3 Advertising - Three Advertising - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Research is not a media strategy.

For media people, few things inspire both love and hate as much as research.
By nature, we are numbers freaks. We love the comfort of turning off the
world, engaging our iPods and digging into the gritty research analysis.
It’s like heaven.

But research is not always roses and chocolate. Consider Arbitron’s outdated system of measuring radio listening. Have you ever seen the completed diaries people keep? It’s no wonder the results sometimes seem inconsistent. Or it could be the “sample size not reliable” message that is returned when you get too aggressive with your inquiry – such as trying to better understand a Harley owner by asking for his preferred brand of watch or cologne. The problem with looking for answers in research is that most of the time the answer just doesn’t “feel” right.

So each day we arrive at a fork in our planning path: Do we rely solely on research, be it good or bad? Do we simply choose the path that can be supported by data? This is the most common choice for many. And, if the path is questioned, they have the standard answer waiting in their hip pocket, “but the data can’t get that specific” or “it’s not proven.”

A solid media planner will consider the research, absorb it, but never look to find the answers in it. Real success (and a little risk) comes when we step out of our data-centric comfort zone. Rather than fall back on what is defined, why not call up an informed gut instinct based on our experience and knowledge, rather than lean on flawed or retro-fitted numbers. Real strategy comes from the gut, not from spreadsheets.

All great planners feel the pull of the data and then take it to the next level, sometimes living outside the comfort zone. It frees us to be creative and it always leads to smarter campaigns for our clients. (Not to mention, it’s way more challenging and fun.)

In the end, successful communications don’t evolve from Scarborough runs or focus groups; they result from a natural curiosity, a tolerance for ambiguity, the courage to take a calculated risk. So, appreciate the guidance and insight that can sometimes be found in research. And then walk away and trust yourself to create the answers.

Posted by 3 at 01:50 PM | Post a comment

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Throw away your business card.

One thing we've noticed as we've adopted a collaborative working model is how important it is to be equals with the people we're working with, both internally and externally, when it comes to ideas. It’s freeing to push the historical agency (and client) job titles aside and just share ideas.

We believe the best idea wins, no matter where it comes from. Art directors can come up with killer headline campaigns. Copywriters may conceive brilliant executions for a corporate identity package. A media planner can generate the freshest of guerrilla ideas. And yes, even clients and account executives may concept a wonderful interactive idea. We all have our traditional responsibilities to assume on a given assignment. And certainly within each specialty, experience and wisdom usually prevail, but it's fun to let go of job functions and just think about the challenge at hand. The latest fad of consumer-generated advertising takes this idea even further.

When everyone works together from and toward the same place, ideas seem to flourish. No hidden agendas and an almost blatant disregard for old-school “territories” is the direction that is going to take advertising into the next phase. The “greatideascomefrommanydirections” era of advertising. How has collaboration changed the way you work?

Posted by 3 at 03:09 PM | Post a comment

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The official, final and complete rules of advertising.

In our industry, rules are as pervasive as bad ads themselves. In fact, the least effective ads are often the results of the misapplication of rules. As sure as there is a new marketing book on the shelf, a new set of rules (and catch phrases) emerges, demanding from us that everything that has come before be
thrown out.

It’s an appealing temptation to look for answers in the form of “rules” that promise a sure-fire method to solve your marketing problems. But too often, while many of these rules can and do work in some instances, they are not always applicable to every marketing situation. Unfortunately, most are based on a single case study. Not very scientific.

Take David Ogilvy’s classic book, “On Advertising.” The author pounded home such iron-clad rules as “never reverse-out type for a headline.” To be sure, there was a time when anyone reading that would have thought it would stand the test of time. Thankfully, creative rules die quickly. (What speaks more to the legacy of the great Mr. Ogilvy are the brilliant and timeless insights he had into human behavior and corporate culture. For example, he advised his agency’s management to hire people smarter than themselves in order to “become a company of giants.” Good rule.)

Marketing is a marriage of the rational and the emotional. It’s a tempestuous relationship. No rules can master it. But with the right amount of chemistry, the mixture leads to passionate work that yields real results. The only sure-fire formula is to use your brain, know what you are trying to accomplish and understand those you need to reach in order to be successful. You’ll be surprised at how often your gut instincts are the beginning of great advertising.

Just for fun, what are today’s advertising/marketing “rules” that will be tomorrow’s tomfoolery, shenanigans and ballyhoo?

Posted by 3 at 11:48 AM | Post a comment

Research is not a media strategy.

Throw away your business card.

The official, final and complete rules of advertising.

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Research is not a media strategy.

Throw away your business card.

The official, final and complete rules of advertising.

Page 10 of 14 pages « First < 8 9 10 11 12 > Last »

Latest work: Albuquerque Ambulance

SEARCH BLOG

RECENT BLOG ENTRIES

BLOG ARCHIVES

COOL LINKS

SYNDICATION

Latest work:
Albuquerque Ambulance