Tag: advertising

Against common sense

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Sometimes things do not turn out to be as they should have.

And so, a podcast ad by Dashlane that follows the general rule for which you are supposed to leverage the potential of the channel might fall flat. Simply because it is not enough to go on a show that often aims at social media and their negative impact on society to claim that a tool that remembers passwords makes the internet better.

On the other hand, an ad for a fast food chain, that common wisdom would want featuring juicy pictures on steroids, can become incredibly effective when it shows a moldy burger.

Things are almost never as straightforward as they seem. That’s one of the reasons why marketing is extremely difficult and requires continuous attention.

One last time

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Why would you design the inside of a package and fill it with content?

Perhaps it’s because it’s cheap to do. Perhaps it’s because you can. Perhaps it’s because you want to signal status and quality.

Or perhaps it’s because you know your customers do recycle, they flatten the package to save room in the recycling container, and you want to connect with them one last time before they put the package away.

In any case, it can be beautiful.

Take my data

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You are more ok with the idea of paying taxes if you regularly benefit from tangible services your taxes contribute to cover.

The same is valid with data.

The problem with companies collecting information about us is not the collection per se.

It’s the secrecy of the operation, the impossibility to control what is collected and what not, and the fact that six months after buying a new car you are still getting ads with car offers.

“Have you already purchased a car?”

“Yes.”

“Ok, from now on you will stop seeing car offers while navigating the web. If you want to reactivate car offers in the future, you can do so by typing ‘activate car offers’.”

“Thanks, and feel free to take my data.”

All of the attention

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A 30 seconds spot during the Super Bowl sells at $5.6 million.

And while I assume most people use breaks to do stuff they can’t during the match, the buzz it generates and the consideration of the almost totality of the Americans make it probably worth it.

It’s just a pity that such a memorable and expensive opportunity is often wasted with trite cliché and ground level irony. Some random stars, a couple of jokes, a pinch of visual effects and most agencies call it a day.

This year, among those who have gone against the tide, my personal favorite was Google with Loretta. It resonates because it tells a story from the end user perspective. It answers the question “what can I get done with Google Assistant?”, rather than “what does Google Assistant do?”. And as a bonus, it is inspiring and moving.

Three books

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Three amazing books about how people make up their minds that can enhance your marketing skills.

Thinking, fast and slow – by Daniel Kahneman.

The righteous mind – by Jonathan Haidt.

Influence – by Robert Cialdini.

If you read any one of these, you’ll have a much better understanding of why talking about features and how brilliant your product is will not help you boost your sales.