Advertising Impression

Nigel Hollis writes:

The reference to an “advertising message” makes me wince. The word “message” seems to imply that the advertising is designed to convey specific information or an argument. But not all advertising is intended to persuade people by arguing the merits of a brand. And even when it does, I think we overestimate the degree to which people actually comprehend what is shown and said in advertising. ...

But this does not mean that most advertising is ineffective. Provided the ideas conveyed by the ad come to mind when relevant, then it will have an effect, i.e. when someone is thinking about buying the product in that category. So in the vast majority of cases, the best we can hope of any advertising is that the content is noticed at the time of viewing and the idea and feelings evoked are linked to the brand in people’s memories. ...

This is why I have always preferred the old-fashioned term, “advertising impression.” Although it is typically used as a media term to imply an exposure or ad view, the word “impression” also implies that people get the general idea. They understand the gist of what is being said, without necessarily consciously considering what the ad is trying to convey at the time of viewing. An impression is the mental image of a brand that sticks in people’s minds.

After all, isn’t that what most advertising is trying to do?

Direct Mail: On the Brink

Brian Halligan notes:

Direct mail, a form of outbound marketing, doesn't exactly have a great reputation these days. Consumers are continuing to ignore these interruptive communications, and much of the junk mail people receive ends up in their trash bins. The fact is, traditional marketing strategies that businesses have long adopted — including direct mail — are less effective now that the internet has changed the way people research and shop; it's the other marketing tactics that adapt to these changing buyer behaviors that are gaining traction among marketers.

Facebook Friction

Jim Bruene writes:

Facebook changed the rules for brand pages ... the Internet giant only allowed 30 days to make the change. Obviously, the company still doesn't know (or more likely care) how long it takes to revise marketing materials in the real world. While the timeline change doesn't materially impact the tactics we looked at, it does illustrate a downside of developing on the Facebook platform:

• Facebook sets all the rules and you must adapt to them
• Facebook evolves faster than most brand marketing strategies, so it takes a commitment to keep up with the changes (this can be outsourced of course)
• Facebook is so popular, and has so many ways to grow revenues, it's not likely to listen business customers' feedback (yet)

While I do have some sympathy for someone whose corporate cultures is so clogged with red tape that it takes more than a month to get a simple task done, it seems somehow petulant and ungrateful for a marketer who has been given a gift of a free profile on a social media site that gives him access to half a billion customers and prospects to bellyache about the inconvenience of having to make adjustments.

The ominous "yet" seems to imply that there will come a day when the advertisers control the online channel, much in the way they have had control of traditional channels for decades, and with much the same consequence. Let's hope that never happens.

Verbs Beat Adjectives

Roger Dooley writes:

There are multiple reasons to choose verbs over adjectives. First, adjectives on their own don't say all that much and are easy to throw in without real justification. Describing a candidate as "dedicated, focused, and creative" is a quick way to satisfy the need for a favorable comment and get the recommendation on its way. Similarly, a product could be, "economical, long-lasting, and easy to use." In both cases, though, the reader has nothing to go on other than the word of the writer, who is almost certainly biased in favor of creating a good impression.

Avoiding Creepiness

Roger Dooley writes:

A new survey of UK social media users showed that nearly half “don’t like having ads targeted to them based on information included in their social media profiles, including activities, interests, and other personal data.” While Google’s motto has been, “Don’t Be Evil,” perhaps a more appropriate one would be, “Don’t Be Creepy!”

The positive spin, I suppose, is that the other half is fine with personalized ads, but this high level of negative sentiment has to be troubling to marketers who are counting on targeting and personalization to improve the effectiveness of their ads. I’ve been advocating personalization via social media and other means lately, and I believe there are ways to reduce the probability that consumers will find targeted pitches creepy instead of appealing.

Case Study: Blogging v. Traditional Advertising

Andrew Pitre notes:

Just because you can reach 2.8 million people doesn't mean you should. Find shows and publications that cater specifically to your customer base, and don't ever pay for impressions that won't one day convert into paying customers. Not only is it annoying the audience, it isn't helping you achieve your marketing objectives.

Stop Selling Video As A TV Alternative

From Mark Trefgarne:

Consumers are spending time online, there's no arguing that. But they're still spending time on TV, and no advertiser is going to give up on a proven channel like TV if video presents itself as a lesser alternative. Its time to stop whining about missing brand dollars and start emphasizing what TV doesn't have. Online media sellers need to adopt audience targeting, creative optimization and metrics, and then sell these capabilities to brands. The only way brands will use video to supplement their other buys is if it helps them drive sales, so let's show them how it works.