Tom Asacker: Go back to the original meaning

Go back to the original meaning

I like this quote by Richard Pinder, chief operating officer of Publicis Worldwide, in Sunday's New York Times:

"People have been a bit sloppy with the word advertising. I think we’re going back to the original meaning of the word, which is to say, I hope that people are aware of my brand and interested in knowing more about it."

Exactly. Branding today can only work through ideas that customers want to connect with. People can neither be hypnotized with media images nor cajoled with flowery prose or “indisputable” facts. You must truly understand their pain, speak their language, and make your brand feel like a part of their inner world of hopes, dreams and desires.

Branding isn’t some kind of mysterious process that only the experts can understand. It’s a caring attitude and a trusting relationship. It's about creating awareness, interest, trust and on-going support by being different, desirable, real and interesting. It’s about mutual respect and involvement - a feeling of reciprocity. And it's ultimately about improving people's lives and making them happy through the strategic and creative employment of limited resources.

Anyone who tells you otherwise - and there are a lot of them out there - is either stuck in the past, defending his or her shrinking turf, or, more likely, both.

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Comments

"...strategic and creative employment of limited resources." I love it. That's what we're all hired to do, isn't it? It's often difficult for clients and teams to keep this in mind, but so impactful when it comes to achieving our goals. First, figure out the right thing to do, then figure out how to do it. Strategy - it's fun, meaningful and impactful. "A Clear Eye" helps you get there!

Posted by: Ian Orekondy | June 24, 2009 at 12:54 AM

For an "opposite-end-of-the-spectrum" perspective on Strategy, check out the Marine Corps' Warfighting http://www.amazon.com/Warfighting-U-Marine-Corps-Staff/dp/0385478348

Posted by: Ian Orekondy | June 24, 2009 at 12:57 AM

One of my favorite advertising quotes comes from Bill Bernbach. He said:

"The truth isn't the truth until people believe you, and they can't believe you if they don't know what you're saying, and they can't know what you're saying if they don't listen to you, and they won't listen to you if you're not interesting, and you won't be interesting unless you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly."

Bernbach doesn't say anything specifically about brands in his quote, but when related to brands it makes complete sense.

No one wants to see the everyday, run-of-the-mill ads. They just get lost in the clutter.

Company's brands should be exactly what Bernbach describes: "imaginative, original and fresh."

Posted by: Brian Vandeputte | June 24, 2009 at 01:40 AM

In a nutshell, what seems complicated to a lot of business and advertising types is actually very simple. We're evolving back to the basics. We're tuning out the hype and sticking with the brands that work for us and make us feel good about what we're buying and who we're buying it from.

I think the internet itself -- more than any other phenomenon -- has forced us to realize just how much B.S. is being thrown at us. So much so that we now generalize that it's ALL B.S. But instead of saying "Prove it," we're essentially saying "I'll find out for myself," provided someone manages to break through the mental barriers to everyday advertising and give us a truly compelling reason to even explore the possibility.

Posted by: Dan Gunter | June 25, 2009 at 07:50 AM