Written by Raymond Leigh of The Baldchemist
Getting The Answers You Want
Influencing other's actions can be fairly easy. There are well-documented ways to manipulate others and I am not advocating Hitler's "Mein Kampf" or Mao's "Little Red book" although well worth a read for other reasons. But let's focus on getting the answers you want.
It's All Down To How You Phrase Your Questions
Mori Poll participants were given two options for combating a plague projected to kill 600 people.
* Plan A, would save 200 people. Plan B, had a 30% probability of saving 600. 78% of participants took the safe option; plan A.
* Rephrasing the question in terms of deaths; 400 guaranteed under Plan A, 66% probability of 600 under Plan B, reversed the result. 78% of participants chose plan B.
This is because humans are risk-averse when dealing with gains (let's keep what we have); but risk-prone when dealing with losses (let's hope for the best).
Too Much Choice
In another study by Mori they found that if you offer a shopper a one time only sale on a product, a Sony CD player say, most, 66% will buy it, happy to avoid further shopping. If you offer them two different products, one by Sony, one by Aiwa, both on sale, 46% will continue shopping rather than buy either.
Choice Makes People Less Likely To Make A Decision
This confirms our strategy when writing and showcasing product and services. Know who you are writing and creating for; make the buying decision easy for your punters with just one clear and compelling message.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Premium Marketing Solutions
Premium marketing solutions that meet your objectives
Welcome to The Baldchemist Multi-Media. Business leaders seeking to present their organisation and realise objectives of result orientated sales, orders or investor interest in the most premium of IT media showcases; have come to the right place and need not be disappointed.
Our Function
With Information Technology, strategy, creative, research and copy that meets all of the superlatives, arrest your prospects intelligence long enough for it to act positively to your business objectives.
Demographic Research
Successful IT media & marketing campaigns require in depth research of your demographic audience; their habits, spending propensities, what methods are needed to attract them and importantly - the presenting of benefits, value and status in doing business with you and your company.
Creating Premium Business Opportunities
By providing informed, inspired, compelling creative; the people, expertise and support to realise them within budget and timescales; your product advantages are articulated effectively to your target audience. Creating premium business opportunities. Opportunities all intelligent leaders seek and budget for.
Premium Product Advantages
No tricks - we don't create your premium product advantages but convey them articulately to your audience. We are not here to mislead but we are not here to bore your prospects to death either.
Acquiring Your Market
Let's be clear, displaying your business in a badly written, poorly created, low budget, unattractive, same as everyone else light - guess what you get? Exactly what you pitched for! A small piece of the low budget, same as everyone else, unattractive market!
And - your prospects will suspect that if they do business with you, they will get more of the same!
Good enough reasons to get in touch with us now and discover how you benefit doing business with us. Leaving you and your people to do what you do best.
Welcome to The Baldchemist Multi-Media. Business leaders seeking to present their organisation and realise objectives of result orientated sales, orders or investor interest in the most premium of IT media showcases; have come to the right place and need not be disappointed.
Our Function
With Information Technology, strategy, creative, research and copy that meets all of the superlatives, arrest your prospects intelligence long enough for it to act positively to your business objectives.
Demographic Research
Successful IT media & marketing campaigns require in depth research of your demographic audience; their habits, spending propensities, what methods are needed to attract them and importantly - the presenting of benefits, value and status in doing business with you and your company.
Creating Premium Business Opportunities
By providing informed, inspired, compelling creative; the people, expertise and support to realise them within budget and timescales; your product advantages are articulated effectively to your target audience. Creating premium business opportunities. Opportunities all intelligent leaders seek and budget for.
Premium Product Advantages
No tricks - we don't create your premium product advantages but convey them articulately to your audience. We are not here to mislead but we are not here to bore your prospects to death either.
Acquiring Your Market
Let's be clear, displaying your business in a badly written, poorly created, low budget, unattractive, same as everyone else light - guess what you get? Exactly what you pitched for! A small piece of the low budget, same as everyone else, unattractive market!
And - your prospects will suspect that if they do business with you, they will get more of the same!
Good enough reasons to get in touch with us now and discover how you benefit doing business with us. Leaving you and your people to do what you do best.
It'sThe Way You Sell'em
It's the way you sell 'em
Ever wondered why ads always have at least three blokes in the pub together, or why car commercials always feature a snaking mountain pass? It's because all adverts are bound by a host of unwritten 'rules'.
Last week the latest Tango ad was banned. Why? Because it broke one of the great "rules" of advertising: don't encourage anti-social behaviour (it provoked playground bullying and shouting down megaphones into people's ears). Being banned is only one pitfall in the adversising world - the other big one is to have a terrible ad. But thankfully for advertisers there are plenty of strict guidelines laid down by the Independent Television Commission, the TV ads watchdog. And, unbeknownst to most of us, there are also the unwritten rules, guaranteed to keep clients happy and watchdogs at bay. Ignore them at your peril...
Always have at least three guys in the pub
Never use just one bloke on his own in a beer ad. Adfolk have long since learnt that this would imply he has no mates and is a sad loser. Similarly, two blokes are to be avoided - this might suggest unwanted homosexual overtones. No, the formula for beer advertising is three or more fellas in a jolly, sociable drinking environment. (The ITC actually outlaws the depiction of one man with a pint, claiming solitary drinking encourages alcoholism).
Always have two Cs in a K
The C stands for, well, a rude word for the female genitalia. The K stands for kitchen. This tried and tested approach to advertising washing-up powder or dishwasher detergent or any of the household cleaning products that tend to be exclusively targeted at women has worked for years. Happily, the formula is losing its supporters these days, but is still in evidence in ads for the more traditional fmcg (fast moving consumer goods) giants.
Always use that demo
"Demo" is short for "demonstration", and should be deployed by products which supposedly require a bit of explaining, usually by "experts" in white coats. Think Bounty kitchenroll, where a glass of water is poured onto the improbably ultra-absorbent paper. Think also any number of beauty and hair products - these invariably involve a sciencey bit, in which far-fetched computer graphics "demonstrate" the product at work.
Never, NEVER, use red
"Sanpro". You can trust adland to come up with a nicely sanitised word for what they see as a highly embarrassing market sector (namely, ahem, sanitary products). You must, of course, never, ever use red in this kind of advertisement. Oh no. You should always depict menstrual blood in a lurid blue - because red is, well, just too realistic and gruesome and therefore quite unacceptable in the shiny, Happy Family, pain-free world of adland.
Use that mountain pass
In car ads, you should always insist on an extended "packshot" (lingering product close-up) of your vehicle in one of three settings: snaking mountain pass, improbably lush Tuscan countryside, or field of flames. The trick is to get several shots of the motor being driven by some smug bloke along an impossibly windy road. The same rule applies to ads for tyres/petrol/oil.
Keep smiling
Received wisdom suggests that food ads should always: (1) feature a close-up of the product - preferably steaming invitingly, and (2) feature the person/people about to eat it smiling. You don't see glum faces in food advertising - glum doesn't sell, and suggests that said product isn't very appetising. Compare and contrast car ads, however, where you'll never see anyone grinning behind the wheel (considered to be too irresponsible).
Don't use too many words
The number of words on a normal billboard-sized poster should never exceed seven, according to the late, great adman David Ogilvy. That's the most that people can read when whizzing past in their cars, apparently. Ogilvy also said that printed ads shouldn't use white words on a black background, because the human eye is used to black on white via most other printed materials.
Tell people what to do
Research shows that website banner ads should say 'click here'. Otherwise, people won't. The response rate rockets by 400 per cent if there's a button. Which just goes to show how most rules about advertising are based on the entirely valid assumption that people are stupid.
Use lots of typefaces
The world of direct marketing is littered with apparently proven theories on how to create effective junk mail. Numerous studies show that using lots of bolds and italics will send your readers reaching involuntarily for their chequebooks. Another rule suggests that every letter should have a P.S. - rather than making you look forgetful, it increases the effectiveness of your message.
Ignore the rules
In advertising, the goldenest rule of all is to not follow the rules. Advertising fails to be effective if it is formulaic, and ads creatives pride themselves on trying to break with tradition as much as and as often as possible. If, unlike the boys and girls at Tango, they can get away with it.
Ever wondered why ads always have at least three blokes in the pub together, or why car commercials always feature a snaking mountain pass? It's because all adverts are bound by a host of unwritten 'rules'.
Last week the latest Tango ad was banned. Why? Because it broke one of the great "rules" of advertising: don't encourage anti-social behaviour (it provoked playground bullying and shouting down megaphones into people's ears). Being banned is only one pitfall in the adversising world - the other big one is to have a terrible ad. But thankfully for advertisers there are plenty of strict guidelines laid down by the Independent Television Commission, the TV ads watchdog. And, unbeknownst to most of us, there are also the unwritten rules, guaranteed to keep clients happy and watchdogs at bay. Ignore them at your peril...
Always have at least three guys in the pub
Never use just one bloke on his own in a beer ad. Adfolk have long since learnt that this would imply he has no mates and is a sad loser. Similarly, two blokes are to be avoided - this might suggest unwanted homosexual overtones. No, the formula for beer advertising is three or more fellas in a jolly, sociable drinking environment. (The ITC actually outlaws the depiction of one man with a pint, claiming solitary drinking encourages alcoholism).
Always have two Cs in a K
The C stands for, well, a rude word for the female genitalia. The K stands for kitchen. This tried and tested approach to advertising washing-up powder or dishwasher detergent or any of the household cleaning products that tend to be exclusively targeted at women has worked for years. Happily, the formula is losing its supporters these days, but is still in evidence in ads for the more traditional fmcg (fast moving consumer goods) giants.
Always use that demo
"Demo" is short for "demonstration", and should be deployed by products which supposedly require a bit of explaining, usually by "experts" in white coats. Think Bounty kitchenroll, where a glass of water is poured onto the improbably ultra-absorbent paper. Think also any number of beauty and hair products - these invariably involve a sciencey bit, in which far-fetched computer graphics "demonstrate" the product at work.
Never, NEVER, use red
"Sanpro". You can trust adland to come up with a nicely sanitised word for what they see as a highly embarrassing market sector (namely, ahem, sanitary products). You must, of course, never, ever use red in this kind of advertisement. Oh no. You should always depict menstrual blood in a lurid blue - because red is, well, just too realistic and gruesome and therefore quite unacceptable in the shiny, Happy Family, pain-free world of adland.
Use that mountain pass
In car ads, you should always insist on an extended "packshot" (lingering product close-up) of your vehicle in one of three settings: snaking mountain pass, improbably lush Tuscan countryside, or field of flames. The trick is to get several shots of the motor being driven by some smug bloke along an impossibly windy road. The same rule applies to ads for tyres/petrol/oil.
Keep smiling
Received wisdom suggests that food ads should always: (1) feature a close-up of the product - preferably steaming invitingly, and (2) feature the person/people about to eat it smiling. You don't see glum faces in food advertising - glum doesn't sell, and suggests that said product isn't very appetising. Compare and contrast car ads, however, where you'll never see anyone grinning behind the wheel (considered to be too irresponsible).
Don't use too many words
The number of words on a normal billboard-sized poster should never exceed seven, according to the late, great adman David Ogilvy. That's the most that people can read when whizzing past in their cars, apparently. Ogilvy also said that printed ads shouldn't use white words on a black background, because the human eye is used to black on white via most other printed materials.
Tell people what to do
Research shows that website banner ads should say 'click here'. Otherwise, people won't. The response rate rockets by 400 per cent if there's a button. Which just goes to show how most rules about advertising are based on the entirely valid assumption that people are stupid.
Use lots of typefaces
The world of direct marketing is littered with apparently proven theories on how to create effective junk mail. Numerous studies show that using lots of bolds and italics will send your readers reaching involuntarily for their chequebooks. Another rule suggests that every letter should have a P.S. - rather than making you look forgetful, it increases the effectiveness of your message.
Ignore the rules
In advertising, the goldenest rule of all is to not follow the rules. Advertising fails to be effective if it is formulaic, and ads creatives pride themselves on trying to break with tradition as much as and as often as possible. If, unlike the boys and girls at Tango, they can get away with it.
Monday, December 31, 2007
arrogance and how to achieve it
At the risk of sounding pompous and for those that know me well, I guess I am, I wanted to share a few observations and requirements for authority, our rates and fees...
If you seek to show the world your vision and aspirations and get them accepted by those that should know better but don’t, you must always be perceived as being in the know. A leading Authority.
The critics and I have more than my fair share of them, accuse those who aspire and espouse authority, with spouting platitudes and other rubbish.
But the critics are like eunuchs in a harem. They know how it’s done; they see it done everyday but are unable to do it themselves. Which is why they become critics?
No, being forthright, confident in your articulation and communication, you can show the world what your values, aspirations, passions are.
Creating and designing is difficult to explain because it’s easy to understand. Bit like pornography really- you can’t define it but you know it when you see it. Great media, films, web sites, logos brands and adverts are constructed to render invisibility. That’s the nature of the medium.
Our media is constructed through the skillful use of visuals and linguistic elements manipulated to arrest the human intelligence long enough for it to respond positively to your business objectives.
The challenge of course is to dismantle the totality of it all and interpret how it was out together. Media, read, comprehended and works sometimes is observed no longer than a few moments but may have taken a few weeks to create and produce. Which is why you get the people who know how. You get on with what you do best.
Remember that great visionaries leave burnt trails and certainly do not appear to follow the well trodden pathways that lead to the comfortable mediocrity we are so used to these days.
Importantly, be seen to stand for something higher. Good enough should never be good enough for you because it’s dull boring and expected. Stand for achievements of real value worth, as being worth more than just money. Standing for Honesty, Integrity Contributing to humankind and its World.
Be the one who when boring people they think it’s their fault.
We have no intention of retiring from this fabulous life, for just when we think things can’t get any better – we open another bottle of celebratory Bollinger.
So when you decide to negotiate with us about our high prices remember, a company will go to the ends of the Earth to employ the right people of which our fee is about 10%. So our fee may seem high but we have calculated carefully what it takes to create and produce media that achieves its objectives and places you and your company in the finest light. . It is what it is and the successful companies that have paid our excessively high fees are more that happy with the extraordinary results. If you want a Bentley don’t expect to pay Skoda prices.
Having got that off our chests what can we do for you?
If you seek to show the world your vision and aspirations and get them accepted by those that should know better but don’t, you must always be perceived as being in the know. A leading Authority.
The critics and I have more than my fair share of them, accuse those who aspire and espouse authority, with spouting platitudes and other rubbish.
But the critics are like eunuchs in a harem. They know how it’s done; they see it done everyday but are unable to do it themselves. Which is why they become critics?
No, being forthright, confident in your articulation and communication, you can show the world what your values, aspirations, passions are.
Creating and designing is difficult to explain because it’s easy to understand. Bit like pornography really- you can’t define it but you know it when you see it. Great media, films, web sites, logos brands and adverts are constructed to render invisibility. That’s the nature of the medium.
Our media is constructed through the skillful use of visuals and linguistic elements manipulated to arrest the human intelligence long enough for it to respond positively to your business objectives.
The challenge of course is to dismantle the totality of it all and interpret how it was out together. Media, read, comprehended and works sometimes is observed no longer than a few moments but may have taken a few weeks to create and produce. Which is why you get the people who know how. You get on with what you do best.
Remember that great visionaries leave burnt trails and certainly do not appear to follow the well trodden pathways that lead to the comfortable mediocrity we are so used to these days.
Importantly, be seen to stand for something higher. Good enough should never be good enough for you because it’s dull boring and expected. Stand for achievements of real value worth, as being worth more than just money. Standing for Honesty, Integrity Contributing to humankind and its World.
Be the one who when boring people they think it’s their fault.
We have no intention of retiring from this fabulous life, for just when we think things can’t get any better – we open another bottle of celebratory Bollinger.
So when you decide to negotiate with us about our high prices remember, a company will go to the ends of the Earth to employ the right people of which our fee is about 10%. So our fee may seem high but we have calculated carefully what it takes to create and produce media that achieves its objectives and places you and your company in the finest light. . It is what it is and the successful companies that have paid our excessively high fees are more that happy with the extraordinary results. If you want a Bentley don’t expect to pay Skoda prices.
Having got that off our chests what can we do for you?
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Don't crowd your branding
Whether you have a growing business or are well-established, do not make the mistake of working against the Law of Physics;
two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. (With the exception of the mile high club on the new Airbus 380-
and why wouldn't you try?)
Having established a fantastic brand and are now known for what you have established, why on Earth attempt to include the
incongruous?
Great examples of companies reaching beyond and sometimes below, their brand are plentiful and here are a few indicators
why riding lesser products on your established branding does not work.
Mention Kraft and people think cheese. This amazing association with cheese should keep Kraft laughing all the way to the
bank for years!
But Kraft, figuring they had a great brand name, decided to apply it to a whole range of food. Suddenly they had a range of jam,
jelly, mayonnaise and other food stuff. We are after all in the food business!
The Bean Counters and share holders might not see it that way.
Smuckers have garnered 35% share of the Jam and Jelly market. Kraft has 9%!
Hellmans garnered 42% of the Mayonnaise market. Kraft has 18%!
Despite being a major cheese company, Kraft, surprisingly, isn't hitting the top of the charts with its other food products.
The only outstanding winner it has is called not Kraft, but a cream cheese called Philadelphia, (now the generic!) which has 75% market
share. By trying to be all things to all people, Kraft (and many others) has ended up with a great brand name, but few real
winning products!
Why you may ask? Its all in the mind and getting the punters mind right is the name of the game. Get known for what you do
best and stick with it!
Think of your family ( God bless 'em). Your cousin Fred, bone idle. Your brother Jason, so industrious. Sarah, the artist of the family.
You grew up with a mental image alongside a name, the characteristics of that person stick with you for life. One name- one
characteristic.
Punters think the same way. Mention Honda in Japan and most people conjure up a great motorcycle company. Honda in most other
countries means cars.
The punters don't make the change at all. Once your product/service has a fixed characteristic it's embedded. Whatever
you try- it does not get re-invented at least not for a long time and after many expensive media campaigns.
So, how do the successful go forward and stay there?
Everyone knows Barbie and Ken ( the great all American image. God bless 'em also) even if you dislike what they stand for. They've seen the Ninja Turtles, the Cabbage Patch dolls and every
other toy off. There is no doubt they will continue to do so. Because Barbie and Ken stand for dolls with interchangeable
clothes. Nothing more, nothing less. You know what you get and what to expect.
That's successful businesses! Occupy a niche and retain it and know how to retain it. (Retention of client we'll cover elsewhere).
Publishers, now these are my favourite people. Find a niche, create a magazine and call it Vogue. Bring out another and another one and yet
another. Each has a different name and a clearly different demographic. Have a look at the magazines. None of them are all things to all people. Each one has a
specific positioning, name and target audience.
It can be expensive launching a new brand. Most CEO's MD's take the well known tried and tested safe route,
(probably 'cause they are bean counters and not marketing people, went to same school of management and haven't a creative bone in their bodies), to extend their line.
It's not as if line extension doesn't work. It works fantastically well. Then it splutters, chokes and dies slowly. This is
because when brands are first extended, people are eager to try out new products. However, they soon tire of it and go back to
the brand that defines clearly what they're after.
If you have established a market for NEO's and other premium punters, are known and respected as having premium products and service then DON'T make the
mistake of pitching the budget market with your premium brand name.
Be known as THE PEOPLE in your niche and stay there!
<
two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. (With the exception of the mile high club on the new Airbus 380-
and why wouldn't you try?)
Having established a fantastic brand and are now known for what you have established, why on Earth attempt to include the
incongruous?
Great examples of companies reaching beyond and sometimes below, their brand are plentiful and here are a few indicators
why riding lesser products on your established branding does not work.
Mention Kraft and people think cheese. This amazing association with cheese should keep Kraft laughing all the way to the
bank for years!
But Kraft, figuring they had a great brand name, decided to apply it to a whole range of food. Suddenly they had a range of jam,
jelly, mayonnaise and other food stuff. We are after all in the food business!
The Bean Counters and share holders might not see it that way.
Smuckers have garnered 35% share of the Jam and Jelly market. Kraft has 9%!
Hellmans garnered 42% of the Mayonnaise market. Kraft has 18%!
Despite being a major cheese company, Kraft, surprisingly, isn't hitting the top of the charts with its other food products.
The only outstanding winner it has is called not Kraft, but a cream cheese called Philadelphia, (now the generic!) which has 75% market
share. By trying to be all things to all people, Kraft (and many others) has ended up with a great brand name, but few real
winning products!
Why you may ask? Its all in the mind and getting the punters mind right is the name of the game. Get known for what you do
best and stick with it!
Think of your family ( God bless 'em). Your cousin Fred, bone idle. Your brother Jason, so industrious. Sarah, the artist of the family.
You grew up with a mental image alongside a name, the characteristics of that person stick with you for life. One name- one
characteristic.
Punters think the same way. Mention Honda in Japan and most people conjure up a great motorcycle company. Honda in most other
countries means cars.
The punters don't make the change at all. Once your product/service has a fixed characteristic it's embedded. Whatever
you try- it does not get re-invented at least not for a long time and after many expensive media campaigns.
So, how do the successful go forward and stay there?
Everyone knows Barbie and Ken ( the great all American image. God bless 'em also) even if you dislike what they stand for. They've seen the Ninja Turtles, the Cabbage Patch dolls and every
other toy off. There is no doubt they will continue to do so. Because Barbie and Ken stand for dolls with interchangeable
clothes. Nothing more, nothing less. You know what you get and what to expect.
That's successful businesses! Occupy a niche and retain it and know how to retain it. (Retention of client we'll cover elsewhere).
Publishers, now these are my favourite people. Find a niche, create a magazine and call it Vogue. Bring out another and another one and yet
another. Each has a different name and a clearly different demographic. Have a look at the magazines. None of them are all things to all people. Each one has a
specific positioning, name and target audience.
It can be expensive launching a new brand. Most CEO's MD's take the well known tried and tested safe route,
(probably 'cause they are bean counters and not marketing people, went to same school of management and haven't a creative bone in their bodies), to extend their line.
It's not as if line extension doesn't work. It works fantastically well. Then it splutters, chokes and dies slowly. This is
because when brands are first extended, people are eager to try out new products. However, they soon tire of it and go back to
the brand that defines clearly what they're after.
If you have established a market for NEO's and other premium punters, are known and respected as having premium products and service then DON'T make the
mistake of pitching the budget market with your premium brand name.
Be known as THE PEOPLE in your niche and stay there!
<
Sunday, September 02, 2007
how to get the minds right for business
Polls are next to meaningless unless you know the exact wording of the question. Getting your prospects mind right is not subliminal mind control of the type you often find in films but assisting your prospects decision making process.
The idea of the subliminal message is cool. Learn to speak another language while you sleep! Control people's minds by inserting inaudible dialogue or very quick pictures into the background! Wicked, I wish!
To my knowledge, that type of subliminal message, a hidden, language-based message doesn't have any scientific support. On the other hand, should you have evidence to the contrary please let me know.
Influencing another's actions can be fairly easy. There are well-documented ways to manipulate others and I am not advocating Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” or Mao’s “Little Red book” although well worth a read for other reasons. But let’s focus on getting the answers you want.
It’s all down to how you phrase your questions.
Mori Poll participants were given two options for combating a plague, projected to kill 600 people. Plan A, would save 200 people. Plan B, had a 30% probability of saving 600. The rest would die.
78% of participants took the safe option, plan A. Rephrasing the question in terms of deaths, 400 guaranteed under Plan a, 33% survive and 66% probability of 600 under Plan B, reversed the result: 78% of participants chose plan B. This is because humans are risk-prone when dealing with losses ("let's hope for the best") but risk-averse when dealing with gains ("let's keep what we have").
In another study, by Mori, they found that if you offer a shopper a "one time only" sale on a product, a Sony CD player say, most, 66% will buy it, happy to avoid further shopping. If you offer them two different products, one by Sony, one by Aiwa, both on sale, 46% will continue shopping rather than buy either. Choice makes people less likely to make a decision.
This confirms our strategy when writing and showcasing product and services. Know who you are writing/creating for and make the buying decision easy for your punters with just one clear and compelling message.
Read more on this at the baldchemist official site, copywriters.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The growth of the green brand
Don't bother with green at your peril. Former American vice-president Al Gore has been putting a great spin on global warming with the Cannes Film Festival award winning, An Inconvenient Truth. He and loads of others have really missed the biggest of problems for the World; - the population doubling in ever decreasing time scales, but that is for another time.
This groundswell of awareness has led consumers to favour brands that have a green element in their culture and products.
According to WPP, American and British consumers perceive the top green brands to be; Toyota, Honda, Ikea, Body Shop, Aveda, Sub Zero. There is no real reason to suppose that these brands are seen any differently in other countries as the trends tend to be similar.
So how are these brands seen as being green? Consumers associate green brands with environmental conservation and sustainable business practices. They appeal to consumers who are more and more aware of the need to protect the environment.
Green brands boost sales and corporate image and are a point of attraction to clients and prospects.
You must however, act on the promise to be green. The increased awareness of Global warming means that
the punters are more likely to support a green company.
Corporations can no longer just say they offer fuel efficiency, organic foods, or energy efficient
products – it is now a cost of entry in many industries and corporations need to start thinking and planning strategies ahead.
Marketers must consider the next level of greenness such as ensuring their overall business practices are sustainable or that the products and services represents greenness in the bringing of items to the marketplace.
Strangely enough a study by the Hartman group indicates that the average greenie has no brand awareness! So companies that have spent years developing consumer confidence have the most to gain from the trend away from the mass market. As a result many companies not associated with the organic lifestyle have managed to capitalise on this new consumer base through product development and the acquisition of small wellness companies appearing under company banners.
Consumers believe that these are the things required for them to feel better. It's about choice- a real culture shift. We marketers need to be well aware that who makes the product- with what- and how are all questions that compete for consumer attention.
As big Al says and very pertinently may I add; it's time to go green now or risk your brand wilting in an arid wilderness. Nice one Al.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Say what you mean, mean what you say.
In all advertising and media, with the exception of Radio, it is the visuals and graphics that seduce the audience primarily. The attention grabber that leads into the headline and body copy or voice over. It is the copy however that communicates the completeness of the message, with the whole process flowing in line; visual-headline-copy-call to action-tagline.
There are a few exceptions, fashion and luxury ads where the model, product and brand convey a minimalist message. This is an image strategy rather than tactical that works harder at the
"sell".
As a writer every sentence you compose, particularly ad copy which needs to work hard in limited space, should ask yourself; what am I trying to say? Which words will express it? What image or idiom will make it clear? Is the image fresh enough to have impact?
Effective copywriting must use as a matter
of course the right words, the right tone, while working toward a measurable commercial end- a sale. While you are working toward these ends there are four traps to avoid in the quest for copy that transcends the kicking and
screaming of the media.
- Talking to yourself.
- Changing your message for no good reason.
- Diluting your message.
- Creating ads and media placement, just to get attention.
This mistake finds its way into countless corporate ads, with a message that boils
down to: we are so wonderful-established-massive; you should be doing business with us. Right. Despite the fact that advertising is mass communication, you err grievously if you direct your communication to a mass. Your ads must connect with each prospect individually, with benefits that really matter.
Advertising is getting your prospects mind right. If you send inconsistent messages, it will take longer to get the results you want. Everyone wants "fresh". But, consistency pays. If it's working, then stick with it.
Load your ad with everything you can think of and it will become a food mixer of ingredients, the blend of elements which are only as strong as the weakest one. There is a time for in depth discussion of all your products or service benefits and hashing out what is important. That is in the very beginning before you determine the direction of your media placement and ads. Each should have a singular focus.
Never forget there is a clear distinction between getting attention and getting business. Of course your ads and media placement must command attention they must do so in such a way that opens the door to making the sale.
Copy writing is a highly specialised art. Mess with it at your peril but make sure that you say what you mean and mean what you say in any language to communicate with your target audience.
Ask yourself; do you want fine writing? Do you want masterpieces? Or do you want a sales curve that moves up?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
