The Best Blog Post Ever Written
I drove past a place called “Best China Restaurant” hundreds of times and instinctively knew that this was not, in fact, the best out there.
Creating authentic conversational radio ads step-by-step
Conversation is, unfortunately, incredibly difficult to write — especially when you write by the rules of good grammar.
Branded vs. Unbranded Keywords (A Case Study of a Real Company)
If we didn’t track them separately, we wouldn’t see unbranded keywords were losing us money.
A Powerful Secret to Great Ads
Powerful ads are the few that stand out in your mind because they made an impression. Here's how that happens.
Brand Codes in a World of Continuous Partial Attention
We are all, as T.S. Eliot wrote, “distracted from distraction by distraction.” So how can you craft ads capable of working?
Marketing Predictions for 2023 (?)
Before I question my Ogilvy & Mather Tarot Cards and tell you exactly what will happen, let’s see if past predictions have held up.
Advertising in Hard Times: 3 Quick, Easy, and Essential Lessons
If you continue to invest in long-term brand building through an economic downturn, you will overtake your competition.
Brand Codes: Lessons from a $65 Million Re-Branding Disaster
First, what the hell are brand codes? And how do they strengthen memory structures while increasing profits?
Do Your Ads Romanticize What Your Customers Actually Want to Buy?
“The customer rarely buys what the company thinks it's selling him.” — Business Management Legend, Peter Drucker
The end of the journey
You train your people to deliver the best service that you can provide. But have you optimized the end of the journey?
Get the kid a Grammy
The batter flopped around on the ground like a salmon. Tyler, from shortstop, yells out, “Get the kid a Grammy. He’s acting the hell out of it.”
Be Who You Are — A KFC Case Study
The Colonel was seen as old, outdated, and associated with the old south. Tragically unhip for a newer, younger audience.
Strange Limiting Beliefs
The strangest belief I see nowadays is, "I love my digital person; can I keep using them" when they don't know what's under the hood.
But What About the Rest of Us?
The direct response ad industry, which includes most of what you see online, is built upon hyper-targeting to those scant percentages of people shopping today.
HOPE gets crushed when Despair uses a megaphone
The only advertising that gets customers immediately is through discounts. I’ve seen this picture before, and I don’t like the ending.