What riding a motorcyle taught me about marketing
Many companies use loyalty programs, Facebook groups, and email spam to gather the troops. That’s not a tribe. It’s list building.
What Constitutes Memorable Ads? [+Examples]
It’s time to stop wasting your time and effort on lackluster ads that no one remembers.
6 Degrees of Benjamin Franklin
Doing business with — making yourself vulnerable to — a complete stranger feels bad. Nobody wants to put themselves in that situation.
Top Gun & The Tale of 2 Super Bowl Ads
While Tony Scott's Top Gun was the highest-grossing film of the year, his 1985 Super Bowl spot is regarded as Apple's worst ad ever.
Do Your Ads Obey the Law?
The first law of advertising is quite simple: Thou Shalt Not Be Boring! And there are really only two ways to avoid breaking that law.
How to Tell Your Company Story (Like a Fox)
8 steps to effectively build a tribe of emotionally invested customers who will become your biggest advocates.
The Grass Is Always Greener on the Side That’s Fertilized…
Of course, you can’t fertilize weeds and get lush, green grass. In advertising terms, you have to start with the truth.
Not Just What, But When
When it comes time to buy, the customer's priorities change. She might well buy from whichever store offers same-day delivery and installation.
Why Your Word-of-Mouth Ain’t As Good As You Think — And What to Do About It
When marketers and business owners talk about Word-of-Mouth, they only think they’re talking about the same thing.
Why Telling The Truth Ain’t Enough — And What Honest Businesses Should Add to It
Think of “the way” as both a future hope and a path to get there.
It’s natural
Natural ain’t gonna cut it. There are too many businesses waving that stick in the air. You need a strong competitive advantage that is uncopiable.
David Ogilvy’s Secrets of Good Ads
"When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”
3 Reasons Why Everyone’s STILL Talking About “The Slap” — and How to Harness That Power For Your Advertising
I don’t even have to tell you what slap I’m talking about, do I?
Harnessing The Pure Power of Friendly Familiarity For Owner-Operators
Of course you’ll grab Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes over the (significantly) cheaper, generic and off-brand alternatives.
My Idiot Friends
Stories are memorable, cherished, and shareable because of imperfection. A good ad writer creates attraction to imperfection.