Wednesday, March 26th, 2014

We’ll See.

By: Rick Stanton, President/Creative Director

 

It’s a widely held truth in our profession; you don’t change people’s minds with advertising.

You take what you know to be true in the mind of the consumer and use it to leverage your position.

Buick is once again trying to convince America they aren’t your father’s or your grandfather’s automobile brand. This is about the third time in the last 20 years they’ve trotted out this strategy. The Leo Burnett spot linked below is a well-done, smart and humorous attempt to try, try again.

But in the life span of brands, nothing lasts forever except maybe Coke and Pepsi.

Can Buick really ever appeal to anyone under 50? Does owning a Buick make a positive statement? For a little more you can drive an entry level Mercedes-Benz.

Buying a car is a huge emotional event, dripping of surface chic.

I’m wealthy. I’m responsible. I’m middle aged and having a crisis, which is usually red with two seats.

Can Buick change perceptions?

We’ll see. In the mean time, does anyone know where I can buy a new Pontiac?

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Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

Bad Radio Advertising

By: Rick Stanton, President/Creative Director

 

“Blah, Blah, Blah”



There are a number of reasons for all of the bad radio ads on the air today.


    

  • Very few radio writers seem to understand the art of storytelling.
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  • Writers who think they’re funny most often are not.
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  • There is a difference between humor and comedy and to not understand that results in spots that are just stupid.
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  • Clients don’t want to invest in the long-term cause and effect of a great campaign and what it can do for their brand. They want immediate gratification; run the radio ad, have people call, come in or go online RIGHT NOW. Think Sleep Country, a last chance to save for the last time every $#%@ week.
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  • Then there is maybe the worst offender of bad radio, the radio stations. Station sales people are more aggressive than ever about getting “direct clients”. That means no professional creative talent is involved in the writing or production of the advertising.Ads are written by the sales staff or the janitor, and they are voiced by the same on-air personalities to the point of ad nauseam, literally ad nauseam.
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Radio is a great creative medium. It’s the one place a writer can’t hide behind an art director. If you’re going to advertise on the radio remember one thing: it’s great creative that makes the medium valuable. Not how cheap you buy the ads.


 

		  			

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				Tuesday, March 4th, 2014
				
Best Advertising/Marketing Books

				By: Molly Stephens, Advertising Assistant
								        		      		      		    

          			            		

      		      				

							

			  		
 With so many online resources available these days, it may be easy to look

 past books.  If you do choose to read an industry related book, here are a few that we would recommend:




 


 “It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For” by Roy M. Spence, Jr.


Rick – “This is my latest go-to reference tool in trying to teach clients the importance of having

a kind, caring, giving aspect to their culture that’s honest.”




 


“The Hero and The Outlaw” by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson


Lisa – “This book is a deep dive into the neuroscience of why we choose to do business

with the brands that we do.”










 




“The Hero and The Outlaw” by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson






Rick – “If you want to better understand Carl Jung’s basic 12 archetypes and how they might effect and define your brand, this is a good place to start. The book’s been around a while so some of the examples are perhaps a little data. But Carl Jung’s theories about psychology, religion, philosophy and human development have been around longer and are helpful in understanding the humanity of a brand.”











“The Long Tail” by Chris Anderson




Lisa – “With so many demands on our attention, this book covers the new way we interact with

products and why always having more options to buy, in every category, is good for our future.

This is a good book for people who don’t think they actually like marketing.”









“The Brand Gap” by Marty Neumeier


Every single person in our business uses the word brand a dozen times a day. Or more.

Very few know what it means, what it doesn’t mean, why it works or why it doesn’t.

This book will help you understand the idea of brand without the B.S. jargon so

much of us like to toss around.






 




These are some of our favorite books. We would love to hear yours! 





		  			

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