Here’s one piece of common marketing advice you should ignore

If you’ve been in the marketing and ad biz for any length of time you’ve no doubt heard it numerous times. You may have even said it to your protégées. It’s one of the most common pieces of advice in all of marketing. And you should ignore it.

Is Twitter worth it?



KitchenAid got a lot of flack for this tweet an employee mistakenly sent from the wrong account.

 It seems like there’s always someone getting in trouble on Twitter. And it’s not just celebrities that put their feet in their mouths with the popular social media vehicle. You can find scores of examples of brands blundering tweets this year alone. Here are just a few:

What was Progressive thinking?

Emotion can be a powerful thing in advertising. Even negative emotions such as fear and anger can be used to make a positive connection with consumers and motivate action. But to do that, advertisers need to direct those emotions at something other than themselves. Seems like common sense to me. That’s why I was so confused by this banner ad from Progressive insurance that ran on my fantasy football league’s website.

Enthusiasm is nothing without authenticity

I heard a commercial for the upcoming Eagles vs. Patriots preseason game on the local radio sports station that caused me to roll my eyes. It wasn’t the clichéd analogy of “going to war” that caused my reaction, although that certainly didn’t help. It was more the sheer absurdity of the attempt at creating excitement.

CBS’s PR misstep

In public relations, how a company reacts to an event can have just as much of an impact as the event itself. Being transparent in the wake of a scandal, issuing a genuine apology, taking responsibility and attempting to make amends can help brands improve their reputation. CBS proves the opposite can also hold true.

Funny Ad Fail Lessons

Ad fails are a great source of amusement. But their value isn’t just comedic. There are lessons to learn, or at least remind ourselves of. Here are just a few.

The Chevy Doesn’t Go

You may have heard of this one, as it’s one of the most famous parables about marketing gone awry. The legend goes that the Chevy Nova tanked in Latin America because “No Va” in Spanish means “Doesn’t Go.”

Are ad creatives becoming too specialized?

Over-specialization can lead to creative tunnel vision.

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately. It seems like most job postings these days, both for permanent employment and freelance projects, require experience within very specific segments.

There are times when you do want a specialist. If I ever need brain surgery, I certainly hope it’s performed by a neurosurgeon. And I hope that person has extensive experience performing the specific procedure. But what makes specialization such an asset in that case can actually be a detriment in advertising.