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Creativity. Why bother? Pfft!
 Posted 3/3/2010 10:11:00 AM
Another installment in The Spin Doctor's on-going series on Everyday Creativity … as if he knows anything!
It occurs to me, because of my abnormally large brain, well, abnormally large in a "I could be really smart if I applied myself" kind of way, not abnormally large like I'm running out of room in my own skull like what happens to Dobermans before they go crazy and kill their owners, but I digress - as I was saying, it occurs to me that before we can discuss ways to be creative, a person needs to decide that it's worth the years of rigorous training and hard work that it takes to actually become a creative person.
Why go to all the trouble of trying to inject a little more creativity into your life in the first place?
In numerous studies… countless studies actually… billions and billions of studies, although I ...
Old Spice attempts to drop anchor in a new land
Posted 2/17/2010 8:51:00 AM
Old Spice spent several years and millions of dollars creating a very specific image. Eventually, that image was firmly ensconced in the minds of consumers: Old Spice is the fragrance my grandpa likes.
The sad truth is, it takes a lot more time, money and pain to un-do an image once you’ve created it; much like having a tattoo removed.
You can ‘tell’ consumers you’ve changed. You can ‘beg’ consumers to believe that you’ve changed, but it’s much more effective to show them.
And, if you are having trouble convincing your primary consumer, it may not be a bad idea to reach them through a secondary consumer who may not share the primary consumer’s bias. For example…
Old Spice is scoring an attention home run with their “I’m a man” and “Your man could smell like a man” commercials. They don’t have anything serious to say – they’re just having ...
You had me at hello ... or did you?
Posted 10/29/2009 2:22:00 PM
From the "Everyday Creativity For Real People" series
How many times have you met someone and forgotten their name before you finished shaking hands? Dozens?
Hundreds? Gazillions? Don't worry, it's not a tumor - it's just human nature.
But conversely, how many people have made an immediate and unforgettable impression on you? Probably not gazillions, or even dozens, but I'm sure there have been some. In the first few moments of contact something happened that left a mark on you like a crazed monkey on your back with a permanent marker.
Whatever they said or did might have been funny, tacky, intellectual, sexist, rude, erudite, tasteless, mind boggling or just so gosh darn earnest that you wanted to take that person home and keep him as a pet. The question is: was it intentional, accidental or was it just that person unselfconsciously being himself?
Marketers and advertisers spend invest thousands ...
Ever have a day like this? Of course you have.
Posted 7/17/2009 1:11:00 PM
The strength of a great advertising campaign comes from the ability to resonate with the largest possible audience. Many advertisers invest way too much time, energy and money in creating a campaign that is big, visual and splendiferous. I’m not even sure if splendiferous is actually a word although my spell check didn’t bitch me out when I wrote it. But if it was a fake word, that would be a perfect parallel to advertisers who try to baffle you with BS rather than focus on, and reinforce, a credible message.
Barclays Bank gets it! In these tumultuous economic times, people want something real and secure that they can rely on. That’s a pretty simple concept – it’s easy to understand and everybody can relate to it. Barclays could have delivered a simple message simply… or they could have delivered a simple message in a Hollywood-worthy extravaganza. They chose the ...
“You live in… happy town?”
Posted 6/30/2009 7:34:00 PM
I was downtown a few months ago and I was just getting out of my car when I was approached by a stranger, an American with what I recognized as a Bostonian accent. He was asking for directions to a business several blocks away. Somehow, he had become turned around and had spent twenty minutes walking in the wrong direction. I started to explain how he needed to re-trace his steps but I could see he was already becoming more confused.
Finally I said, “You know what, it would be easier if I just drove you there.” I walked over to my car, opened the door and was about to get in when I realized he was still standing on the sidewalk. For a moment, he stared at me with disbelief, obviously uncertain what to do. Eventually he must have decided he could trust me and he got in the ...
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