How is America's Brand Doing?

We often debate how well big brands are doing in terms of image and perception. If we look at America as a brand, I think it's safe to say we've got a long way to go towards winning over "consumers" worldwide. In Iraq, for example, America's "show of force" branding strategy has pretty much backfired. A recent Washington Post story on that really highlights the dangers of misunderstanding or failing to learn about your consumer. The Pentagon gets pretty low marks as a Brand Manager. The executive branch isn't doing much better. It's no wonder we're always hearing about how America is perceived worldwide as either a bully or an arrogant bore.

A 211-page, $400,000 study by the Rand Corp. suggests that instead of being super-aggressive in a military sort of way, a better Iraq branding strategy may be to say "We will help you." Maybe some good branding strategy really can win hearts and minds, if you hire the right people for the job. And the price was a relative bargian.

Mad Men on AMC Worth Watching

We're all aware of how the advertising industry is portrayed, and sometimes shockingly misrepresented, on the tube. Even so, the new AMC original series Mad Men is refreshing. If you haven't seen it yet, don't worry. It's not another ThirtySomething" thank God. It's actually an interesting and stylized interpretation of a fictional ad agency during advertising's "golden age" at the height of the 1950's. It's 1960 and Nixon's gonna make a run for the White House. The PC and "desktop publishing" are still 20 years away, cars have fins, the most high-tech thing in the office is the newly introduced IBM Selectric typewriter, men's ties are skinny and everybody, and I mean everybody, smokes cigarettes. Female viewers may be a bit put-off by the way women are objectified in the male-dominated, boozy business culture of that time, but I can already see strong female characters emerging. One thing that is portrayed accurately and probably never will change - the AE's are universally despised. See the rerun episodes Wed. at 10, and the new ones Thurs at 10.

Local Stations Still Saying No to Condom Ads

Here's another one from the NY Times - Andrew Newman's story about the Trojan "Evolve" campaign being banned in Pittsburgh. Local CBS, ABC and Fox stations have rejected the ads, but in a sweet bit of poetic cyber-justice, the commercial has been viewed nearly 100,000 times on YouTube! Dont you love it? In rejecting the ads on whatever misguided moral high ground they think they are maintaining, those local stations are doing Trojan a huge favor.

Here's an interesting factoid Newman points to in the story:

According to a 2001 survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 71 percent of Americans believe that condom advertising should be allowed on television, more than those who approve of televised ads for beer (64 percent) or hard liquor (51 percent).

And to that I'll add a fact of my own. I'll bet those same stations have no problem accepting ads for Viagra, Cialis and the other E.D. drugs.

'Nuff said. I'm going to watch some YouTube now.

NY Times reports advertisers limiting "junk food" ads to kids

Trying to persuade critics the industry does not need government regulation, 11 big food companies, including McDonald's, Campbell Soup and PepsiCo, have agreed to stop advertising to children under 12 products that do not meet certain nutritional standards. Some of the companies, like Coca-Cola, have already withdrawn all such commercials or are in the process of doing so. Others, like General Mills, said they would withdraw them over the next year or so, while a handful agreed to expand their self-imposed bans to radio, print and Internet advertising.

As the NY Times reported 7/18/07, this is a self-imposed ban. The reason why? The last thing the big brand marketers want or need is to have more Big Brother government intervention in their marketing. Let's hope that never happens. I understand the seriousness of this country's childhood obesity problem, but if we allow government intererence, it will be the most slippery slope you've ever seen. When government dictates how and where we can advertise certain products to certain age groups, it'll be over and out. There are many people, including politicians, in this country who feel the advertising industry is made up of hucksters who want to make you buy things that are bad for you and that you cannot afford. And, of course, because we're so evil, we will stop at nothing to pollute the minds of our precious children.

In a July 18 news release, AAF President Wally Snyder praised the commitment of the advertising industry on its aggressive self-regulation efforts. Snyder says, "The industry has responded positively and aggressively to improve its self-regulatory response." The poor guy had to go straight home and take six showers after making that statement.

As an AAF member and ad agency owner, it all just makes me feel uneasy.


But fear not, ad fans, apparently while General Mills will no longer be advertising Trix to 12-and-under viewers, it will continue to advertise Cocoa Puffs, which have one less gram of sugar per serving. And it will be able to continue advertising Trix on other TV shows and media that are considered to cater to "families" rather than just kids.

Thank goodness for those talented media planners. Silly rabbit. Sorry, couldn't resist that one.

Big brands looking to Tivo-proof their advertising

Have you seen the stories in Ad Age and WSJ lately about how the big brands - Geico, Gillette, Garmin and others - are "Tivo-Proofing" their advertising? In this "I'm too sexy for my TV" age, advertisers are integrating their messages into TV network programming by reaching back to the 1950s when TV shows were created - and named - for their sponsors. Can you say "Soap Opera?" Talk about a blast from the past!

My P.R. director doesn't like me to use the word "crap" but I have to pose the question - As advertisers re-invent TV 1950s-style, does this open the doors for all kinds of advertiser-driven crap TV that will eventually serve to drive more viewers away?

Anyone care to share their thoughts about Garmin’s live commercial on NBC's The Tonight Show? I’ll go first. It was pathetic.

Is E-mail really for old people?

Higher education marketing expert and former college recruiter Susan L. Blake points to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education story stating that students are ignoring their campus email accounts and colleges are faced with reaching them by other means of communication.

Emerging technologies like Web 2.0 (podcasting, blogging, text messaging and social networking) can help colleges communicate with students. Teens are plugged into this digital word and savvy higher-ed marketers and recruiters will use these tools to stay ahead of the competition. Look for a soon-to-be-released White Paper on this topic from Ms. Blake.

About the name "Smith on Branding"

Those of you who’ve worked in the advertising business for more than ten minutes will be familiar with David Ogilvy’s book, Ogilvy on Advertising. The first American edition was published in 1983, and the first sentence summarized Ogilvy’s no-nonsense approach to advertising…

“I do not regard advertising as entertainmet or an art form, but as a medium of information.”

And although the book is almost 25 years old – written well before the Internet, e-mail, cell phones and YouTube, it’s still one of the books everyone in advertising should have on the shelf.
So the name of my blog is both homage to Ogilvy, the most successful advertising man in the history of the business, and glimpse into the ever shifting landscape of branding.

Welcome.

Launching this blog was a natural for me. There’s nothing I enjoy more than sharing information about the wonderful, whacky world of branding. As someone who has practiced the art of advertising, sales promotion and direct marketing for almost 25 years, I’m always looking for information, opinions, news and trends on my favorite subject. There is always something new going on. Things that make you say, “What in the world were they thinking?” Other things that make you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Some of the content you see here can also be found in my firm’s quarterly newsletter, Advertising & Other Creative Stuff. I try to include as many interesting things as possible, but an e-newsletter has to be short and sweet. Here, on the other hand, we’ll talk as much as we want. So feel free to share your thoughts on branding. And you can be sure we won’t run out of things to talk about!