Journalism and Great Ads
Never write ads like a journalist, write like a poet. The best ads build curiosity and engagement while leaving some things unanswered.
Pro Tip: Talk to Your Customers Like Friends
Most owners get this wrong in their preoccupation with delivering factual information. But buying decisions are almost never rational.
How Hot Wheels Beat Matchbox. When Imitation Becomes Innovation.
Why 10 Hot Wheels are sold every second. They saw what was lacking in the competition.
Beefsteak and T-Bone
Brands can manufacture a nickname or shorthand that sticks through smart placement. But don't approach it like George Costanza.
Brands Are Small Things — And That’s a Good Thing!
If your ads can be ignored, they will be. Which is a good thing. If your ads are high-impact and your competitors' aren’t: you win.
The Two Universal Appeals — Understanding the “Cult” of Cult Branding
1. You are special. 2. It’s not your fault. What is your advertising doing to communicate those appeals to your prospects?
The Importance of Defining Your Business Narrative
You ask, “If we do not physically interact with our customers before doing business with them, how can we differentiate ourselves?”
Calamine Lotion or a Chainsaw?
Silly sales jargon and industry-speak are the sand traps of marketing. Avoid them in your ads if you want to break par.
Ad Relevance: The Secret To an Effectively Working Ad
Relevant ads answer the implicit and often unspoken questions that customers have when seeing your ads.
6 Overlooked Truths For B2B Marketing Success
B2B sales are intensely personal for the main decision-makers in the process. If things blow up, they suffer tremendously.
Outrunning The Bear
They’re going to buy from someone. It’s just a matter of getting them to prefer you. And some connection beats no connection.
Show, Don’t Tell
At best, hard data gets used to justify an action that is taken because of emotional instincts. First you need storytelling and bonding.
Say It The “Non-Traditional” Way
Advertisers are so focused on where the ads will be seen, and who will see them, that they forget what matters most.
The Right SEQUENCE for Brand Building Success
What Aristotle and lawyers both know about persuasive sequencing that you don’t.
Sales Today or Salience Tomorrow? Yes.
Let's resolve the tug-of-war between the zealots of “WE MUST SELL STUFF NOW” and the stoics who say “we must brand for tomorrow”.