A recent Advertising Age magazine included an ad for a conference entitled "What Women Want From Brands".  In it were the jaw dropping and gargantuanly contradictory statistics that 85% of brand purchases are…

Continue

For most b2c companies, a high-performing brand is the most productive path to growth.  Branding connects your business to more consumers with compelling messages that encourage them to buy more of what you're selling.  Advertising and other creative agencies are, therefore, some of the most…

Continue

Throughout life, there are many instances where a balance of two factors is required for something to be its best.  Think about it, the heart and head, Yin and Yang, male and female, positive and negative polarities, etc.  In advertising, it's really no different.  For an ad to be its best,…

Continue

Perhaps the most powerful tool that any B2C company can have to drive sustainable growth for their business is a strong brand.  Rooted in consumer insights, brand strategy, and compelling creative, a brand is a vehicle that both disseminates…

Continue

“I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting you buy the product.”

David…

Continue

Every dollar spent in a company should be scrutinized and should have a positive ROI attached to it.  That’s the point of business, right?  Done well, advertising has the power to be one of the most productive investments that a company can make.  Compelling branding can…

Continue

The Cannes Lions  spectacular is going on now.  You know, the annual homage to advertising in the south of France.  They describe the event as follows:

"Inspiring Creativity is at the heart of Cannes Lions. The Festival is where creative professionals come to debate, learn and be inspired; where the…

Continue

I just saw a statistic that bears some conversation. 85% of brand purchases are made by women, yet only 3% of advertising agency creative directors are women. Is there any logic or business purpose behind this statistic? Has it been established that men know more about women than women do? Maybe its just that women are incapable of creating strategic…

Continue

It seems like every few weeks I see a new article proclaiming the death of advertising.  With all due respect, give me a break.  For better or worse, society is becoming even more consumerist, not less.  The fundamental need of companies to share information about their products, brands, and…

Continue

In advertising, companies are obviously wholly responsible for everything that emanates from them  - their products, their customer support experience, to some degree their retail context, and of course their advertising.  Since every consumer touch point is both precious and contributes to the over-all brand experience, marketers must be sure that each interaction is as strategic as possible.  Not only should every advertising dollar be positioned to create the greatest economic benefit,…

Continue

It is clear by looking at the wide variety of advertising produced that there are some who really "get" it, and others, well, who . . . have other thoughts. There is so much that can be said about creating good advertising that, often, someone looking for guidance can be overwhelmed by it all and not know where to start. I've simplified 20+ years of experience, both from the client side and as an adviser to companies, down to the five most… Continue