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April 30, 2003
Dated tomorrow, because it’s already tomorrow today in New Zealand, is an article in
the New Zealand Herald about the backlash a popular children’s hospital encountered
when it tried to disassociate itself from its branding:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Yes, the hospital management had no concept of branding. Or, rather, they did
have a concept of branding, but it was the one popularized by self-proclaimed one-minute
branding experts: that a brand is a stylized means of increasing sales and market share.
In fact, what we call a brand is nothing more - or less - than a reputation and the
emotional connection people have with that reputation. Like a good reputation, a good
brand takes a long time to build. Like a good reputation, a good brand is built by people
not advertising, by consumers not marketers. And, like a good reputation, a good brand
should never be tossed aside lightly.
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April 29, 2003
A new book, called The Hidden Power of Advertising, by Robert Heath, explores new
research behind what the author has branded “low involvement processing.” In
short, branding messages work in far more subtle ways than most people think:
Advertising copywriter
blog link
It’s another example of advertising research finally catching up to what
advertising copywriters and art directors have known since the dawn of advertising itself:
that certain messages operate on levels that cannot be adequately tested in a focus group.
Advertising only works - or fails - in real life.
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April 25, 2003
What is deceptive advertising? Well, here are several clear-cut examples by one automotive
dealership, from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, courtesy Business Wire:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Not much to add to it, other than that I hate to see clichés about car dealers and
advertising proven true.
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April 24, 2003
Since we’re discussing possibly deceptive advertising practices, here’s a story
about SUV advertising drawing written warnings from some 40 state attorney generals, from
Just-Auto.com:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
I’d categorize this as SUV backlash because it comes so late. To the extent that
any change in depictions of SUVs in advertising may protect consumers, that protection
would have as its actual foundation the fact that car-based SUVs are capturing
ever-increasing market share, largely because of improved handling and ride
characteristics over truck-based SUVs. Consumer Reports taking on the Suzuki Samurai and
Isuzu Trooper during the rise and peak of SUV popularity was honest and sincere. The
action of the attorney generals (elected officials, by the way) this late in the game
smacks of political showmanship, plain and simple. But then, that’s marketing too.
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April 23, 2003
Here’s a U.S. Supreme Court case, involving the First Amendment and Nike’s press
releases, advertorials, and website copy, picked up from the Associated Press by Salon:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Even though I’m an advertising copywriter, I do not think that advertising copy
warrants the same level of Constitutional protection as other forms of speech or press.
However, with globalization (and consequent dealing with other political and economic
systems) comes issues beyond the actual product. With my latest purchase of New Balance
shoes came a six-panel hang tag explaining what the company believed it meant
when it labeled the shoes “Made in USA.” I do not believe that that hang tag
should contain outright lies or unsupportable claims; at the same time, I am aware, by
context, that what I am reading is written entirely from the perspective of New Balance
Athletic Shoe, Inc. In the case of Nike Inc. vs Kasky, I believe that when accusations are
leveled against a business, then that business must not be forced to leave those
accusations unanswered simply because it is a business.
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April 21, 2003
The fast-food chain McDonald’s is testing two different ad approaches in an attempt
to find one that will resonate with consumers. Here’s the article, from the
Charleston (SC) Post and Courier:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
If the adoption of a shotgun approach to advertising doesn’t prove that these
people are clueless, the line about the senior executives sitting through “hours of
presentations” does. Take some advice from a little ol’ freelance advertising
copywriter: advertising simply cannot take hours to understand.
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April 17, 2003
As long as we’re talking about target markets, here’s an article from my
home-town paper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, about using computer-mapping technology to
pinpoint specific potential customers:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Information about the target market helps in advertising to the people within it,
because it helps create relevant advertising messages. The more information you
have, the more-relevant your advertising can be. But, the advertising still needs to
capture attention. Relevance, in medium and message, is an aid to readership and
conversion, but it is not the same thing. The low returns from the restaurant’s
door-hanger ads might well have been caused by the ads themselves. Delivering a message
that is relevant and on-target, but that fails to stand out in creative execution, is as
much a waste of money as delivering to the wrong market.
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April 16, 2003
A story from The Advertiser (Australia) about targeting “tweenagers” - children
between 8 and 14 years of age - with branding messages:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
As a parent, I feel appalled at the targeting of ever-younger groups of people (and
let’s remember that they are people, not profit centers). As an advertising
copywriter, I think we’re shooting ourselves - and our industry - in the foot by
removing from the formative years a sense of innocence without which there can be no
wonder. Without wonder, there can be no vitality in advertising - only re-formatted
recitations of the brand dicta, executed with a dulled appeal to already cynical
customers.
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April 15, 2003
This advertising blog gets re-built, with archives and a more traditional structure. And,
the Puma Sneaker story that won’t go away gets analyzed (for the nth time) in
MSN’s Slate:
Advertising copywriter blog
link
Conspiracy theories and conspiracy-within-conspiracy theories abound. Sigh. Is it viral
marketing? Sub-viral marketing? Or, no marketing at all? I tend to favor the latter, since
the results seem to be more buzz within the advertising industry than sales in the store.
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April 14, 2003
A couple weeks ago, I was talking about branding localities (Poland, Bulgaria, and
Colorado). Here are two articles that illustrate some of the challenges faced by
advertising agencies attempting to build a community brand identity. The first is from the
Sacramento Bee, about a potential visual stunt that has evolved, through the sheer
enthusiasm of marketing amateurs, into a badly misfired marketing concept. The second,
from the Cincinnati Enquirer, points up the difficulties of funding and maintaining a
branding campaign:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Advertising
copywriter blog link
With Sacramento’s potential tomato-painted water tower, the proposers (thankfully not an advertising agency) were going, one assumes, for whimsy. The idea falters because of the added-on conceptual weight the original, whimsical, idea has been forced to carry. Sometimes, a tomato should just be a tomato. And marketing amateurs should listen to marketing professionals, who know when to stop.
One of the bigger re-branding stories today is WorldCom becoming MCI. Here are a couple
links. The first is to an article in the Washington Business Journal, and the second is to
a press release from WorldCom itself:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Advertising
copywriter blog link
I’m not convinced this is a smart move. Although MCI definitely has better brand
characteristics right now than WorldCom, I think people have short memories. I’m also
concerned that, by branding itself as MCI, the company will limit its opportunities and
growth. And, short-term, I think WorldCom/MCI has better things to spend its money on
right now, than a big-splash branding campaign; things like customer retention. I think
re-branding as MCI helps fulfill a one-year plan, and maybe even a three-year plan. But
probably not a ten-year plan or a 25-year plan, and that’s what branding is supposed
to be about.
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April 11, 2003
Here’s a story of an advertising promotion that backfired. It’s dated tomorrow,
but that’s because it’s already tomorrow in Thailand:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
In the U.S., it’s common for copywriters to envy the creative freedom copywriters
enjoy in, say, most of Europe. Still, there’s creative freedom and there’s
cultural sensitivity, and the two are not mutually exclusive. The first
requirement for any copywriter is empathy, and I’m not certain how empathetic it is
to the average Thai showerhead consumer to see a swimsuit-clad supermodel showering while
being towed down a public street. Attention-getting, yes. Relevant, maybe - I haven’t
seen the supporting advertising or marketing materials. But, empathy-wise, this one lands
firmly in the “p.r. stunt” category.
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April 10, 2003
Lying, cheating, and stealing in advertising ... no, wait, it’s not what you think.
Here’s the story, about a U.S.-based advertising agency, by the way, reported in the
U.K.-based Guardian:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
On the one hand, and contrary to the article writer’s claim, advertising
old-timers will say that there is nothing new here. Media and production always were two
areas ripe for kick-backs and other personally enriching deals if the people in charge
were unscrupulous enough to take them. On the other hand, the fact that this is now viewed
as corporate malfeasance, instead of a corporate perk, is something new. And
good.
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April 9, 2003
Um ... unique media opportunities, examined (thankfully briefly) in this article from the
BBC:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
At the root of it is the classic idea that an innovative promotion can be an effective
form of advertising, because it breaks through the noise, gets press coverage, and engages
the audience on a personal level. I think the key question is this: is the promotion
relevant to the product or service benefits? If it is, then that’s good; if
it’s not, then it’s just another example of undisciplined “creative”
(quotes intentional) minds at work, and will be every bit as wasteful of the marketing
budget as a silly ad. It’s worth noting that Bill Bernbach once said “the heart
of creativity is discipline.”
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April 8, 2003
An article summarizing some recent research into online branding and packaged goods
consumers, from Daily Research News Online:
Advertising copywriter
blog link
The differences between “Brand Bonders” and “Brand Loyalists” is worth knowing. According to the research (Jupiter Media), Brand Bonders make up 25% of the U.S. online population, and believe the brands they use “reflect their personality.” They are busy, young, Internet-savvy, and more-likely to be female. The article suggests online bill payment as one way to reach this group.
Brand Loyalists, on the other hand, are older and mostly male. They make up 21% of the
U.S. online population, are the most-affluent segment, and tend to be unwilling to try new
brands. Examples given of ways to reach this group online include sports, stocks and
bonds, and adult-oriented content.
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April 7, 2003
Branding Poland, an article from the Warsaw Business Journal:
Advertising copywriter
blog link
Poland used to be known, at least, for sausage, vodka, pickles, and crystal. Now, it is
a nation that has lost its brand even as it expands its free market. As I look over the
litany of government agencies and public institutions involved in Poland’s recent
branding efforts, it’s clear to me why nothing has been accomplished despite massive
expenditures of public funds. What I said a few days ago - well, it goes double here.
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April 3, 2003
Rebranding Bulgaria, an article from the Sofia Echo:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
A lot of classic advertising was done to promote nations. DDB’s work for Jamaica
springs to mind, as well as Ogilvy & Mather’s work for Britain, France, and
Puerto Rico. I wonder, though: with today’s reliance on politically charged
committees and roving bands of consultants, can that level of creative brilliance be
achieved again? Bulgaria’s two-year study just to develop a brand strategy
does not bode well for breakthrough advertising.
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April 1, 2003
It’s no joke - advertising works. Here’s a link to an article in the Denver Post
about Colorado state tourism advertising:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
They projected that every dollar spent on advertising would generate $2.75 in added revenue through state and local taxes. Instead, the $2.5 million ad campaign generated a whopping $32.4 million in added tax revenue, or an ROI of nearly $13 for every dollar invested in advertising and promotion.
But, there is an April Fool’s joke here, and it is that the advertising
account is up for review! Yes, the incumbent ad agency, which created and
implemented the ad campaign that generated these terrific results, now has to compete for
the account all over again. That’s government work for you.
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Backwards in time to March 2003
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Why should you hire me as your advertising copywriter? | FAQ
Advertising strategy and other lies
An advertising copywriter’s bookshelf:
recommended books
Brands and branding: a white paper
Do you make these mistakes in
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Free (yes, free) advertising copywriting
resources
Four ad copy traps that ensnare even
experienced copywriters
How to
become an advertising copywriter
How to write a brochure: advice from an advertising copywriter
How to write better ads
Long John Silver on writing ads
More career advice: what’s it like being
an advertising copywriter?
Napoleon’s advice to entrepreneurs,
Part I: starting the enterprise
Napoleon’s advice to entrepreneurs,
Part II: the entrepreneurial character
Napoleon’s advice to entrepreneurs,
Part III: growing the enterprise
The economy (and what to do about it)
The Tightwad
Marketing project
Advertising copywriting
mentorship
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Awards & honors | Curriculum vitae | Services
Phone and fax: (619) 465-6100
John Kuraoka, freelance advertising copywriter
6877 Barker Way
San Diego, California
92119-1301