So this was interesting piece of essaying that came across my Facebook the other day. it's called "The Psychology of Passive Barriers: Why Your Friends Don’t Save Money, Eat Healthier, or Clean Their Garages". Allow me to sum up:
> The difference between what people KNOW they should do and what they DO is large.
> The reasons they keep from doing things are called barriers, either active or passive.
> Active barriers are physical things, like freezing your credit card in a block of ice to keep you from using it.
> Passive barriers are more insidious: they're perceived extra efforts that affect your behavior. For example, the author cites that researchers discovered that a great way to promote protected-sex behaviors is to get women to carry condoms in their purses. Many women refuse to do this, because of the passive barrier that they don't want to be perceived at slutty.
Here's where we can use creative advertising.
Perhaps people don't use your product because they're faced with a passive barrier. Maybe they don't want to switch to your bank because of the effort involved in changing their checks and account numbers. But as advertisers, we can come up with new ways to remove those barriers. Let's make it as easy as possible to solve the consumer's passive barrier problems before they meet them. Ostensibly, we can remove any excuse they have for not using the product.
We're not here to scream messages to people. We're here to solve their problems.
The Best Ads. The Best Ads?
According to this, MRI Starch has named the top 10 print ads based on its 'engagement score.' The score is a percentage of readers who notice an ad and the percentage who read at least half of it.
If you look at the ads, you'll notice a couple of old standard rules of print advertising:
1) Food shots always work.
2) Product shots are winners.
3) Headlines are better when they're eight words or less.
4) Benefit advertising is compelling. (These are ads that answer the question: "What's in it for the consumer?")
I don't disagree with these rules. What I disagree with is the characterization of 'engagement' as the best benchmark of print ad success. Shouldn't print ads be measured more by functions of what action they illicit? It's not if a viewer reads the whole thing--it's if they feel compelled to act afterward. And even then, they need to feel compelled to act in the proper way.
Further, as you'll see if you read the article, these are not the most creative ads. They're not new. Shouldn't advertising stand out? These are like any ad in any magazine anywhere. Who knows the circumstances of 'engagement' that they succeeded under.
Ahh-the quintessential problem of advertising. It's like the quote of famous client John Wannamaker: "I always know half my ad budget is wasted. I just don't know which half."
If you look at the ads, you'll notice a couple of old standard rules of print advertising:
1) Food shots always work.
2) Product shots are winners.
3) Headlines are better when they're eight words or less.
4) Benefit advertising is compelling. (These are ads that answer the question: "What's in it for the consumer?")
I don't disagree with these rules. What I disagree with is the characterization of 'engagement' as the best benchmark of print ad success. Shouldn't print ads be measured more by functions of what action they illicit? It's not if a viewer reads the whole thing--it's if they feel compelled to act afterward. And even then, they need to feel compelled to act in the proper way.
Further, as you'll see if you read the article, these are not the most creative ads. They're not new. Shouldn't advertising stand out? These are like any ad in any magazine anywhere. Who knows the circumstances of 'engagement' that they succeeded under.
Ahh-the quintessential problem of advertising. It's like the quote of famous client John Wannamaker: "I always know half my ad budget is wasted. I just don't know which half."
Ad Spending is Down. Good News!
Yep. This just in .
Nielsen has reported today that U.S. advertising for the full year 2008 was down 2.6% compared to the full year 2007. You are so not shocked. "Given the state of the U.S. economy, a decline in ad spending was expected, but it's not as bad as it could have been," Annie Touliatos, vice president of sales development for Nielsen's ad tracking service, said in a statement.
So that's the bad news. Here's the good news.
Less ad spending means more opportunity for creative.
You see, creative makes your media buy work harder. Creative needs less media time because it gets more media attention. The reason Tom Shane ads work is not because they're good, but because there's a ton of them. If they were good, there wouldn't need to be a ton of them. And media spending would be less.
I hate to say it, media buyers, but less dollars for you means more dollars for good creative.
Nielsen has reported today that U.S. advertising for the full year 2008 was down 2.6% compared to the full year 2007. You are so not shocked. "Given the state of the U.S. economy, a decline in ad spending was expected, but it's not as bad as it could have been," Annie Touliatos, vice president of sales development for Nielsen's ad tracking service, said in a statement.
So that's the bad news. Here's the good news.
Less ad spending means more opportunity for creative.
You see, creative makes your media buy work harder. Creative needs less media time because it gets more media attention. The reason Tom Shane ads work is not because they're good, but because there's a ton of them. If they were good, there wouldn't need to be a ton of them. And media spending would be less.
I hate to say it, media buyers, but less dollars for you means more dollars for good creative.
Creative Toolkit
Everyone thinks creativity is like magic, but really it's not. There are a ton of tips and tricks (and ideas) that you can use to come up with creative ideas. Every week I'll be profiling one for you to try on your own when you need an idea fast.
OPPOSITES
There is something intrinsically interesting about saying the opposite of a conventional belief and then making an argument for it. It can be the basis of a good headline. Isn't your attention piqued by statements like these?
VEGETARIANS MAKE THE BEST HAM SANDWICHES.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T BUY ONE OF OUR REFRIGERATORS.
MAKING ROCKET SCIENCE LOOK EASY.
LOSING MONEY MAY BE THE MOST FUN YOU EVER HAVE.
The key, of course, is to then make a compelling argument for the opposite and in turn make the point you wanted to but. But it's an easy way to be interesting.
Stay tuned for another great idea next week.
OPPOSITES
There is something intrinsically interesting about saying the opposite of a conventional belief and then making an argument for it. It can be the basis of a good headline. Isn't your attention piqued by statements like these?
VEGETARIANS MAKE THE BEST HAM SANDWICHES.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T BUY ONE OF OUR REFRIGERATORS.
MAKING ROCKET SCIENCE LOOK EASY.
LOSING MONEY MAY BE THE MOST FUN YOU EVER HAVE.
The key, of course, is to then make a compelling argument for the opposite and in turn make the point you wanted to but. But it's an easy way to be interesting.
Stay tuned for another great idea next week.
Everybody needs a little green and some paper these days.
Green and paper. Combine them and you've got a winner. That's why you should pay attention to the goings-on of the Denver communications industry.
1) St. Patrick's Day is coming down the pike. History tells us that the Irish ALWAYS celebrate with nothing more than a family-friendly parade. So it's time for all of us to get involved and put our Irish on. And here's how:
The New Denver Ad Club is entering a float in the annual Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade. How cool is that? It’s a tribute to the most famous Irish advertising, Lucky Charms. And we need your help with the decorating.
Pure Brand Communications is putting on a nice little float-building affair this weekend. It's both days and happening AT the agency on 2360 Lawrence. Once the float is built, we're inviting your kids to accompany it down the parade route on the big day. We've even got costumes for them.
For more information, email Gregg Bergan (VP of the Ad Club) at gbergan@pure-brand.com.
2) The Art Director's Club of Denver is putting on their annual Paper Fashion Show on March. Wondering what that is? Don't. Just look at the photos of past events here.
It's on March 19th at Mile High Station is promises to be simply fabulous. Want more info? Click here.
1) St. Patrick's Day is coming down the pike. History tells us that the Irish ALWAYS celebrate with nothing more than a family-friendly parade. So it's time for all of us to get involved and put our Irish on. And here's how:
The New Denver Ad Club is entering a float in the annual Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade. How cool is that? It’s a tribute to the most famous Irish advertising, Lucky Charms. And we need your help with the decorating.
Pure Brand Communications is putting on a nice little float-building affair this weekend. It's both days and happening AT the agency on 2360 Lawrence. Once the float is built, we're inviting your kids to accompany it down the parade route on the big day. We've even got costumes for them.
For more information, email Gregg Bergan (VP of the Ad Club) at gbergan@pure-brand.com.
2) The Art Director's Club of Denver is putting on their annual Paper Fashion Show on March. Wondering what that is? Don't. Just look at the photos of past events here.
It's on March 19th at Mile High Station is promises to be simply fabulous. Want more info? Click here.
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