Brand Voodoo

When people find out that I work in advertising, the talk almost inevietibly finds it way to the subject of subliminal messaging.  Subconscious mental manipulation.  Mind control.  Books have been written about it.  People actually believe that we all practice it... like some kind of secret advertising society ritualistic brand voodoo.

We've all seen the stories -- hidden pictures of naked bodies in the ice cubes in Dewar's print ads, the "SEX" design on Pepsi cans, and the male body part in the Joe Camel caricature.  I'm sure you have many of your own examples.

Fact is, I've been in this business for 24 years and I've never sat in a meeting where anybody plotted about placing any hidden messages in any clients' advertising.  It just doesn't happen.  It seems ridiculous to me.  I call it all incidental coincidence... even the examples cited above, I believe, were not intentional.  Rather, they were created by someone finding something after the fact and creating a story. 

You see, good marketers understand that good brands are like good friends.  Good marketers strive to create brands that are honest, genuine and care about you.  Good brands want a lifetime relationship, not a quick sale.  Subliminal advertising is counter intuitive to the concept of building genuine, honest and long-term relationships.  A friend who tries to manipulate you is not a friend for very long.

What do you think? 
- Butch

PS -- I did work with an illustrator who hid written messages in his advertising art, but they were generally declarations of love for a girl or pithy little messages all for fun... that's a whole different story.

Running Lessons

Good talk happens at Sonny's Cozy Tavern.  Butch had a good discussion recently with a friend who has run three Boston Marathons.  I am a three-time marathon finisher -- but, at 200 pounds (a certified "Clydesdale" in running circles), I have little hope of ever qualifying for Boston.  Still, we both found common ground in exploring the life/business lessons that we've learned from running:

• Set big goals. Push yourself harder than you can imagine.  You'll achieve things you never dreamed.
• Have a plan.  Stick to it.  You have a much greater chance of succeeding if you have a clear road map and a well-devised strategy.
• Have a backup plan.  Be ready to overcome any obstacle that may get between you and your goal.
• Be aware of your surroundings.  Keep an eye on your competitors, fellow runners, the road beneath you, and the road up ahead.  Learn from those around you, keep your target in sight, and anticipate the hazards.
• Surround yourself with better runners.  Don't settle.  Ever.
• Enjoy the journey.  Soak it all up. Enjoying it makes it seem like it's really not work at all.  
• Savor the victory, but do not stop.  Keep moving.  The finish line marks the start to your next run.   

The best advice I've received from a fellow runner came from a 62-year-old Cancer survivor I met during the 2005 Chicago Marathon.  He said, "Running marathons taught me that I could do things I never imagined.  That's what made me believe that I could beat Cancer.  Never forget this feeling.  It will surely come in handy for you someday when you really need it."

I will never forget it, friend.  I trust that I will need it someday.

What lessons do you take from your every day that shape your life, your approach to business?
- Butch

Reserved Seating - The Movie

Butch went to the movies this past weekend.  Our local theatre is testing a reserved-seating-only policy.  You pay $2 per ticket more for this benefit.  In a press release about the test, the company explains that reserved seating gives guests an enhanced "experience."

I didn't like it at all.

1.  It slows the box office sales process.  Each customer has to take the time to select their seats from a computer monitor.  Green seats are open, red seats are claimed.  I'm color blind.  They all looked the same.

2.  It forces you to choose a seat next to someone you can't see.  If I don't want to sit next to the five teen girls who talk throughout the entire movie, I no longer have the option of making that decision once I enter the theatre. (Reminds me of the new SW Airlines policy of now letting Business Class fliers board the plane before families with small children... as a special benefit.  The best thing about babies being on board first was that I could choose not to sit next to them.)

3.  It's a ridiculous addition of incremental staff -- hence, the $2 per ticket increase.  Each theatre screen has attendants who show you to your seat.  No thanks, I don't need that.

4.  One of the benefits touted by the company is that you can now show up at the last minute because you have a reserved seat.  This is the same company that sells my clients pre-movie theatre-screen advertising because they have a "captive audience."  Not anymore.  Hope the cost of advertising just went down, because the number of eyeballs just went down (more last-minute arrivals AND fewer people due to increased cost).

Overall, I found it to be an unneccesary and forced "experience."

Great idea or epic failure.

What do you think?
- Butch

Willie Aames: Famous & Broke

Last night, Butch and the gang at Sonny's Cozy Tavern watched the VH1 special Famous & Broke. The show chronicles the recent struggles of actor Willie Aames.

Willie was a teen idol in the late 70's/early 80's, an actor on Eight Is Enough and Charles In Charge into the '90s.  My sisters had posters of Willie on their bedroom walls when I was kid.  We all thought Willie was on top of the world.  But, as the show reveals, Willie was troubled.  He was a lonely guy.

Cut to a more recent time.  I was doing a radio commercial for a client, and Willie Aames was one of the talent we'd hired for voice work.  He came in, delivered his lines like a pro and joined a few of us in the studio to just hang out.  He saw my friends and I having a great time, laughing & cutting up, and I think he just wanted to be part of that -- just regular guys hanging out.  He shared his personal story.  Teen idol, drugs & alcohol, failed relationships, lost soul finding God, the whole story.

After chilling with us for some time, Willie said, "Hey, guys, this was fun.  You guys are cool.  You want to go grab a burger someplace?"  For varied reasons, we all had to bow out.  I actually saw disappointment on his face.  As I drove home, I felt bad (sad for Willie), because I realized that Willie really did want to hang out with us.  He was a recovering celebrity who just yearned to be a regular guy.  I wish we had gone with Willie to grab a burger.  He was just looking for some friends -- real friends, not fake celebrity-chasing friends.

In watching Famous & Broke last night, I saw the same Willie Aames.  A guy who is good at heart, who just wants a regular life, but has trouble attaining it because everyone treats him like Willie Aames, the celebrity.  I'm glad to see that Butch's friends at Waddell & Reed have given him a break and hired him to be a Certified Financial Planner, helping those who have also struggled with money management like himself.  I'm pulling for Willie.

Willie, if the offer's still good, my friends and I would love to just have a burger with you some time.  Sorry we couldn't make it last time.

Brand perceptions are tough to break, even though not always accurate.  It's true, you can't always judge a book by its cover.

What do you think?
- Butch

Error Jordan by Nike

So, Michael Jordan's son, Marcus, is a freshman basketball player at Central Florida University (CFU).  CFU has a brand licensing contract with Adidas.  That means that the school, the coaches and the players all agreed that the players wear only Adidas shoes during games.  Apparently, all players except Marcus Jordan.

After agreeing to play at the school, knowing that they were in an Adidas contract, he's decided that he's only wearing his dad's Nike Air Jordans.  His decision to break the contract will cost the school its $2 million partnership with Adidas.

Lots of questions here:
Marcus Jordan, just a rich spoiled kid?
Why would the school/coach allow this and not just kick him off the team?
Is it a carefully orchestrated PR/merchandising move by MJ and Nike?
Should MJ/Nike step in and pick up the check for lost revenue?

Ethics and trust are a big part of brand partnerships.  How would you handle this?
- Butch


 

Butch loves TV.  Always will. When I was a kid, I loved two shows in particular:  Bewitched and The Big Valley. 

Bewitched, I'm not afraid to admit, was a big inspiration in my love of the advertising business.  Darren Stephens and his work at McMahon & Tate seemed so fun, glamorous and exciting compared to being, say, an accountant.  I grew up in a small town in western Kansas, so I knew no one who worked in advertising, but I knew I wanted to be a part of it.   

The Big Valley was a western series about a wealthy Stockton, California cattle-ranching family.  Victoria Barkley was the strong-willed family matriarch.  Her ranch was worked by her sons, Jared ("the smart one"), Nick ("the strong one") and Heath ("the outsider").  I thought they were so cool.  And, as a 12-year-old boy, I thought their sister, Audra, was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.  I wanted to be part of their family.

30 years later, I work in advertising. I work for an agency named Barkley.  So, 30 years later, I'm also a member of the Barkley family.  I'm living my dream.  A dream that was shaped by the culture around me.

Our culture influences our dreams, shapes who we are and defines our world.  Culture inspires brands.

What part of culture has inspired you?  Pull up a chair and share a story, friend.
- Butch

Generosity and The Little Things

If you're a regular reader at Sonny's Cozy Tavern, you know that Butch likes the brand philosophy defined by Fallon's "Culture of Generosity."  People like to do things for people who do things for them.  Good brands understand that the more you give, the more you get.  Generosity inpires loyalty.

Sometimes, the simplest little thing is all you need to do to make someone's day, to change an attitude, to spark a smile.  Like this story:

At our house, we love Halloween.  We set up a full experience in our driveway for all our friends and neighbors.  We play music, project strobe lights and light up the fog machine; grill hot dogs and dispense adult beverages; and provide a warm fire, fresh water and an open bathroom for the revelers. We love to give on this night.  But it wasn't our giving that made my night.

Late in the evening, a little girl (maybe four years old) dressed like a princess and her mother made their way through the cold air to our driveway.  The princess was excited to see that we were serving hot dogs.  As I extended a perfectly-grilled dog, she looked up with a big smile -- but then stopped before she took the treat.  She reached into her goody bag and said, "I want to give you something," as she raised her hand and offered me a bag of Skittles.

She didn't have to share.  It was her treat to take home all for herself.  But, at the age of four, she already embraced the Culture of Generosity.  Her gesture was so unexpected, so genuine, and so befitting of her princess costume.  I accepted her offer and told everyone this story for the rest of the evening (and now I'm telling you).  Her simple, genuine gesture made me smile, inspired goodwill and generated positive word of mouth.

Remember the little things.  Sometimes they make a big difference.  Be a brand that embraces the Culture of Generosity.

What's your story?
- Butch