Your First Year In Mass Media Branding: 12 Milestones and a Timeline
A roadmap for TV and Radio that works. If your ad campaign is conceived to get real traction, you’ll see these first four milestones within the first three to five months...
Putting Funny Ads To Work For Your Boring-Ass Business – Parody
If the humor isn’t tied to the message; if you can’t talk about one without talking about the other, then any attempts at persuasion will be short-lived and not very memorable.
Are Your Ads Gossip Worthy?
You probably read this and thought: that’s an unrealistic expectation. Kind of like expecting an ad to “go viral.” Who gossips about ads, of all things? And why would anyone want people gossiping about their brand?
Fat Cats and Happy Cachorros
Too many Shivers leaves a stink in the hearts of the customers. They are inattentive, self-serving, what's-in-it-for-me type of people. Calypsos make things better – for you and the customer.
Everyone You Know (is a liar)
"NOBODY reads the newspaper." Beware of anybody who speaks in absolutes. Statisticians look for something called a “representative sample.” And you don’t have one (no offence, I’m sure you’re a lovely person).
How to Advertise “Caring” and “Craftsmanship”
The Coors campaign took market share from Bud and Miller while spending one-third as much money. They used a half-dozen smaller differentiators to build up “quality” and “caring” as what set their beer apart.
A Note to Jewelers Worldwide
I woke up with an astoundingly simple, big idea. The limiting factor in the engagement ring diamond is that it is “one-and-done.” But a woman can have a whole collection of Anniversary Diamonds.
Serving, Kingdoms, and Something to Believe in
Marketing in 2021 cannot be like 2019. Too much has happened. Society suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. To think everything will return to normal is to believe the last 16 months never happened.
Rainbow-Washing, How To Avoid It!
Producing and promoting rainbow products during June, Pride month, has become more common over the years, with many large companies leading the trend.
The 7 Trials of an Emerging Empire Builder
There are two types of business owners: (1) Those who just want to run a profitable, stable business that funds a quality lifestyle, and (2) Aspiring empire builders with visions or building something much, much bigger.
Traction, Rocket-Ship, or Earth Shaker? Does Your Branding Have One, Two, or Three Keys to Success?
Heck, even one out of three is enough to get traction. But a trifecta is the stuff of legends.
A lesson in advertising from Professional Wrestling
We remember the bold. We don’t remember them for what they said. We don’t remember them for what they did. We remember how they made us feel. Advertising is no different.
A Creative Technique to Make a Decent Offer Unforgettable
How do you get the attention of the public when your product or service is a grudge purchase at best? Every home services provider suffers from this.
Learning from the Legends — Tootsie Pop’s Fairy Tale Magic
I’m not talking about a campaign that has run for 50 years, I’m talking about a single ad that still runs to this day and still drives results. So what’s behind the magic?
Exposure, Woo-ing Bucks and impenetrable castles.
“Bill, why did you buy a highway billboard”? “It gives my company great exposure for getting more clients” Here’s the reality. Exposure doesn’t pay the bills.