The Advertising Business no longer exists as we once knew it. And to be honest, our role today isn't just that of advertising. So perhaps it's time to examine what business we are actually in.
My agency, and many others, promote that we're in the Idea Business. I mostly agree with that, but get hung up on the thought of relevance. Yes, we come up with ideas. But if the ideas aren't relevant than they're worthless. So I'm not sure Idea Business is right.
A lot of times I like to think we're in the Problem Solving Business. Which is true, but I think that's one of the things that holds this industry back. Because solving problems is passive. And we need to be proactive. We need to solve the problems that don't even exist yet.
I think in truth we are in the Communication Business. No, that doesn't sound hip and cool, but when you look at why there is even a need for ad agencies, you'll discover it boils down to communication. We exist to help clients communicate with consumers.
The reason I think it matters what business we define ourselves as being a part of, is that it becomes a constant reminder of what our role is. Our goal used to be to create ads, which is why saying we worked in Advertising made sense. But our business is no longer about print or the :30 TV spot. Instead it's about communicating with consumers as effectively and as interestingly as possible.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
On Being a Consumer First
My job title is Art Director, which is pretty cool.
But I'm a consumer first. It's the reason I even need a job title. I need it to foot the bills for all the consuming I do. And believe me, I consume a lot.
Sometimes there is a strange contradiction between being an Art Director and being a consumer. That shouldn't be the case, but I think a lot of us working in advertising give our consumer instincts a back seat to our quest to find the Big Idea.
We need to remember to review all our ideas with our consumer eyes as well.
As a consumer, I want to know what your brand stands for.
As a consumer, I want to know what your product or service will mean for me specifically.
As a consumer, I am cynical about any claim that isn't backed with reason and logic.
As a consumer, I research all major purchases online.
As a consumer, I rely on word of mouth over everything else.
As a consumer, I prefer cleverness over slapstick humor.
As a consumer, I want to know that you treat customers fairly.
As a consumer, I like brands that take risks with the goal of being better.
As a consumer, I want to be talked to as an intelligent person.
As a consumer, I hate food shots that over-promise.
As a consumer, relevance, logic and commonsense win me over.
As an Art Director, I need to remember all this when concepting and executing ideas. Although I'm not always a part of the consumer group we're trying to reach, a lot of times I am. And a lot of the things I want as a consumer get lost in my work as an Art Director.
Consumer first. Art Director second.
But I'm a consumer first. It's the reason I even need a job title. I need it to foot the bills for all the consuming I do. And believe me, I consume a lot.
Sometimes there is a strange contradiction between being an Art Director and being a consumer. That shouldn't be the case, but I think a lot of us working in advertising give our consumer instincts a back seat to our quest to find the Big Idea.
We need to remember to review all our ideas with our consumer eyes as well.
As a consumer, I want to know what your brand stands for.
As a consumer, I want to know what your product or service will mean for me specifically.
As a consumer, I am cynical about any claim that isn't backed with reason and logic.
As a consumer, I research all major purchases online.
As a consumer, I rely on word of mouth over everything else.
As a consumer, I prefer cleverness over slapstick humor.
As a consumer, I want to know that you treat customers fairly.
As a consumer, I like brands that take risks with the goal of being better.
As a consumer, I want to be talked to as an intelligent person.
As a consumer, I hate food shots that over-promise.
As a consumer, relevance, logic and commonsense win me over.
As an Art Director, I need to remember all this when concepting and executing ideas. Although I'm not always a part of the consumer group we're trying to reach, a lot of times I am. And a lot of the things I want as a consumer get lost in my work as an Art Director.
Consumer first. Art Director second.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
On Food Porn
Food porn (noun): Close-up images of juicy, delicious food often used for advertising purposes.
I hate food porn. I think it's one of the great wrongdoings of the ad industry. It's false advertising, simple as that.
I'd actually equate it to meeting someone online and exchanging pictures only to meet them in real life and realizing that the previously sent pictures were photoshopped. It's blatant lying.
Do I understand why clients love food porn in their spots? Yes. Appetite appeal is huge and it probably actually draws some people in to try the product. But that's where the problem begins.
Because unless that's what your product looks like when the consumer orders it, there will be a huge let down. There will be anger. The consumer will know they have been lied to. And you can't build brand loyalty on lies.
It used to be a lot more acceptable. However, consumers these days are not only smart and engaged, but they're also cynical. They know when they're being lied to and they're savvy enough to share their experiences with other consumers on sites like consumerist.com.
When was the last time you ordered a hamburger that looked as good as it did on TV? My guess? Never.
Here's what I think we need to do as an industry to confront the food porn trend:
1. Convince clients that if they want beauty shots of their food in advertising, they need to ensure that's exactly how they will deliver the food to consumers. Every burger served needs to look like the burger you used in the spot. No exceptions.
2. We need to be more realistic with how we showcase food in ads. Wrinkle free buns don't exist on an operational level, so don't use them in the food shots. Embrace the imperfections. Showcase exactly what consumers will get when they order, but do it in the best light possible. Be honest.
Nobody likes being lied to. So let's stop using food porn to sell food. It's distasteful and quite frankly, it's not doing the client any good.
I hate food porn. I think it's one of the great wrongdoings of the ad industry. It's false advertising, simple as that.
I'd actually equate it to meeting someone online and exchanging pictures only to meet them in real life and realizing that the previously sent pictures were photoshopped. It's blatant lying.
Do I understand why clients love food porn in their spots? Yes. Appetite appeal is huge and it probably actually draws some people in to try the product. But that's where the problem begins.
Because unless that's what your product looks like when the consumer orders it, there will be a huge let down. There will be anger. The consumer will know they have been lied to. And you can't build brand loyalty on lies.
It used to be a lot more acceptable. However, consumers these days are not only smart and engaged, but they're also cynical. They know when they're being lied to and they're savvy enough to share their experiences with other consumers on sites like consumerist.com.
When was the last time you ordered a hamburger that looked as good as it did on TV? My guess? Never.
Here's what I think we need to do as an industry to confront the food porn trend:
1. Convince clients that if they want beauty shots of their food in advertising, they need to ensure that's exactly how they will deliver the food to consumers. Every burger served needs to look like the burger you used in the spot. No exceptions.
2. We need to be more realistic with how we showcase food in ads. Wrinkle free buns don't exist on an operational level, so don't use them in the food shots. Embrace the imperfections. Showcase exactly what consumers will get when they order, but do it in the best light possible. Be honest.
Nobody likes being lied to. So let's stop using food porn to sell food. It's distasteful and quite frankly, it's not doing the client any good.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
On Shoots
I love shoots. You get to watch as your little idea baby comes to life. Sure they're stressful. Sure things don't always go as planned. But that's life. You just roll with the punches and hope for the best.
We're currently shooting the second installment of a new campaign for our biggest client. The first installment was shot in January. It was a good shoot and the spots turned out nice. But it's only four months later and this shoot has a completely different feel to it. It's looser, the energy is higher and the scripts are wittier. And it'll definitely show in the end.
Why do I feel more confident this time around?
Experience. We've shot this campaign once before and we've learned from it. And now we get to build on the foundation we set last time around. As the saying goes, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." We've learned and it'll show in the finished spots.
Ownership. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this round of work. And a lot of battles were fought to make this next round the best it could possibly be. When that much heart goes into the work on the front end, there's a lot more ownership for making it awesome on the back end.
Energy. The energy this round is through the roof. From agency to client to director and casting, everyone is excited about this round of work. There was excitement last round, but it was nowhere near the levels it is right now. And when everyone is this energized, the work will be to.
Needless to say, I'm definitely excited to see how everything turns out. And hopefully when it hits the airwaves this summer, you'll all be excited to see it to.
We're currently shooting the second installment of a new campaign for our biggest client. The first installment was shot in January. It was a good shoot and the spots turned out nice. But it's only four months later and this shoot has a completely different feel to it. It's looser, the energy is higher and the scripts are wittier. And it'll definitely show in the end.
Why do I feel more confident this time around?
Experience. We've shot this campaign once before and we've learned from it. And now we get to build on the foundation we set last time around. As the saying goes, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." We've learned and it'll show in the finished spots.
Ownership. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this round of work. And a lot of battles were fought to make this next round the best it could possibly be. When that much heart goes into the work on the front end, there's a lot more ownership for making it awesome on the back end.
Energy. The energy this round is through the roof. From agency to client to director and casting, everyone is excited about this round of work. There was excitement last round, but it was nowhere near the levels it is right now. And when everyone is this energized, the work will be to.
Needless to say, I'm definitely excited to see how everything turns out. And hopefully when it hits the airwaves this summer, you'll all be excited to see it to.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
On Meaning
Everything is subjective. Different people see the same thing in different ways. Everyone brings their own perspective into situations. That’s where meaning comes from. And if you’re trying to communicate with someone different than yourself, you need to figure out what matters to them. You need to take into account how they view certain situations. You need to understand that meaning changes from person to person.
This is my 50lb post. I’ve hit my goal of losing 50lbs and I did it in 5 months. And if you’ve never had to lose that much weight or if you’ve never struggled with weight, 50lbs probably doesn’t mean a whole lot to you. And that’s fine. But to someone like me, it means everything. So what does 50lbs mean to me?
It means size 4 jeans instead of size 20.
It means medium shirts instead of XL.
It means confidence instead of embarrassment.
It means shopping for clothes can be fun.
It means working out is no longer a chore but a way of life.
It means pride when I look in the mirror.
It means fitted clothes instead of baggy clothes.
It means sounder sleep.
It means knowing I have self-control.
It means hard work does pay off.
It means standing out for the right reasons.
It means learning to take compliments.
It means no longer using weight as an excuse.
It means knowing I’m worth it.
It means a happier, healthier, more confident me.
Losing weight isn’t about hitting a certain number, but about being healthy. So maybe all those products and services that help people reach a healthier lifestyle should remember and market the rewards of being healthy. Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about a being a certain weight. It’s about so much more.
So when you’re talking about the benefits of your product and service, make sure you understand what those benefits actually mean to your target. Don’t assume what you perceive as the benefit is the same thing they do. After all, meaning changes person to person.
This is my 50lb post. I’ve hit my goal of losing 50lbs and I did it in 5 months. And if you’ve never had to lose that much weight or if you’ve never struggled with weight, 50lbs probably doesn’t mean a whole lot to you. And that’s fine. But to someone like me, it means everything. So what does 50lbs mean to me?
It means size 4 jeans instead of size 20.
It means medium shirts instead of XL.
It means confidence instead of embarrassment.
It means shopping for clothes can be fun.
It means working out is no longer a chore but a way of life.
It means pride when I look in the mirror.
It means fitted clothes instead of baggy clothes.
It means sounder sleep.
It means knowing I have self-control.
It means hard work does pay off.
It means standing out for the right reasons.
It means learning to take compliments.
It means no longer using weight as an excuse.
It means knowing I’m worth it.
It means a happier, healthier, more confident me.
Losing weight isn’t about hitting a certain number, but about being healthy. So maybe all those products and services that help people reach a healthier lifestyle should remember and market the rewards of being healthy. Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about a being a certain weight. It’s about so much more.
So when you’re talking about the benefits of your product and service, make sure you understand what those benefits actually mean to your target. Don’t assume what you perceive as the benefit is the same thing they do. After all, meaning changes person to person.
Monday, May 3, 2010
On Worth
Worth determines whether or not someone will purchase something. It determines whether they'll devote their time. It determines whether they spread the word. Worth is important. So you need to make sure you are marketing in a way that proves worth to your audience.
Is the product worth the cost?
Is the convenience worth the lower quality?
Is the message worth 30 seconds of their time?
Is the result worth the hassle?
Is the destination worth the travel?
Is the company worth the loyalty?
You need to be able to make logical arguments that position your product or services worth. Because at the end of the day, if the customers aren't convinced it's worth it, they aren't going to use it.
Is the product worth the cost?
Is the convenience worth the lower quality?
Is the message worth 30 seconds of their time?
Is the result worth the hassle?
Is the destination worth the travel?
Is the company worth the loyalty?
You need to be able to make logical arguments that position your product or services worth. Because at the end of the day, if the customers aren't convinced it's worth it, they aren't going to use it.
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