by Miriam Hara | Mar 14, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Creative
In today’s social market landscape never has the consumer adage of “What’s it in for me?” been more key in all communications. Today, Brand must be upfront, in the consumer’s line of vision, without selling. Brand must engage with intent, with less frills, less sell and more substance. Social Brand has enabled this. Today ‘advertising’ through the social channels must be informative, educational and add value. The concept of Social Brand has emerged, trumping all other frivolous communications. I am not saying that traditional media is out, quite the contrary, it has a very strong future. It will finally evolve to the place that it should have always been… revenue generating. The emergence of social media with its marketing intimacy and emergence of inbound marketing has proven to be the catalyst for Traditional media. Entertainment value is no longer enough… mind you, the creative of advertising should never have been the focal point of advertising… and now it can’t be, because it is no longer relevant. From a brand’s point of view, it should never have been about creative, because creative doesn’t translate into revenue. Mark Stevens who wrote the book Your Marketing Sucks stated it very clearly: “Marketing that doesn’t suck should be about the revenue, not about how beautiful the advertisement is”.
From the advertising agency’s point of view, the Traditional ad (broadcast, print or out of home) needs to be tied more succinctly to Brand Persona and what the brand is communicating within its other platforms, such as social media channels. It has to be more functional. Being a Chief Creative Officer with a strong heritage of marketing and business, ad evaluation has always been about brand context. My team constantly mimics me “Are we asking the consumer to do too many calisthenics to get to the point?“. It always irks me when I see an advertisement (print, radio, TV, out of home) where the creative won over the brand… when the creative premise/idea/visual was so beautiful that it won out over the primary objective of what the ad was actually supposed to achieve. Answer these few questions when you see an ad that has captivated your attention:
- What is the Brand? (Does it have presence, seen or stated? Does it inspire you to remember it?)
- What is the single message the ad has communicated? (What is the message? Does it speak to the Brand’s Basic Premise and its reason to believe?)
- Does the message hold any relevance for you? (Are they speaking to you, the intended Target Market, in the way you wish to be addressed? Are you the Target Market?)
If you can’t answer all these questions succinctly, then the advertising has failed. Over the years, I have seen ads that are clever and witty, utilizing the latest and greatest animation techniques to create a thing of real beauty… it almost becomes a piece of art – so much so that they win awards, as they are award-winning creative. But do they win sales for the client, for the Brand? That really should be the metrics to measure the success of an advertising campaign. My creative philosophy has always stemmed from my marketing background. As such, when we are brainstorming sessions at 3H, the objective is written out, clearly on the big LCD screen. All creative ideas are scrutinized against the objective and more often than not, the objective is to increase sales.
Don’t get me wrong, there are ads that are beautifully conceptualized, executed and very brand relevant. But, more often than not, advertising loses the perspective that it’s there to promote Brand and deliver on sales, not creative. Achieving the delicate balance of creative and brand… adding in a strong understanding of target psychographics is never easy… but believe me it’s totally doable! Clear concise messaging, with strong benefits, executed with a seamless strategy relevant to the target market is what brand advertising should be all about.
by Miriam Hara | Feb 24, 2012 | Advertising, Business Success
Advertising agencies are marketing industry specialists. Being a marketing specialist, they can easily learn and understand the industry which they have to “communicate” and in today’s environment, engage in. Advertising is about marketing. Marketing is about; 1) asking the same questions, regardless of industry… 2) listening to the answers those questions garner, 3) respect them… and 4) develop, create and design accordingly. Whenever I read an RFP (Request for Proposal) that states that only agencies with “industry-specific” experience need apply… I have to ask myself why…? Isn’t partnering with an advertising agency suppose to round out the “marketing team”, providing expertise that is not in-house?
An agency’s role is steeped in marketing and as such, marketing is the specialty, regardless of industry. Agency traits such as creative, marketing, campaign development, media strategies is what an ad agency should be measured by… industry knowledge can be acquired and taught. The client is truly the industry expert providing industry knowledge outlining the key parameters and the industry challenges. That doesn’t give leave to the advertising agency not to do their due diligence and gain knowledge. Don’t get me wrong… a marketing ad agency can and often do become industry specialist… however, they can only keep their nimbleness, their creative edge, their ability to push the envelope if they continue to work in many industries, across the various medium, and cross platforms. It’s just the nature of the advertising industry and its basic positioning and premise… staying fresh, current and more importantly, providing creative competitive edge.
I do get it… Industry specific agencies don’t have the learning curve of industry knowledge. However, ad agencies that are non-industry specific are used to learning quickly and becoming subject-matter experts in a very short timeline. It’s the nature of the ad business. Industry specific agencies don’t see the “industry” in a new light, and therefore do not push the envelope… Non-industry specific agencies think that what hasn’t been done is possible… and if they do their homework, they understand how they can make it work within the guidelines of the industry regulations.
Isn’t an ad agency’s whole “reason of being” (raison d’être) about providing their clients with a marketing competitive edge?… in positioning their product/service/business, or generating more visits to the website, increasing brand awareness, generating greater ROI, increasing sales traffic…? How are all these initiatives industry-specific rather than marketing specific?
I believe hiring industry specific agencies is flawed. Even if they know the industry, they are often confined to their non-disclosure agreements and even if they’re not, their integrity shouldn’t allow them to share the knowledge.
Selecting a marketing specialized advertising agency, provides greater agility in the creative approach which will add a new perspective in brand, branding, advertising campaigns, media strategies, conceptual development. A marketing specialized ad agency will provide added depth of knowledge and strategies. They aren’t complacent…. they’re never bored… or become defeated because they work in different industries, different media, different campaigns. Their depth of strategies are cross-industry and some of those initiatives can often be tweaked and adapted to another industry….which provides that industry with an innovative approach!
If you’re looking for a doctor… you’ll definitely want a field specialist!… When looking for an advertising agency that is relied upon to provide businesses and products with the creative edge, seek out ad agency that specializes… well…. in advertising!
by Miriam Hara | Feb 6, 2012 | Advertising, Branding
Last week there was much talk about the Super Bowl and specifically, of the Super Bowl TV commercials, which is the reason for this post. Over the years, the Super Bowl TV advertisements have been conceptualized beautifully and superbly executed. They have made us laugh, made us talk about them around the “water cooler” and now they have made us “share” them.
The best advertising campaigns are those that show the brand’s features by illustrating the benefits into a memorable 30 second TV commercial, print advertisement, radio advertising, or an online/social media initiative. In short, the ads must be developed to have a one track mind: Brand Recall. Has the creative raised the Brand to be the ultimate star or did the storyline and the execution or special effects become the star? If there are too many creative elements; creative, copy, special effects, design, or information which intrude on the “space”, then you may not necessarily lose your target audience… but you will lose the opportunity of making sure your ad builds brand awareness and recall. This is true of a 30 second TV commercial, billboard campaign, print campaign or online initiative.
Developing campaigns is part of the marketing process, so it’s important that advertising strategies are in line with the marketing plan. It is an extension of the Brand. It must communicate the marketing message though Brand’s persona and its reason to believe. It must without any exception make the brand memorable… not the ad. The objective of any creative commercial advertisement is to Brand Recall. A couple that come to mind are:
Almond Joy and Mounds Ads created an advertising jingle that became their slogan.
“Feel Like a Nut” 1980
Apple
Apple 1984
Bud Light Magic Fridge
“The Magic Fridge” Super Bowl XL Commercial
Chrysler Halftime in America
Chrysler “Halftime In America” Super Bowl XL Commercial
In all of these the creative integration of the features, the promise and the benefits and concept all in one. The Brand is totally integrated.
Next time you are involved in assessing a brand campaign for any media… ask yourself if the proposed concept asks of its audience to do too much to get to the creative message and to your Brand. Here’s a quick checklist:
- Is your Brand Logo and Brand Name prominently featured?
You really don’t want your target audience to say….what was that ad for?
- Does it speak to your Brand’s persona?
Is it too funny? Is it too casual? Is the ad fresh, innovative within the context of your brand?Does it use the right colours?
- Does the creative premise take the product’s features as the main theme?
What is your brand’s competitive edge…its unique selling point and does the advertisement speak to it.
- Does the ad have a single focused message?
You really can’t say it all. Make sure there aren’t too many messages vying for attention. Equally important, is the ad taking off on a creative track that has nothing to do with the intended message. Does the ad show the benefit/experience/promise. Don’t forget, what’s in it for the our intended audience and their psychographics.
- Is the message on brief?
Don’t get caught up in the beauty of the copy or the cleverness of the ad. If it’s not on brief. Then it’s off.
Share with me what you feel is the best advertising campaign (TV, Radio, Social Media, Billboard or Print) you’ve seen that show fabulous creative concept with strong brand recall.
by Miriam Hara | Jan 30, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success
One of my favourite marketing statements: Having a product and not advertising it… is like well… it’s like winking in the dark. You know you’re doing it… but no one else does! Advertising your product delivers awareness and the fact is… awareness sells.
How to build brand awareness?
Get your brand out there! Converse in media (social media, print, radio, tv… or all!), engage consumers by creating brand critical mass and prompting them to go to the store… checking out an online contest or calling in for a meeting. Advertising is essential in the marketing mix of achieving and building brand loyalty. It goes without saying that you can only have brand loyalty if you have brand recognition and consumers try your brand. Advertising is really just about getting your brand and brand position out there… to reach the consumers who hold value for your brand or service. Social Media has evolved the conversation and has provided a new channel, opening a slew of possibilities in achieving brand awareness: interactive ads such as online banners, viral video and mobile apps. Your website is at the hub of all activity, whether derived from traditional or new media. All this ‘new’ is still cradled with basic marketing sense: the message still must be clear, the audience identified, the strategy must be focused and the objectives have to be defined.
Brand awareness initiatives along with a deep innate understanding of psychographics are the basis of how to market a brand, service or company. It’s imperative that your target audience identify with your brand, so that it becomes part of them, of their culture and resonates with their lifestyle. Simply stated… your brand needs to show up!
by Miriam Hara | Jan 25, 2012 | Business Success
January has come…and almost gone, and with it, all the heartfelt declaration of personal and business resolutions. I totally understand personal resolutions, it’s the onslaught of “business resolutions” and more specifically brand resolutions that have been making their way into my inbox that I really don’t get.
I’m the first to state that Brand is a living organism. I stand by that adage. However, saying that doesn’t mean that brand gets to act like an individual! All good intentions and no follow through! That’s really my point. It comes back to the basic question of what defines a marketing plan and what is branding?
Brand needs to be guided with a marketing plan with defined marketing strategies in hand and established on-going protocols for measuring the success and failure of initiatives and the next step forward. Resolutions, especially when referred to within the business arena, in my humble opinion, implies that strategies and tactics that should of been implemented were somehow lost sight of. Not a good sign! Afterall, my newly formed annual resolution of losing 10 pounds has come about because I haven’t exercised as I said I would (followed through on my plan and implemented my tactics) and quite frankly, I have been eating way more than I should (not measuring ROI)! Sorry, I am human! 😉
A brand should always follow its exercise routine (marketing strategies) in order to reach its ideal form (objective). In order to do that, it needs to show discipline and track results (post-initiative analysis) at specific points in time. If that isn’t done routinely…. then you’ve set up your brand to fail.
So this year’s business resolutions aside… exercise your brand all year around… every day…with intent… with follow through. That way you know your brand fitness level. If you do that, no matter what time of the year it is and what business challenges your brand faces…. trust me, nothing will sneak up on you like 10 pounds does… and you definitely won’t need a resolution!
