60 Minutes And A Brilliant Marketing Minute
May 8th, 2010 | Author: admin
60 Minutes And A Brilliant Marketing Minute
A few weeks ago 60 Minutes ran a segment that focused on network TV and advertisings perpetual fixation with youthful target audiences. They interviewed Donny Deutsch and also showed some clips from the Mitsubishi campaign.
When the segment was over and they went to commercial guess what the first spot in the break was? Yupa Mitsubishi spot. Brilliant move Donny.
This media buy might have been a coincidence but Im willing to bet it was intentional.
Seems to me the audience of 60 Minutes doesnt reflect Mitsubishis target demographics on an ordinary Sunday. In this case however the fit was perfect and the subject matter of the story put me in the right frame of mind to see the commercial moments later.
I use this example because the impression I get is not that Deutsch has savvier media buyers though they might be or that Donny Deutsch is a whiz at his own PR though we all know he is but that his agency overall is a more creative and effective agency in terms of what they do for their clients.
So much talk focuses on why PR is more effective than advertising these days but ad agencies dont have to become irrelevant. Perhaps we can learn from Deutschs examplean example of why hes an effective brand steward for Mitsubishi.
The fundamental premise of advertising is built on paid airtime or spaceagencies and clients control what the message is who sees the message and when they see the message.
Do ad agencies utilize the benefits implied in that premise? Hell no. We have so much control over a brands communications yet most advertising is still dull irrelevant and in ever higher quantities that numb the senses.
Can one person or one creative team one AE fix this problem one ad at a time? Sure.
While we determine how brands should fit into a consumers lifestyle we should also determine how a brands advertising more closely matches the media environment.
As a creative person I have always made it a point to find out when and where an ad will appear before I begin concepting because all information pertaining to an assignment including media placement is powerful. I keep all the information in mind so I create a more creative and effective ad.
If I know the ad is going in the sports section I write an ad relevant to the people who read the sports section. If an ads going to air primarily late at night I write with insomniacs in mind.
I thought this logic could be easily applied at smaller agencies where its easy for every department to work closely together and small clients could appreciate the added value of strategic thinking that blends creative media and PR. Unfortunately in my experience small agencies in particular seem illequipped to implement such a process.
Every assignment for a brand fits into The Big Picture. Every point of communication can further build a brand. Any client can benefit from integrated ideas and in Mitsubishis case sharp thinking and good timing that make budgets go farther.
But many agencies dont encourage their employees to embrace interdisciplinary thinking. Nor do agencies strongly advocate to their clients the benefits of that approach. In the haste to simply get work out the door people fail to consider the big picture big ideas go unrewarded and our clients money gets wasted.
Maybe thats why people are beginning to think advertising has decreasing relevance. Maybe thats why small ad agencies stay small. Maybe thats why Deutsch went from a small agency to national prominence in only a few years.
So heres to you Donny. Your PR stunt backed with paid advertising worked on me. Just dont get a big head because Im giving you props okay?
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Branding. Religion. Censorship. Office politics. Global politics. Sexual politics. And getting drunk during a job interview.
Since 2002 Danny G. a.k.a. Dan Goldgeier has been writing the most provocative advertising columns ever published. They’re all witty thoughtful and probing and a must read for those who want a perspective rarely seen in traditional industry publications.
An Atlantabased copywriter and ad school graduate Dan has worked at shops big and small. He reads incessantly about advertising and is a whiz at rock roll trivia. Learn more about him by visiting his copywriting website or AdColumnist.com the View From The Cheap Seats Archive website. You may also find articles by Danny G at TalentZoo.com.
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