“Can You Hear Me Now” — How Verizon Grabbed Greater Market Share As Premium-Priced Provider
Verizon couldn’t afford to lower rates or compete on price. Instead, they had better advertising.
Writing Car Ads That Don’t Suck
The day Rick posted his 2003 Ford F 350 on Kijiji (a weird Canadian Craigslist), there were 66 other listings for the exact same truck. Rick’s rig sold in 23 minutes...to a Texan.
Long Ads, Short Ads, and Creating Viral Videos | Wizard’s Roundtable
Is it better to have a bunch of little 15 second ads or a full 60 second ad? Is a quick postcard better than a long letter? And how can we leverage entertainment?
Sizzle is a Sound Effect
"Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak” — or so says Elmer Wheeler. And if you’re in marketing or sales, either you like that phrase, or rather strenuously object to it. Those who object say things like "If you sell sizzle without the steak you’re a con artist."
They Hate My Ad! (Now what?)
Now, I don’t subscribe to the notion that “hey, they remembered you…and that’s all that matters.” It’s very easy to be outrageous and “get remembered.” The job of your ad is to “get remembered” and sell some stuff.
How Brandable Chunks Guarantee Brand Consistency | Wizard’s Roundtable
Without a consistent theme, you probably don't even have a campaign. And then at that point, what are you doing? You're not branding. You're not bonding.
Story Appeal, Attitude, and Branding
Shared values and tribes are the life blood of bonding campaigns. And you can’t have attitude without a point of view.
McMann & Tate: Worst Ad Agency Ever
Howard McMann once said of his partner, “He’s slippery, he lies beautifully, and he has a great head of hair.” Legend has it, Tate once told a subordinate “If the client loves it, I love it! If the client hates it, I hate it!”
Getting Human Nature to Work FOR (Rather Than Against) Your Business
The only emotions that reliably inspire action are those that affect self-image.
How Often Should Your Ad Play | Wizard’s Roundtable
How long should each ad stay on? How many ads do you run at a time? And as we look into the second half of 2020, is there less clutter out there?
Mistakes aren’t wrong. Wrong isn’t a mistake.
Makers of ads push their chairs back and say “yeahhh…now that’s smooooooth.” …while your customer sliiiides right off.
Creating Story Appeal On Demand (Part 2)
Attitude imbalances are the most useful for advertising — especially for branding — because they speak to and most directly reveal personality, character, and values.
Good For Sheep, Bad For Business
Sheep are best known for their strong flocking (herding) and following instinct. They will run from what frightens them and band together in large groups for protection. This is the only protection they have from predators.
Story —> Attention —> Sale (Part 1)
If you try to buy attention without a story, you’ll strike out. This is what happens to most advertising and marketing efforts. People buy “exposure” via advertising and presume that they’ve also purchased attention...
Good Strategy, Bad Strategy — A Primer
Good strategy always contains three elements and bad strategy doesn’t. Let’s look at each of these three defining elements before presenting a streamlined version specific for Advertising Strategy.