Advertising Mistakes

September 10, 2009

• Marketing Lessons – Contest: Help Bill Glazer Find Number 5 Of His Outrageously Effective Marketing Principals

  

  Glazer-Kennedy Insiders Circle President Bill Glazer Visits Philadelphia, PA USA

  Bill Glazer, one of the most celebrated direct response marketers in the world, visited the GKIC-Philly Chapter on September 9, 2009 to present his 10 Outrageously Effective Marketing Principals and share signed copies of his new book, Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful.

  He spoke before a jammed crowd at a monthly meeting but this time the crowd swelled way past the group's normal meeting space at West Chester University's Business Campus and had to relocate to a ball room of a local country club.

  But There Was A Problem With Bill's Presentation

  Bill is known for his outrageous advertising… like when he was photographed in a straitjacket to emphasize that people thought he was CRAZY for offering so much for such a low price.

  Or the time he was behind bars because you'd swear he was doing something illegal to keep his prices so low.

  Or the time he was on a donkey and asked which one was the bigger ass (the animal for carrying Bill or Bill for offering such value at such a low cost).

  But while his Recession-Busting presentation was superb, his math left something to be desired.

  It wasn't so much a case of false advertising; it was a case of "Oops, how did that happen?"

  Taking Notes For This Blog Post, I Discovered Bill's Mistake

  Anyone who knows me (and all of you who come to this website) know(s) what a student I am of Bill Glazer and his business partner, the legendary Dan Kennedy.

  (Did you ever hear the story that I was the drinking game when out for dinner with my family one night? Every time I'd say "marketing" or "Dan Kennedy," my family members took a drink. It took me 5 or 6 times before I realized what was happening… and that was all before dinner was served! Sometimes my family thinks I need a 12-Step Program to get me away from marketing!)

  
  Bill Glazer signs his books for his fans
  [media:http://uwahd.s3.amazonaws.com/VIDEO_020 Bill GlazerInPhilly.flv]
  

  I listen to Bill at least once a month on a CD he sends to me. I read the monthly Gold Newsletter that is delivered to my door. I've read all of Dan's books (well, he's always writing them, so perhaps I missed one!). I've attended seminars where both have spoken. I live, eat, breathe, and dream about marketing.

  I even gave the answer at last night's overflowing, crowded meeting when Bill asked about the most difficult part of creating a photograph with him dressed like Superman (answer: finding a phone booth – Superman would have NO place to change his clothes these days because phone booths are a thing of the past and a thing of museums. And that's where Bill found one – in a museum).

  Help Bill Find Number Five

  So… what was the mistake? Bill left out Principal #5 from his list.

  "Where's number five," I asked as Bill advanced his Powerpoint presentation from four to six.

  He backed up the presentation, and advanced it. Sure enough: NO number FIVE!

  "I've given this presentation before and you're the first one to notice that I skipped number five," he said. Hey, Bill can admit when something's gone wrong and it wasn't earth-shattering… but we DID come for TEN and he only delivered NINE!

  So I had a thought!
  Read more on Marketing Lessons – Contest: Help Bill Glazer Find Number 5 Of His Outrageously Effective Marketing Principals…

August 13, 2009

• Marketing Guru Bill Glazer Coming To Philly September 9, 2009

  

  Dan Kennedy's partner in Glazer-Kennedy Insiders Circle To Speak To Entrepreneurs

  Delay and you will miss out on one of the most important nights you will ever experience (if you are an entrepreneur or have your own business).

  Read more on Marketing Guru Bill Glazer Coming To Philly September 9, 2009…

April 4, 2009

• Advertising Mistakes – Tropicana Retreats To Old Branding

  

  Marketing, Branding, Image Building – What Do They Mean To Entrepreneurs?

  I'm not a huge fan of "branding" or doing marketing to "build a brand" for an entrepreneur.

  Those who have millions of dollars to throw at building a look, offering television commercials, and hope that when you stand in front of the refrigerated case you will remember what you are to purchase can build a brand, but not you.

  We all remember "New Coke" and the near disaster that Coke worked its way through several years ago when it changed its formula to make it sweeter and taste more like Pepsi. Hey, if I want Pepsi, I'll ask for Pepsi. Millions of dollars were lost as they admitted their mistake (hey, it's not failure, it's feedback… and believe me the market gave them plenty of feedback!).

  And now there are the marketing and branding changes from which PepsiCo (the owners of Pepsi and Tropicana) have done an about-face for the top-of-the-line orange juice, Tropicana.

  

  Tropicana Sales Nose Dive: Marketing Changes Are To Blame

  As reported on AdAge.com, "Tropicana's rebranding debacle did more than create a customer-relations fiasco. It hit the brand in the wallet.

  "After its package redesign, sales of the Tropicana Pure Premium line plummeted 20% between Jan. 1 and Feb. 22, costing the brand tens of millions of dollars. On Feb. 23, the company announced
  Read more on Advertising Mistakes – Tropicana Retreats To Old Branding…

March 27, 2009

• Grape Nuts: New Advertising Campaign Targets Men

  

  Wall Street Journal chronicles that finally they figure out that men have some say about the food we eat!

  The Wall Street Journal article starts with a subheading that says that the new Post Cereal campaign aimed at men marks a departure for cereal advertising campaigns.

  (Now let's make it clear: the type advertising being talked about here is what I call "Teaching Frogs How To Drink Beer." I won't go into the whole topic (you can listen to what I said before on my GetThemOffTheRaftMarketing.com site:
  [media:http://www.GetThemOffTheRaftMarketing.com/doitnow/GTOTRMvsTFHTDBM.mp3]

  This is NOT the type marketing I suggest for most entrepreneurs, but it is what car companies and even cereal companies use.)

  But we're told that to revive the crunchy Post Foods Grape Nuts, marketing geniuses have come up with cheeky commercials aimed at men.

  "That Takes Grape Nuts" is the catch phrase as if the cereal were ubiquitous and we'd all know what that meant. We don't. And I wonder how many people will be lured to a magic website where lots of 2-minute videos will show how many circumstances call for "That Takes Grape Nuts" fortitude.

  And to butch up the site to be sure that real men will feel comfortable watching videos about and talking about cereal, they pack the website with tips on restoring vintage cars and other macho topics.

  And the print campaign will run in Sports Illustrated featuring men fishing and golfing.

  HOWEVER… as silly as it all sounds, learning that this is the first time cereal isn't aimed at Mom and her kids made me wonder:

  What the heck have they been waiting for?

  The article points out that Grape Nuts is mostly eaten by men, but there has never been an advertising campaign reinforcing that – like all the other cereals, advertising has been aimed at women figuring that they do most of the grocery shopping.

  What – I can't make up my own mind about what I want to eat and either write it on the grocery list or ask my wife to shop for it when she goes weekly after church (and visiting my folks for lunch at their retirement community) each Sunday?

  And if the reason for my eating it were compelling enough, I'd stop myself to get some.
  Read more on Grape Nuts: New Advertising Campaign Targets Men…