Do you know how much revenue is generated on the web these days? Well, do you? Here’s a little something to throw around the water cooler this morning – in advertising alone, the net grossed over $16 billion in 2006. That doesn’t factor in all the revenue generated by websites selling the latest iPod gadget, bolo tie, or “gently loved” Mazda 626.
So the real question is not is the net profitable, but what fraction of the billion dollar web tango does your company dance? If you’re doing nothing more than a cyber-sit-this-one-out-shuffle, perhaps you better rethink your Internet business acumen.
I’ve met many business owners who seem to think that if they’re not playing the e-commerce game, then they don’t have anything to sell. But ask yourself, what’s the purpose of your site? Is it just there to sit and look pretty, or does it have a deeper purpose?
Because even if you’re not touting the latest greatest shopping cart, you are selling something – you. What about you or your business should people want to buy? You must discover your own unique selling point and then deliberately differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Are you a retailer? What about your retail business is special? Are you a service provider? What do you and only you offer? Why is service better with you than with somebody else?
Good answers to these questions begin the process of realizing online success. Initiating cyber avenues for people to tap into your company’s selling point solidifies it.
Because the Internet isn’t becoming the new world marketplace, it already is. The Yellow Pages and the SUV no longer take people to what they want to buy. Today, it’s – Google. Point. Click. Pay. Ship. Receive. Repeat.
Realizing you’re a cyber midget? Then do something about it. And relax. You don’t have to know how to do it – that’s why interactive specialists exist – but you do need to know where to find one that will provide solutions to drive your internet earnings.
Here’s a hint to get you started – Google. Point. Click. Pay. Ship. Receive. Repeat.
John Rockwieler – Interactive Director
The Russo Group
A good ad is a great performance, or at least it should be.
Creating a great ad is a thing of beauty. Even today, in the world of multi-media and the web, a well-crafted ad is something to be appreciated. Unfortunately, we are beaten down each day with some of the worst ads known to man.
So, what makes a great ad? Good question.
I could say, great copy, excellent photography and solid design, but I won’t. I won’t because it takes more than these things to create an ad with staying power.
I could also talk about the rules – but rules are made to broken, so I won’t talk about that either. What I will talk about is the performance of an ad - the ability to connect with someone before the turning of the page. A good ad does this. It comes to life, capturing the imagination of those who come in contact with it.
The performance comes from a carefully crafted ad that helps dictate user experience. It has hidden cues that tell us what to read, and how to feel. And hopefully, it leaves us thinking about it once the curtain falls, and we move on to another experience.
In all honesty, this performance is not always possible. As advertisers, our primary goal is to communicate information, sell products and deliver messages. At times, it is what it is. But that does not mean we shouldn’t try. The effort alone to reach out and connect with a consumer means more than not trying at all.
A great headline can change the world, or at the very least, change the way someone thinks. A great image can liberate the soul and a great design can save us all.
Ok, I may have over done it with the last few sentences. A great ad is simply that – a great ad. In the big picture, it seldom means more than that. But for those who depend on that ad to sell a product or deliver a message – well, when it’s successful, it’s a work of art.
Michael Russo
Creative Director
The Russo Group
So, what makes a great ad? Good question.
I could say, great copy, excellent photography and solid design, but I won’t. I won’t because it takes more than these things to create an ad with staying power.
I could also talk about the rules – but rules are made to broken, so I won’t talk about that either. What I will talk about is the performance of an ad - the ability to connect with someone before the turning of the page. A good ad does this. It comes to life, capturing the imagination of those who come in contact with it.
The performance comes from a carefully crafted ad that helps dictate user experience. It has hidden cues that tell us what to read, and how to feel. And hopefully, it leaves us thinking about it once the curtain falls, and we move on to another experience.
In all honesty, this performance is not always possible. As advertisers, our primary goal is to communicate information, sell products and deliver messages. At times, it is what it is. But that does not mean we shouldn’t try. The effort alone to reach out and connect with a consumer means more than not trying at all.
A great headline can change the world, or at the very least, change the way someone thinks. A great image can liberate the soul and a great design can save us all.
Ok, I may have over done it with the last few sentences. A great ad is simply that – a great ad. In the big picture, it seldom means more than that. But for those who depend on that ad to sell a product or deliver a message – well, when it’s successful, it’s a work of art.
Michael Russo
Creative Director
The Russo Group
Advertising Bedtime Stories
Not that I have a lot of time to sit and mull these types of things over, but have you ever posed this question: What would be the hardest product, service, or, for lack of a better term, "thing" to advertise?
A political entity? A war? A religion? A country? An unpopular cause? A lawyer? What about the advertising industry itself?
All seemingly tough, but all of the above have been successfully cut and rendered by the wizards of Madison Avenue (more details on that in another blog at another time).
I submit to you, dear reader, that the seemingly "easy sells" are the most difficult. I'm talking about the basics. The things of everyday life. Soap, toothpaste, bread, beer, water, clothing, and the like.
Difficult how? Because of consumers’ indifference to products that are all too common and all too commonly used. Difficult because of the sheer volume and variety of those products. Difficult because even a tenth of a tenth of a point of market share could make or break a company or manufacturer. And each of those "tenths of a tenths" of gain will come at a cost, that on paper, might not appear to be such a wise return on the investment.
So with that advertising horror story set in place, here are the bedtime stories that big ad execs tell their little junior advertising execs as they tuck them into their desks before those long all nighters...
To be fair, they're not really stories as much as they are headlines or slogans attached to some of the most successful (or famous) campaigns for all types of products. Proving, once again, that simple is not only better, it's memorable.
In no particular order, my top 25½ advertising headlines or slogans of all time:
The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hands.
Tastes great. Less filling. / Everything you always wanted in a beer and less.
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.
Coke adds life.
Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.
The Uncola.
Try it, you'll like it.
When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
Drivers wanted.
Reach out and touch someone.
The quicker thicker picker-upper.
We try harder.
The ultimate driving machine.
Let your fingers do the walking.
Just do it.
Don't leave home without it.
You're in good hands with Allstate.
Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't.
It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Please don't squeeze the Charmin!
M'm! M'm! Good!
Betcha can't eat just one.
Nothing runs like a Deere.
Think small.
Think different.
Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the media buyers bite.
Gary LoBue Jr / Art Director / The Russo Group
A political entity? A war? A religion? A country? An unpopular cause? A lawyer? What about the advertising industry itself?
All seemingly tough, but all of the above have been successfully cut and rendered by the wizards of Madison Avenue (more details on that in another blog at another time).
I submit to you, dear reader, that the seemingly "easy sells" are the most difficult. I'm talking about the basics. The things of everyday life. Soap, toothpaste, bread, beer, water, clothing, and the like.
Difficult how? Because of consumers’ indifference to products that are all too common and all too commonly used. Difficult because of the sheer volume and variety of those products. Difficult because even a tenth of a tenth of a point of market share could make or break a company or manufacturer. And each of those "tenths of a tenths" of gain will come at a cost, that on paper, might not appear to be such a wise return on the investment.
So with that advertising horror story set in place, here are the bedtime stories that big ad execs tell their little junior advertising execs as they tuck them into their desks before those long all nighters...
To be fair, they're not really stories as much as they are headlines or slogans attached to some of the most successful (or famous) campaigns for all types of products. Proving, once again, that simple is not only better, it's memorable.
In no particular order, my top 25½ advertising headlines or slogans of all time:
The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hands.
Tastes great. Less filling. / Everything you always wanted in a beer and less.
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.
Coke adds life.
Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.
The Uncola.
Try it, you'll like it.
When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
Drivers wanted.
Reach out and touch someone.
The quicker thicker picker-upper.
We try harder.
The ultimate driving machine.
Let your fingers do the walking.
Just do it.
Don't leave home without it.
You're in good hands with Allstate.
Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't.
It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Please don't squeeze the Charmin!
M'm! M'm! Good!
Betcha can't eat just one.
Nothing runs like a Deere.
Think small.
Think different.
Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the media buyers bite.
Gary LoBue Jr / Art Director / The Russo Group
When Cost Doesn’t Matter – Understanding Your Customer’s Values
I dread Memorial Day weekend. To tell you the truth, as I got ready for work this morning, I was relieved it was over. No, the family barbeque wasn’t a disaster, thank you for asking. It was the ads. The all-pervading, all-annoying Memorial Day weekend ads.
Even if I’d been in the market for a new loveseat or a used pickup truck I’d have been bothered, because every Memorial Day it becomes clearer to me how many advertising dollars are being wasted in this country, how many companies are paying good money to look absolutely ridiculous in front of countless consumers, 2-3 times every hour.
Retailers advertise their lowest prices ever – their once in a lifetime sales – again. They dress up as veterans, beer bellies camouflaged under brand new fatigues, and proceed to yell through bullhorns, shout commands into the camera, and stomp all over the furniture customers are now supposed to be enticed to buy.
It’s insulting really, that these businesses think consumers are so easily fooled, or, worse yet, entertained. They don’t understand what people really want, and they’re unwilling to consider that perhaps finding something “free” or “on clearance” isn’t what’s most important to today’s buyer.
Participants of focus groups I’ve conducted admit that although they might be fooled once by antics ads, after they’ve gone into a store and seen how few bargains are really available, they make a promise never to return. In fact, they often leave with a bit of animosity and proceed to tell their family and friends where not to shop.
So what do they care about? Here’s a start – saved time, not money. Most people understand that they’re going to have to spend a bit to get something of worth. They’re okay with that, in fact they’ll view it as an investment, if they can shop at a store that caters to their need for real convenience, good service, and a commitment to take their business seriously. People hate headaches, and they’ll pay to avoid them.
Which is why I quite happily return to the agency every Tuesday following Memorial Day, more than willing to exchange a three day weekend for a little relief from Joe Jr. slapping reduction stickers on black and gold Kias.
Jaci Russo, Senior Partner/Account Planner
The Russo Group
Even if I’d been in the market for a new loveseat or a used pickup truck I’d have been bothered, because every Memorial Day it becomes clearer to me how many advertising dollars are being wasted in this country, how many companies are paying good money to look absolutely ridiculous in front of countless consumers, 2-3 times every hour.
Retailers advertise their lowest prices ever – their once in a lifetime sales – again. They dress up as veterans, beer bellies camouflaged under brand new fatigues, and proceed to yell through bullhorns, shout commands into the camera, and stomp all over the furniture customers are now supposed to be enticed to buy.
It’s insulting really, that these businesses think consumers are so easily fooled, or, worse yet, entertained. They don’t understand what people really want, and they’re unwilling to consider that perhaps finding something “free” or “on clearance” isn’t what’s most important to today’s buyer.
Participants of focus groups I’ve conducted admit that although they might be fooled once by antics ads, after they’ve gone into a store and seen how few bargains are really available, they make a promise never to return. In fact, they often leave with a bit of animosity and proceed to tell their family and friends where not to shop.
So what do they care about? Here’s a start – saved time, not money. Most people understand that they’re going to have to spend a bit to get something of worth. They’re okay with that, in fact they’ll view it as an investment, if they can shop at a store that caters to their need for real convenience, good service, and a commitment to take their business seriously. People hate headaches, and they’ll pay to avoid them.
Which is why I quite happily return to the agency every Tuesday following Memorial Day, more than willing to exchange a three day weekend for a little relief from Joe Jr. slapping reduction stickers on black and gold Kias.
Jaci Russo, Senior Partner/Account Planner
The Russo Group
Basement Rates for Big Time Advertising
When it comes to advertising, the right marketing strategy often gets the best results. But let’s face it, cost matters too. The client wants the best value for the cheapest price.
Solution? The Media Buyer.
Media Buyer n : all-knowing print, radio, television, and outdoor guru oddly exhilarated by tracking the latest trends in web, bus stop, and bathroom stall advertising; often seen “out” sporting a calculator in front left pocket
A media buyer, scorned socially perhaps, is nevertheless your very best resource when you want to save on advertising.
Why? Relationships. The media buyer has an in with local media sales reps. Let me anticipate your next thought: “Okay – so I start buying lunch for the all the nice folks living under satellite towers.” If only all it took was a nice prime rib.
Unfortunately, the world of sales has a high turnover rate. And so as quickly as you’ve established a relationship – it’s over. It’s a lot like 6th grade dating relationships, where you pass notes in the hall and hold hands on the bus ride home. No, as grown ups it's more like a serious game of speed dating.
It’s a media buyer’s job to stay ahead of the game and know not only the new names and faces, but the ins and outs of the business as well. For instance, if a media buyer has been able to purchase a ½ page ad in the Sunday newspaper at one price for client A, you better believe they’re going to insist on the same price for client B.
And so although they can’t teleport or penetrate cement walls with their x-ray vision, a Media Buyer’s negotiating power is borderline superhuman. Not only will they commandeer a better price, they also know the capabilities of specific mediums. They’re the experts when it comes to knowing what YOU need to succeed.
Jaime Smith
Media Specialist
The Russo Group
Solution? The Media Buyer.
Media Buyer n : all-knowing print, radio, television, and outdoor guru oddly exhilarated by tracking the latest trends in web, bus stop, and bathroom stall advertising; often seen “out” sporting a calculator in front left pocket
A media buyer, scorned socially perhaps, is nevertheless your very best resource when you want to save on advertising.
Why? Relationships. The media buyer has an in with local media sales reps. Let me anticipate your next thought: “Okay – so I start buying lunch for the all the nice folks living under satellite towers.” If only all it took was a nice prime rib.
Unfortunately, the world of sales has a high turnover rate. And so as quickly as you’ve established a relationship – it’s over. It’s a lot like 6th grade dating relationships, where you pass notes in the hall and hold hands on the bus ride home. No, as grown ups it's more like a serious game of speed dating.
It’s a media buyer’s job to stay ahead of the game and know not only the new names and faces, but the ins and outs of the business as well. For instance, if a media buyer has been able to purchase a ½ page ad in the Sunday newspaper at one price for client A, you better believe they’re going to insist on the same price for client B.
And so although they can’t teleport or penetrate cement walls with their x-ray vision, a Media Buyer’s negotiating power is borderline superhuman. Not only will they commandeer a better price, they also know the capabilities of specific mediums. They’re the experts when it comes to knowing what YOU need to succeed.
Jaime Smith
Media Specialist
The Russo Group
Fatal Flaws
Let's just cut to the chase.
You're successful and you probably got there via one of two routes. You either started at the bottom of the corporate ladder (or pretty damn near) and through shear determination, skill, street smarts, a Brooks Brothers suit and maybe just a little bit of manipulation became Mr. Golden Boy /slash/ Company Man.
Or...
You parleyed a little capital, fired up the start-‘em-up machine with that "Big Idea" tucked neatly into your Dockers back pocket and beaucoup hours of sweat equity later--you're sitting pretty with a sweet IPO just right around the corner.
Fashion sensibilities or business attire aside, here's where we check the egos at the door. Your door, my door, it doesn't matter. What really matters is that we mutually respect each other. Yes, I know, that sounds all warm and fuzzy, touchy-feely, and so not "corporate."
But here's why:
You know how you made it to the top of the pyramid, and I'm sure that during our discovery meeting I'll hear all about it from one of your many underlings. And if you choose to listen, you'll hear fantastic tales of advertising daring-do from my side of the table.
We both got to our stations in life because we are both undeniably experts in our fields of discipline. Feel free to read that sentence again.
It’s my job, no, it is my passion to learn and comprehend everything there is to know about your company, your product or your service. That's how I discover the point of difference that can distance your cog over the other guy's sprocket. That's why, or more aptly, how, your coordinated mass media campaign will show a tidy little return on your investment.
It won't be because (FATAL FLAW ALERT) you insist that our team of experts take a certain approach because that's what worked for you or your product before. Or... (FATAL FLAW ALERT) your marketing director thinks that because your competitor is taking a certain tact or direction that we must follow suit because if it works for them, then consequently, it must work for us. Or... (FATAL FLAW ALERT) someone on your board of directors read on the Internet that print is dead. Hey, if you read it on the Internet then it must be true.
Get the idea?
Good. Because I could go on and on.
Seriously I could. The advertising graveyard is totally over-populated with the zombies of flawed decision making and micro-management.
Moral of the story--let the plumbers plumb, the bricklayers lay and the doctors doc.
You hired a trained professional--let the professional do his job.
Gary LoBue Jr / Art Director / The Russo Group
You're successful and you probably got there via one of two routes. You either started at the bottom of the corporate ladder (or pretty damn near) and through shear determination, skill, street smarts, a Brooks Brothers suit and maybe just a little bit of manipulation became Mr. Golden Boy /slash/ Company Man.
Or...
You parleyed a little capital, fired up the start-‘em-up machine with that "Big Idea" tucked neatly into your Dockers back pocket and beaucoup hours of sweat equity later--you're sitting pretty with a sweet IPO just right around the corner.
Fashion sensibilities or business attire aside, here's where we check the egos at the door. Your door, my door, it doesn't matter. What really matters is that we mutually respect each other. Yes, I know, that sounds all warm and fuzzy, touchy-feely, and so not "corporate."
But here's why:
You know how you made it to the top of the pyramid, and I'm sure that during our discovery meeting I'll hear all about it from one of your many underlings. And if you choose to listen, you'll hear fantastic tales of advertising daring-do from my side of the table.
We both got to our stations in life because we are both undeniably experts in our fields of discipline. Feel free to read that sentence again.
It’s my job, no, it is my passion to learn and comprehend everything there is to know about your company, your product or your service. That's how I discover the point of difference that can distance your cog over the other guy's sprocket. That's why, or more aptly, how, your coordinated mass media campaign will show a tidy little return on your investment.
It won't be because (FATAL FLAW ALERT) you insist that our team of experts take a certain approach because that's what worked for you or your product before. Or... (FATAL FLAW ALERT) your marketing director thinks that because your competitor is taking a certain tact or direction that we must follow suit because if it works for them, then consequently, it must work for us. Or... (FATAL FLAW ALERT) someone on your board of directors read on the Internet that print is dead. Hey, if you read it on the Internet then it must be true.
Get the idea?
Good. Because I could go on and on.
Seriously I could. The advertising graveyard is totally over-populated with the zombies of flawed decision making and micro-management.
Moral of the story--let the plumbers plumb, the bricklayers lay and the doctors doc.
You hired a trained professional--let the professional do his job.
Gary LoBue Jr / Art Director / The Russo Group
The 12 Week Rule-Know When to Expect Results from Your Media Buy
Thanks to the movie Swingers, most people know about the 3 Day Rule – when you meet someone you like, wait 3 days before calling them. Unfortunately, few people understand the 12 Week Rule in advertising – after launching a new campaign, wait at least 12 weeks before appraising its sway.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing I’d like more than to promise my clients immediate results. I’m as instant gratification oriented as anybody, but I DON’T. Because the truth is it takes time for a message to penetrate the market and change consumers’ buying habits.
So a week, even two just isn’t going to cut it. You’re buying impressions, and impressions take time. In fact, the average consumer has to experience your ad at least 20 times for it to make any kind of impact. Typically, that happens after about 12 weeks. Then and only then will you start to see a difference in your profit margin. Then and only then will you be able to start evaluating the worth of the buy.
So be wary of any media buyer promising instant results. What they’re really offering is immediate padding for their own pocket books, not your company cash box.
Jaci Russo – Senior Partner
The Russo Group
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing I’d like more than to promise my clients immediate results. I’m as instant gratification oriented as anybody, but I DON’T. Because the truth is it takes time for a message to penetrate the market and change consumers’ buying habits.
So a week, even two just isn’t going to cut it. You’re buying impressions, and impressions take time. In fact, the average consumer has to experience your ad at least 20 times for it to make any kind of impact. Typically, that happens after about 12 weeks. Then and only then will you start to see a difference in your profit margin. Then and only then will you be able to start evaluating the worth of the buy.
So be wary of any media buyer promising instant results. What they’re really offering is immediate padding for their own pocket books, not your company cash box.
Jaci Russo – Senior Partner
The Russo Group
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