(If you’re old enough to remember the Doors, you know that Morrison usually opened his concerts by shouting WAKE UP!
)
Here are a few takeaways for those souls interested in marketing and advertising and politics.
1. Attack ads work as does frequency (which is how Romney got so close)… but they have to be bolstered with some sort of positive vision. You can’t win/sell anything simply by defining what it’s not: ‘Vote Romney because you hate Obama’ is not enough.
The same for marketing. When it comes to attracting consumers, a product has to stand for something with a positive, inspiring long-term vision. Pepsi used to advertise that it’s not Coke. So what? Then they did taste tests… still, so what? Then they began their Pepsi generation theme and things took off.
2. It’s nauseating how pundits keep saying that republicans need to change their message. That is duplicitous at best and downright evil at the core. Change the philosophy and adapt your ideas to the 21st century, THEN change the message to match the new soul of the party.
Putting out a new message while your beliefs don’t change is the worst kind of cheap direct response. Change the product then change the message... not the other way around.
3. Let me repeat for the umpteenth time: after September, 2008 everything has changed: consumer expectations, middle class incomes, trust in banking, the role of government, belief in technology, levels of consumption, demographics and YES, THE AMERICAN NARRATIVE ITSELF.
4. You’ve heard all about the demographics, but let me add one more: each month, 50,000 Hispanics turn 18 and are eligible to vote. Do the math for 2016.
5. The American belief in self-reliance, perfectly defined by Emerson’s famous essay of the same name, has changed... only angry white guys have missed this watershed moment.
Want proof?
The republican mantra is built on individual hard work, an independent, entrepreneurial spirit and a refusal to take handouts from the government.
Think for a second: this philosophy is strongest in Asian and Hispanic communities. These folks work and work and work (more than most white communities), so they should be prime republicans, but they’re not.
Over 70% of Asians and Hispanics voted democratic.
Why?
Because the republican, classic American belief that small government is best for the individual is not shared by immigrants. Most don’t see government as the villain; rather, they see big, greedy business as the obstacle to their success, as it tilts the playing field against them, barely pays a living wage and sends jobs overseas.
Bottom line: marketing and politics are both about telling a story with vision, one that corresponds with consumer/electorate desires and is in step with their core beliefs. Anything else, and you’ll spend billions for frequency and market share and still lose to a smarter, more passionate, more in-tune competitor.
And... when you try to sell anything with a story that runs counter to the prevailing meta-narrative (core, unquestioned beliefs) you will fail, just as the republicans did… and you will continue to fail until you change more than your marketing message.
A new tag line won't do it... you have to change your heart.
“Consumers want a new story... authenticity, not spin... participation, not propaganda.”
Showing posts with label story-telling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story-telling. Show all posts
New Wave Marketing 101: Mrs. Romney Used a Narrative Shotgun; Mrs. Obama Used a Laser
Politics aside, Michele Obama’s speech to the Democratic National Convention was brilliant. She was able to paint her husband as the quintessential, mythical American, ‘common man’ hero. And in so doing, she held a metaphorical mirror to Mr. Romney and the reflection was as unflattering as it was clear.
How’d she do it? C’mon, you know the answer is the story she told. And while you can disagree with the politics, you simply cannot ignore the lesson she gave to marketers: there is nothing more powerful than a convincing, moving, compelling, slightly understated narrative.
Here’s what the LA Times said:
The principal narrative of her nationally televised speech was about President Obama’s ability to maintain his ideals, and even his gentle touch as a father, despite the heavy strains of office…
Narrative is the operant word.
Notice, there was not a single mention of facts… the narrative spun a series of images that had nothing to do with facts, per se. If you intensely dislike Mr. Obama, there’s still nothing you can point to in his wife’s speech that was inaccurate… nothing that stretches the truth.
The First Lady had an airtight story grounded in a shared myth and these gave her the focus needed to decide which anecdotes would be included and which would be discarded as off point (and thus, seemingly untrue). In marketing terms, she found her niche message and gently stayed on it until the audience was in tears.
Mrs. Romney, on the other hand, told story after small story but to no real end, or to the overly large end of showing her husband to be kind, generous, one of the guys, caring, smart, witty, a great father, a shrewd businessman, etc. That was too big a task to bite off, so her message was scattered. Consequently, you can’t summarize what she said as succinctly as did the LA Times with Mrs. Obama’s narrative.
Ann Romney is an attractive and articulate woman. But her speech was just so much talk show chatter. She had no narrative focus and no way of deciding which stories to include and which to leave out; consequently, she seemed to have told them all, hoping that the totality of her speech would miraculously move the audience.
Here are a few narratives that would have been better for Mrs. Romney. Just pick one – ONE – not all of them.
1. Mr. Romney was born into privilege but walked away from it to help those who had far less. (Myth of the benevolent aristocrat who, like George Washington, put aside his interests to help fight for his country.)
2. Mr. Romney used his privilege and power and money to help others in need, and without fanfare or self-gratification. (Myth of the Lone Ranger, when you think of it.)
3. Mr. Romney used his privilege to educate himself. He studied long and hard so that he could put his knowledge to work in finding new, better ways to improve the lives of others. (Dr. Salk or George Washington Carver.)
4. Mr. Romney’s background shows a man who understands the plight of blue collar Americans, something he learned at his father’s knee. As president of American Motors, George Romney was very concerned about the life of his workforce. (Myth of the benevolent aristocrat who, for example, pays for the education of his workers’ kids or pays the hospital bills for the gardener’s sick wife.)
Again, pick one.
And whatever you do, don’t use the wrong myth. Why try to paint Mr. Romney as coming from humble beginnings? He’s not Abe Lincoln nor do we expect him to be. We admire wealth and don't care if candidates were born into the upper class. How disingenuous would it have been for JFK to speak in his posh Boston accent about his childhood struggles delivering newspapers on his little bike in the pouring rain?
Kennedy’s narrative was that he was born into wealth and taught that it carries responsibility, which is why he (JFK) went to war, saved a fellow seaman and dedicated his life to serving his fellow Americans after the sacrifice of his older brother.
Bottom line? Mrs. Romney chose the wrong mythical backdrop for a man of means and used a narrative shotgun; Mrs. Obama chose a classic American middle class myth befitting the child of a single parent and used a narrative laser.
We should do much the same with our marketing. But experience tells me we won’t. In spite of the clear lesson about the power of a tight, cohesive story, we’ll continue to produce work that’s fact-driven, repetitive, dull, boring and does not connect with our target audience… then scratch our heads when nothing sells.
How’d she do it? C’mon, you know the answer is the story she told. And while you can disagree with the politics, you simply cannot ignore the lesson she gave to marketers: there is nothing more powerful than a convincing, moving, compelling, slightly understated narrative.
Here’s what the LA Times said:
The principal narrative of her nationally televised speech was about President Obama’s ability to maintain his ideals, and even his gentle touch as a father, despite the heavy strains of office…
Narrative is the operant word.
Notice, there was not a single mention of facts… the narrative spun a series of images that had nothing to do with facts, per se. If you intensely dislike Mr. Obama, there’s still nothing you can point to in his wife’s speech that was inaccurate… nothing that stretches the truth.
The First Lady had an airtight story grounded in a shared myth and these gave her the focus needed to decide which anecdotes would be included and which would be discarded as off point (and thus, seemingly untrue). In marketing terms, she found her niche message and gently stayed on it until the audience was in tears.
Mrs. Romney, on the other hand, told story after small story but to no real end, or to the overly large end of showing her husband to be kind, generous, one of the guys, caring, smart, witty, a great father, a shrewd businessman, etc. That was too big a task to bite off, so her message was scattered. Consequently, you can’t summarize what she said as succinctly as did the LA Times with Mrs. Obama’s narrative.
Ann Romney is an attractive and articulate woman. But her speech was just so much talk show chatter. She had no narrative focus and no way of deciding which stories to include and which to leave out; consequently, she seemed to have told them all, hoping that the totality of her speech would miraculously move the audience.
Here are a few narratives that would have been better for Mrs. Romney. Just pick one – ONE – not all of them.
1. Mr. Romney was born into privilege but walked away from it to help those who had far less. (Myth of the benevolent aristocrat who, like George Washington, put aside his interests to help fight for his country.)
2. Mr. Romney used his privilege and power and money to help others in need, and without fanfare or self-gratification. (Myth of the Lone Ranger, when you think of it.)
3. Mr. Romney used his privilege to educate himself. He studied long and hard so that he could put his knowledge to work in finding new, better ways to improve the lives of others. (Dr. Salk or George Washington Carver.)
4. Mr. Romney’s background shows a man who understands the plight of blue collar Americans, something he learned at his father’s knee. As president of American Motors, George Romney was very concerned about the life of his workforce. (Myth of the benevolent aristocrat who, for example, pays for the education of his workers’ kids or pays the hospital bills for the gardener’s sick wife.)
Again, pick one.
And whatever you do, don’t use the wrong myth. Why try to paint Mr. Romney as coming from humble beginnings? He’s not Abe Lincoln nor do we expect him to be. We admire wealth and don't care if candidates were born into the upper class. How disingenuous would it have been for JFK to speak in his posh Boston accent about his childhood struggles delivering newspapers on his little bike in the pouring rain?
Kennedy’s narrative was that he was born into wealth and taught that it carries responsibility, which is why he (JFK) went to war, saved a fellow seaman and dedicated his life to serving his fellow Americans after the sacrifice of his older brother.
Bottom line? Mrs. Romney chose the wrong mythical backdrop for a man of means and used a narrative shotgun; Mrs. Obama chose a classic American middle class myth befitting the child of a single parent and used a narrative laser.
We should do much the same with our marketing. But experience tells me we won’t. In spite of the clear lesson about the power of a tight, cohesive story, we’ll continue to produce work that’s fact-driven, repetitive, dull, boring and does not connect with our target audience… then scratch our heads when nothing sells.
Cosmeceuticals Vs. Tennis Racquets? Who’s Selling Snake Oil?
When it comes to snake oil, I think the people at Head
tennis racquets have taken the cake. Even the most egregious direct response
male performance product has nothing on these guys. And note… I am a tennis
player, I love getting a new racquet and I want to believe.
Here’s the line for Head’s Youtek Mojo Racquet: “d3o
Technology senses your needs during different strokes.” Honest to God, that’s
how it’s written.
Let me understand: this inanimate object with no electronic
sensors and no ability to change shape or density actually senses my needs
during play? C’mon, this is snake oil beyond snake oil.
Let a cosmeceutical company claim its anti-wrinkle cream
“senses your needs with new d3o Penetrating Epidermal Technology” and the FDA
and FTC would start to twitch.
So, as I’m about to hit a drop shot I guess the racket
senses this and what? Reduces string tension so I hit a softer shot? Maybe the
racquet changes its balance point and goes from handle heavy to head heavy in
an instant to put more weight behind the shot? And if I’m trapped in the corner
and have to hit a passing shot, I guess the Youtek Mojo grows in size so I get
more hitting area. Wow!
In another part of the ad, it says that d3o Technology
“…makes passing shots harder and drop shots more precise.” Again, WOW!
Those of us in nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals are
frequently if not constantly accused of selling snake oil. Part of the
reputation has been ‘earned’ by spurious marketers hawking Blue Stuff and male
enhancement cures and anti-wrinkle breakthroughs; but much of the reputation is
unfair. All marketers, from Rolls Royce to the American Cancer Society, make
claims that they are new, different, better. That’s the essence of the art.
Part of our outrage at advertising seems to be that we
consumers will accept claims for products we like while laughing at those made
for things we don’t need or use. Women like cosmetics; men think the ads are
stupid: “Who in the world would believe that?” Turn the tables, however, and
most women think that ads for the latest 5 terabyte cloud computing
breakthrough are nonsense.
Even though I am a tennis fanatic, the Head people have set
a new standard. This goes way beyond the people who advertised a cream that
helps erase ‘ear wrinkles.’ Suddenly, that claim seems fine to me when compared
to a morphing tennis racquet.
Here’s a thought. Instead of the Youtek Mojo, call it the
Youtek Mr. Mojo Risin’ and claim the racquet makes you look like Jim Morrison
(pre-junkie phase) as you gracefully run to make a fantastic shot… long hair
glistening in the sun.
I’d pay for that (and
so would my wife)!
Marketing 101: Niagara Falls… Hitting Bottom
Sitting here, standing here, pacing here… trying to come up
with a fresh story for a product that is not new, not needed and, truthfully,
cannot work as claimed by the manufacturer.
The marketer's dilemma in a nutshell.
This product will fail: 25 years experience and basic common
sense tell me. Still, I am reluctant to express my severely negative doubts.
Isn’t the American Way to push ahead and give it your best shot, damn the torpedoes and all that
Dr. Phil kind of stuff?
I can hear the client’s responses: “Oh, so you CAN’T do it,”
or “I thought you were a CREATIVE writer,” or “you only want to work on
products that are a slam dunk,” and best of all, “this may look like just
another acne cream but this one REALLY WORKS!”
I’m not clairvoyant… and I’ve read enough about quantum
mechanics to know that all we can offer are probabilities, not certainties… the
wave function hasn’t collapsed… the electron is probably here but not definitely here… using Planck's Constant, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and the FTC's penchant for discouraging false advertising, I put the probability of this product succeeding at 1 in 1,000.
Life’s too short and writing talent too fickle to risk either
on something that’s very, very likely to fail; yet part of me wants to give it
a try: like taking a barrel over Niagara Falls for the pure hell of it.
“This product will change your life!”
Ahhhhhhhh, it’s coming now….
“The first and only acne cream specifically formulated to give you a smoother, clearer, sexier complexion…”
Yes, the end is in sight… but the end of what?
New Wave Marketing 101: Nice Guys… Bad Business Cards… Very Bad Marketers
Marketing is brutal… no doubt about it. Either you can or you can’t… most can’t, everyone thinks they can.
In a past life I made a living as a musician, on the road playing in bars across the country. That’s brutal, too… you play a song and people either applaud or they don’t. There’s no equivocation: the audience likes you or hates you… or worse, ignores you. No way to spin their response.
In a past life I made a living as a musician, on the road playing in bars across the country. That’s brutal, too… you play a song and people either applaud or they don’t. There’s no equivocation: the audience likes you or hates you… or worse, ignores you. No way to spin their response.
As someone who makes a living as a marketer, I have come to learn that my almost 10 years on the road have stood me in good stead. An advert works or it doesn’t, and all the slick- talking, self-justification, excuse-making in the world won’t change the result.
So — a little while back I ‘took a meeting’ (I was in LA) with two very nice young men in charge of their father’s fortune. They have an idea to sell a product or two and I’m involved because I know the formulator.
During the meeting, they tell me how special their company is… right, just like everyone else. They’re a family company and they REALLY care (as if other family companies don’t give a damn). In a minute or two, my ADD kicks in and I’m lost in Supertramp's 'Gone Hollywood' ("I'm in a cheap hotel beside a Taco Bell without a hope in hell" how appropriate).
Here’s the kicker: these guys swear to me that “We have some of the best designers and creative people in the country.” This is code for, “We don’t need any help marketing our stuff.”
OK, fair enough. I get up to leave and they give me their business cards. OMG — were these atrocities the work of “the best designers in the country"??? The first card is unreadable… 6-point white text on a soft beige background… Superman and his X-ray vision would have a challenge deciphering the copy. The other gentleman’s card looked like it came from the Microsoft template library: ugly, large black text, no kerning, so the letters looked like a n e y e t e s t placed at an angle the human brain can’t comprehend.
Oh… I see, the best designers in the country, huh?… you don’t need help?… you’re marketing experts?!?
Look — just because you wrote a paper in high school doesn’t make you a writer… just because you know how to open Photoshop and resize a picture doesn’t make you a graphic artist… just because you sold $100,000 worth of product in a market that’s worth $5 BILLION doesn’t make you a marketer… it makes you a poser (a great British term).
In a moment of epiphany, I realized what the best thing was about being a musician! It’s the ability to shut up amateurs.
At just about every gig, some guy would come up and say, “I play saxophone, too.” My response? “Here’s my horn, play it… let’s hear what you’ve got.”
No one ever took me up on the offer.
I wish I could do the same when a couple of well-meaning but ill-informed guys with ugly business cards tell me they know how to market.
At just about every gig, some guy would come up and say, “I play saxophone, too.” My response? “Here’s my horn, play it… let’s hear what you’ve got.”
No one ever took me up on the offer.
I wish I could do the same when a couple of well-meaning but ill-informed guys with ugly business cards tell me they know how to market.
Really?
“When It Comes To Writing, Getting Started Is the Hardest Part” (Here Are Two Ways To Ease the Pain)
No truer statement has ever been made. Think about it, the headline and/or opening paragraphs of anything take the most time and cause the most pain… because there’s nothing worse than staring at a blank screen or piece of paper and expecting yourself to fill it. Frightening.
In many ways, the pain and fear can’t be avoided. Look at it like this: if you’ve ever jogged or bicycled any distance, you know the first mile or so isn’t fun… ever. There’s pain and doubt and your body hasn’t found its rhythm. But at some point down the road it all begins to work, your breathing levels out, things are fine.
Writing is the same. It takes time to get your brain in gear and your writing muscles loosened.
But there are a couple of tricks to ease the pain and/or speed the time till you’re hitting stride. Both can help, but generally I’ve found that people prefer one or the other, depending upon their personalities and styles. (I prefer the former, although sometimes the topic lends itself to approach #2.)
1. Think before you write! Too many of us sit down and try to write without having put any thought into what we might say. Make this common mistake and you’ll stare at that screen for hours and walk away with nothing. Take some time to THINK about where the ad or press release or article is going and don’t start writing until you have a clearer idea… save yourself the agony, doubt and inevitable self-loathing... and several starts and stops and starts and trash can basketball.
Most people believe that writing is something like 10% thought, 80% actual writing and 10% editing. Pros know it’s one-third, one-third, one-third. On the positive side, that means less time sitting at the desk and staring at a blank sheet of paper, but more time thinking and polishing the finishing product. Cheat any of the three sections and your work will suffer.
2. There’s a German saying, “Nothing makes you hungrier than eating.” Same with writing: the ideas start flowing from the physical act of writing itself. So start your article and continue on, even if the intro is weak and disorganized. Get as far as you can without stopping. You’ll see, the writing gets easier as you go along, just as jogging gets easier the longer you run.
But then go back and rewrite your intro and first couple of paragraphs. You’ll be in stride and have a better idea of where the article is going; you’ll see how to actually begin. Almost every writer will tell you that the first couple of paragraphs are generally s—t and need to be reconsidered because they were written before the author got warmed up and the essay or advert took shape.
Either one of these techniques should help get you going with less agony.
----------
PS: I can’t resist taking a shot at people who have no respect for how difficult the job is. You know, “all you did was write 100 words, how long did that take?” Generally this is a graphics guy who thinks his image is what’s selling. If images are the key, how did marketers sell before TV or photography or illustrations? With words! "In the beginning was the Word," even God uses words and stories (ever hear of a parable, Mr. Graphics?).
I did this once (an idea I stole from a one-time friend). In a room of salespeople, congratulating themselves on how well a product had done and convinced that they made it happen, I took offense at their egocentric,'we did it all' attitude. As if the story I'd told to position the product and attract consumers meant next to nothing.
"OK," I said, "here’s a new product (I had nothing but a box design with a product picture and the product name) go out and sell it... duplicate your success, I know you can do it!"
After a minute or two of silence came their response: “There’s no information. What are we selling?” Really! What happened to the earlier, self-congratulatory bravado?
Of course, they still didn't get the point?
Without the words, the story, the reasons behind the product, the sense of belonging if you choose to purchase, you’ve got nothing to sell. They had an image, a picture and the product name, supposedly that's all they need. Remember, images sell and now these crack salespeople have an image in hand -- they should be golden.
"So, who sold the product you or me?" I asked sarcastically.
“OK,” they said, “so write the new ad and we’ll start tomorrow.”
Tomorrow? Like it’s child's play to write a successful ad? I guess if you can write your name, you can write an ad. I supposed they figured about 125 words would do it and that should take 30 minutes, max.
So I gave each of them a blank sheet of paper and said, “Here, you fill the page if it's so easy" and left the room.
Never got one word back from any of them. This ain’t so easy, is it buddy?
In many ways, the pain and fear can’t be avoided. Look at it like this: if you’ve ever jogged or bicycled any distance, you know the first mile or so isn’t fun… ever. There’s pain and doubt and your body hasn’t found its rhythm. But at some point down the road it all begins to work, your breathing levels out, things are fine.
Writing is the same. It takes time to get your brain in gear and your writing muscles loosened.
But there are a couple of tricks to ease the pain and/or speed the time till you’re hitting stride. Both can help, but generally I’ve found that people prefer one or the other, depending upon their personalities and styles. (I prefer the former, although sometimes the topic lends itself to approach #2.)
1. Think before you write! Too many of us sit down and try to write without having put any thought into what we might say. Make this common mistake and you’ll stare at that screen for hours and walk away with nothing. Take some time to THINK about where the ad or press release or article is going and don’t start writing until you have a clearer idea… save yourself the agony, doubt and inevitable self-loathing... and several starts and stops and starts and trash can basketball.
Most people believe that writing is something like 10% thought, 80% actual writing and 10% editing. Pros know it’s one-third, one-third, one-third. On the positive side, that means less time sitting at the desk and staring at a blank sheet of paper, but more time thinking and polishing the finishing product. Cheat any of the three sections and your work will suffer.
2. There’s a German saying, “Nothing makes you hungrier than eating.” Same with writing: the ideas start flowing from the physical act of writing itself. So start your article and continue on, even if the intro is weak and disorganized. Get as far as you can without stopping. You’ll see, the writing gets easier as you go along, just as jogging gets easier the longer you run.
But then go back and rewrite your intro and first couple of paragraphs. You’ll be in stride and have a better idea of where the article is going; you’ll see how to actually begin. Almost every writer will tell you that the first couple of paragraphs are generally s—t and need to be reconsidered because they were written before the author got warmed up and the essay or advert took shape.
Either one of these techniques should help get you going with less agony.
----------
PS: I can’t resist taking a shot at people who have no respect for how difficult the job is. You know, “all you did was write 100 words, how long did that take?” Generally this is a graphics guy who thinks his image is what’s selling. If images are the key, how did marketers sell before TV or photography or illustrations? With words! "In the beginning was the Word," even God uses words and stories (ever hear of a parable, Mr. Graphics?).
I did this once (an idea I stole from a one-time friend). In a room of salespeople, congratulating themselves on how well a product had done and convinced that they made it happen, I took offense at their egocentric,'we did it all' attitude. As if the story I'd told to position the product and attract consumers meant next to nothing.
"OK," I said, "here’s a new product (I had nothing but a box design with a product picture and the product name) go out and sell it... duplicate your success, I know you can do it!"
After a minute or two of silence came their response: “There’s no information. What are we selling?” Really! What happened to the earlier, self-congratulatory bravado?
Of course, they still didn't get the point?
Without the words, the story, the reasons behind the product, the sense of belonging if you choose to purchase, you’ve got nothing to sell. They had an image, a picture and the product name, supposedly that's all they need. Remember, images sell and now these crack salespeople have an image in hand -- they should be golden.
"So, who sold the product you or me?" I asked sarcastically.
“OK,” they said, “so write the new ad and we’ll start tomorrow.”
Tomorrow? Like it’s child's play to write a successful ad? I guess if you can write your name, you can write an ad. I supposed they figured about 125 words would do it and that should take 30 minutes, max.
So I gave each of them a blank sheet of paper and said, “Here, you fill the page if it's so easy" and left the room.
Never got one word back from any of them. This ain’t so easy, is it buddy?
Have You Ever Been Experienced?
I have – in the conventional sense and, I’ll admit, also in the terms to which Hendrix is referring. Sure, we all agree experience is a good thing; but as in everything else, too much is often a problem.
Here’s my history in a nutshell: 27 years working with words as editor and publisher of international B2B mags and a national consumer magazine with a circ of 450,000. US Director of a two-continent PR agency in B2B. Creative director for consumer/nutraceutical marketing company, helping to create print ads and produce TV ads that have sold more than half a billion in the span of five years. Published literary critic and short story writer. Adjunct professor (fancy name for part-time) teaching comp and rhetoric, American lit and world lit.
As musicians say, I’ve got the chops. (And by the way, I was a professional musician who spent nearly 10 years on the road working six nights a week.)
OK, so I’m experienced; but does that make me the best person to hire for, say, an ad agency or marketing company or magazine publisher?
Not really. In fact, my years of experience with their concomitant successes and failures may make me less of an asset: someone who rests on past accomplishments and has little drive; someone who focuses on how it used to be done not how it can be done; or worse, someone whose past failures (we all have ‘em, they help us grow, etc.) blind him/her to today’s new potentials?
I argue that post-2008 EVERYTHING has changed when it comes to marketing and consumer behavior. Logically, then, maybe all my experience is an anchor not a balloon.
I was reading a cheesy book about creative thinking and the author asked this question: why is it that older, professional golfers, those past 40, can’t win anymore? They can still hit the ball plenty far and are as accurate as younger golfers if not more so. Still, they can’t win… why?
Maybe because experience blinds them to opportunities during the course of a tournament. They can’t win because their past won’t let them conceive of the one shot that clinches the round. Or maybe they can still conceive of the shot but are too afraid to try it.
I’m just saying experience isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… particularly when it comes to this new era of marketing where past is not necessarily prologue… unless, that is, you’ve been able to maintain a young, unclouded perspective with the willingness, energy and curiosity to continue experimenting and learning. Otherwise, all the practical knowledge in the world won’t help you become a better 2012 marketer.
If you’re 50-plus, take a look in the mirror before you moan and groan about today’s inexperienced marketers. Their lack of a track record may be a big reason for the clever successes that leave you scratching your head.
Here endeth the sermon.
(OK, so now I’m thinking about the other ‘experienced.’ That sure was a way to radically shift your perspective and it only took a few hours… but no, I don’t have the courage to give that one more try. Some things are best left to the young.)
Here’s my history in a nutshell: 27 years working with words as editor and publisher of international B2B mags and a national consumer magazine with a circ of 450,000. US Director of a two-continent PR agency in B2B. Creative director for consumer/nutraceutical marketing company, helping to create print ads and produce TV ads that have sold more than half a billion in the span of five years. Published literary critic and short story writer. Adjunct professor (fancy name for part-time) teaching comp and rhetoric, American lit and world lit.
As musicians say, I’ve got the chops. (And by the way, I was a professional musician who spent nearly 10 years on the road working six nights a week.)
OK, so I’m experienced; but does that make me the best person to hire for, say, an ad agency or marketing company or magazine publisher?
Not really. In fact, my years of experience with their concomitant successes and failures may make me less of an asset: someone who rests on past accomplishments and has little drive; someone who focuses on how it used to be done not how it can be done; or worse, someone whose past failures (we all have ‘em, they help us grow, etc.) blind him/her to today’s new potentials?
I argue that post-2008 EVERYTHING has changed when it comes to marketing and consumer behavior. Logically, then, maybe all my experience is an anchor not a balloon.
I was reading a cheesy book about creative thinking and the author asked this question: why is it that older, professional golfers, those past 40, can’t win anymore? They can still hit the ball plenty far and are as accurate as younger golfers if not more so. Still, they can’t win… why?
Maybe because experience blinds them to opportunities during the course of a tournament. They can’t win because their past won’t let them conceive of the one shot that clinches the round. Or maybe they can still conceive of the shot but are too afraid to try it.
I’m just saying experience isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… particularly when it comes to this new era of marketing where past is not necessarily prologue… unless, that is, you’ve been able to maintain a young, unclouded perspective with the willingness, energy and curiosity to continue experimenting and learning. Otherwise, all the practical knowledge in the world won’t help you become a better 2012 marketer.
If you’re 50-plus, take a look in the mirror before you moan and groan about today’s inexperienced marketers. Their lack of a track record may be a big reason for the clever successes that leave you scratching your head.
Here endeth the sermon.
(OK, so now I’m thinking about the other ‘experienced.’ That sure was a way to radically shift your perspective and it only took a few hours… but no, I don’t have the courage to give that one more try. Some things are best left to the young.)
The Debate Between Words v. Pictures Is Over: Words Win!
You don’t believe me, do you? Adam, Nedly, Elson, Andy, Paul and all the first rate graphics people I’ve had the pleasure to work with – you still don’t believe me.
But here’s what you don’t know…
In Sunday’s London Times (13 November) there was an article entitled “Uglies can’t hide on the net.” I’d link everyone to it but it’s a paid subscription. So trust me on this. (I will save the article to show you all when we next meet!)
The article is about online dating and how women judge the attractiveness of men.
Wait for it... attractiveness is based on what the men write about themselves and NOT, repeat NOT on the photos that are put online. This is a scientific study, not a cosmeceutical “three out of four women think they look better” sort of thing.
It seems that confident men convey this attribute through their words… women sense the confidence, which attracts them and implies the man is successful regardless of what the picture looks like!!!!!!
They’re looking at Quasimodo yet when they read the words – the WORDS – they find his ugly visage attractive. Isn’t that Sales 101? Isn’t that Direct Marketing 101?
Case closed, I win… at some primordial level, people (OK, to be fair, maybe this just applies to women) are convinced by and give away their hearts, so to speak, to words… as if there's a genetic mandate to do so… and a subconscious way of 'knowing' that is so powerful it overcomes the actual image.
You guys can buy me that drink now.
But here’s what you don’t know…
In Sunday’s London Times (13 November) there was an article entitled “Uglies can’t hide on the net.” I’d link everyone to it but it’s a paid subscription. So trust me on this. (I will save the article to show you all when we next meet!)
The article is about online dating and how women judge the attractiveness of men.
Wait for it... attractiveness is based on what the men write about themselves and NOT, repeat NOT on the photos that are put online. This is a scientific study, not a cosmeceutical “three out of four women think they look better” sort of thing.
It seems that confident men convey this attribute through their words… women sense the confidence, which attracts them and implies the man is successful regardless of what the picture looks like!!!!!!
They’re looking at Quasimodo yet when they read the words – the WORDS – they find his ugly visage attractive. Isn’t that Sales 101? Isn’t that Direct Marketing 101?
Case closed, I win… at some primordial level, people (OK, to be fair, maybe this just applies to women) are convinced by and give away their hearts, so to speak, to words… as if there's a genetic mandate to do so… and a subconscious way of 'knowing' that is so powerful it overcomes the actual image.
You guys can buy me that drink now.
"We Need Better Stories..."
... explained a Hollywood studio exec when asked why so many technically stunning movies are box office flops.”
The same is true for advertising. Memorable, successful campaigns begin with an insightful story and original content. Yet so many ‘marketers’ are reluctant to expend the time, creative thought and effort needed to tell moving, mythic stories... preferring to spend their money on style, not substance.
Wrong from the start.
Story comes first. Without it you have nothing new to offer... nothing to advertise. Consumers will ignore you. “I have facts,” you say. “My product is the best.” Neither really matters if your story is old, dull, boring, unbelievable or non-existent.
When you tell an authentic, evocative story you’ve captured the essence of intelligent marketing. You entertain, intrigue and remake the relationship between the product and the consumer. Then take advantage of digital technologies, social media platforms, to get your original content into unexpected places, make the idea contagious (an ‘idea virus’ as Seth Godin calls it) and you’re light years ahead of the ‘me-too’ crowd.
Of course, strong images and a good design are vitally important... but you can’t really sell with images alone (there are exceptions); conversely, a good writer can sell a product with just a few paragraphs on a blank sheet of paper.
If you don’t understand this self-evident fact, you have my sympathies (and fast-talking agencies will have spent your money on a beautifully ineffective piece of creative).
Here’s the reality: the days of dictating to consumers are over. The rise of social media, the decline of traditional media’s ROI and an increasingly cynical public (with less money to spend) have radically altered how and why an idea gains traction.
What doesn’t change? The need to stand out... the need to create a new category and dominate it... the need to start with an honest narrative. If you understand the difference between a captivating story and just another silly, intrusive ad... you're chances of success will grow exponentially.
The same is true for advertising. Memorable, successful campaigns begin with an insightful story and original content. Yet so many ‘marketers’ are reluctant to expend the time, creative thought and effort needed to tell moving, mythic stories... preferring to spend their money on style, not substance.
Wrong from the start.
Story comes first. Without it you have nothing new to offer... nothing to advertise. Consumers will ignore you. “I have facts,” you say. “My product is the best.” Neither really matters if your story is old, dull, boring, unbelievable or non-existent.
When you tell an authentic, evocative story you’ve captured the essence of intelligent marketing. You entertain, intrigue and remake the relationship between the product and the consumer. Then take advantage of digital technologies, social media platforms, to get your original content into unexpected places, make the idea contagious (an ‘idea virus’ as Seth Godin calls it) and you’re light years ahead of the ‘me-too’ crowd.
Of course, strong images and a good design are vitally important... but you can’t really sell with images alone (there are exceptions); conversely, a good writer can sell a product with just a few paragraphs on a blank sheet of paper.
If you don’t understand this self-evident fact, you have my sympathies (and fast-talking agencies will have spent your money on a beautifully ineffective piece of creative).
Here’s the reality: the days of dictating to consumers are over. The rise of social media, the decline of traditional media’s ROI and an increasingly cynical public (with less money to spend) have radically altered how and why an idea gains traction.
What doesn’t change? The need to stand out... the need to create a new category and dominate it... the need to start with an honest narrative. If you understand the difference between a captivating story and just another silly, intrusive ad... you're chances of success will grow exponentially.
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