The reference to an “advertising message” makes me wince. The word “message” seems to imply that the advertising is designed to convey specific information or an argument. But not all advertising is intended to persuade people by arguing the merits of a brand. And even when it does, I think we overestimate the degree to which people actually comprehend what is shown and said in advertising.
On September 7th, 1982, David Ogilvy sent the following internal to all agency employees, titled “How to Write”:
It is axiomatic in advertising that if your ad isn’t noticed or remembered, you’re wasting your money. Simply put, consumers can’t buy your brand if they don’t notice or remember your ad. Thus, “breakthrough,” or how well consumers remember your ad, is THE foundational metric for in-market advertising effectiveness.
Show me the Money! This memorable line from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire might just as well be coming from today’s CEO’s and CFO’s: a growing and vocal demand for accountability from the Marketing function.
The firestorm kindled by radio host Rush Limbaugh’s crass remarks about Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke has reignited the debate about civility in public discourse that flares up every time there is yet another breach of propriety. But this time, the debate implicates brands, too, raising a complicated and delicate question for brand marketers. Simply put, to what extent if any are brands responsible for policing public discourse?
