How do you decide whether to believe a message or not? As reviewed in Chapter Four of Overcome AD-versity, there are three basic components to judging a message to be credible. The receiver of the message assesses the source’s expertise, trustworthiness and motivation. To do so, you have to read between the lines and read… Read More »
It is true that you have to have enough money to produce the desired commercial well. But how much is enought? We are often asked how much of the budget should be spent on production versus media. There is no simple answer but there are some clear guidelines. The cost of production is the overhead… Read More »
In the time of mass media, the cost of entry was very high. To make a TV commercial could cost thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Airing on network TV was also prohibitive, even if you already had a commercial. This meant two major things: marketers had to take time and be careful what… Read More »
Names are funny things. They are the nouns of our lives. Without them there would not be language. They create expectations and label us. They become our brands. We are often asked why we named our company Calexis and what it means. The truth is, we made it up. Our business is creativity. We create brand… Read More »
After many cocktail parties, I realized that most consumers see advertising and criticize it as if they knew what went in to creating it. They never think about the process, only the end result. When we look at an iceberg, we remark on its beauty without realizing that nine tenths of it are below water.… Read More »
When I started in the advertising industry in New York, there was some obsession with commercial wear-out. That is, at what point does the effectiveness of a commercial decline and render it less and less worth the media investment. In theory this makes a lot of sense if you buy into learning theory which holds… Read More »
PART I of V: 5 Advertising Mistakes Retailers Make We have been creating advertising for retailers for years. But we have always wondered why so many retailers insist on repeating someone else’s job. Imagine, people who are notoriously careful with their funds – car dealers who haggle with their manufacturers in a tooth and nail… Read More »
PART II of V: 5 Advertising Mistakes Retailers Make Recently I had a meeting with an accountant who does turnarounds. He attempts to save companies that are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy by nursing them back to health. I asked him whether some company owners put their ego ahead of the survival of their… Read More »
PART III of V: 5 Advertising Mistakes Retailers Make Let’s avoid textbook definitions of GRPs, reach and frequency, CPP and CPM and get to the point. The vast majority of retailers do not have a clue when it comes to buying media. They often assume that because they listen to a particular radio station or… Read More »
I have worked in both the US and Canada one thing I have found curious is that the markets have approached Diversity and Inclusion in two different ways. First the US: When I worked there twenty five years ago, there were quotas for “minorities” to appear in commercials. Clients required these quotas to be met… Read More »