GREAT Creative

It's about WHAT YOU SAY gang. This isn't difficult: you say something believable and make a mental picture in my bean that I'm drawn to. When I need you, I'll go back to that memory and use you. Simple. And yet I'm bombarded with ads telling me how "Company XYZ has what I need for all my XYZ needs."

Bleech.

Now, THIS is GREAT Creative. Not just because it says something differently (which it does), but because it allows me to imagine myself there (and WANT to be there).

Thanks to the Wizard Of Ads for the original link!

We're only 20% of the pie.

Last night we hosted a Campaign Kickoff Reception for a new client's staff. We want them to understand what we've done & why...and how important it is for them to be on board when a new customer enters their office (they're a Dental office). When we showed them the Marketing Bridge, we could see their minds thinking about the process: how we can use their advertising to bring someone in the door is just one part of the equation. Most importantly will be how those patients leave that facility and that is completely on their shoulders.

I'm very excited by this campaign and with consistency & frequent use of their unique position, they'll own real estate in the market's mind.

Oh...and in case you were wondering...yes, it was VERY difficult for me to not make "Okay, now spit" jokes. ;)

Update: MAB Seminar...

Yesterday's MAB seminar was very good, indeed. Representatives from radio & tv talked with non-profit organizations about getting their messages onto news reports and in Public Serivce Announcement spots on the air. BigMouthAudio's John Hammer was there to talk with them about the actual creation of their messages, reminding them to treat these as you would any advertisment: the goal is the same...to influence listeners.

Typical to a Friday The 13th though...as MAB President Carole White was giving her remarks, the Fire Alarm sounded & they evacuated the entire building...into a serious downpour!

In case the water washed some knowledge from the day away, drop a line to John@BigMouthAudio.com and get a refresher course...then...let everyone know what you're up to!

Getting Your Message Out seminar, this Friday.

Denise Weston is the Community Affairs Director for the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, & she's asked BigMouthAudio's John Hammer to speak at the MAB's "Getting Your Message Out" seminar in Lansing this Friday. Hammer will be talking about the challenges organizations face in writing and producing their public service announcements...but even moreso, their difficulty to even get them on the air.

It's a tremendous honor to be asked and an event that should help many great folks market their groups better.

Think Outside The Box

As a "Creative" type, we're called upon to look at things with a slightly off-center view. This is a great example of that. Enjoy!

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.2. An old friend who once saved your life.3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.
Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car.

Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer.
He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams."

Never forget to "Think Outside of the Box."

Thank You, Infinity Broadcasting, Dallas

This is a real success story! A couple of years ago, Craig Hawkesworth of Infinity Broadcasting's Dallas, TX cluster got an idea to sell unused inventory. He developed Infinet, a sub-set within the building that has fire sales on leftover commercial time. We do :10 & :15 second commercials, that's it, just quickies. How has it worked? Brilliantly! So much so, that the company is moving ahead with the program for another year. We'll continue being their contractor for the work: usually same day turnaround and it keeps their in-house production team focused on the day to day running of the group. It's a true Win, Win, Win for Infinity, for us and for their advertisers.

Competitive Environment

The bottom-rung loser in one town can move to another town and often become the king of his category. All it takes is weak competitors. I've seen it happen a dozen times.Whether you dominate your marketplace won't be determined solely by the strength of your advertising. It will be determined partly by the strength of your competitors.How good are you at what you do? How good are they?There are 4 factors that determine business success. The most important of these, competitive environment, is the factor most often ignored. The reason, I suppose, is that business owners feel they can do nothing about it. So they ignore their competitors.But their customers don't.

**from Roy Williams' "Monday Morning Memo" See WizardOfAds.com for more, he's great!