A Wise Approach

Since I have been in the midst of getting my new book Mistakes I Made Buying Advertising to press, I have been particularly attentive to information about advertising.  The other day I received the results of a survey by Lab42 that I thought you might find interesting.  The survey topic is how much do people believe ads today?

Perhaps the most important result is that 76% of people think advertising is exaggerated.  Wow!  That is a high number.  Do you agree?  I wonder if this applies to all advertising or just national ads?  Do local businesses exaggerate their ads?  Let me know what you think in this week’s trivia.

Not surprisingly, then, only 3% of those surveyed described ads as being very accurate.  Looking closely at the other answers, 19% found ads very exaggerated, 57% viewed them as somewhat exaggerated, and 21% felt ads were somewhat accurate.

Interestingly, 38% of respondents wish ads were more accurate, and 32% claim to know what the ads are trying to do.  I’m not certain what they mean by that.  Perhaps they are referring to specific ads and what those ads are trying to accomplish. 

The three reasons these respondents said they tried new products based on ads were:

• The product was a brand they recognized;
• They discovered the product from an in-store promotion;
• They reacted to the ad by sharing it, laughing or talking about it with others.

The third reason points to how the respondents recommended that advertisers make a lasting impression with an ad.  Overwhelmingly, 71% noted that a funny ad prompts them to remember a product.  Smaller numbers went to educational 12%, sexy 8%, serious 4%, and patriotic 3%. 

A funny ad is memorable.  It is also difficult.  Ask any comedian.  Making people laugh is not easy.  If you decide to create a funny ad, be careful.  Enlist the help of someone experienced in writing and delivering material that makes people laugh. 

A wiser approach is to create an ad that speaks the language of those you want to reach.  Years ago when he was a young copywriter working for Macy‘s, Brian Tracy came up with a smart practice.  Prior to writing an ad, he spent time in the department which was being featured.  He walked among the customers, listening to their questions and comments.  He wrote them down.  Then he used this information to create the ad.  He found these ads to be effective because he used words from actual customers.  Those words spoke directly to others who were interested in the items.

Unless you have access to someone who is experienced in writing funny ads, I highly recommend that you follow Brian Tracy’s example.  Listen to what your customers say about your product or service.  Write down their comments.  Then use their words or similar ones to tell others how your products or services benefit them and solve their problems. 

You will find that customers respond to that.            
 
This week's marketing trivia challenge is Do both national and local advertisers exaggerate in their ads?  E-mail me your answer.    

I am excited to share with you that my new book, Mistakes I Made Buying Advertising, will be released in two weeks.  Watch for my video about it.         

 Congratulations to Bob who won last week’s trivia challenge by answering Which was your favorite Super Bowl commercial and why? this way:  “I guess my favorite was the farmer ad as well. However, I also like one that some took offense to. I like the VW ad, where the guy from "Minnnnnesota" keep saying we need smiles on our face. Right away the Today show was promoting it as being racist. Unfortunately, that's one of the ills this country has. We can't laugh and smile at ourselves any longer. I am Norwegian and took no offense at all - and felt the message was appropriate. You remarked about the "error" with Dodge Ram not being mentioned at the beginning. Well, the VW ad was the same way - so perhaps it is one of "the things" in the ad world today.”

Spotlight on Super Bowl Ads

Long before the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens were halfway through the 2012 regular football season, companies had committed to ads in next week’s Super Bowl.  Before that, the companies’ management had decided their ads’ content.  Even before that, they had laid out their marketing plans for 2013.  After completing their plans, they selected the Super Bowl as a program in which to run an ad to accomplish a particular objective. 

Management of these companies laid out their marketing plan and message for 2013.  Looking at their objectives, they chose the Super Bowl as an event to reach their target market.  They hired firms to create the ads and to buy the commercial time in the Super Bowl. 

The ads’ messages are part of the companies’ strategy for this year.  They know why they are running the ads and have objectives which they want to reach in doing so.  These include:

• Kick off of a new product,
• Maintain market share of an existing product,
• Revive interest in a product.

They did not buy the commercial time and then decide which ad to run.  Running an ad in the Super Bowl reaches too many people, makes too big an impression, and costs too much for the purchase to be a knee-jerk reaction.  Management realizes that these ads will not only run this year but also be featured again every year at Super Bowl time during newscasts and in special programs.  That intensity prompts management to put its best effort into these ads. 

This is a template for how all advertising ought to be handled.  The marketing plan is first; the objectives, target market, and message are within the plan; deciding what advertising to buy follows; and buying the advertising is last.  Unfortunately, most business owners and managers do just the reverse.  They buy the ads and then at the last minute try to figure out what to say.  They don’t address their message before buying the ad.  They don’t target their market.  They don’t set marketing objectives or objectives for that ad.  They don’t have a marketing plan.   

As you watch the spotlight on Super Bowl ads in the upcoming days, remember that these ads didn’t happen overnight.  Behind these ads is a great deal of thought, preparation, and objectives. 

All business owners and managers could learn this lesson.   

This week's marketing trivia challenge is What was a challenge for you in preparing your 2013 marketing plan? E-mail me your answer.    
     

Howt to Write an Effective Commercial

“On her big day, when everyone else is looking at her, she’ll be looking at you.”

That is the opening line to a Men’s Wearhouse commercial. As this is being said, the camera has the bride’s view and slowly moves down the aisle approaching the groom. Unlike most wedding day advertisements which target the bride, this commercial is all about the groom. After all, he is the commercial’s target.

Those opening words speak to him, don’t they?

What is his focus on his wedding day? Why is he going through the event? Who does he want to please?

His bride, of course. He is doing all of this for her. She is his focus.

I’ll bet most grooms never thought of being the bride’s focus as she walks down the aisle. I certainly hadn’t until I watched the Men’s Wearhouse commercial. After the first time that I saw the commercial, I thought, “Now that’s a different take.”

The second time that I saw it, I thought, “That is looking at the situation from the customer’s point of view.”

The third time and all subsequent times that I have seen it, I have thought, “This is a masterfully done commercial which targets its market perfectly, speaks to what its target market wants, and directly presents its message.”

The message is that since the groom is her focus he wants to look good and he can do that by coming to Men’s Wearhouse where “He’s gonna like the way he looks.”

This commercial lays out a template of how to create an effective commercial. First, know your target market. Men’s Wearhouse market for wedding tuxedos is not the bride, it is the groom. Yes, I know that brides often suggest where tuxedos will be rented, but Men’s Wearhouse is talking to grooms who want to have a say in the matter. Men’s Wearhouse is also talking to brides who want tuxedos which will make the grooms look good.


Second, understand what your target market wants. Grooms want to look good, especially to their brides, don’t they? That is exactly what this commercial addresses. Men’s Wearhouse marketing arrived at the opening line for this commercial by taking the customer’s point of view. When the guests stand and face the bride coming down the aisle, they are not looking at the groom, but she is focusing on him intently. At that time, many brides may see their grooms as a refuge in the storm. With her intent look, he wants to look his best. As she is looking at him, she does, too.

That leads to the third aspect of the commercial, simple and direct. Men’s Wearhouse does not attempt to show a sample of all the tuxedos which are in stock. They do not tell you that they will find you what you want. There is no attempt to sell the extras of a free tux with a certain number ordered or tailoring or delivery. Men’s Wearhouse keeps the message simple and direct: We will make the groom look his best for his bride.

Take a look at your advertisements. Do they address your target market? Do they talk from your customer’s point of view? Are they simple and direct?

If not, redo them with these questions in mind.

The Winner

Watching kids dressed in USA Olympic uniforms deplaning amid cheers and then entering the opening ceremonies carrying the American flag, I thought, "What is this?"

The commercial continued with kids at a press conference, a young girl in a sparkling costume about to enter the skating rink, an Apolo Ohno-type boy eyeing his competition at the starting line, four boys grabbing a bobsled for a run, and a kid poised to start the downhill course. As the sound signaled the start, the scene shifted from the child to a mother in the crowd, holding her breath. The commercials ended with this written on the screen: "To their moms, they'll always be kids."

I was choked up, and I'm not a mom. "Wow! What a commercial! Who did this?"

The P & G logo plus those of many of its brands flashed across the screen.

I enjoyed this commercial each time that I saw it in its various forms over the two weeks of the Olympics. The second week, P & G introduced a second commercial, one with moms singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" as they helped their children grow up. That one ended with "Thanks, Mom." That one, too, choked me up.

I was impressed with these commercials for three reasons. First of all, they targeted their market. Their market was moms. These commercials demonstrated that P & G knew what moms wanted, and they communicated that understanding. If these commercials choked up a non-mom such as me, I suspect that they had a huge impact on moms. At the end of each commercial, along with the logos P & G called itself "Proud Sponsor of Moms."

This was giving credit to those in the background behind the athletes, their moms.

The second reason that I was impressed was the emotional connection that these commercials made with the viewer. Eliciting emotion is not easy. Commercials which do so are rare.

They are also very effective.

Taking this emotion and tying it to the event in which the commercials aired, the Olympics, gave the commercials greater attention and memorability. As much as the Super Bowl commercials are touted to be worth watching, I cannot remember any Super Bowl commercial which tied itself to the game and did so as emotionally as these P & G commercials did. Revisiting these commercials on YouTube, I found that I was not alone. The first commercial had had almost 200,000 views.

How do you translate this to your advertising?

I understand that you do not have the budget nor the staff of P & G. However, you can apply what P & G did. First, know your target market. Know what your target market wants. Know what gets your target market's attention. Use that knowledge in your marketing message.

Second, make an emotional connection with your target market. This is tricky and difficult to do. It will require some thought. Perhaps you will not find a way to do so. If not, you can accomplish P & G's third achievement. Connect with an event and tie your advertising into that event. Perhaps in doing so, you will find your emotional connection.

Either way, following P & G's example will get more attention and memorability to your ads.

Entertainment or Revenue

People are still talking about and reacting to the Super Bowl commercials. For airing once, these multi-million dollar commercials receive a week’s worth of airplay. They also receive more commentary than any other commercials. Most of the comments center around how much those commenting liked or disliked the commercials. This week, I have heard lots of agreement in the critics’ remarks. “This year’s Super Bowl commercials were the least entertaining in several years.”

The commercial which has received the most positive attention is one which addressed a negative situation: the one featuring Letterman, Oprah, and Leno. This commercial got attention because it was shocking, addressed a recent controversy, and starred three memorable celebrities. Its message was simple and funny. In addition to the critics, the commercial has received airplay this week on the celebrities’ shows. Unlike many of its counterparts, this commercial will be replayed and remembered for quite a while.

Quite likely, this commercial accomplished its objective. What objective was that?

Since this was a commercial for his show, his basic objective was to promote David Letterman. He wanted to be funny. He wanted to be “a good sport.” He wanted to talk to more than his viewers; he wanted to talk to Oprah’s and Leno’s viewers, too. Ironically, this unpaid, network promotion may be the most effective commercial from this year’s Super Bowl.

This commercial accomplished reaching its target market, delivering its message, and prompting those receiving the message to act. It did an excellent job associating its product, David Letterman, with its message. Its target market was late night viewers. Its message was that Letterman is funny, perhaps that he is funnier than Leno. I have not seen any numbers, but I suspect that his show’s viewership is up this week. Whether those numbers will remain up when Leno returns to late night is yet to be determined. However, Letterman seized an opportunity offered by the Super Bowl, a highly-watched program, being positioned during a time when his competition was weakened to promote his show.

That was smart marketing.

While not all of us as business people get the opportunity that Letterman did, we all can learn two lessons from his commercial. One is to be alert for opportunities such as this, and the other is to create a commercial which accomplishes your objective. Letterman achieved his objective by creating an entertaining commercial that promoted his show well. I assume that increasing sales was the objective of the businesses running the paid commercials, most of which were entertaining. To be so, many sacrificed association of their products with the commercial. These commercials were expensive entertainment which, I suspect, did not reach their objective.

Unfortunately, the Super Bowl has fostered a competition to create an entertaining commercial. I understand the attraction for doing so. However, if this entertainment comes at the expense of achieving more sales because the entertaining commercial is not associated with the product or service, then what has the advertiser accomplished?
As an example, name three commercials from the Super Bowl and the products or services that they were promoting. Can you do it?

For those that you named, have you purchased the product or service this week?

Turn Down the Volume

When I was a TV sales rep, I had to take my turn manning the station’s booth at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair. Year after year viewers stopped by the booth with one major complaint: turn down the volume on the commercials. Many were quite emphatic. At the time, I didn’t notice the volume difference in commercials. In fact, viewers often acknowledged that the station for which I worked was not the worst offender.

Recently, however, I have noticed the volume being cranked up for commercials on all stations. Whether on broadcast or cable, commercials on all channels are louder than the programs. This leads me to grab the remote and turn down the volume. Sometimes I even mute the commercials.

In last month’s TV Guide, I read that I am not alone. A new bill called the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM) just passed the House of Representatives. This bill requires the volume on commercials to be regulated. If the bill passes the Senate, the FCC will implement technology with cable operators which prohibits commercials to air any louder than the highest decibel of the program in which they air. Representative Anna Eshoo, sponsor of the bill, says that she has received a tremendous response from people all over the country who appreciate the regulation. “There isn’t anyone who hasn’t experienced that dive for the mute button,” she states.

If others are diving for the mute button, maybe I am much kinder in just turning down the volume. Either way, the commercial’s effectiveness is at best greatly diminished and at worst lost all together. Just because you crank up the volume does not mean your message gets heard. More likely, your intended recipient turns you off or tunes you out. Loudness is an assault on the eardrums which stimulates a pulling back rather than a going forward.

We can all learn a lesson from this, whether our business airs commercials or not. Being pushy with your marketing message is not effective. Loudness in commercials is pushy. Capital letters in printing are pushy. Crawlers across the screen in video are pushy. We apply these techniques for emphasis or to get attention, but they translate to the recipient as annoying. When the recipient of your marketing is annoyed, she or he will move quickly to avoid your message.

When that happens, what has your marketing accomplished? At best you have wasted money and effort; at worst you have imprinted a negative impression that cannot be erased. Certainly, you did not achieve your desired outcome of stimulating more business.

Use other techniques to pique interest and to make your message memorable. Don’t push. Instead, gently lead your customer into doing business with you. You will both be happy with the outcome.

Switching Your Message

When I sold radio advertising, I heard an expert say that businesses switch their messages way too quickly. This holiday season I have been watching an excellent example of this with the Target commercials. Have you seen them?

The first one which caught my attention opens with a close up of a dog whining. As the camera pulls out, the viewer sees an elderly man standing beside the dog. Next to him is another guy. All three are looking at the outside of a house which is overdressed with lights. The guy asks why the dog is whining to which the elderly man replies, “He doesn’t like people flaunting their money.”

“But I don’t have a lot of money,” the guy states.

“I know.” This statement by the elderly man ends the commercial.

The second one shows two boys helping their father hook up video camera to TV. “How’s this?” Father asks.

“Still can’t see anything,” one of the boys replies, and they both giggle.

The boys and the viewers can see Father’s backside in the TV. Obviously, the camera is hooked up correctly, but the boys are having fun at Father’s expense. The commercial continues in this vein, and the situation is never resolved.

The third commercial involves a couple and their two children opening Christmas presents. As they tear the wrapping off a new TV, the husband comments, “I thought that we were going to hold back on spending this year.”

The wife responds, “Santa knows how to shop.”

He responds that times are tough, and they continue to have a terse exchange in front of the children who both look concerned.

I have watched these commercials several times with mixed emotions. I find the one with the boys and their grandfather humorous and the one with the two men and the dog puzzling. When I watch the one with the couple, I become uncomfortable. Seeing a couple argue in front of their children on Christmas morning makes my stomach tighten.

I had always recognized Target’s past commercials instantly. They had a consistent look. Even if I had seen the commercial for the first time, I correctly guessed that I was watching a Target commercial.

I cannot say the same for these commercials. They do not have a consistent look. They do not have a consistent message. They do not look at all like Target commercials. I assume that someone at Target thought their look ought to be updated. Consequently, the company hired a new advertising agency and developed new commercials. In this change, they left their message behind.

Switching commercials because personnel become bored with the current ones or because they think the business needs a new look is not smart. In the switch, the message, as well as the viewer’s attention, can be lost. Regarding Target, I am uncertain as to what message these new commercials intend to convey. I certainly am not receiving it.

Take a lesson from Target. Before you switch using a long-time commercial or ad, stop and think again. What are you accomplishing? How is your message presented? What does your customer think?

Answer these questions before making any switch.

Ineffective Communication

A couple of days ago, I watched a commercial which I had seen several times. This commercial always gets my attention because it starts with a little girl sitting alone on a school bus. She is the last rider of the day. The bus driver asks her questions.

“How was school today?”

“All right,” the little girl replies.

“Do you like your teacher?”

“Yeah.”

At this point, the first time I saw the commercial I wondered just why the bus driver was quizzing the little girl. After the next question, I understood.

“Did you miss your mommy?”

The little girl gets out of her seat, scurries down the aisle, jumps into the bus driver’s lap, and wraps her arms around the driver‘s neck. “Yeah, I missed you, Mom.”

No matter how many times I have seen this commercial, I feel a swell of emotion during that scene.

Then I wonder, “Whose commercial is this, anyway?”

I tend to think that it is for a kid’s treat or food, something that Mom might give a child after school. Usually, I am so caught up in the emotion from the little girl hugging the bus driver that I forget to notice what business name is listed at the end of the commercial.

When I watched the commercial the other day, I made an effort mentally to register the business. As the little girl and her mom walked away from the buses hand-in-hand, the voiceover said, “For life’s important moments, Marshfield Clinic.”

Since I am suspicious that I am an unusual consumer of advertising, I turned to my roommate. “Did you just watch that commercial?”

“Yeah, I like it.”

“Who was it for?”

She gave me a perplexed look. “I don’t know. Some food company?”

“No,” I replied. “Marshfield Clinic.”

She was astonished. “Really? I never would have guessed that.”

This is a wonderfully-written, well-acted, attention-getting commercial that is woefully ineffective.

Why? First, it does not deliver a message, unless you maintain that the closeness of the mother and daughter is a message. Second, this commercial does not make any reference to Marshfield Clinic until the end of the commercial, which is not enough. Third, nothing in the commercial has anything to do with healthcare. A consumer’s mind must make many flips and somersaults to connect what is shown in this commercial with Marshfield Clinic. Who was sick and got well, the child or the mother? How sick was she? How recently did she recover? No one will think this far. Viewers will mentally turn off the commercial because Marshfield Clinic’s connection to it does not make sense.

As evidenced by me and my roommate, the viewer not connecting the commercial with the business is the most devastating result to Marshfield Clinic. I am certain that we are not alone nor unusual in our responses.

While creating an attention-getting commercial is important, sacrificing effective communication to achieve attention makes the marketing effort a waste of time and money. Your message is more important than creativity. Make certain that your message is clear and that your business is easily connected to your message.

That is effective communication.

A "Super" Opportunity Missed

During the past few days we have witnessed the one time each year that press and advertising meld. The topic which brings these two normally opposing teams together is the commercials aired during the Super Bowl. To many in marketing, including me, the action of press and advertising joining forces is amazing. However, this has become a cultural phenomenon. The "Super Bowl commercial watch" is as big as the game. To some, the commercials are more important than the game.

What's up with that?

When I sold television advertising, clients often commented to me about the cost of the Super Bowl commercials, which this year was three million for thirty seconds. Unable to grasp paying that much for that little a time, these clients were shocked. They thought that the dollar outlay was foolish. They couldn't believe that a business could reap enough from the ad to make spending three million worthwhile. "Why would someone do that?" they asked.

I replied, "Because they get more than the normal thirty seconds."

First of all, they get thirty seconds to sell to the largest audience of the year. Although some viewers may be taking a break during commercials, with that large an audience you have a good chance to reach more people than at any other time.

Second, before the game the press anticipates the commercials and gives them lots of buildup. Last Friday the Today Show had a significant segment previewing the commercials with two experts commenting on them. "In general," one noted, "this year's commercials are more pragmatic. Many are promoting Web sites, such as monster.com and carrerbuilder.com. Denny's has a surprise, which we cannot disclose, and Pedigree takes a different tack on adopting a dog by never showing one in the commercial."

Although they cannot show more than five seconds of any commercial in their sneak peeks, the attention drawn to the commercials by the news segments feeds the viewers’ desire to see them. No other commercials get this buildup. The buildup permeates all media: online, radio, and print. The commercials may air on one network, but all media cover them.

Third, after the game the talk about these commercials continues. Viewers are able to vote online for their favorite. Coworkers debate which one they liked best. The press spends much of Monday reviewing and discussing the fans' favorites, the critics' favorites, and the anchors' favorites. In fact, once a commercial has aired on the Super Bowl, it has the potential to be forever a part of the media's Super Bowl coverage. A television show, The Greatest Super Bowl Commercials, aired for one hour last Friday. This gives a company with a good commercial an opportunity to get that commercial aired again and again and again several times every year around the Super Bowl for no additional dollar outlay.

Think about it. Can you think of any other commercial which receives this amount of attention from all the press and all the country for that amount of time?

In light of this attention, why don't local businesses prepare special commercials for the Super Bowl and get local press coverage about their commercials? The "Super" opportunity is certainly there. Local press would love to pick up a story about a local business which took the extra effort to prepare a "Super Bowl" caliber commercial.

This doesn't happen because local businesses do not know how to use publicity, much to their detriment. Although this is the only "Super" opportunity, local businesses have many other press opportunities that they miss, too.

Which of them have you missed?