Art of evaluation

Seemed to have confused a couple of people with the previous post. So to explain. Too often in the communications industry we worry about intellectualising the approach rather than concentrate on the end-goal, creativity. So we often end up with intellectually consistent advertising - which doesn't work.

The analogy would be using a 10 point check list to evaluate the great works of art. You just can't imagine kids playing Top Trumps - French Renaissance 14c edition.

How to over think your advertising

It is said that advertising is the greatest waste of human intellect, second only to chess.

Which brings neatly on to messaging architectures. What on earth are they? The output is invariably a powerpoint slide with all the messages a brand wants it customers to understand about itself or its products. The polite expression is assumptive.

It assumes consumers are interested. It sometimes assumes that consumers are so fascinated by a brand that they are happy to consume and process the messages in the order a brand wants them to do. They are like all a lot of plans, extremely seductive on paper but invariably useless when you get to implement anything. Their main purpose is to show everyone else we have thought of everything unfortunately they have a major negative effect. They encourage you to focus on the Ts & Cs, the additional points not necessarily the interesting bit.

A wise person said the job of marketing and advertising is to find something interesting about your product and then say it in an interesting way. When you invite someone round to a party. You say it is going to be brilliant we will get obscenely drunk/play whist - depending on your age. You don't send out an agenda with details of what to do with your coats and drinks when you arrive. Maybe you do. Sorry.

Lost: translation machine

I need a new client-agency translation machine, my one is broken. I keep saying earned media to a client but all they hear is free media. Sure it malfunctions the other way as well.

Content is king for b2b marketers

http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2010/3910/content-marketing-vital-to-b2b-marketers

Good article on b2b marketing. b2b marketers are recognising the need to be interesting if they want to engage specialist audiences.

What's in a name?

Next time you launch a loyalty card call it a 'don't miss out card', you might get a lot more people playing more frequently.

Last impressions count

Retailers focus on the store, the layout, display but sometimes other things define the visit more. Contrast what happens in Sainsbury's (can i pack your bags) and IKEA (your boot being too small) and M&S (5p a bag).

Most of us can afford 5p a bag but the problem is your start thinking in terms of bags. Do i need another plastic bag to perhaps i don't need that extra bag of Bruschetta. The notion of constraint is embedded in our heads by the shopping process, all because of 5p. M&S don't capture customer data at at an individual level so they probably don't understand how this impacts on purchase behaviour. Anyone know?

Other supermarkets suffer similarly. They offer a discount for buying 6 bottles of wine. Excellent. But they always run out of boxes, and carrying 6 bottles in plastic bags is not ideal, especially the Rioja covered in wire. So what do you do? Buy two bottles not six.

Animal loyalty

Loyalty by pictures; you are more likely to remember it. The goldfish really is the ultimate 'loyal because I don't have a choice' example. This could win a prize for best use of animals in marketing presentation. Boston Matrix only uses a cow, dog, wildcat so one up already.

Wonder if it transaltes internationally?