barbara friedland

Diet Pepsi- call your agent

I try.  I really try.  To keep this blog focused on marketing, especially as it will continue to unfold on the Internet.

It is clear that advertisers are very nervous about Generation Z- or whatever you kids are calling yourself nowadays.

It was  easier to send ad messages in the past.  But with premium television,subscription radio, TiVo and streaming video, many traditional channels are playing less significant roles.  The advent of direct response, email and other modes of accountability and measurability also questions the ROI and economic validity of traditional modes.

All of a sudden paying $2.5 million for 30 seconds of air time- plus production and talent costs- for a football game needs to be re-assessed.

See, marketing is interesting. And then I am lured away by the siren song of the Republicans.  They can be counted on to do something amazing- start wars without a plan, run roughshod on internal laws and the rights of American citizens.  Their arrogance leaves one breathless.

Not just stupid and boring- like the Democrats.  Note- if this party nominates another conservative or wannabe, they will lose- again.

Ah, the Republicans - stupid and grand and newsworthy.

Things I won't pay for.

The list of things that I pay  for now that I would never have imagined shelling out cash for a few years ago.

Water.  Television.  A person in downtown who offered to "watch my car." 

What I won't  pay for is radio.  I am probably dating myself when I proclaim that the transistor radio became permanently attached to my ear during Junior High School.  Back in the technology dark ages, radio was the only way to learn about new songs, and groups that were going to be popular.

Apparently there were television shows about teenage music, but no one I knew ever watched them.  John Waters and Buddy Deane notwithstanding, none of my friends in New Jersey had access to a local show and were apathetic about national ones.

Radio was my primary form of news and entertainment.  This was pre-video games, personal computers and the Internet.  Our only technological hangout was the television set.  And that is when most homes had one TV. It was located in the family room, when homework was done in your bedroom.  So it was always the radio.

At one point, all of my listening became confined to the car.  I had a small portable television that was powered by the cigarette lighter.  Somehow, the automobile does not lend itself to watching  TV shows. 

KIS

KIS,  Keep it simple. I don't like calling people stupid.  Marketing plans, especially when explained to the consumer, have to be elegant and easily understood.

Blockbuster is an interesting company.  They put my friend and neighbor out of business, and probably thousands of other independent stores, back when video tape was the only medium for movie rental.

My friend had two businesses, a mile apart serving two urban neighborhoods.  He did not go down without a fight.  In his larger store, he installed an ATM-like gizmo near the front door, so people could rent movies when the store was closed.  He added Italian ices and soft ice cream.  But both stores finally had to close, in order of their proximity to the Blockbuster site.

People wanted new releases.  Period.  Sure some rented old movies and enjoyed an ice cream cone.  But his small store obtained  2 or 3 copies of the current rentals. Blockbuster could bring in 50, or 100, depending on the anticipated demand.

Blockbuster does analyze and react to market forces.  They did not create the home video market, but saw it existed and sought to control it.

When premium television had hours of movies each week, Blockbuster went into partnership, offering pay per view.  New releases without a trip to the store.

But is was the Internet that provided an effective way to rent movies.

on the Internet is Infinitely better

Advertising has traditionally been based on hope and wish fulfillment.  Specious equations were presented to sell products or services.

Use this- get that.  Cigarettes were a great example.  They were the mark of sophistication, sex and fun.  The little tobacco smokes could propel you into a world with people boating, lounging on the beach, laughing, enjoying themselves surround by beaming friends.

Advertisers offered electronic and paper images that translated into Aladdin's lamp.  Everyone is familiar with buying a product to receive a result that is not guaranteed.  Hair color did not generate schools of admirers.   Twins were not included with the purchase of every case of beer.

The Internet markets to who we are based on what we have done.  Of course wishing' and hoping' could be going on as well.  You've been to Florida several times and want to return.  Wow, there are the ads for the airlines, the hotels.  Because you have booked vacations on-line before, or even visited certain travel sites, advertisers can really get to know you.

I never understood the rationale of the early email strategies. The philosophy seemed to be "more is more" and "it is only bandwidth" appeared to be the parameters. No analysis, no targeting, no relevance.  Even basic demographic sorts were omitted.  Inboxes of both genders were bombarded with ads for products clearly destined for male or female use.

I love email

I have always loved email.  Even in the dark days before Can Spam protection.  Back then I did receive a great deal of baffling messages.  No behavioral targeting would ever have recommended the endless stream of  pornographic emails that I received.

Those were heady times.  Not even basic list analysis was preformed.  Now, your target can be as narrow as you choose.  How about college educated  women with children in middle school who play soccer?

Back then, women's names were not culled off the Viagra rosters.  And I received graphically descriptive messages offering variations on "erotic material" that I could have never  imagined.  Plus, the Republican Party would not leave me alone.

Today, I receive very little spam.  I can usually tell the odd one that filters through and I boot that back to my junk file.  I receive newspapers, business digests, and endless streams of marketing ezines.  I am contacted  by a local television station when the schools in my jurisdiction are closed.

I can reach clients that do not answer their phones.  It is so easy and fast to send documents, pictures or any type of information. 

AOL and the Puppy Dog Close

Try it free for 30 days. Taste this freshly baked bread. No obligation. Return it if you are not satisfied.

It is one of the oldest sales techniques used by crafty marketers. Commonly called the Puppy Dog close for obvious reasons: try wrestling a newly acquired pet canine away from a happy child.

It must work. Or does it. I always wonder when I see marketing strategies that appear to be expensive, ineffective or just suffering from diminishing returns. I write this because I recieved a free trial AOL disk in the mail today. By my calculations, this must be the 187th one sent to me.