Emotional Connections in Advertising: Are There Varying Levels?

In a previous post about the GE/Budweiser commercial and my thoughts on how such collaborations could redefine the advertising industry, I mentioned how much I love to watch the Super Bowl commercials. Normally I can’t get to my DVR fast forward button quick enough to skim by the ads, and even in the rare cases that I’m actually watching a show that isn’t recorded I still use the commercial time to check email, get a snack, go to the bathroom, etc. The Super Bowl is always a time for the best of the best in advertising, but what makes some stand out more than others? What makes some elicit such a strong emotional response that a person actually follows through on a call to action? This year’s Super Bowl featured many commercials of humor and other emotional connections, but one in particular grabbed me from a truly nostalgic standpoint.

The MetLife spot features a blast from the past of cartoon characters from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. It opens with the peanuts gang walking up a hill in a field and leads to a series of scenes which feature He-Man, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Atom Ant, Scooby Doo and a host of other cameo’s by characters long forgotten. Now they have me at Scooby Doo because it was by far and away my most favorite cartoon, but I’m beginning to realize that some of these characters I haven’t even thought about in 30 years, and I am loving this commercial. It has also elicited vocal responses from various age demographics throughout the room at the party I’m attending. We are all watching this commercial and trying to shout out the names of the characters and saying which ones were our favorites. The final shot of this ad is a group image of approximately 50-55 cartoon characters joining together.

This commercial not only had me pausing and rewinding live television with my DVR so that people in the room could see a character again or try to see if anyone else in the room could remember it’s name, but it actually had me stop the commercial at the final shot because everyone in the room wanted to see who was in it. Now what you need to understand about this scenario is that my family are avid NY Giants fans and it was a nail biting game, so for a commercial to render such a universal response to all viewers around the television is huge. Nobody said “Get back to the game!,” we just all had a blast in a nostalgic few moments bonding over cartoon characters. Stopping for the commercial and reviewing the characters actually put us 5 whole minutes behind in viewing the Super Bowl live because we didn’t want to fast forward through any of the other commercials either in order to catch up. Now five minutes may not sounds like a long time, but when you have family in other parts of the country calling to talk about a certain play it turns out to be a very big deal.

The funny part is that I had completely forgotten that MetLife is associated with The Peanuts characters. I personally never even thought about MetLife, but I have now spent my morning writing this blog about them and liking them on Facebook so that I could see the names of the characters we didn’t know. This emotionally charged, nostalgic focused style of marketing is genius to me. I have followed through on their call to action of going to Facebook and liking their page, but most of all I remember the company that the ad is for. How many times do you see a commercial you really like or that makes you laugh and you think to yourself “that was a great ad”, but when asked later who the ad was for you can’t remember. Ultimately that ad was a failure because you remember the commercial and don’t remember the company, and while the ad is strong enough to remember, it’s not strong enough to make you go and find out who it is?

Yes there were other ads with dogs in them that really resonated with me because I love dogs, but they didn’t make me remember their brands or do any follow-up. So what was it about the MetLife ad that produced such a strong connection for me? Was it showing characters from so many different decades that caused a group response that I fed off? Maybe a little, but I know that if I was alone and saw that particular commercial I would’ve still taken the same actions. Was it the nostalgia of bringing up childhood memories? That’s possible. What do you think draws the line in the sand of creating an emotional connection compared to creating an emotional connection that actually initiates follow-up?

Tech Round Up: Apple Boycott, Internet Piracy and Facebook IPO and Timeline

As a content producer it’s important to keep a close eye on new developments in your field of expertise. It’s great to write evergreen content when you can but there is always a need for topical articles. As a tech writer I read a lot of tech news every week and it generates new ideas so I thought I’d do a regular blog post on hot topics. Some topics will run and run, others pop up and then vanish again within days.

Should you boycott Apple? Well they just announced a record profit of over $13 billion in the last quarter. They are the most valuable company in the world with enough cash reserves to buy whatever or whoever they like. The problem is it seems these profits are partly built upon horrible conditions for the Chinese workers who manufacture their products. Explosions, ridiculously long working hours and exposure to toxic chemicals have all been reported. Surely they can afford to share a little of that profit with the people who actually make their products? They should at least be able to guarantee their followers that the products they are buying were produced ethically. There are already two online petitions to that effect and the first is closing in on 200,000 signatures.

The Internet piracy debate has been raging for years now but it was catapulted back into the limelight by the SOPA and PIPA bills and the up-swell of organized resistance on the web. Some websites, most notably Wikipedia, shut down for the day and supporters of the bills were attacked via social media until they relented and withdrew support. Despite the defeat this issue will run and run because the music, movie and software industries are not going to give up, even if they do have a falsely skewed idea of how much revenue they are losing through piracy (let’s face it there’s no way everyone who pirates something would buy it if they couldn’t download.)

So Facebook is hoping to raise $5 billion in its IPO. What’s Facebook really worth? We’re about to find out. The debate on this is just starting to gear up. Facebook’s profits over the last few years make for interesting reading and they look pretty reliant on advertising for most of it, interestingly Zynga games make up 12% of their revenue.

The approach of Facebook timeline is another topic that seems to be getting a lot of attention. With more than 800 million users Facebook is never out of the news but the switch from the traditional user profile to a timeline display is the main discussion point right now.

• Does it create more privacy issues? (not really)
• Does it look better than the old profile? (yeah I think so)
• How do I create a great timeline? (there are lots of ways)

A widely touted survey of 4,000 users is reporting that only 8% of them like the changes and 51% are worried about them. I think if people look past the scaremongering that fear should evaporate. If anything the new timeline gives you more control over what is shared and with whom. In any case no one is forcing you to post all your personal information online in the first place. If you’re really concerned about privacy then don’t use Facebook.

I’ll be back with another round up next week.

GE & Budweiser Team Up for Super Bowl Ad: Is This the Future of Advertising?

I love to watch the Super Bowl for so many reasons…the gathering of friends; the day to excuse myself from a diet because it’s just not the game without pizza, wings, chips and beer; the fun rivalry and betting on different aspects of the game ranging from the coin toss to who is going to score first… but my absolute favorite part outside of all that are the commercials. This is where the advertising community comes to shine. The sheer joy of laughing out loud at a commercial, or having an advertisement bring a tear to my eye. The one show where even if I had to DVR it, I wouldn’t fast forward through the commercials.

To add to the excitement I had heard that my local GE Turbine plant was going to be featured in an advertisement. GE is a major factor in the rich history of Schenectady, NY so I was really looking forward to seeing it. So when “GE Turbine Manufacturing Schenectady, NY” pops up on my television screen I was immediately emotionally invested. I’m thinking this place is literally two minutes from my house, this is so cool.  I found myself reviewing each image change to see if I could recognize a person or background setting. I was becoming engaged with the audio as the employees interviewed tell me that “without the stuff that” they make there I wouldn’t be able to flip on my lights, and that turbines power the world, and that their jobs provide them with a sense of reward because they know they are making a difference globally. 

Wow I think, this is all amazing, I didn’t know that. Then another employee comes on and says “When people think about GE they typically don’t think about beer.” Wait…. What? You’ve got that brother, I have never associated beer and GE in my mind…ever!

I am then informed that the beer Budweiser makes is kept cold and the brewing process powered by turbines. Now flows the thoughts of that is freaking awesome and has a commercial ever dropped so much knowledge on me before? But that’s not what I say out loud. After all those thoughts careen through my head what I actually say out loud to my fellow Super Bowl partiers is, “Wow, that was genius of those two big names to partner for an advertising spot during the Super Bowl. They must’ve saved a ton of money by doing that.”

So is this the future of advertising for the Super Bowl?

USA Today states that “Some 54 commercials that cost upwards of $3.5 million per 30-second slot were in the NBC broadcast watched by more than 100 million viewers.” The GE/Budweiser ad is 46 seconds long so for the sake of this discussion let’s say that it cost $3.5 million and that the cost was split between the two brands. (Yes it’s possible that GE took on the whole cost and gave Budweiser a shout out, but let’s assume they split it.)  That would mean that they each just saved $1.75 million dollars in their advertising budget and now they can take that money and put it towards another commercial that features just them or another collaborative effort. It’s possible that this partnering technique has been done before, but personally I can’t remember any.

Granted this pairing makes a lot of sense because there is a cause and effect relationship in that it’s the turbines that help to create the beer and cool it, but does this mean that next year there will be more partnership type commercials? Yes Chevy and Pepsi didn’t help to create each other, but will there be a humorous spot of someone driving a Chevy truck ad spot that features Pepsi? Perhaps GoDaddy.com will add the green female M&M to their lineup of gorgeous women? It will be very interesting to see if this style of partnership advertising takes off.

What do you think?

Related Reading: Emotional Connections in Advertising: Are There Varying Levels

Budweiser Canada Super Bowl Ad: New Commercial Classic or Blatant Concept Theft?

I’m an advertising junkie, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a great magazine spread, a cleverly designed business card or a massive billboard on the side of a busy highway. I love them all. When I look at these ads, I like to sit and wonder how the designers came up with the concepts – how they managed to create something that could evoke so many emotions and impart so much information in just a few short seconds. C’mon, even if you hate advertisements, you have to appreciate all of the creativity and thought it takes to produce good ones.

I especially love television commercials. TV ads are like micro-stories that not only entertain, but also connect us to a place and time in our past. I remember sniffling when Mean Joe Green threw his jersey to that kid who gave him a Coke. Instead of thinking about all the controversy that surrounded Michael Jackson in his later years, I like to remember the guy from the Pepsi commercials. To this very day, I still quote lines from old Life cereal commercials to tease my brother Mikey. He’s a picky eater, too.

So, it should come as no surprise that I’m a huge fan of Super Bowl commercials. These ads are the best of the best. At least, they better be good when you consider how much sponsors have to pay to buy that coveted air time. In the old days (you know, like a couple of years ago), we had to wait until Super Bowl Sunday for these awesome commercials to debut. Nowadays, with the Internet and YouTube, sometimes we get an early sneak peak – and we can watch them whenever we like.

For the last week or so, I’ve been following all the tweets and Google+ posts sharing links to Super Bowl commercial previews. In particular, I was drawn in by a new ad from Budweiser Canada. Just in case you haven’t seen it yet (it wasn't shown in the US) and you want to know what I’m talking about, here it is.

I thought this commercial was simply brilliant. After watching it a dozen times, it still left me with that warm, mushy, happy feeling inside. It may even have caused a small tear to form in the corner of my eye – but if anyone asks, I’m totally blaming that on the jalapeño nachos. 

Against my better judgment, I decided to read the comments made by other YouTube viewers. In general, I usually try to avoid these because … Well, if you’ve ever read many YouTube comments, you know what I mean. I’m glad I did read them this time, though, because something interesting floated up above the spam and nonsense. It turns out that this commercial isn’t quite as creative and original as I had first thought.

In the Bud ad, two recreational hockey teams are surprised and treated to an experience of what it’s like to play in the big leagues. This was the first time that I had witnessed this concept in action, but it seems like it’s been done several times before. In particular, there’s another video on YouTube that documents a very similar mission undertaken by Improv Everywhere several years ago. Instead of recreational hockey players, the stars were two Little League teams. Here’s that video, so you can compare for yourself.

After seeing the Improv Everywhere video, it seemed pretty clear that Budweiser Canada had borrowed some ideas. But, does that really take away from the awesomeness of the hockey commercial? No matter what, the Bud ad is an amazing execution of a wonderful concept – and watching it still gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling. To be perfectly honest, I probably would never have known about the Improv Everywhere video if I hadn’t traced my way back to it from the Bud commercial. Despite that, there does seem to be something that’s just a little unfair about the whole situation.

There’s definitely nothing new about recycling ideas and building creative works on the foundations of others. In fact, many people argue that there really aren’t any totally new ideas left and everything should be classified as a derivative work. There is one thing different in today’s world, though – the public is watching this sort of activity a lot more closely. And, word travels fast. This entire situation came to light and was debated on numerous forums before the Bud commercial even made its television debut.

It will be interesting to see how and if Budweiser Canada responds to the controversy – or if the beer giant decides to ignore it altogether. What do you think? Should companies be more open about where they get their ideas and become a little more sensitive when it comes to acknowledging the work of others? Is this issue really not that big a deal? If you think Budweiser Canada should respond, what should the company say?

By the way, this isn't the only Budweiser Super Bowl ad that's creating a stir. Check out Lisa Tucker's thoughts on the partnership of GE and Budweiser in the Power and Beer commercial.

Photo Credit: PhotoSpin/Design Pics

Connecting Young Minds, Altruism and the Molecule!

"Connect A Millions Minds", is an extremely effective and ambitious campaign to get more kids in the United States interested in math and science at an early age.  It's fueled by the fear that third world countries have not only a population advantage, but an educational advantage over the United States due to the focus these countries have on the subjects of math and science.

That particular initiative was driven by Time Warner Cable, but there are a number of mainstream media campaigns targeted towards the same goal.  For example, the partnership between the PGA/Phil Mickelson/Exxon Mobile.  Their goal is to influence teachers and mentor students into pursuing higher education and careers in math and science fields.  They have started a teacher's academy to really set the bar and students can nominate their teacher to attend what seems like an amazing opportunity.

Another organization focusing their attention on such a campaign is the National Math and Science Initiative sponsored by AT&T.  Targeted at reaching out to kids in middle and high school, they try to help prepare them for Advanced Placement courses (AP) and Pre-AP programs and tests.  Setting high expectations and standards for students, teachers, and government, this is a pretty well-rounded and versatile initiative.

What do all of these math and science programs have in common?  A big, altruistic cause and companies with strategic partnerships to back them.  That is a content marketer's dream!  Now everything doesn't have to be at this scale, but what's your company's platform for making the world a better place?  It could be going green, stop bullying, learn to listen, passing on kindness, picking up your neighborhood, helping the local shelter, etc, etc.  From small scale endeavours to large scale projects, there's always something you can find.

My personal cause is the foster care system, and helping children who do not have an advocate.  My long-term goal is to give children who don't have anyone to turn to a voice.  911 is for emergencies, everyone is afraid to use it.  But could we build a campaign and a support network for "211," a hotline for kids who need someone to talk to?  There's a little insight to my dream.

But I digress...

Bottom line:  No one really cares about your brand, so stop talking about it!  Cause marketing works, and feeds a greater good.

As if on cue, we have a story of a 10 year old in Kansas City discovering a new molecule.  Could it be directly as a result of one of these programs?

Maybe, just maybe.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Stefanolunardi

The Back and Forth: Securing Jobs as a Freelance Writer

There are many obstacles on the path to fame and fortune for a freelance writer. One of the toughest things to deal with for many writers is the pursuit of clients. Securing regular, reliable writing gigs can be a full time job in itself. In order to secure work you’re going to need to engage in the usual back and forth email flurry. This is time consuming and it will inevitably end in frustration a lot of the time.

Let me give you the scenario – you see a job ad you like. They need a writer on a topic you want to cover. Let’s say video games. They don’t post any real specifics beyond the subject. They want to entice some applications and they list out what you’ll need to do to secure the gig. Usually this will be a resume, three clips or links to show off your writing and the email equivalent of a cover letter talking about why you’re perfect for the job.

Sometimes they’ll want an example article that could fit on their website or in their publication. This is to be expected if you don’t have any clips to show, but for a full time freelance writer with a good body of work built up it can be off-putting. If you’re lucky they’ll offer to pay you at least something for it. They should certainly pay you if they use it. Often they’ll expect you to do it for nothing. If it’s a regular job that you really want and you know it will pay well then it’s worth doing. If it’s a vague job ad and you don’t know the long term prospects or pay then don’t do it.

So, you tailor your resume, you find three relevant links or clips that will wow them and you craft an enticing cover email that highlights your perfect credentials for the gig. Maybe you even come up with an example article that they could roll straight out. You read it through, re-read it, ask someone else to read it and then read it again before hitting send. You then read it again even though it’s too late to change it (maybe that’s just me). Now the waiting game begins.

After 24 hours with no reply you’ll be hitting your Get Mail button every five minutes. After 48 hours you’ll be cursing their lack of talent spotting ability and wondering where you went wrong. After 72 hours you’ll be shrugging it off, hey it’s their loss (maybe that’s just me again).

The truth is it can take a long time for applications to be reviewed. In my experience the bigger the publication or website the longer it will take because they’ll have more applications to wade through. I have been offered a job up to six weeks after applying, and of course in that case it was too late and I no longer had room in my schedule. Freelance writing jobs are like buses, there isn’t one for a while then three come at once.

If they do come back to you and express an interest then it’s time to discuss the specifics of the job. Do they want a single 1,000 word article with images, do they need three 500 word blog posts a week, or do they want timely news updates? More importantly how much money are they willing to pay? Things can often break down at this stage as you realize how far apart your expectations are. Using the video game example again, it is quite common for websites to advertise “paying positions” and then offer a free review copy of a game and maybe some ad share revenue based on traffic. Perhaps they think $5 per post is reasonable while your bottom line is 20 cents per word. You can expect some email ping pong as you negotiate a price and get a specific brief for the work.

Some places will have a clear idea of what they want. The Managing Editor might have an editorial calendar with specific topics they research and assign. More commonly you’ll be expected to pitch ideas of your own. This means researching the publication or website to get a handle on the style and then researching the area they cover to generate great article ideas. The more appealing and detailed your idea is, the better the chance of it being picked up. You need to spend some time honing your pitches. Make sure you choose catchy titles and give a flavour of the content in a brief description.

If you can get your initial application accepted, agree on the topic, agree on the guidelines and agree on the pay, then all that’s left is to fix a deadline….oh and then of course you have to actually write it!

If you like the variety or you just need varied work then you’ll find yourself going through this process several times every month. For most writers only a small percentage of those back and forth discussions will result in solid work. You will get faster at it over time. As you get more confident you’ll have a fixed idea of your desired/realistic rates. You’ll get a feel for what’s worth pursuing and what isn’t. To keep that work flowing you’ll incorporate the job search, application and pitching process into your schedule as a regular activity.

The back and forth of securing writing jobs as a freelancer can be a frustrating and discouraging experience. It is also a relentless necessity. Surely there’s a better way?

How do you cope with the back and forth? Post a comment and share your experiences or fire away if you have any questions.

Getting Liked, Followed, Connected to Those That Really Matter

(A look at how social media moves the boundaries of personal and professional relationships: Blog 3)

Much of our current generation clambers over itself to get found and followed, without truly knowing the meaning or relevance of actually connecting with an audience that matters. It’s all just too easy to get seduced by the latest media trend, money maker (scam), or numbers game. Lost in the gimmicks of new technology or the persuasive words of non "experts." There is always a perceived "formula", and those that evolve quickest, with ruthless efficiency and focus, are the ones that make a difference. They rapidly adapt to changes that spawn opportunity, and via appropriate networking, transparency and mutual respect, stay ahead of the predictable hangers-on that scrap for subsequent crumbs. This is our culture, it’s whatever instantly gratifies and works. It’s less effort that way.

Opportunity and innovation get pushed and pulled in every feasible way. Make money, make friends, make noise, it all gets so tiresome and unbelievable. Such that when it has no substance or worth, it dies quickly and everyone moves on to the next big thing.

It seems we care less about respect and charting a course to prosperity, and more about being present, in someone’s face, shouting to be heard over one another, regardless of what "stuff-and-nonsense" we have in mind. We want to be heard! But we don’t seem to care who’s listening.

There is a clear difference between the way current and previous generations look at society, work and play. Private or public, office or home, work or leisure... Everything is now merging into one. But take personal, face to face contact away and it is so much easier to be brave, loose tongued, challenge authority, disrespect experience and mock guidance. Take away social and professional responsibility, now the corporate world and society at large has a much more volatile environment in which to try and leverage/nurture knowledge experts.

We have to use our knowledge, humor, skills per se, and project them to people that actually understand, and want to be engaged. That is fundamentally how we get found and followed. There is such an overload of digital media, overrated and spewed from every outpost of the information superhighway. In that regard Google and its beloved Panda had a point when they went after all the bamboo.

Being a difference maker in social media circles is tough. With so much regurgitation and dumbing down, what’s unique? Where is the integrity and trust? Being Liked, Found and Connected to people that really make a difference hangs on our capacity to digest, then discard or articulate information appropriately. That is true of all professional or social networks, we should be looking to command respect, confidence, and rapport at all costs. Wider reach and diversification to other audiences will come once we establish these core principles. Genuine and powerful like-ability, following and connections come from our ability to innovate with social media while harnessing the most effective technologies as the platform of choice. Where it helps, embrace it, where it hinders, kick it out. Empower and engage, and they will come!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Photosani

Series

• Blog 1: Nobody Really Cares About You!
• Blog 2: The Visual Display Unit Has a Lot to Answer For