In the February 27th issue of Advertising Age, Brad Haley, executive vp marketing, CKE Restaurants authored a Viewpoint entitled "The Decline and Fall of TV Advertising." His position is that the end of TV advertising is near and he states "unfortunately for those of us in the business, there is simply no good media alternative on the horizon to replace the TV ad." Au contrair. In my opinion, the death of television advertising has everything to do with a lack of customer connection. Maybe it's time for marketers to reassert their authority and demand the creativity they need to break through the clutter in both a relevant and compelling way. Larry Light, when CMO at McDonald's, developed some strong and sensible advertising guidelines: Brand Journalism and Brand Framework.
Brand Journalism: tell a story to your
consumer in a way that resonates with that specific person or segment,
and recognize that different audiences often interact with the same
media channel differently. Larry uses magazines as a perfect example-
while different audiences read and enjoy the same magazine, they do so
because different articles are meant for each segment. As marketers we
need to recognize our need to connect with our audience in a manner
that reasonates with that audience. One size no longer fits all.
Marketers need to ensure that they, and especially their agencies, know
their customers well enough to develop advertising specifically focused
on customer insights not just "cute" ideas. Brand Framework: streamline creativity. Larry and his
team created the framework for their advertising to keep it consistent
and on target. Creatives were encouraged to stretch their creative
thinking as long as they stayed within Larry's sandbox- the agencies
had to play by his rules. Of course they complained initially that by
not being able to stretch the envelope Larry was stifling creativity, but as it turned out, just the opposite occurred. The agencies became more creative because they knew
the boundaries in which they had to work. "I'm Loving It" was born out
of this framework. This business-driving campaign would not have seen
the light of day had Larry not stuck to his rules. Results - a 26%
increase in profits in 13 months. Advertising at its best. As for Brad's lament that there is no good alternative to TV advertising, ask John Hayes, American Express
CMO about this and he'll tell you that he moved away from an overloaded
TV media plan years ago in favor of a much more relevant and
hard-hitting event marketing plan. Again, the client took charge. He
slashed his prime time TV budget by 65% putting those funds into events
like "Reopening the Statue of Liberty". American Express card holders help to raise the funds necessary to reopen this most important symbol of freedom. Freedom is an important and relevant message to
American Express cardholders, so this program worked. It was supported
by TV, but driven by a marketer who knew that TV cannot always touch
the consumer's heart in as relevant a way as a brand experience. Marketers, it's time to unite. Take back the decision
as to how your brand will reach out to your franchise. Stop lamenting
about the fact that TV is not as effective and realize that maybe it's
the fact that TV has always been a safe and easy choice. Get to know your customers better. Understand what
makes them tick emotionally - then you'll be able to devise both a
message and communication strategy that resonates, is relevant and
breaks through the clutter. And please also remember: You, Ms.
Marketer, are in charge. Your agency is your agent not your boss. Make
them a partner, but don't give up the ultimate decision rights. Stay in
charge.
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