Ad "Agency" vs. Ad "Agent"
Aug/30/2010
Technically,
of course, anybody who buys advertising time or space
on behalf of clients is an “ad agency”. But there are
huge differences in the way a “one-man-shop” ad agency
works from the way they do it in the skyscraper offices
on Madison Avenue. And this is something every
potential client needs to be aware of: you work with an
individual agent or a small agency only if you are
willing and able to get more involved in your
advertising yourself -- and you want to save money. On
the other hand, if you want to just hand over
everything from the initial ideas to casting talent to
placement to a big company to do for you while you
perhaps just make a few final decisions, then fine, but
expect to lay out a lot more cash for all that service.
And expect a very different kind of service.
It’s kind of like the difference between hiring a skilled gardener to help you keep your yard and garden in shape vs. hiring a big yard maintenance company. The gardener relates to you personally and consults with you before he does things. He expects you to be involved in what plants go where and how they are pruned and watered. When the relationship is right, it’s more as though he is working with you than for you. And you probably don’t have to pay him an exorbitant amount for his work, either.
On the other hand, if you hire the big lawn maintenance company, your relationship with them is going to be a lot less personal. But they can give you as much of that impersonal service as you want to pay for. If you want to stay pretty much hands off and put your yard into their hands to take care of, fine, they can do that. It’ll cost you more. And if you keep wandering out to the yard and commenting on what the gardeners are doing, they will look at that mostly as you just getting in their way. Your concept of what you want your lawn and garden to be is going to be a lot less important to them than it would be to the individual gardener.
Bottom line is, if you want the smaller, less-expensive relationship with an ad agent or very small agency, expect to be a lot more involved with your advertising on a day-to-day basis. If you want and can afford the kind of full-service, big-time ad agency that sends pretty girls and guys out to take you to lunch, then go for that. But, in the end, you’re probably going to be subject to more of their pre-formed ideas and concepts about how your advertising should be created and placed. The people you work with may be a lot more interested in selling you stuff than making your ads work over the long run. The whole relationship will be a lot less personal.
Also, the big agencies these days usually work on a fee basis, as distinct from the old “agency system” where they make their money from 15% commissions on ad placement. They work for you by the hour. Therefore, it is in their interest to make every job they do for you take as long and involve as many people as possible. By contrast, the agent who works for his 15% commission from the media on placed advertising has his bread buttered on the same side you do: if his advertising works, you do more of it; he gets to place more; he makes more money. If it doesn’t work, you go away. Which is, to my way of thinking, as it should be.
It’s kind of like the difference between hiring a skilled gardener to help you keep your yard and garden in shape vs. hiring a big yard maintenance company. The gardener relates to you personally and consults with you before he does things. He expects you to be involved in what plants go where and how they are pruned and watered. When the relationship is right, it’s more as though he is working with you than for you. And you probably don’t have to pay him an exorbitant amount for his work, either.
On the other hand, if you hire the big lawn maintenance company, your relationship with them is going to be a lot less personal. But they can give you as much of that impersonal service as you want to pay for. If you want to stay pretty much hands off and put your yard into their hands to take care of, fine, they can do that. It’ll cost you more. And if you keep wandering out to the yard and commenting on what the gardeners are doing, they will look at that mostly as you just getting in their way. Your concept of what you want your lawn and garden to be is going to be a lot less important to them than it would be to the individual gardener.
Bottom line is, if you want the smaller, less-expensive relationship with an ad agent or very small agency, expect to be a lot more involved with your advertising on a day-to-day basis. If you want and can afford the kind of full-service, big-time ad agency that sends pretty girls and guys out to take you to lunch, then go for that. But, in the end, you’re probably going to be subject to more of their pre-formed ideas and concepts about how your advertising should be created and placed. The people you work with may be a lot more interested in selling you stuff than making your ads work over the long run. The whole relationship will be a lot less personal.
Also, the big agencies these days usually work on a fee basis, as distinct from the old “agency system” where they make their money from 15% commissions on ad placement. They work for you by the hour. Therefore, it is in their interest to make every job they do for you take as long and involve as many people as possible. By contrast, the agent who works for his 15% commission from the media on placed advertising has his bread buttered on the same side you do: if his advertising works, you do more of it; he gets to place more; he makes more money. If it doesn’t work, you go away. Which is, to my way of thinking, as it should be.
Religion in business communications
Aug/12/2010
I
realize I am taking the risk here of committing the
very infraction I am complaining about. But it seems to
me that I am seeing more and more references to a
person’s religion in business communications.
I have a rep at a TV station who includes religious slogans in his emails to me. Is this appropriate? Is it professional? Recently, I read a brochure about a new firm, sent to me by a prospective client. In the bio part of it, he talked about his religion.
When someone touts their religion in strictly business-to-business communications with me, all that says to me is, “I am not very professional.”
I have a rep at a TV station who includes religious slogans in his emails to me. Is this appropriate? Is it professional? Recently, I read a brochure about a new firm, sent to me by a prospective client. In the bio part of it, he talked about his religion.
When someone touts their religion in strictly business-to-business communications with me, all that says to me is, “I am not very professional.”
"Uh's" and "you know's"
Jul/16/2010
Yesterday,
listening to NPR on my car radio, I found myself
captured by an interviewee’s “uh’s” and, to a lesser
extent, his “you knows”. Usually, these days, it’s the
other way around: even some prominent interview
subjects, whom you see and hear all the time, pepper
their speech with so many “you know’s” that, once you
tune into those verbal tics, you can hear almost
nothing else. But this particular interview subject was
more into big, long, serious, “uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’s”.
I know that, even though I am aware of the problem, my speech also contains plenty of “uh’s” and “you know’s”. But I’m working on them, especially the “you know’s”. I think the first key to solving the problem is to just hear them. Most people, I am sure, are completely unaware that their every other word is an “uh” or a “you know”.
Seems to me, if I were someone who was regularly interviewed on national TV and radio programs, I would hope that somebody in my personal retinue (I would have a personal retinue, of course) would point out my verbal tics to me. Why do so many well-known people continue to talk that way? Because people around them are unaware of the problem, i.e., they can’t hear it? Or because people are afraid to tell the famous person that he or she needs to clean up his speech? I imagine both.
I think it’s time for a national anti-“you know” campaign. And we can get rid of the “uh’s” while we’re at it. Let’s all just learn to pause in our speech from time to time and let silence reign for a second or two. OK, that’s a problem on radio but a tiny bit of dead air now and then is something we could all get used to.
And while we’re at it, could we please retire “awesome”?
I know that, even though I am aware of the problem, my speech also contains plenty of “uh’s” and “you know’s”. But I’m working on them, especially the “you know’s”. I think the first key to solving the problem is to just hear them. Most people, I am sure, are completely unaware that their every other word is an “uh” or a “you know”.
Seems to me, if I were someone who was regularly interviewed on national TV and radio programs, I would hope that somebody in my personal retinue (I would have a personal retinue, of course) would point out my verbal tics to me. Why do so many well-known people continue to talk that way? Because people around them are unaware of the problem, i.e., they can’t hear it? Or because people are afraid to tell the famous person that he or she needs to clean up his speech? I imagine both.
I think it’s time for a national anti-“you know” campaign. And we can get rid of the “uh’s” while we’re at it. Let’s all just learn to pause in our speech from time to time and let silence reign for a second or two. OK, that’s a problem on radio but a tiny bit of dead air now and then is something we could all get used to.
And while we’re at it, could we please retire “awesome”?
What, exactly, does an ad agency do?
Jul/05/2010
I
got an email from a young man who is the creative
director at his university’s TV station. He’s been
getting into making TV commercials for small businesses
and wanted to know from me how commercial ad agencies
worked. This is how I replied:
I have never actually worked for an ad agency, except for my own. I started in media as a radio disk jockey, went into radio news, worked for Sports Illustrated as a picture agent, worked for a local TV station -- and then started my own agency, Gary Davis Media, in 1988. Which is what I have done since then. So, I don't really know what it's like to be a creative director or anything else at an ad agency -- except from what I hear from one of my sons, who is, in fact, a creative director at a big ad agency in New York City.
Anyway. Yes, if you are a business and you want to advertise on TV, you might go to an ad agency. They would work with you to write one or more TV spots, then they would either work in-house or with a production company to make commercials for you and, finally, they would place those commercials on TV stations, networks or cable channels.
I imagine every ad agency has a slightly different method of getting commercials produced. In my case, I conceive, write, produce and direct the commercials I make but I use a shooter / editor with whom I have worked for many years to actually set up the equipment, run the camera and then edit in post-production, with my assistance. He works for a production company and I pay them by the hour for his work.
Normally, the production company would supply all the equipment needed -- that is part of what you pay for -- but in this particular case, I actually own the new Sony EX-1R HD camera we use and I lease it back to the production company. As part of that deal, I not only get a monthly lease payment for the camera equipment but I also get favorable rates for HD production so that my clients pay no more for HD production than they used for just SD.
At a giant ad agency, like those you find in New York or L.A., they will have account executives (salespeople) to bring in new clients and schmooze them, creative teams to write advertising and they will then hire commercial directors from outside -- maybe from outside the country -- as well as set designers, cinematographers, etc. They rent equipment and go on location for shoots. And so on. Consequently, their budgets are huge. A typical network level TV commercial made today by a big agency may cost $3-5-hundred thousand to make. (My budgets are considerably smaller.)
I think it's a good idea for you to learn to do as much as possible in the process of creating advertising, from the conception of what might work best to market the product or service, through writing, production, post-production, placement of commercials and helping your clients to track results.
The most valuable talent you can have is the ability to form a gut feeling for what will resonate with the prospect and cause him or her to take action versus what will not. It's a gift for being able to put yourself into the mind of the prospect and then ask yourself, "What would I have to see (or hear or read) to make me take action?" If you have that and you can add to it the skilled craft of being able to actually make the advertising and put it where it will work, then you really have something. You should be able to sell that package -- or you can use it to go out on your own.
As you may have noticed, there are lots of people in the advertising business who really have little or no talent for advertising or marketing. They are just salespeople who can bring in clients. They have to hire other people to actually do the advertising. That is one of the reasons, I think, why our business produces so much incompetent work and wastes so much money.
I have never actually worked for an ad agency, except for my own. I started in media as a radio disk jockey, went into radio news, worked for Sports Illustrated as a picture agent, worked for a local TV station -- and then started my own agency, Gary Davis Media, in 1988. Which is what I have done since then. So, I don't really know what it's like to be a creative director or anything else at an ad agency -- except from what I hear from one of my sons, who is, in fact, a creative director at a big ad agency in New York City.
Anyway. Yes, if you are a business and you want to advertise on TV, you might go to an ad agency. They would work with you to write one or more TV spots, then they would either work in-house or with a production company to make commercials for you and, finally, they would place those commercials on TV stations, networks or cable channels.
I imagine every ad agency has a slightly different method of getting commercials produced. In my case, I conceive, write, produce and direct the commercials I make but I use a shooter / editor with whom I have worked for many years to actually set up the equipment, run the camera and then edit in post-production, with my assistance. He works for a production company and I pay them by the hour for his work.
Normally, the production company would supply all the equipment needed -- that is part of what you pay for -- but in this particular case, I actually own the new Sony EX-1R HD camera we use and I lease it back to the production company. As part of that deal, I not only get a monthly lease payment for the camera equipment but I also get favorable rates for HD production so that my clients pay no more for HD production than they used for just SD.
At a giant ad agency, like those you find in New York or L.A., they will have account executives (salespeople) to bring in new clients and schmooze them, creative teams to write advertising and they will then hire commercial directors from outside -- maybe from outside the country -- as well as set designers, cinematographers, etc. They rent equipment and go on location for shoots. And so on. Consequently, their budgets are huge. A typical network level TV commercial made today by a big agency may cost $3-5-hundred thousand to make. (My budgets are considerably smaller.)
I think it's a good idea for you to learn to do as much as possible in the process of creating advertising, from the conception of what might work best to market the product or service, through writing, production, post-production, placement of commercials and helping your clients to track results.
The most valuable talent you can have is the ability to form a gut feeling for what will resonate with the prospect and cause him or her to take action versus what will not. It's a gift for being able to put yourself into the mind of the prospect and then ask yourself, "What would I have to see (or hear or read) to make me take action?" If you have that and you can add to it the skilled craft of being able to actually make the advertising and put it where it will work, then you really have something. You should be able to sell that package -- or you can use it to go out on your own.
As you may have noticed, there are lots of people in the advertising business who really have little or no talent for advertising or marketing. They are just salespeople who can bring in clients. They have to hire other people to actually do the advertising. That is one of the reasons, I think, why our business produces so much incompetent work and wastes so much money.
TV station sales vs. service
Jun/20/2010
If I
was ever placed in charge of a TV station sales
department (something that will never happen if I can
help it) and had the freedom to make changes, the first
thing I would do would be to split up the sales and
service functions of the sales staff.
For sales, I would want to have a few reasonably attractive people who were good communicators, with a decent understanding of how TV commercials work and knew what the station had to offer. If they had or could be taught some modern sales techniques that were not right out of the 1950’s, that would be great.
And then, I would want to have a few more people -- the other half of my staff, perhaps -- who would just service the accounts of advertisers who already had commercials running on the station. Help them get their commercials written and produced if necessary, keep up with their schedules and payments and everything else. Be the person at the station a client could call upon to fix any problem and know that it would get fixed.
The way TV stations do it, the sales people are also supposed to service the accounts after they get on the air. Usually, they don’t do a very good job of it. There are exceptions of course, some really good sales & service people, but what is more typical is a cute and perky salesperson who is good at making people like and want to buy from him or her -- but doesn’t know squat about making TV commercials work and either doesn’t want to do anything with the account once it’s on the air or are just incompetent at it.
Somebody like me, who comes with commercials already produced and knows, from experience, what programming he wants to advertise buy for his clients, doesn’t really need to be sold anything. Cute and perky is not a requirement. Intelligent, competent and helpful would be much more helpful and appreciated.
For sales, I would want to have a few reasonably attractive people who were good communicators, with a decent understanding of how TV commercials work and knew what the station had to offer. If they had or could be taught some modern sales techniques that were not right out of the 1950’s, that would be great.
And then, I would want to have a few more people -- the other half of my staff, perhaps -- who would just service the accounts of advertisers who already had commercials running on the station. Help them get their commercials written and produced if necessary, keep up with their schedules and payments and everything else. Be the person at the station a client could call upon to fix any problem and know that it would get fixed.
The way TV stations do it, the sales people are also supposed to service the accounts after they get on the air. Usually, they don’t do a very good job of it. There are exceptions of course, some really good sales & service people, but what is more typical is a cute and perky salesperson who is good at making people like and want to buy from him or her -- but doesn’t know squat about making TV commercials work and either doesn’t want to do anything with the account once it’s on the air or are just incompetent at it.
Somebody like me, who comes with commercials already produced and knows, from experience, what programming he wants to advertise buy for his clients, doesn’t really need to be sold anything. Cute and perky is not a requirement. Intelligent, competent and helpful would be much more helpful and appreciated.
It just did!
Jun/15/2010
You’ve
probably seen that slogan that billboard companies put
up when they haven’t been able to sell the sign.
“Does billboard advertising really work?” the sign asks. Then, “It just did!”.
Meaning, of course, that it “worked” because you just read it. And that is what they are hoping to sell you: “impressions”. X number of people drive by on this road every day, so your message on this billboard will make X number of impressions. Which is what you are paying for.
But how many ad impressions do we take in every day? Hundreds? At least. Probably thousands. So, what good is one more impression? How much is that worth? It all depends on the content. If you can put a message on a billboard that is such that, when someone reads it, it makes them want to do what you want them to do -- and makes them want to do it so much that they will still remember it when they get home -- then that billboard is probably going to be a good buy. But if you are just “establishing name identification”, well, that is something that is really not worth too much anymore. Too much clutter. Too many names. Too many messages.
“Does billboard advertising really work?” the sign asks. Then, “It just did!”.
Meaning, of course, that it “worked” because you just read it. And that is what they are hoping to sell you: “impressions”. X number of people drive by on this road every day, so your message on this billboard will make X number of impressions. Which is what you are paying for.
But how many ad impressions do we take in every day? Hundreds? At least. Probably thousands. So, what good is one more impression? How much is that worth? It all depends on the content. If you can put a message on a billboard that is such that, when someone reads it, it makes them want to do what you want them to do -- and makes them want to do it so much that they will still remember it when they get home -- then that billboard is probably going to be a good buy. But if you are just “establishing name identification”, well, that is something that is really not worth too much anymore. Too much clutter. Too many names. Too many messages.
Commercial Language
Jun/12/2010
If
you are good at compartmentalization, then, try
something for me. The next time you are confronted with
TV or radio commercials, separate, in your mind, their
form from their content. If you are watching them on
TV, further separate their video form from the audio.
Let’s just pay attention to the audio. (This is easier
with radio spots.)
Listen to how most of the commercial spokespeople -- either on or off camera -- talk to us. Not how loud the commercial sounds, but how the people are talking. Most of them talk to us in a way that people never talk anywhere but in commercials. If someone talked to you that way over the dinner table, you would think they were crazy. Most commercial talk is pretty much just yelling in a fake-happy tone.
How did that get started? I can remember hearing commercials all the way back to my childhood in the 1950’s and my memory is that they were always that way. You would think that the form of the language would have evolved but it hasn’t -- at least, not very much. The announcers were fake-happy-yelling back in the ’50’s and they are still fake-happy-yelling today.
Years ago, I had a great little gig on the side doing radio voice talent for a big local agency here. The work paid well but was irritating to do because I had to do every commercial in that fake-happy yelling mode. If I ever made the mistake of lapsing into anything that sounded like a normal person talking, the producer would hound me for “more energy”. And the commercials were written too long, so that I had to talk fast to get through them. I guess the people at that agency just had that idea in their heads that that’s what radio commercials should sound like. But, for me, they were noxious -- to do, much less listen to.
Listen to how most of the commercial spokespeople -- either on or off camera -- talk to us. Not how loud the commercial sounds, but how the people are talking. Most of them talk to us in a way that people never talk anywhere but in commercials. If someone talked to you that way over the dinner table, you would think they were crazy. Most commercial talk is pretty much just yelling in a fake-happy tone.
How did that get started? I can remember hearing commercials all the way back to my childhood in the 1950’s and my memory is that they were always that way. You would think that the form of the language would have evolved but it hasn’t -- at least, not very much. The announcers were fake-happy-yelling back in the ’50’s and they are still fake-happy-yelling today.
Years ago, I had a great little gig on the side doing radio voice talent for a big local agency here. The work paid well but was irritating to do because I had to do every commercial in that fake-happy yelling mode. If I ever made the mistake of lapsing into anything that sounded like a normal person talking, the producer would hound me for “more energy”. And the commercials were written too long, so that I had to talk fast to get through them. I guess the people at that agency just had that idea in their heads that that’s what radio commercials should sound like. But, for me, they were noxious -- to do, much less listen to.
What is Art?
Apr/18/2010
Hey,
may as well handle some of the Big Topics. What put me
onto this was an email from someone who does voice
talent who described himself as a voice talent
“artist”. Having done a bit of voice talent myself over
the years, it occurred to me that I had never thought
of this particular activity as an “art”.
So, what is “art”? Well, it’s not decoration. If something looks pretty, or decorative, even if it is a part of nature or something finger-painted by a chimp, someone will ask if it should be called “art”. Not by my definition, not if that’s all there is to it.
My understanding of “art” is that it is a communication from the unconscious mind of an artist, through the artwork, to the unconscious mind of a partaker of the art. For example, let’s say that, as an artist, you go to a family reunion and it inspires a great emotion in you. You can’t put your finger on exactly what’s going on, but you can feel it -- in your heart, in your gut. So, you take out your easel and paints (or hammer and chisel or clay or camera or piano) and produce a work of art which you hope will somehow embody your feeling.
Later, another person sees your artwork. In her heart, in her gut, it causes a strong feeling, even though she may not be able to quite put her finger on what it’s all about. That’s a successful work of art: an unconscious feeling has been transmitted from one person to another via the work. It could be a painting, a photograph, a song or a dance. It could be representational or not. If swirling colors do the trick, then they are art. (If they are just pretty, they are not.)
I don’t think TV commercials are art. They are craft. Their job is not to transmit unconscious emotions of artists, it is to get us to buy something.
So, what is “art”? Well, it’s not decoration. If something looks pretty, or decorative, even if it is a part of nature or something finger-painted by a chimp, someone will ask if it should be called “art”. Not by my definition, not if that’s all there is to it.
My understanding of “art” is that it is a communication from the unconscious mind of an artist, through the artwork, to the unconscious mind of a partaker of the art. For example, let’s say that, as an artist, you go to a family reunion and it inspires a great emotion in you. You can’t put your finger on exactly what’s going on, but you can feel it -- in your heart, in your gut. So, you take out your easel and paints (or hammer and chisel or clay or camera or piano) and produce a work of art which you hope will somehow embody your feeling.
Later, another person sees your artwork. In her heart, in her gut, it causes a strong feeling, even though she may not be able to quite put her finger on what it’s all about. That’s a successful work of art: an unconscious feeling has been transmitted from one person to another via the work. It could be a painting, a photograph, a song or a dance. It could be representational or not. If swirling colors do the trick, then they are art. (If they are just pretty, they are not.)
I don’t think TV commercials are art. They are craft. Their job is not to transmit unconscious emotions of artists, it is to get us to buy something.
Identity. Community. Mission.
Apr/02/2010
The
other day, I caught the tail-end of an interview on one
of the NPR satellite radio stations. They were
discussing the reasons why people are attracted to
cults and cultish organizations. One person had a three
word answer: “Identity. Community. Mission. Made sense
to me. The more society fragments, the more people are
isolated from family and friends, the more they are
going to cling to any group or idea that promises those
three things that are so incredibly important to us:
Identity. Community. Mission.
Look at it from the “cult” side of the equation. If you were the ambitious leader of an organization, how would you go about attracting followers, or members, or employees? You could do worse than starting with those three words. Offer your recruits an identity, a community of people who think as one and value each other, a mission to make people feel as though their lives have value.
That would actually be an advertising problem for the organization. How do I advertise membership, or employment, in this organization in such a way that I communicate, as quickly and strongly as possible, that what we are offering are identity, community and a mission?
You could start your creative thinking about advertising for a product or service that way, as well. If nothing else, it would help you to think in terms of what your prospect needs to hear, rather than just what you want to say. It should at least get the creative juices flowing.
What would make my prospects strongly identify with what I am offering here? In other words, how can I make them think, “Wow! That’s me!” How could I make them feel as though all those who use this product or service are one big community? Is there a “mission” element here, as well? If someone buys my product or service or hires me, what does that say about what they want to accomplish in life? What will it say to others, i.e. their friends and acquaintances, about what they want to achieve?
Hmm. Something to think about.
Look at it from the “cult” side of the equation. If you were the ambitious leader of an organization, how would you go about attracting followers, or members, or employees? You could do worse than starting with those three words. Offer your recruits an identity, a community of people who think as one and value each other, a mission to make people feel as though their lives have value.
That would actually be an advertising problem for the organization. How do I advertise membership, or employment, in this organization in such a way that I communicate, as quickly and strongly as possible, that what we are offering are identity, community and a mission?
You could start your creative thinking about advertising for a product or service that way, as well. If nothing else, it would help you to think in terms of what your prospect needs to hear, rather than just what you want to say. It should at least get the creative juices flowing.
What would make my prospects strongly identify with what I am offering here? In other words, how can I make them think, “Wow! That’s me!” How could I make them feel as though all those who use this product or service are one big community? Is there a “mission” element here, as well? If someone buys my product or service or hires me, what does that say about what they want to accomplish in life? What will it say to others, i.e. their friends and acquaintances, about what they want to achieve?
Hmm. Something to think about.
The 12 kinds of commercials
Apr/01/2010
In
1978, while Donald Gunn was a creative director at the
Leo Burnett ad agency in New York City, he came up with
what he called “12 master formats” that he thought
applied to almost all advertising. Here they are:
The Twelve Kinds of Commercials
1. The Demo
2. Show the Problem
3. Symbol: Analogy or exaggeration shows the problem
4. Comparison
5. Exemplary Story
6. Benefit Causes Story
7. Presenter or Testimonial
8. Ongoing Character or Celebrity
9. Symbol: Analogy or exaggeration shows the solution
10. Associated User Imagery: Type of people who use the product
11. Unique Quality: Something particular about product that makes it stand out
12. Parody for humor
The Twelve Kinds of Commercials
1. The Demo
2. Show the Problem
3. Symbol: Analogy or exaggeration shows the problem
4. Comparison
5. Exemplary Story
6. Benefit Causes Story
7. Presenter or Testimonial
8. Ongoing Character or Celebrity
9. Symbol: Analogy or exaggeration shows the solution
10. Associated User Imagery: Type of people who use the product
11. Unique Quality: Something particular about product that makes it stand out
12. Parody for humor
Why don't we apply our own experiences with advertising?
Mar/09/2010
I
don’t think that most people, including most people who
create and buy advertising for their businesses, have
any understanding at all about how advertising works or
doesn’t work. And that leads far too many of them to
just wildly waste money on it. They go to ad agencies
with terrible ideas and fat wallets and, of course, the
agencies tell them, “Sure! That’s a great idea! Let’s
do it!”
Don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut.
If we would just think about our own experiences with advertising and apply them to the ads we create and buy, that alone would make us better at it. How many ads do you see every day? Add up all the print ads in the newspaper and magazines, the TV and radio commercials, the billboards -- all of it. How many is that? Hundreds? Thousands, every day?
How many of those do you really pay attention to? What causes you to either pay attention or not? What makes you think well about an advertiser or badly about him? How many of the ads that you see do you actually act on? How many get you to call or visit a business? How many get you to buy something? Why does this ad over here work for you while the other one over there does not?
If you are not in the demographic that you are trying to reach for your business, then you are going to have to use some imagination. Imagine yourself as that person you want to target with your ad and then think about all this stuff -- as that person. As best you can.
So, I think, if I were my prospect, based on all my experiences with my prospects, experiences that help me to know them -- and on my own experiences with advertising, throughout my life, what would I have to see or hear or read to get me to take action?
We’d sure waste a hell of a lot of less money on advertising if we just took the time to think through it that way. But maybe that’s easier said than done? Maybe most people cannot even imagine themselves as someone else? Maybe they can’t apply their own experiences to their imagined prospects? Maybe that’s why they just swallow the ad salesperson’s hook line and sinker and proceed to waste their money? Beats me.
Don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut.
If we would just think about our own experiences with advertising and apply them to the ads we create and buy, that alone would make us better at it. How many ads do you see every day? Add up all the print ads in the newspaper and magazines, the TV and radio commercials, the billboards -- all of it. How many is that? Hundreds? Thousands, every day?
How many of those do you really pay attention to? What causes you to either pay attention or not? What makes you think well about an advertiser or badly about him? How many of the ads that you see do you actually act on? How many get you to call or visit a business? How many get you to buy something? Why does this ad over here work for you while the other one over there does not?
If you are not in the demographic that you are trying to reach for your business, then you are going to have to use some imagination. Imagine yourself as that person you want to target with your ad and then think about all this stuff -- as that person. As best you can.
So, I think, if I were my prospect, based on all my experiences with my prospects, experiences that help me to know them -- and on my own experiences with advertising, throughout my life, what would I have to see or hear or read to get me to take action?
We’d sure waste a hell of a lot of less money on advertising if we just took the time to think through it that way. But maybe that’s easier said than done? Maybe most people cannot even imagine themselves as someone else? Maybe they can’t apply their own experiences to their imagined prospects? Maybe that’s why they just swallow the ad salesperson’s hook line and sinker and proceed to waste their money? Beats me.
GE commercial in Olympics: I don't get it!
Feb/22/2010
I
watched this one more than once. Even a couple of times
with the sound on. And I just don’t get it. My wife
doesn’t get it either. This is the GE commercial for
some kind of medical software. Apparently, it lets
doctors share information about your medical records.
Something like that. Anyway, this guy, who represents
you and me, is in his doctor’s office, sitting up on
the little table with his pants off. All of a sudden,
the walls of the office disappear to reveal a huge
auditorium, packed to the rafters with doctors. All
those people have been watching our exam all along. So
much for privacy.
So, the metaphor here, as best I can tell, is that all these doctors are the medical experts your doctor is now able to consult with because of the nifty GE software he has purchased. I guess we are now supposed to nag our doctors not only about the drug commercials we have seen but also about his office computer setup. I kind of doubt anyone is going to do that, so maybe this commercial is aimed at the doctors? I don’t know.
What I actually get from this commercial is an incredibly negative image of hundreds of people watching me as I sit with my pants off in my doctor’s office. That does not endear me to GE in any way whatsoever. GE = incredible intrusion on me and destruction of my privacy. Makes you wonder if the people at GE’s ad agency just never looked at their creation from the point of view of a person who would identify with that patient and be horrified? Or is it that the patient not in the target demo, so they didn’t care? Beats me. Either way, this commercial sure turns me off on GE.
So, the metaphor here, as best I can tell, is that all these doctors are the medical experts your doctor is now able to consult with because of the nifty GE software he has purchased. I guess we are now supposed to nag our doctors not only about the drug commercials we have seen but also about his office computer setup. I kind of doubt anyone is going to do that, so maybe this commercial is aimed at the doctors? I don’t know.
What I actually get from this commercial is an incredibly negative image of hundreds of people watching me as I sit with my pants off in my doctor’s office. That does not endear me to GE in any way whatsoever. GE = incredible intrusion on me and destruction of my privacy. Makes you wonder if the people at GE’s ad agency just never looked at their creation from the point of view of a person who would identify with that patient and be horrified? Or is it that the patient not in the target demo, so they didn’t care? Beats me. Either way, this commercial sure turns me off on GE.
Super Bowl commercials
Feb/07/2010
I
thought the Super Bowl commercials this year, as a
whole, were terrible. What we saw most often were long,
unfunny jokes with a little something about the
advertiser tacked onto the end. Very little if any
connection between the joke and the advertiser.
Sometimes, what connection there was was negative. Very
little selling, i.e., nothing said or shown to make us
want to partake of whatever the advertiser offers. And
finally, the jokes themselves were not very funny.
At least four commercials were centered around the idea that males were wimps. My son, the New York adman, tells me that the reason for this is that males are the only category of people left that you can make fun of and not get in trouble.
At least four commercials were centered around the idea that males were wimps. My son, the New York adman, tells me that the reason for this is that males are the only category of people left that you can make fun of and not get in trouble.
Network food spots
Jan/31/2010
Burger
King. We see a man dressed as a baby in a sandbox. The
message seems to be: even if you have the mind of a
baby you know BK is better than McDonald's.
Actually, it’s not clear who spot is about until
we see the logo at the end. Very ugly images of man as
baby. What I see is: customer = moron. How could this
work?
McDonald's Snack Wraps. Those are awful food shots! Or maybe the food is just too awful to make it look good. But that meat filling looks like something you would hope your oncologist got all of.
My son, an art director at a big NYC ad agency, reminds me that effective restaurant spots always show the food. They make it look good. Big food clients may pay $100,000 for a day of great 35mm food shots. Great food shots: Red Lobster comes to mind. Chili's. Olive Garden.
I think some of the worst food shots on TV are from Taco Bell. There's just something in those tacos that looks just like maggots. I don't get it: if you shoot the food and it looks like maggots, don't use the footage!
McDonald's Snack Wraps. Those are awful food shots! Or maybe the food is just too awful to make it look good. But that meat filling looks like something you would hope your oncologist got all of.
My son, an art director at a big NYC ad agency, reminds me that effective restaurant spots always show the food. They make it look good. Big food clients may pay $100,000 for a day of great 35mm food shots. Great food shots: Red Lobster comes to mind. Chili's. Olive Garden.
I think some of the worst food shots on TV are from Taco Bell. There's just something in those tacos that looks just like maggots. I don't get it: if you shoot the food and it looks like maggots, don't use the footage!
What makes a good TV salesperson?
Jan/22/2010
A
good TV salesperson understands the First Principle: My
client must make money!
Many simply do not grasp this. They do not realize that the local business person who does not make money with his TV advertising will quit doing it and never come back. This is just inexperience or incompetence. Sometimes your TV station rep just has no programming that your prospects watch. Sometimes he is so restricted by his management that he has no freedom to work with you.
An advertiser who just assumes that the people at the TV station or cable company know what they are doing and want him to succeed may find himself losing a bundle of money before he discovers the truth of the matter.
Many simply do not grasp this. They do not realize that the local business person who does not make money with his TV advertising will quit doing it and never come back. This is just inexperience or incompetence. Sometimes your TV station rep just has no programming that your prospects watch. Sometimes he is so restricted by his management that he has no freedom to work with you.
An advertiser who just assumes that the people at the TV station or cable company know what they are doing and want him to succeed may find himself losing a bundle of money before he discovers the truth of the matter.
Why is TV even affordable?
Jan/04/2010
The
only reason TV is affordable is because it does not
always work. Think about it.
If TV commercials worked great for everybody, all the time, then everybody would be scrambling to get on TV. The cost would go through the roof and nobody but giant corporations and the fabulously wealthy could afford it. So, really, we should be happy that it doesn’t always work. The best situation is one where it doesn’t work all the time for everybody but if we know what we are doing, we can probably make it work for us.
And that’s the situation we have.
If TV commercials worked great for everybody, all the time, then everybody would be scrambling to get on TV. The cost would go through the roof and nobody but giant corporations and the fabulously wealthy could afford it. So, really, we should be happy that it doesn’t always work. The best situation is one where it doesn’t work all the time for everybody but if we know what we are doing, we can probably make it work for us.
And that’s the situation we have.
TV's great, but it ain't magic
Dec/02/2009
Email:
I
just want to get bigger. I figure that people can chunk
your cards, and flyers. Tear down your signs. But if I
was to enter peoples houses via television, they would
have to change the channel, or turn it
off.
They don't have to change the channel or turn it off. They just turn YOU off, the same way they turn off the other thousand-odd advertising messages they get every day. Television has some great advantages as an advertising medium, that for some offers can make it the best way to go. But it can't make people do things they are not inclined to do. It's not magic; it's just advertising.
They don't have to change the channel or turn it off. They just turn YOU off, the same way they turn off the other thousand-odd advertising messages they get every day. Television has some great advantages as an advertising medium, that for some offers can make it the best way to go. But it can't make people do things they are not inclined to do. It's not magic; it's just advertising.
The doggie poop-scooper
Nov/27/2009
Email:
Most
dog owners who do clean up after their dogs use plastic
bags or plastic mitts and pick up their dog's poop with
their hands. For millions of people, including myself,
we refuse to do this; that is why I invented my
poop-scooper.
I did check out your website including the instructions for how to use the scooper. I have to say that sure seems like a hell of lot of trouble to go to just to avoid the feel of dog turds through a plastic bag! People like that are going to be in a world of hurt if technology breaks down and outhouses come back into style! (But I digress.)
Sure, that might work on TV. I don't know. It just depends on how many poop-adverse people there are out there. I mean, is there a crying need for this product? I don't know. If there is, then possibly a properly-constructed TV commercial, one that makes buying the product extremely enticing, would work. You would just have to test it. The problem is you would have to lay out the money for production of a 60 or 120 second spot and then a reasonable test schedule. A chunk of money -- and not your kid's college fund, either, because you might lose it.
I did check out your website including the instructions for how to use the scooper. I have to say that sure seems like a hell of lot of trouble to go to just to avoid the feel of dog turds through a plastic bag! People like that are going to be in a world of hurt if technology breaks down and outhouses come back into style! (But I digress.)
Sure, that might work on TV. I don't know. It just depends on how many poop-adverse people there are out there. I mean, is there a crying need for this product? I don't know. If there is, then possibly a properly-constructed TV commercial, one that makes buying the product extremely enticing, would work. You would just have to test it. The problem is you would have to lay out the money for production of a 60 or 120 second spot and then a reasonable test schedule. A chunk of money -- and not your kid's college fund, either, because you might lose it.
Too much work!
Jun/06/2009
Email:
This
is a home improvement product. I received a US patent
and have sold thousands of units. I will need a
national TV marketing campaign.
I like the looks of your product but I doubt that TV would be the way for you to sell it. Maybe if the little cabinet installed itself, that would be different but since somebody has to cut a hole in the wall and install it, I think that kills it for TV. Out of all the viewers you would have to pay for, there would be just too few who would -- A. want the product, B. be willing and/or able to do the work to install it, C. be willing to order it off TV and then, D. actually take action and order it -- for you to make any money. (All renters are out for one thing.)
This is probably the kind of thing that will sell in hardware stores when people see it. It might even sell out of handyman or home speciality print catalogs. If retail chains will put it on their websites, you might sell some there. But probably not direct response TV.
I like the looks of your product but I doubt that TV would be the way for you to sell it. Maybe if the little cabinet installed itself, that would be different but since somebody has to cut a hole in the wall and install it, I think that kills it for TV. Out of all the viewers you would have to pay for, there would be just too few who would -- A. want the product, B. be willing and/or able to do the work to install it, C. be willing to order it off TV and then, D. actually take action and order it -- for you to make any money. (All renters are out for one thing.)
This is probably the kind of thing that will sell in hardware stores when people see it. It might even sell out of handyman or home speciality print catalogs. If retail chains will put it on their websites, you might sell some there. But probably not direct response TV.
Inscrutable B2B offer
May/22/2009
Email:
We
are small company with about $1.3 Million of gross
sales per year. We manage databases for our
customers. Our niche is customers that need part
time database administrators. We have been very
successful in our current market and would like to
expand to new markets. We are considering TV
advertisements as part of that effort. We have a
very simple "per database" pricing model that our
customers find easy to understand and
affordable.
I have to tell you that this is not a TV offer. I can't imagine what kind of programming you could run something like this on that would not cost you way more than you would ever get out of it. That is, if you got anything out of it at all. There would be hundreds if not thousands of viewers who didn't even know what the hell you were talking about for every one who did. And only a fraction of those few would be possible prospects. And only a fraction of them would stand any chance of becoming your customers. Yet you would have to pay for every viewer.
As a general rule, business-to-business offers don't work well on TV. That is doubly true when the offer is inscrutable to someone outside of that business, as this one would be.
I have to tell you that this is not a TV offer. I can't imagine what kind of programming you could run something like this on that would not cost you way more than you would ever get out of it. That is, if you got anything out of it at all. There would be hundreds if not thousands of viewers who didn't even know what the hell you were talking about for every one who did. And only a fraction of those few would be possible prospects. And only a fraction of them would stand any chance of becoming your customers. Yet you would have to pay for every viewer.
As a general rule, business-to-business offers don't work well on TV. That is doubly true when the offer is inscrutable to someone outside of that business, as this one would be.
TV and internet are different
Mar/30/2009
Email:
Commercial
Production required - – a 30 second commercial for TV
and 1 minute to play on our web
site.
I never recommend to people that they produce anything that looks like a TV commercial to run on the internet. Those two media are very different. TV is a "push" medium from which people are used to being talked to in a particular way. The web is a "pull" medium, i.e., people go there and "pull" the exact information they want from it When it is "pushed" on them, they resent it.
Therefore, my recommendation is that you produce a commercial for TV (probably longer than 30-seconds for a product, though) and something along the lines of a demonstration video or, even better, videos, for the internet. Tell and show: tell them what it does (and/or does for them) and offer to show them what that looks like if they want to watch.
I never recommend to people that they produce anything that looks like a TV commercial to run on the internet. Those two media are very different. TV is a "push" medium from which people are used to being talked to in a particular way. The web is a "pull" medium, i.e., people go there and "pull" the exact information they want from it When it is "pushed" on them, they resent it.
Therefore, my recommendation is that you produce a commercial for TV (probably longer than 30-seconds for a product, though) and something along the lines of a demonstration video or, even better, videos, for the internet. Tell and show: tell them what it does (and/or does for them) and offer to show them what that looks like if they want to watch.
What results will I get?
Feb/10/2009
Email:
Might
you be able to provide me with some cost per lead
metrics that we can expect to
hit?
Huh? Oh, they mean "expected results". Well, first. People should be careful asking ad people, "What kind of results can I expect?" How often do you think an ad salesperson ever answers that question in the negative? Don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut.
OK, expected results. Who the hell knows? That's the honest answer. Anyone who tells you that if you do such and such then you can expect such and such results is probably lying to you or indulging him or herself in wishful thinking. That is unless they have experience in testing a concept similar to what you are proposing.
Understand how many (most?) people in the advertising business make money: They find out what you want to hear and then they tell it to you. They outline a proposal that will put money into their pockets even if the advertising fails. In this case, you will be told that, yes, you can expect such-and-such results if you produce this kind of commercial and have them place it at least this long with this much repetition so that you will get X-number of "impressions". This frequency, over time, will produce (fill in the results you are hoping to hear that you will get). But you have to "do it right" and not be impatient or too frugal up front. This way, if it works, great. If it doesn't work, still great. For them.
So, my advice is as follows: A. if you can find out anything about TV response from someone who has advertised something like this, find out as much as you can. B. don't believe anything ad people who promise or predict results tell you.
Huh? Oh, they mean "expected results". Well, first. People should be careful asking ad people, "What kind of results can I expect?" How often do you think an ad salesperson ever answers that question in the negative? Don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut.
OK, expected results. Who the hell knows? That's the honest answer. Anyone who tells you that if you do such and such then you can expect such and such results is probably lying to you or indulging him or herself in wishful thinking. That is unless they have experience in testing a concept similar to what you are proposing.
Understand how many (most?) people in the advertising business make money: They find out what you want to hear and then they tell it to you. They outline a proposal that will put money into their pockets even if the advertising fails. In this case, you will be told that, yes, you can expect such-and-such results if you produce this kind of commercial and have them place it at least this long with this much repetition so that you will get X-number of "impressions". This frequency, over time, will produce (fill in the results you are hoping to hear that you will get). But you have to "do it right" and not be impatient or too frugal up front. This way, if it works, great. If it doesn't work, still great. For them.
So, my advice is as follows: A. if you can find out anything about TV response from someone who has advertised something like this, find out as much as you can. B. don't believe anything ad people who promise or predict results tell you.
A $2995 Water Filter?
Feb/06/2009
Email:
Our
company manufactures a unique product for the
water treatment market...My thinking is with a 60
second TV commercial on National cable stations
could we create an immediate need to purchase our
product and ultimately receive credit card orders? The
product is a high end ticket item. It sells for $3695
but I am thinking that if a $2995 price tag would make
a difference then we would look at adjusting the price
for this campaign.
What you might be able to sell with a 60-second TV direct response spot would be a "Miracle Filter" that sticks on the end of your kitchen faucet and purifies your water for just $19.95 plus S&H. But wait, there's more! For only the cost of postage, we'll add a second one for your bathroom, absolutely free!
Yes, $2995 would be better than $3695 but I suspect it would have to get to $29.95 to have any shot at all of making money. Even then, I'd bet against it.
What you might be able to sell with a 60-second TV direct response spot would be a "Miracle Filter" that sticks on the end of your kitchen faucet and purifies your water for just $19.95 plus S&H. But wait, there's more! For only the cost of postage, we'll add a second one for your bathroom, absolutely free!
Yes, $2995 would be better than $3695 but I suspect it would have to get to $29.95 to have any shot at all of making money. Even then, I'd bet against it.
How about B2B on TV?
Jan/21/2009
Email:
This
person has business-to-business services that he wants
to advertise via "immediate response"
TV.
I did take a quick look at those two websites. As yours is a strictly business-to-business offer, I doubt that TV would work very well for you. You would have to pay too much for the large number of non-prospects out there who would see your commercial but have no interest in the offer. Even if you ran it during prime-time or overnight, when some business people might be watching TV, they would not be concentrated on their businesses at that time and would be unlikely to call you or make note of your number and call you later, even if they thought that would be a good idea.
I did take a quick look at those two websites. As yours is a strictly business-to-business offer, I doubt that TV would work very well for you. You would have to pay too much for the large number of non-prospects out there who would see your commercial but have no interest in the offer. Even if you ran it during prime-time or overnight, when some business people might be watching TV, they would not be concentrated on their businesses at that time and would be unlikely to call you or make note of your number and call you later, even if they thought that would be a good idea.
Buys collectibles. Would that work?
Jan/08/2009
Email:
This
person has a business buying (and then re-selling)
collectibles, such as old movie posters, photographs,
records, etc. Advertises a lot in print media, looking
for items to buy.
It is pretty rare that anyone sends me an idea for a TV campaign that sounds good right off the bat, but I think you might have one here. But obviously you must know that the concept works, in general, if you are doing that much print. I would like to see some of the print that works for you.
Whether it would work on TV would depend on who your prospects were, how much it cost to reach them on TV, what kind of response you got, how much you made, on average, from each response. So many variables that you cannot really know without testing the concept. But it does stand to reason that, in a strong recession (or worse) some people are going to need to sell everything they can get their hands on.
As someone who once had a full set of Austin Vulcan Gas Company rock posters and several original posters from 1967 San Francisco Avalon Ballroom and Fillmore Auditorium -- and lost every last one of them -- I can easily imagine the kinds of things people might be interested in selling.
It is pretty rare that anyone sends me an idea for a TV campaign that sounds good right off the bat, but I think you might have one here. But obviously you must know that the concept works, in general, if you are doing that much print. I would like to see some of the print that works for you.
Whether it would work on TV would depend on who your prospects were, how much it cost to reach them on TV, what kind of response you got, how much you made, on average, from each response. So many variables that you cannot really know without testing the concept. But it does stand to reason that, in a strong recession (or worse) some people are going to need to sell everything they can get their hands on.
As someone who once had a full set of Austin Vulcan Gas Company rock posters and several original posters from 1967 San Francisco Avalon Ballroom and Fillmore Auditorium -- and lost every last one of them -- I can easily imagine the kinds of things people might be interested in selling.
Wants to sell a $299 flashlight
Dec/13/2008
Email:
This
guy wants to sell a $299 flashlight using
TV.
Hard for me to imagine that this product would work as a direct response item, sold on TV. High quality, very specialized as to who wants it, expensive. TV offers for flashlights would be more like, flashlight -- but wait, there's more -- two more flashlights, free -- plus, if you call now, this handy dog-collar version. All for $19.95 + S&H.
I think the kind of people who buy $265 flashlights are generally not the kind who buy much stuff off TV. Something like that, they would buy in a store -- OR -- they would look at it in a store, then buy it from Amazon or another online company, so as not to pay tax on it. People know if they buy it from Amazon and need to send it back, they can, and they will get their money back. They are not that trusting of TV sellers.
So, I think, no, this is not for TV. Of course, I could be wrong. You could test it and find out. You would want to make a commercial with pretty good production values -- not a $500 spot -- at least a few thousand dollars, because it's a quality product you're selling. And then you would have to spend a few thousand on airtime -- properly placed, where your prospects were watching -- to get an idea as to whether or not it would work. But most direct-response tangible-product commercials on TV don't make money for the advertisers and I doubt that this would be an exception.
Hard for me to imagine that this product would work as a direct response item, sold on TV. High quality, very specialized as to who wants it, expensive. TV offers for flashlights would be more like, flashlight -- but wait, there's more -- two more flashlights, free -- plus, if you call now, this handy dog-collar version. All for $19.95 + S&H.
I think the kind of people who buy $265 flashlights are generally not the kind who buy much stuff off TV. Something like that, they would buy in a store -- OR -- they would look at it in a store, then buy it from Amazon or another online company, so as not to pay tax on it. People know if they buy it from Amazon and need to send it back, they can, and they will get their money back. They are not that trusting of TV sellers.
So, I think, no, this is not for TV. Of course, I could be wrong. You could test it and find out. You would want to make a commercial with pretty good production values -- not a $500 spot -- at least a few thousand dollars, because it's a quality product you're selling. And then you would have to spend a few thousand on airtime -- properly placed, where your prospects were watching -- to get an idea as to whether or not it would work. But most direct-response tangible-product commercials on TV don't make money for the advertisers and I doubt that this would be an exception.
Hated his commercial!
Jun/27/2008
Email:
Here
is the link for the commercial. Let me know what you
think. I'm looking to move forward and put it on tv in
the next 2 weeks. Thank you.
I don't think that's a very good commercial. For one thing, everything they say for the first 20 seconds -- 2/3 of the spot -- applies to everyone offering this service -- not only you but your competition. Tax problems are really serious and you need to do something about it. OK.
The way I look at it, if they are not already at the point where they understand that, they are unlikely to respond to the commercial, anyway. So might as well use the whole spot to promote why they should call you instead of someone else. Even in the last 10 seconds, they don't give any real, believable reasons why anyone should call them, other than that the phone call and consultation are free. And the phone # is handy there for someone to call, which does count for something. But that's about it.
For me, that whole loud-talking, heavy music background, over-acted, 1950's TV commercial style with the vague promises, carries a sub-text that says, "This is bullshit!"
Other than that, I thought it was great.
I don't think that's a very good commercial. For one thing, everything they say for the first 20 seconds -- 2/3 of the spot -- applies to everyone offering this service -- not only you but your competition. Tax problems are really serious and you need to do something about it. OK.
The way I look at it, if they are not already at the point where they understand that, they are unlikely to respond to the commercial, anyway. So might as well use the whole spot to promote why they should call you instead of someone else. Even in the last 10 seconds, they don't give any real, believable reasons why anyone should call them, other than that the phone call and consultation are free. And the phone # is handy there for someone to call, which does count for something. But that's about it.
For me, that whole loud-talking, heavy music background, over-acted, 1950's TV commercial style with the vague promises, carries a sub-text that says, "This is bullshit!"
Other than that, I thought it was great.
How do I deal with a TV station?
Jun/24/2008
Email:
I
have a TV salesperson coming to see me Tuesday (he
called me, I did not call him). I wouldn’t mind
some preliminary advice as to how to go about it.
As for your dealing with TV stations, the main thing is not to take what they tell you too seriously. They go to meetings to practice what to say to you. You have to just pick programming that you think will work for you, make spots along the lines of what I say above and then TEST, TEST, TEST. Run a few thousand dollars worth in different programming and dayparts and see if your phone rings. Mostly, people at TV stations think it is all about "frequency", i.e., the more you advertise (and pay them) the more likely it is that your advertising will work. But, actually, these people who hire lawyers off TV are using what I call the "catalog of the air".
"Billy Ray, you need to call you one of them lawyers off TV!" So, he goes to the TV, waits until you (or another lawyer) comes on and calls you, right then. Even clients who have been advertising with me for 10-15 years, same spots, more or less, same programming, still say that 90% of their calls come during or right after a spot runs. Catalog of the air. Frequency has little to do with it. TV stations generally know nothing about how that works. Or agencies, for the most part, for that matter.
As for your dealing with TV stations, the main thing is not to take what they tell you too seriously. They go to meetings to practice what to say to you. You have to just pick programming that you think will work for you, make spots along the lines of what I say above and then TEST, TEST, TEST. Run a few thousand dollars worth in different programming and dayparts and see if your phone rings. Mostly, people at TV stations think it is all about "frequency", i.e., the more you advertise (and pay them) the more likely it is that your advertising will work. But, actually, these people who hire lawyers off TV are using what I call the "catalog of the air".
"Billy Ray, you need to call you one of them lawyers off TV!" So, he goes to the TV, waits until you (or another lawyer) comes on and calls you, right then. Even clients who have been advertising with me for 10-15 years, same spots, more or less, same programming, still say that 90% of their calls come during or right after a spot runs. Catalog of the air. Frequency has little to do with it. TV stations generally know nothing about how that works. Or agencies, for the most part, for that matter.
Have any pre-made TV spots?
May/05/2008
Email:
Do
you have any pre-made electrical contractor
spots?
No, I do not have any pre-made electrical contractor spots. No pre-made spots of any kind, actually, although I do use ideas and approaches from successful TV commercials I have made in the past for new clients who are in other markets with similar offers. I have never done any work for an electrical contractor, so I can't claim any specific experience in that area.
In general, I have never seen that pre-made spots, where you stick your specific information onto a tag at the end or at the bottom or the screen or wherever -- work very well. Perhaps if you were in a seller's market where just letting them know you were there was all you needed to do then a pre-made spot would be sufficient. Otherwise, you usually have to present a compelling offer that is specific to you -- and, more important, to your prospects.
You know who your prospects are, what their problems are, their likes and dislikes, hopes and fears, etc. With your business, just like any other, that is what you should be thinking about as you or an agency goes about creating advertising to reach them. Always think from their point of view: what they would have to see / hear / read to get them to take action, not what you want to say to them.
No, I do not have any pre-made electrical contractor spots. No pre-made spots of any kind, actually, although I do use ideas and approaches from successful TV commercials I have made in the past for new clients who are in other markets with similar offers. I have never done any work for an electrical contractor, so I can't claim any specific experience in that area.
In general, I have never seen that pre-made spots, where you stick your specific information onto a tag at the end or at the bottom or the screen or wherever -- work very well. Perhaps if you were in a seller's market where just letting them know you were there was all you needed to do then a pre-made spot would be sufficient. Otherwise, you usually have to present a compelling offer that is specific to you -- and, more important, to your prospects.
You know who your prospects are, what their problems are, their likes and dislikes, hopes and fears, etc. With your business, just like any other, that is what you should be thinking about as you or an agency goes about creating advertising to reach them. Always think from their point of view: what they would have to see / hear / read to get them to take action, not what you want to say to them.
Wants attention. (We can do that!)
Feb/18/2008
Email:
I have
just started a home inventory business. I would
like my company to receive immediate
attention.
If your goal is just to get "immediate attention" for your company, no matter the cost or the return on your investment -- and you have plenty of money to do that, then, sure, that can certainly be done. Too bad we're too late to buy you a Super Bowl commercial!
If your goal is just to get "immediate attention" for your company, no matter the cost or the return on your investment -- and you have plenty of money to do that, then, sure, that can certainly be done. Too bad we're too late to buy you a Super Bowl commercial!