Distinctiveness vs. Differentiation vs. Bonding
Branding aims at de-commodification: getting the customer to see you as the better, worthier option. And there are three ways of pursuing this goal.
The Most Bizarre Brand Mascot (That Worked) In the Last Twenty Years — And Why You Should Care!
It permanently impressed itself on the tender psyches of millennials and they still whine about it decades later.
The Most Important Search Engine Isn’t Google — And Why Local Businesses Need to Be Optimizing For It
It’s actually an “omnipresent” rather than online-only search engine.
How to Build an Empire in Uncertain Times. The story of Wrigley’s
At the top of their game the Wrigley’s family was one of the wealthiest families in the world. Learn how they broke into the big time when they actually had nothing to sell.
What’s The Most Powerful Asset That Every Business Possesses?
The things that don’t seem to be about money usually produce the most money. A lot of times they require little to no ad dollars.
Ad Templates
According to the published research, 89% of award-winning ads could be classified into 6 basic templates. And the use of these templates boosted subjects' abilities to positively affect audience perception by 55%.
Reticular Activation – How the Human Anatomy Prevents Ads from Reaching “Everyone”
They don’t consciously notice those ads because the human brain won’t let them. Let me explain the four sets of brain waves.
A Smart Start For Marketing Your New Residential Home Service Company
With this strategy you spend upwards of 10X per lead less, convert higher, at a higher average ticket, at a higher gross profit.
Empire Builders #002: HBO Magic
The method that HBO uses to create Emmy Award winning shows and how you can apply this to have the best advertisements on the planet. I can guarantee you Ridley Scott would agree.
The Worth of a Dali
A picture is worth a thousand words. Confucius told us that. Or did he? Actually, Fred Barnard made up the saying to promote the use of images and called it “a Chinese proverb so that people would take it seriously.”
What Matters is What’s Remembered
When you advertise, you typically make bullet points of what you “want customers to know.” Giving a customer an education so he’ll have no choice but to pick you is as fanciful as it is arrogant.
The Tale of Ted the Radio Tortoise and Harry the Anxious Hare
I spent a day with two HVAC company owners. Harry the Anxious Hare is closing barely 10% of his online leads. Ted the Radio Tortoise’s telephone team is closing more than 60%.
That’ll Do
Who is the “McDonald’s” in your category? The business you believe is getting an unfair amount of customers… in spite of their quality and competence. A few things are happening that you should find illuminating.
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?