There is a secret to great advertising- and it’s not the size of the agency or the number of awards on the wall. It’s not how hip the creatives are, or how cool the offices or even how big the budget is. And even though you could argue that the quality of the account planning can make all the difference in the world- it’s not what makes great ads.
What makes great advertising is the same thing that makes great leaders, great athletes, great scholars – basically great anything, and it’s one word: passion.
If the people coming up with the ad have a passion for the task at hand- and know the product and who they are trying to reach- you will end up with advertising that doesn’t suck- the kind that actually brings in the big bucks- without costing big bucks.
It’s taking what you have- and turning it into something that is a bit more than advertising- it’s a conversation that you just can’t turn away from. It’s a battle cry that resonates and won’t go away- be it “Where’s the beef” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug75diEyiA0 or “Whazzzup” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GWrrTpJ1eU- it sticks in your head like peanut butter to the roof of your mouth.
When you are in the business of advertising, and know a good ad from a bad ad, you can tell when you do something great- because you can’t get it out of your head either.
So, here’s the latest in the saga of pulling rabbits out of the hat for the Dayton Bombers- a client that no matter how vexing the time frame, budget, material to work with- brings out the passion from us at The Next Wave.
It comes from two things: we love ice hockey and, we love it when underdogs are kicking ass and taking names. The Bombers are in Florida right now- about to play the first 2 games of the semi-finals before heading back for 3 possible games at home. We were asked to put together a poster for the games- over the weekend- so far, everyone who has seen it has loved it. We hope you do too.
Come to the Game Saturday night- and maybe you can get one too.
I own a TiVo- and I’ve used a Time Warner DVR- and that was all it took-instant understanding of why the TiVo experience is better- but, a Pepsi Challenge type campaign isn’t enough to change TiVo’s fortunes- TiVo has to do a lot more to gain market share- and the new ad campaign from Kaplan Thaler Group isn’t the answer.
From an article in the New York Times- TiVo is going to spend $15 million to try to change their fortune- and, unfortunately, they aren’t going to get it right (more on that following the excerpt)…
Avoiding Ads With TiVo? TiVo Strikes Back - New York Times
But how do you make a TiVo-proof commercial for TiVo? Executives at TiVo hope the answer is to hire an agency known for broad humor, talking animals and chirpy jingles, then approve a campaign centered on a silly (though eye-catching) visual device, meant to symbolize how much TiVo differs from generic DVRs.
The campaign, now under way, carries the theme “My TiVo gets me.” The effort, created by the Kaplan Thaler Group in New York, includes commercials on television and radio and in movie theaters, a pair of Web sites at whogetsme.com and mytivogetsme.com, (Next Wave: note- both link to the same site- and it’s all FLASH) contests, blog postings and promotional events in large markets like Boston, New York and San Francisco.
The device at the heart of the campaign is to bring to life the antenna atop the head of the “TiVo man,” the character shaped like a TV set that has personified the brand. The ads feature TiVo customers who sport antennas on their heads, which — thanks to the Stan Winston visual effects studio — seem as much a part of them as the remote controls they use to navigate the entertainment superhighway.
The campaign, with a budget estimated at more than $15 million, arrives as TiVo recorders and other DVRs loom larger than ever on the advertising landscape. Nielsen Media Research estimates that 17.2 percent of American households own DVRs and, according to an analysis by MediaPost Communications, penetration in television markets across the country ranges from 5.7 percent in Marquette, Mich., to 26.5 percent in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The proliferation of DVRs means that viewers are increasingly watching TV programs on a delayed basis rather than live. That in turn is leading Nielsen to rework its longtime methods for measuring viewership to count people who play back a program within one, three or seven days after it ran.
And because so many DVR owners fast-forward through spots rather than watch them, Nielsen plans to start providing by the end of May ratings for commercials in addition to its traditional program ratings. (TiVo has started supplying its own data to advertising agencies, showing second-by-second viewing patterns among its subscribers.)
TiVo, as the brand of DVR that has become synonymous with the category, is benefiting from the growing popularity of digital recording in the same way that brands like Band-Aid, Coke, Kleenex, Post-it, Q-tips and Xerox took advantage of similar synonym status in their markets.
But TiVo’s gains in subscribers have slowed significantly as more operators of cable TV systems sell their own — usually unbranded — DVR services.
As of Jan. 31, TiVo reported 4.4 million subscribers, 1.73 million who owned TiVo brand recorders and 2.7 million who had TiVo service through their DirecTV satellite service. The total was only 1.8 percent higher than the 4.36 million subscribers that TiVo had on the same day in 2006.
By contrast, subscriptions grew 130.8 percent from 2004 to 2005, and grew 45.3 percent from 2005 to 2006. (Subscribers who own TiVos pay $19.95 a month for one-year subscriptions, or $8.31 a month if they subscribe for three years.)
“We have spent the better part of the last year coming up with a list of significant differentiated features,” said Thomas S. Rogers, president and chief executive at TiVo in Alviso, Calif.
“This is a way to reintroduce TiVo the brand” in a way that will persuade consumers “to say: ‘I’m not interested in the generic DVR. I want the TiVo experience,’ ” he added.
Among the TiVo features described in the campaign are movie downloads through a partnership with Amazon.com, KidZone parental controls, the ability to share video clips with other TiVo subscribers and the ability of TiVo to “learn” which shows subscribers want
So- how should TiVo solve their problems?
Well, first, hire an agency that really understands new media- back in November I went to a diversity trade fair and KTG was there- they had 52 pages indexed in Google- we had 260. Today those numbers are: KTG 47 and 447 for The Next Wave. To still have the idea that large geographical markets are the answer is missing the point of the Long Tail.
TiVo has experimented with funny ads before- to disastrous results. There was one about jock itch with Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott on the golf course. They’ve also been through a ton of agencies- including some of the best. Here is an example of early work attributed to Goodby Silverstein - a truly great ad agency:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZl2Y5wX_zk
And the sad thing is- this spot still works- no need to run new, different- or more entertaining ads- the problem comes down to a few things:
TiVo really should be partnered with Apple computer. The combination of the Apple brand which stands for ease of use- with TiVo which is the leader in ease of use would be magical. It would also be the right combination for recording and downloading- something Apple TV is sorely missing.
The market for TiVo is the early adopters- opinion leaders. TiVo blew it with their late intro of a HD TiVo- and then insulted it’s user base by charging exorbitant prices. It should be an advantage to be a current loyal customer- not a reason to be taken advantage of. I’ve almost switched to Time Warner just to get a HD box without having to take out a second mortgage.
TiVo’s true value hasn’t really been tapped- one of IPTV style direct delivery of targeted ads. Because they haven’t been able to get critical mass- and haven’t worked their customer relationships well enough- they may have missed this boat as well. A partnership with Nielsen to supply a TiVo to every metered home on a trial basis would have done more for better numbers- and sampling- than any campaign ever would.
TiVo hasn’t got a chance of surviving solo at this point. When they lost their partnership with DirectTV- and failed to work with the cable companies- they sealed their fate. TiVo can offer all kinds of new services- but, the reality is- they are a one trick pony- without a chance of winning the IPTV race- unless they partner with the calvary- be it Apple, Amazon, Nielsen, Cable companies, Telcos, or someone with the horses to get market penetration by taking the box as a loss leader- and the subscription fees as well - and focus on the community building relationship that TiVo has the sole rights to own in the DVR/IPTV competition.
Remember- it’s never about the technology, it’s about the content and the community- and that’s what TiVo should be placing all their effort behind.
The next person who says branding doesn’t count in business to business advertising should be shot. (Not that there are many nay-sayers when it comes to branding- but there are a few).
There are thousands of ad agencies in this country- and all of them would love to be able to take a stab at work for the premier consumer brands- like Nike, Apple, Burger King, Dominos, BMW, Ford etc…
But, when it comes to choosing an ad agency- Chief Marketing Officers seem to have tunnel vision. The list usually looks like this:
Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Wieden + Kennedy, TBWA Chiat/Day, Fallon, Arnold, Martin, Deutch, Goodby + Silverstein, GSD&M - you get the point. Maybe 50 agencies make the list- the rest, fight for the scraps.
Considering it can take at least a year before an agency can (or should) be comfortable enough to take a client in a new category (ad people don’t know everything there is to know about the shoe business- unless they’ve worked in it before) to a new place, with an on target strategy, changes like the following one, make me wonder:
Advertising Age - Nike Moves Running-Shoe Account to Crispin
Nike has officially transferred the creative work for its running-shoe business, as well as the Nike Plus and its Nike ID Web site accounts, to Miami-based Crispin Porter & Bogusky, a Nike spokesman said.
Nike’s running-shoe business was the first account expected to move from Wieden. ‘Proven track record’
“Crispin Porter & Bogusky has a proven track record for delivering creative, breakthrough ideas and we are excited to begin working with them to support these areas of business,” said Dean Stoyer, Nike’s U.S. director of media relations.
Mr. Stoyer said Nike will “continue working with our longtime creative partner Wieden & Kennedy to support the majority of our Nike business.”
Nike has been talking with Crispin for several months, and finally confirmed last month that it planned on moving pieces of its business to agencies other than Portland, Ore.-based Wieden. The running-shoe business was the first account expected to move.
While Crispin Porter + Bogusky is great at making noise, they have yet to take a brand the full course from a nobody like Nike was when Wieden + Kennedy started with them- to the power house they are now.
To abandon the date that brought you is a mistake of major proportions for Nike. If Wieden could afford it- telling Nike to take a walk on the whole shooting match would be the right move. Kudo’s to Roy Spence for rejecting WalMart’s invite to rebid the account after the Draft debacle. Loyalty and longevity in a client/agency relationship are valuable business assets, a part of the “goodwill” number on a balance sheet that shouldn’t be ignored.
The thing that baffles me is that both W+K can have the pick of ad talent (hiring)- if anything has stopped Nike from getting the work they think they are going to get from Crispin- it’s been on their side- not on the W+K side. However, if W+K had moved into a bunker mentality- worrying about losing the account (since it is a major part of their business) and the relationship changed from one of trust- to one of uncertainty, and stopped presenting the riskier, more volatile ideas because they thought that Nike wouldn’t be happy? Nike should look internally for their answer here- because from my perspective- they are trading down for an agency.
Other than editing out the personal information- this e-mail was received by the Dayton Bombers:
I have a number of health and physical problems, at age 72, and need to laugh more. For the first time tonight I saw your “Rumanian” ad on TV with Yannick Tifu and had a good one. Does his “cup runneth over”? LOL! Good work by whoever came up for the idea for that ad…it does catch one’s attention. Some “soft” adult humor, like this ad, flies right over the heads of kids, so no harm done. It made me want to attend a game, or maybe regularly.
I no longer drive and sold my car last December. Does RTA stop AT THE DOOR of the Nutter Center? I walk with a cane and easily get winded. What is the number of that RTA line? (Cabs cost a FORTUNE now.) I live at the Oakwood-Kettering line between Far Hills & Ridgeway Rd. and use #5 or #14 for trips to CBD.
What is the lowest cost for a single game ticket? Are they always available on game dates at the Nutter box-office?
What is the lowest cost for one seat at a series of home games bought in advance (for different game counts)? Five games, ten, etc. Is there a seniors’ discount? Golden Buckeye card?
What is the temperature in the stands? Us old folk chill easily so would I need a sweater or jacket or is it always very warm in the stands?
When does the season end? Please mail me some general brochures.
I guess I’ve BOMBARDED the BOMBERS with enough questions for now. I know…that is NOT funny and you hear it all the time. Thanks!
The spot that the new, 72 year old, hockey fan saw?
It was aired on broadcast TV- and was enough to get an old guy, in poor health, motivated to seek information on how to ride the bus to the Nutter Center (not an easy trip from where he lives).
When was the last time your advertising did that? Especially a spot entirely in Romanian?
Of course, they also got a call: “this is America, you should do your commercials in AMERICAN!” (see our post on Casa d’Ice and their signs for more on this subject: http://thenextwave.biz/tnw/?p=174
When I first started in this business, a very smart group of people were just breaking the national scene; Fallon, McElligott, Rice opened in 1981 in Minneapolis Minnesota- far away from Madison Avenue and the whole “ad scene.”
It seemed almost as stupid as opening a small ad agency in Dayton Ohio in 1988- the only difference was that these people had all worked at some bigger agencies, and weren’t starting from scratch.
In fact, most agencies start by mitosis (splitting of cells). And, it seems it’s happening again, as some former Fallon people are hanging their own shingle, taking Fallon’s star client; United Airlines with them.
Personally, I find this repugnant. It’s called biting the hand that feeds you. If you can do such great work for the client on your own, why can’t you do it for the company that brought you? I’ve never met Pat Fallon, but, I’ve met some of the people he’s mentored in this business; Luke Sullivan, Sally Hogshead and former business partner Joe Duffy, three of the classiest, nicest, most talented people in the ad world. (Note, I’ve also met another former Fallon/Duffy employee who started his own thing- that was a total jerk, but very talented as a one-trick pony). So, while I’m sure these guys that Ernie gives kudo’s to are all nice guys, I’m wondering what Pat Fallon has done to deserve having so much business and talent- slip out the door lately?
Ernie Schenck Calls This Advertising?: Rhapsody In Minneapolis
Barrie D’Rozario Murphy’s star just went from on the ascent to full zenith mode with United Airline’s decision to go with the fledgling but oh so talented Minneapolis shop, thus ending a long-standing relationship with beleagured Fallon. Am I surprised? Yes. Am I surprised? No. Bob Barrie and Stuart D’Rozario and the work they did for United when the airline was in its darkest hour continues to be one of the classiest and tasteful campaigns in the business. So while I honor all that Fallon has done for United, these guys deserve much of the credit.
The site for Barrie D’Rozario Murphy is www.bdm.net (and like most recent Fallon spin off agencies- it’s in Flash and can’t be found).
While I try to keep up on the superstars of advertising (sometimes it gets a little difficult), I have to wonder: of the great ad agencies in this country- which agency would get the honor of being the best breeding ground for superstar talent? Which agency has spun off the most “hot shops”- and, where are the best places to hone your skills?
I’m also wondering how clients like United, can believe that a small start-up can take over a major account and do a truly better job, just out of the gates. Fallon has demonstrated over the years that they “get it” and are as forward thinking as any agency on the planet.
Is loyalty absolutely impossible in the advertising world anymore?
Today, the Greater Dayton Advertising Association (formerly known as the Dayton Ad Club) made an effort to finally bring it’s members into the year 2003. The speaker was Matt Bailey from SiteLogic- a Search Engine Optimization consultancy.
All great stuff- all stuff we’ve been trying to get the ad club to discuss for over 2 years. All the stuff that we’ve been offering in our Websitetology seminars- but, of course, if you aren’t from out of town, you can’t be an expert.
Matt had a hard time coming up with business to business blogs as an example of generating business- yet, had we been the presenter- we would have been able to point to this blog- to show the b-to-b results. I looked at Matt’s blog- and found this bit:
SiteLogic - Marketing Logic » Why are Analytics so Difficult? by Matt Bailey
Building a website requires an understanding of search engines, as search engines are one of the primary methods of acquiring visitors and customers. However, once the search engine’s information requirements are met, the site has to be able to communicate a different message to the human visitor.
We agree- since 80% of Internet use begins in search, search is key. And, once they get to your site- they need to engage. Apparently Matt’s blog isn’t providing him the kind of traffic he needs. We think we know why.
In the Q&A, someone asked if “tags” in a blog are like Meta tags of old- and he answered they weren’t the same- which is true. Metatags were for the machines; blog tags/categories/taxonomy are for the user. He got that straight- but then, he took what I call a Guru Nosedive- he said that he didn’t use them much, they aren’t that important- content is.
WRONG. At least with WordPress, categories are a way to supercharge a search term, by grouping a bunch of posts into a single post. It’s probably one of the most important SEO techniques we teach- but, alas, the Dayton Ad Club people won’t learn that. Their Executive Director still won’t attend our seminar- and is still building sites the old fashioned way.
It was particularly telling of the 2.0 literacy in the room when there was only one other person in the room that knew what the Long Tail was (besides yours truly) and only a handful (including SAA students) had heard of Digg.
If the Greater Dayton Advertising Association and it’s members (and SAA students) hope to survive, they are going to have to do some serious catch-up. Web 2.0 is only the beginning of The Next Wave, and they aren’t there yet.
