A Step Back

Hello everyone! Well, it's been awhile since I've last posted, but I wanted to say that I'm taking time to learn as much as I can. I've been looking into books that I need to get a hold of to learn more about marketing. So far, I'm going start with Dr. Robert Cialdini, who's actually a professor at my alma mater (and a sociologist, not a marketer). Dr. Cialdini has done a lot of work on how social groups respond to different things, and his work has huge implications for business, sales, and marketing. Exciting stuff. I'm also going to pick up a few books by Malcolm Gladwell, who does a lot of analysis in a lot of different areas of life. So as soon as I can get some cheap copies, I'll start a different stage of the research process.

In the meantime, I'd like to take a step back from my last post, which was more than a little ambitious. I mean, I certainly understand that a guy with no experience doesn't really belong critiquing national ad campaigns. I haven't studied the target demographics, I haven't seen any focus group reports, and I definitely do NOT have experience in marketing. That being said, I'm going to try and explore some areas of marketing that I maybe didn't even know existed until I started networking with professional marketers.

I recognize the difference between the creative side (ad photography, ad layout, etc.) and copywriting, for example. I actually think I could do both, but I know me rather well and no one else does, so until I show someone I've got what it takes, I doubt anyone would believe me. I call this the "put up or shut up" method of pursuing a job and I'm going to start taking it very seriously. There's a wonderful blog post by Ian Lurie about how to write copy, and I intend to take his advice. I'll try to get a better education about what makes good copy writing as well, but I think that nothing prepares you for a career besides diving right in, learning as you go. So my next post will be about a couple different items that I wish to practice writing copy for and see how I do!

Getting started on my own

Well, it has been only a few short days since I have embarked on this grand adventure. But I thought I might take a small break from showcasing my experiences that will contribute to becoming a great marketer, and try to give my two cents on a couple ads to say what I like or don't like about them. In doing so, I'm hoping that I might be able to show a small amount of marketing acumen, so here goes:

The first ad I would like to comment on is for Doritos:

There is a lot I like about this ad. I like to think that the most successful products, the ones that get really big, are the ones that either fulfill a niche (not the case here), or that have the image of being part of your every day life (Coke will forever be associated with Christmas and polar bears for me). I think this Doritos ad does that. It shows an Every-Day-Joe (like me, presumably) enjoying his Doritos. And, also like me, he doesn't want to share. Someone off-shot, cleverly representing every person you can think of that isn't you, tries to grab some, but it's protected by a badger. Obviously an over-the-top response to get people away from your food, this humorous portrayal of just how good your Doritos are is a nice touch. Large, bold print and the uniqueness of using a badger (as opposed to a snake, a big cat, or a ferocious dog), make the ad a bit more memorable. All in all, this is a very appealing ad.

My only criticism, because nothing is perfect, is that the scene should not be a guy in gym close in a locker room. To me, Doritos have always been part of regular life, and I don't really think of locker rooms as part of every day life, even when I do work out regularly (which isn't often haha). But I do think of time spent at home as a significant part of life, and it seems that a guy on a couch would serve the Doritos brand much better. Now, it could be that this ad was meant to run in sports magazines or on sports web sites, but I feel the same link could be accomplished by having a guy on a couch watching football. It could even be shot from behind, slightly or completely obscuring the main subject so that the viewers are meant to place themselves in the Doritos Guy's position.

The second ad is a type that I see a lot of and that I wish would just go away- it's for insurance.

The problem- I have a different provider for each type of insurance and I'm confused!! The solution- Nationwide covers ALL THE INSURANCES... just like every company out there. And I can guarantee that every single insurance agent you've ever spoken with has let you know that. Why? Because they make more money by servicing more types of insurance. The only reason people ever have multiple insurance companies is if one has one type cheaper, and another has the other type, and bundling won't save you money. More importantly, it's only confusing if you have terrible agents incapable of explaining to you how everything works. What is this woman confused about? Pricing? Who to call for what? How to submit payment? Literally none of these woman's problems will be solved by Nationwide until she gains the slightest inkling of how things work in the real world.

Now that may seem harsh, but I just don't know to whom these ads are targeted. Are there really people that don't have a basic grasp of acquiring insurance? Surely from age 18, people have started to seek out and learn about insurance? I mean, car insurance is legally mandated. If you haven't, it seems like you would never need to because someone else is doing it for you... So the only thing I can think of when I see an ad that promotes a company doing the same thing every other company in their field has been doing for decades is that they think I'm an idiot, and insulting me will never get me to buy your product or service. But then again, the people in this ad can't solve a 400 piece puzzle either, so I guess you're identifying your market right there.

I take the same issue with the "drivers who switched saved $XX.XX!" Oh, no one switched to your company because their rates with you were more expensive? How odd! I suppose this is a problem with an industry as common as insurance. Because they all do the same thing, and because they need you to contact them for their best chance of signing you up, they simply promote the same unchanging aspects of their business over and over.

Well, there is something you can do to promote yourselves that isn't insulting- you can talk about your payouts. Yeah, the fact that you actually took care of your customer when they were trying to file a claim while other companies don't do that would highlight some positive aspect of your company without disrespecting potential consumers. There are companies that do these things. Those are the ones that make me think they're first rate. State Farm's ads where they whistle and get stuff were humorous while still driving home the point that they will take care of you in time of crisis-  just like a good neighbor would do!

To sum up, I believe a successful marketer should be able to create pleasing, memorable, positive ads that relate to people where they are. That's something I can do. If I want to feel comfortable with a product and want to know it can seamlessly fit into my life, I'll bet that others do too. And I have a lot of ideas about how to do just that. If I want respect from ads directed at me, then you can bet the farm that my ads will treat consumers with respect as well. And if your company or product is part of a relatively unchanging market, then I will work hard to make sure I can get that point across as well without disrespecting your customers.