Why Conflict Is Essential – In Advertising and Life
We demand conflict, tension, and drama — be it in sports, books, movies, or advertising.
A Marketing Lesson, With Love From Gaston
Spoiler Alert… Gaston doesn’t get the girl, and you likely won’t get the customer if you take his same approach.
What’s Your Ad Campaign’s Meta-Narrative?
Is the story of Rocky really about boxing? Or is it about an underdog’s epic journey? Great ads are like that too.
Good Things Come in Threes – Strategy, Message, and Budget
Without a well-structured strategy, owners often end up bobbing in the water with no landmarks in any direction.
What Kids Can Teach You About Story Persuasion
There’s a REASON why for every conflict we always want to know “who started it?”
How to Increase Brand Loyalty
Bill and three of my closest friends joined a cult and disappeared from my life. You might be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with marketing?”
The Common-Sense Mistake Sabotaging Your Ads
Are your ads aimed at winning the type of buying decision that your customers are actually making?
The 2nd Worst Time to Introduce Yourself to a Customer
By then — absent extraordinary sales skill — it’s too late to build preference and make a high value sale.
What Are Your Ads Really Selling?
People evaluate professional services in the same way that they’d evaluate a potential friend or romantic partner.
Inherent Drama As Advertising Super Power
One of the secrets behind many of the most iconic mascots, slogans, and campaigns in American history.
Fierce Competition, Long Buying Cycles, and Great Advertising
For long buying cycles, pre-convince customers before they're looking. Waiting is too costly.
The New Voice of Writing Ads (Non-Ads)
What's driving this trend? In a word: trust. Consumers are looking for brands they can connect with on a deeper level.
Death to “Corporate” Marketing
To effectively market, you need to catch people’s attention, not blend in with how all the other industry ads look.
The Itch Which Must Be Scratched
Every human comes into the world with a hunger for answers to the 4 Big Questions. Great ads speak to them.
Is Your Advertising in a Bit of a Pickle?
In the bizarre automotive sales world, these kinds of gimmicky cookie-cutter campaigns are the preferred customer clickbait.