The longest running television news magazines 60 Minutes is a great example of how advertising works. 60 Minutes has been around so long because they tell a story while everyone else just tells the news. A good story will help us put ourselves in the story to connect us in an emotional way. That’s how good advertising works – no matter where it is. It’s creative and takes into account every possible avenue for delivery. When I hear that we shouldn’t be using certain types of advertising mediums I am reminded of the phrase “not all there”
Let’s take a look at some of the tools we’re not supposed to be using.
“Print Media is Dead”
A mantra for those believing that by saying this they are building a brand as tech savvy. Let them. Let them use an iPad in each hand with back-up, tabs and playbooks coming out of their yin-yang all networked to cloud computing. Let them use all the online software they want with social media telling us what they’re doing at all times. The trouble with all this is so many are on this bandwagon that being a tech savvy person using reliable cutting edge tools isn’t enough of a differentiation to be a brand. It’s actually kind of expected.
“Advertising is Dead”
Yup, same people throwing the babe out in the bath water. It’s a loud cry by such a large tribe that there is nothing to be done about it but wait for it to naturally dissipate. What actually started this? Perhaps because advertising is traditionally seen on print and of course we all know print media is dead. Are we getting advertising and traditional marketing confused?
“If you have to advertise you’re doing something wrong”
*head-to-desk* It’s no coincidence that the largest companies in the world advertise. Advertising tells a story that will relate one thing to another. Perhaps your service to a customer. Hopefully it’s done in an entertaining way or no one will look at it, read it, watch it or listen to it. So it’s not the advertising that’s evil, it’s the lack of creativity. By the way, those real estate “just sold” and “just listed” direct response postcards are, for the most part, not riveting entertainment.
“So what do we do?”
The biggest thing you can do is connect with your client base. Spend 80% of your marketing budget and/or time on them. If all your clients are on Twitter then great, you have it easy. If not then follow a word-of- mouth referral program at the very least. For everyone else who doesn’t know you, connect with them through creative advertising. Something that tells a story your customers can relate to.
Advertising can tell a story. 140 characters can only tell the news.
Hey Paul. Funny thing about “telling a story.” Back when I owned my site, Superherostuff.com, by myself, I paid for some radio advertising. The only thing is that I didn’t want them to write the copy, I wanted to do it. I wrote a commercial based on Pink Floyd’s song, “One of my Turns.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9EuL7nL3p4
The scene was exactly like the song; guy brings a girl home, he immediately turns on the tv (you hear the TV turn on in the background), the girl comes in, but, instead of the girl commenting on guitars, she comments on superhero t-shirts all over the guy’s walls. “OMG, what a fabulous room… are all these your superhero t-shirts…” And she starts listing them off. The guy doesn’t say a word, you can tell he’s not interested in her, just brought her home out of habit as he watches TV. You hear the background music on top of the TV as well.
The girl asks for a “drink of water,” and goes into the kitchen (instead of the bathroom like in the song) and comments on all the superhero refrigerator magnets, she comes out and says, “I like this Spidey Mug… where did you get it? … Are you feeling OK?” The guy’s watching TV still, totally not interested in her. … there’s a deliberate pause, I wanted to captivate the audience, get them to actively listen to hear what he says. I wanted the listener (who might be in the middle of a conversation) to tell the person who’s talking to them, “SHHH! SHHH! I’m trying to listen to what this guy’s gonna say!” The guy watching TV answers the girl with complete indifference, “…. Superherostuff.com.” There’s another pause while the music and the TV keep playing. Then announcer comes on, “Superherostuff.com…. ok?”
Totally unconventional, but I didn’t care. I wanted to tell a story, I wanted something different. I was going for art. Why? Because I fracking hate commercials that aren’t entertaining and try to sell me stuff. The result? Little did I know that it became a great hit in Portland. One of my customers came in raving about it. Apparently, a local talk show guy worked it into his program, and said, “I recognize this… this theme from somewhere, where’s it from? Why is it so familiar?” as he played the commercial. People were calling in commenting, guessing. My customer was telling me he was yelling at the radio in the car, “IT’S FROM PINK FLOYD YOU IDIOTS!”
The exact reaction I wanted. I wanted interaction; a connection. I wanted those who knew the song, which not everyone was going to be able to recall to automatically know they were “in on it,” in on the secret tie-in between the Floyd song and the commercial. I loved writing for radio. Traditionalists would say it was insane, risky and a waste of money, but it wasn’t. It was fun and people got into it. I love “telling a story.”
Hello! Just want to say thank you for this interesting article! =) Peace, Joy.