Mike Shields feels we’re overlooking.

In his article, Brands Missing the Boat on Web Video Users, Shields argues that we shouldn’t ignore this potential sea change in viewing habits. He notes that some forward-thinking marketers are seeing boosts to brand reach, and a decline in overall CPM, by simply shifting a small percentage of their TV budget to companies who have the resources to reach this captive audience.

In no way does this signal an end to the great and venerable medium of TV. But this article raises a good question – is the safety and comfort of a head in the sand, truly what’s best for selling your brand?

Read More 1

Nature Abhors a Vacuum – Advertisers Should Embrace It

Posted by: Neil James // February 7th, 2011

Nature Abhors a Vacuum Advertisers Should Embrace It

The classic quote “nature abhors a vacuum” applies equally to a variety of social and scientific constructs: politics, thermodynamics, pop culture and more. But how often do most advertisers reflect upon the unnatural existence of empty spaces? Not as often as they should, says Derek Halpern in an article for Social Triggers, How to Pull Readers Into Your Content Instantly. Just as in nature, according to Halpern, a gap in human knowledge is quickly filled, only knowledge gaps are filled with a substance much more precious to marketers – aroused curiosity. Halpern urges marketers to leverage George Lowenstein’s information gap theory of curiosity, that innate human behaviors are triggered when people feel there is a gap between what they know and what they want to know. Halpern explores the variety of ways marketers can approach copy and messaging to arouse curiosity and maximize reader interest.

@NeilAndrewJames

Read More 0

Great Creative Shouldn’t End at the Web’s Edge

Posted by: Mark Palony // December 29th, 2010

Seems self-evident, doesn’t it, that great creative is as important to the success of digital advertising as it is in the traditional arenas of print, radio and television. But that what’s obvious is not necessarily practiced.

comScore ARS recently released what the first in a series of “reports on the role of creative in digital and traditional television advertising”. When Advertising Goes Digital begins to explore why creative for digital is not given the attention it deserves and asks the question, “What would Don Draper do” in a digital world?

The paper is full of data and charts that prove we, as marketers, need to place the same importance on testing creative intended for digital delivery as we do television creative. Too often, however, digital is an afterthought and what we toss on the Web is given no more consideration than the shoes we put on to walk to the mailbox. Oddly, we all preach about the growing influence of the Internet, yet our actions do not match our words.

The answer the question, of course, is that Don Draper would treat digital as he would any other medium because, in the end, it is simply another platform for reaching consumers.

People are spending more and more time with digital media – web, mobile web, text, ect. – and comScore ARS is telling us it’s time to begin treating it as a primary channel to the hearts and minds of consumers.

@MarkPalony

Read More 0

The Three Shared Qualities of the Year’s Best Viral Advertising

Posted by: Neil James // December 13th, 2010

Viral marketing is the triple Lutz of advertising – extremely difficult to pull off, but when properly executed, unlike anything else. While effective viral marketing campaigns are few and far between, those that achieve success share several common elements. Josh Warner identifies three of these traits in an article for Mashable, The 10 Most Innovative Viral Video Ads of 2010. Not only do the creators of effective viral advertisers know their audience, says Warner, they have a keen understanding of what executions will be they will find most appealing. In addition, Warner notes, effective viral advertising is inclusive in tone, allowing viewers to emotionally connect with the ad and feel like they are part of the brand’s message and experience.

@NeilAndrewJames

Read More 0

Why Candor Will Replace Cunning for Brands

Posted by: Neil James // October 26th, 2010

David Ogilvy once noted that good advertising can sell a bad product, but only once. Few brands, however, have made “candid assessment” a core theme of their marketing campaigns. Competitive pressures force brands to grasp any sliver of differentiation they can regardless of whether it’s true or meaningful. In his article for Ad Age, The Competitive Advantage of Truth, Jonathan Salem Baskin identifies the discrepancy between a brand’s promises and its reality as its “truth gap.” Baskin claims that social media and digital technologies have, for some brands, expanded the truth gap into a treacherous chasm. Rather than incrementally adjusting messaging until the truth gap is navigable, however, Baskin implores brands to make pure, unvarnished truth a central component of their marketing messages, rendering consumer expectations and reality as one and the same.

@NeilAndrewJames

Read More 0

Does Social Media Change the Game For Celebrity Endorsements?

Posted by: Neil James // October 5th, 2010

The logic of celebrity testimonials is fairly simple. A celebrity embodies certain intangible qualities. John Wayne personifies manliness. Brett Favre represents rugged folksiness. Brands seeking to associate with these and other intangible qualities will borrow them from celebrities via their endorsement. While still generally taught as a truism, are the mechanics of a celebrity endorsement still effective in the era of social media? As reported by Dean Crutchfield in an article for Ad Age, Celebrity Endorsements Still Push Product, only 15 percent of U.S. commercials feature celebrities despite studies that sales for some brands increased as much as 20 percent upon the commencement of an endorsement deal. And although social media has exacerbated the missteps of the crestfallen elite such as Tiger Woods, Crutchfield states that the benefits of employing a celebrity outweighs risks to brand equity.

@NeilAndrewJames

Read More 1

One In Five Report Commercials Are Often Confusing

Posted by: Neil James // September 27th, 2010

Clear before clever. This simple axiom will ensure that no matter what, your marketing message is unambiguous. Yet, according to Mark Dolliver in a article for Brandweek, Commercial Confusion, a recent survey reported that 20 percent of adults find television commercials confusing somewhat often. Interestingly, this figure showed little variance throughout different age brackets, dropping to only 18 percent among 18-34 year olds. Older adults had the greatest likelihood of confusion, as 28 percent of those age 55 plus found television commercials confusing somewhat often.

@NeilAndrewJames

R.I.P. Outpost.com – View the flying gerbil commercial here

Read More 0

Relevance Radio #3 – When Should a Brand Update Its Tagline?

Posted by: Neil James // September 21st, 2010

When cleaning out our fridge, it’s easy to identify stale and expired products by their expiration date. Unfortunately, brands and taglines come equipped with no such indicator. In our newest episode of Relevance Radio, executive creative director Brian Herder discusses when brands should and shouldn’t update their tagline. Citing real life examples such as Radio Shack, Old Spice and Morton’s Salt, Herder emphasizes the importance of subtlety and gradation in keeping a brand fresh and current.

@NeilAndrewJames

 
 Relevance Radio #3 – When Should a Brand Update Its Tagline?: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (101)

Read More 0

ARSgroup: Creative Four Times More Important Than Media Spend

Posted by: Neil James // September 14th, 2010

“Our competitiors outspend us 10 to one on advertising,” lament scores of American businesses. Faced with competitive pressures, it can be easy to forget that what you say and how you say it is as important as how loudly you shout it. Frank Findley, VP of Research at ARSgroup reminds us of this fact in an article for Comscore, ARS Findings for Retailers: Focus on Advertising Creative Can Yield Big Dividends. Findlay argues that, ultimately, advertising creative is four times more important than media spend in determining sales outcomes. In addition, Findlay identifies several key practices that maximize message impact, including committing to specificity and working to establish emotional connections.

@NeilAndrewJames

Image Credit – Influx Insights

Read More 0

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »