Caught a nasty cold.  In an earlier post I challenged readers to come up with a brand that was built within the last 10 years largely upon advertising, and without the benefit of a manifestly superior product or service.

Most people failed by mentioning brands that were built well before the 10-year limit.  But one reader suggested Airborne, and I had to agree that it met the criteria, even if it was the exception that proved the rule.

How so?

Well, first off, Airborne basically…

...continue to read "The Brand That Sneezed Its Way to Success and Then…"

First, if you haven’t seen it yet, watch Microsoft’s response to Apple’s infamous “I’m a Mac” campaign.

Here’s the question: what do you want to bet that Apple has been just waiting - even itching - for Microsoft to release that kind of response to their “I’m a Mac” campaign?

Why do I ask that?  Because I’d bet anything that Mac’s marketing was smart enough to engage in what Mike Smock has termed The Three Move Set.  You see, when you try…

...continue to read "Microsoft’s Ad Vs. Apple’s Three Move Set"

First, if you haven’t already seen Apple’s new Mac commercial, watch this:

Now, before discussing the ad, please name a brand developed in the last 10 years that was built largely on the strength of its advertising.  Go ahead and think a bit if you have to; I’ll wait.

You might be able to name one, dear reader, but I’m betting you’ll have strained a bit to come up with it, and that you’ll only think of just one (assuming you come…

...continue to read "The Larger Truth Behind Apple’s New Commercial"

Sunday’s New York Times surprised me with ” Fox News Joins a Social Network, but Not Its Parent’s Site”

“Fox News Channel wants more friends. But instead of reaching out on the News Corporation’s own social network, MySpace, the cable news channel is choosing to network on the site’s chief rival, Facebook.

Think it has anything to do with MySpace’s existing partnership with MSNBC? Fox says it has more to do with audience.”

This is a sign of the maturity of social media,…

...continue to read "Is Facebook The Right Choice For MySpace Owners?"

With annual revenues for the weight-loss industry estimated at $60 billion a year, competition is fierce. Food-based programs like Nutri-System and Weight Watchers account for hundreds of millions of dollars, so getting the right message across to potential customers is critical.

While other companies have featured real-life success stories in their advertising, Jenny Craig has chosen another route: the celebrity spokesperson. While I’m not a big proponent of celebrities as an effective marketing tool, Jenny Craig has applied the use of…

...continue to read "How Jenny Craig Uses Personas for Successful Marketing"

Social media is exploding. Everyone’s talking about the huge advertising potential. I see companies and marketers getting positively giddy:

“Think of it! Millions and millions of people we can hyper target with relevant messages and offers, contextual targeting, behavioral targeting - THINK OF THE VIRAL OPPORTUNITIES!”

Um, you’ve got a little bit of spittle there at the corner of your mouth…there, yeah, you wiped it off.

Yes, the potential is huge. But some companies have been disappointed with the results in their early…

...continue to read "Tapping the Power of Social Media to Advertise to Women"

Ever play the game “Don’t Think About Polar Bears”?

It’s hard to win.

In fact, studies show that just about everyone reading this sentence is either thinking about polar bears or thinking about not thinking about polar bears.

The same goes for basketball.

Take a look at this awareness test video, and see if you can follow:

As Seth points out, marketers should consider this before spending (”How much!?“) on ads.

Kudos to Jeff Sexton for noticing this bit of research years before it was ripped off and turned…

...continue to read "Will Marketers Keep Their Eye on the Ball?"

Want to see what happens to Americans when their favorite fast food is taken away?

Of course you do. But if you want to live dangerously, try telling a hungry customer who can’t wait to bite into 670 glorious calories that their favorite sandwich (over half of which is fat) has been retired. Capturing such a moment requires skilled actors, coordinated planning, hidden cameras, and preferably, a cardiologist standing by. But most of all, it takes confidence.

Burger King’s “Whopper Freakout” campaign…

...continue to read "The Whopper is dead. Long live the Whopper!"

Now, here’s a claim that does for persuasive copy what Jonestown did for grape Kool-Aid: “We’re #1 in our industry.”

Not only will this particular (unsubstantiated) claim poison your copy, but the copywriter’s desire to use it stems from the same psychological principle that’s said to have caused so many Jonestown believers to have tragically drained their own deadly draught: Social Proof.

To paraphrase Robert Cialdini, we tend to view behavior as being correct to the degree that we see others performing it. (Salting…

...continue to read "The 7 Deadly Claims (Part Four) — “We’re #1″"

Every time I see a great marketing to women effort, I do a little happy dance. Literally. My dogs give me a concerned look — afraid, perhaps, that I’m having a severe muscle spasm — but it does my heart good. This year I’m starting a new tradition. I want to congratulate all the companies and marketers who have prompted my happy dances. So, here they are…

Best TV Commercial — “Maxx Moments” by TJ Maxx.…

...continue to read "The 2007 Marketing to Women Awards"