Moustache - WHY WAIT FOR NOVEMBER?

I have never been a fan of research.

It’s too often used to avoid failure rather than find success and at worst, is used as a popularity contest.

Both agencies and clients employ it as an arse covering exercise. At the end of the day they can always blame the research if it all goes horribly wrong.

The trouble with advertising communication is that there’s no guarantee of success. What works on the consumer with one product, won’t necessarily work with another.

Judging a creative idea isn’t easy.

When a concept is put into research, we are asking a bunch of ordinary people to rule on an abstract concept in a false environment.

Ten to twelve people are shoved into a strange room, behind a two-way mirror, and asked to comment on an unfinished, hypothetical idea.

They are rarely asked to be positive and assume the role of a critic, trying to find what is wrong with the concept, rather than what is right.

In these times of tighter budgets, research is often used to test strategy as well as select an ultimate winner.

Short-circuited research, like this, is more dangerous than no research at all. Its not single minded and ultimately ends up compromising all outcomes.

Even if there is no research and the client is making the decision, there still can be many problems.

They are judging the idea on many different criteria.

Is it on brand?

Is it on budget?

Will my colleagues like it?

Will my boss like it?

Will my boss’s wife like it?

Will it resonate with the consumer? (This is usually at the bottom of the list.)

Whenever I present a concept to a client, I ask them to immediately give me their first impression.

I want the response that first pops into their head, before they have had a chance to think about it and rationalise it.

This is the closest they will ever be to thinking like a consumer.

When we create an idea we take all the information available to us and let it stew in our brains. Then hopefully, the magic happens and we come up with a concept that connects.

We don’t know how it happens we just have a gut feeling that it’s the right way to go.

That gut feeling is the most important element in creating good ads.

Gut feel should also be used to judge them as well.

In the late 1960s Stanley Politt introduced the idea of account planning, through his agency Boase Massimi Politt. Stephen King, from JWT, has also been credited with introducing a similar concept at the same time.

They felt that the agency account managers were using research too literally and too much emphasis was being placed on numbers and not insights.

Their primary concern was that the resulting advertising was too rational and lacked an emotional link to the consumer.

This form of planning made communication simple with clear, insightful thinking and creative strategies.

The planners were the conduit between the brand and the consumer.

Their involvement in the process allowed the creatives to develop work that was connecting with the market, with insight and high levels of creativity.

This was in stark contrast to the research driven ads that were coming out of the US at the same time. This numbers driven research was all about safety rather than insight and effective communication.

Soon account planners were found in many agencies in the UK and they quickly spread worldwide.

Their fame was well justified, as the work that came from agencies with planners was more memorable and resonated better with the consumer than work that was slavishly following research findings.

The clients were happy, as there were sound, rational reasons, based on research, to go with this direction.

The research was done to develop strategy, not to have a popularity contest for a particular creative direction.

Some enduring British campaigns came from that era:

‘Heineken refreshes the parts that other beers cannot reach’

‘Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet’

Cadbury’s Smash

Even over ‘The Ditch’, in the US, Jay Chiat took up the planning cause.

Some of the great campaigns that came out of Chiat/Day:

The Energizer Bunny

Nike ‘Just do it’

Apple Computers

The process was simple, find a compelling insight that connected to the target market then dramatise it in such a way that it became memorable.

As with all simple processes there are people who are hell bent on complicating them.

That, I am afraid, is what has happened to account planning. We now have:

Brand Planning

Media Planning

Connection Planning

Propagation Planning

Transmedia Planning

All with their rules, guidelines and formulae, that have been complicated with jargon and brand babble.

What was originally developed to solve a problem has now become the problem itself.

During the 80s the American hamburger chain, Wendy’s, tried to start up in Australia. They promised fresh ingredients and a salad bar.

On recollection they only lasted about 18 months before they were forced out of the market.

Their advertising was brash, confrontationalist, comparative and it worked.

McDonald’s hated it, but more importantly, so did Coca Cola.

In Australia Pepsi was the soft drink of choice at Wendy’s. However in the southern US, Coca Cola was the main provider for Wendy’s.

It so happened that the Wendy’s franchisee in Australia had both Coca Cola and Wendy’s in the southern US.

As the story goes, the Coca Cola people spoke to the Wendy’s people and ‘asked’ them to stop stirring the pot in Australia or else their Coca Cola franchise might be under threat.

The result was instant, Wendy’s shut up shop and left the country.

During the midst of the Wendy’s campaign a McDonald’s spokesman was reported to have remarked that “Maccas is Maccas, we don’t have fresh beef or salads and that’s the way it’s going to stay”.

Their attitude was arrogant and didn’t take consumer sentiment into consideration.

Just look at what McDonald’s is offering today.

I find that same attitude pervades current US politics.

Over the last few weeks we have witnessed the crisis gripping Egypt.

A revolution that has it’s source in the grass roots of Egyptian society and will ultimately be decided by Egyptians.

As I watch CNN, I see so many American commentators and politicians asking each other, “What can we do to influence the outcome of this issue in Egypt?”

The US government has to realise that these things are out of their control and in fact it is none of their concern in the first place.

This isn’t the 80s when companies or countries could live on the arrogance of their beliefs or doctrines, without considering the thoughts of the community or consumers.

If the Wendy’s Vs McDonald’s scenario was played out today, I am sure, aided with the power of social media and consumer demand, the result would be very different.

This sign was posted on the gate of a property next to the US embassy in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

The US compound had armed guards, bomb proof gates and CCTV.

The American’s neighbours felt that a dog was their best defence from any would be terrorist.

He does look far scarier than any of the marines I saw posted outside.

Take note of what the pooch is thinking.

Just as advertising uses a range of techniques to sell a product or a brand, so do the hawkers of Vietnam.

One cyclo driver had a little book of testimonials from previous customers.

The problem with this was that, unfortunately, he didn’t understand a lot of what had been written.

Some of it wasn’t all that complimentary.

A lot of retail advertising uses the ‘Pester Technique’, a really crap ad shown over and over again.

A similar approach is also used by cyclo drivers. They will follow you for blocks, imploring you to use their services.

And just like bad retail, the only way they can get you to buy is by dropping the price.

Guilt is also used to good effect.

There are always ‘Buying Opportunities’ right across Vietnam, incorporating clean rest rooms, that are conveniently placed along the tourist routes.

If they think you are American, you will be told that some of the crafts people are handicapped.

A direct cause of Agent Orange, of course.

This is known as ‘Good Cause’ shopping.

The one strategy that worked on me was used by the villagers in the mountain region near Sapa.

As soon as you jump off the bus they were there by your side, involving you in dialogue.

Yes, they were there to sell you something, an embroidered bag or handcrafted silver trinkets.

However it was the way they got you into conversation, by asking your name, your age, how many kids you have.

It was that personal engagement that finally won me over.

It’s a strategy that a lot of marketers could learn from.

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The letter ‘X’ is now up on Alphabattle.

Identity systems work best when they are simple, adaptable and consistent.

When an identity is applied to a country then simplicity is a key factor in keeping the look consistent.

When applied to a developing country like Vietnam then simplicity is imperative.

There are no corporate ID manuals or style guides, no downloadable media with the logo and font, conveniently provided in Illustrator.

It’s not surprising therefore, that the flag is the purest expression of the logo.

Designed in 1940, it’s a big yellow star on a bright red background.

Even the typography found on posters and propaganda is simple, yellow sans serif caps, reversed out of the same vibrant red background.

Steeped in the history of the Vietnamese Socialist party and with obvious links to the hammer and sickle of the old Soviet flag, you see it wherever you go.

Like all good symbols, there is meaning and a touch of urban myth in the design.

The red symbolizes blood and revolution, while the yellow the colour of the mother’s skin.

The five pointed star represents the unity between workers, peasants, intellectuals, traders and soldiers.

Most homes along village streets proudly display at least one flag and there are banners every few meters on the highways and in the city streets.

What makes this such a successful identity is the fact that it is in total synergy with the people’s cultural use of red.

As they prepare for Tet, there are red lanterns, balloons, banners and even red and yellow flowers everywhere.

Red lacquered woodwork, with yellow Chinese characters, are a feature of the temples and pagodas.

All this helps the symbol of Vietnam to seamlessly fit into the landscape.

With much of the country shrouded in mist during our stay, the corporate identity was so adaptable, it was even in harmony with the weather.

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That’s what we do in advertising, sell stuff and anyone who thinks differently is kidding themselves.

Selling a doctrine isn’t any different.

If you are a student of communist era posters you will have admired the graphics and chuckled at the simplistic and naive headlines.

This is communist propaganda and shouldn’t be compared to clever marketing spin.

I have just spent 3 hours wandering through the War Remnants Museum in Saigon.

Most of the descriptions on the exhibits fall into the area of jargon. For example the Australian forces were described as: “The mercenary forces of the American puppets.”

It was the final exhibition that demonstrated how sophisticated their selling has become.

This exhibit compared war efforts, in WW1, WW2 and Korea, of the elite US regiments, with their achievements, or lack of, in the Vietnam conflict.

Their atrocities were also highlighted, like the massacre at My Lai, as well as the date they were prematurely pulled out of the conflict.

In all instances these forces were shown to be left wanting.

They lost more men and had fewer victories than those who went before them.

This was sophisticated spin and confined all the party jargon to the dark ages.

As our guide Frong said, there are two sides to every story and here you are getting our side.

In my opinion this chapter in history was sold particularly well.

When you start a blog you wonder if anyone out there in cyber space is reading it.

Then something strange happens, you start to get comments.

If you’re like me, you eagerly look to see what they are saying.
Are they bagging your opinion or praising it?

Then your ego takes over.

Following are a few of the comments I received. Some were written by people who obviously had English as a second language but that didn’t deter me, they were positive comments.

Ronna Vaughen.
“You certainly deserve a round of applause for your post and more specifically, your blog in general. Very high quality material.”

Grow Tallereasy.
“Hi my friends! I would like to say that this article is really awesome, very well written and have almost all needed info. I’d like to see more posts like this :)”

Projektor.
“Wonderful entry, until it was pleasant to see him. Already I threw myself your blog to bookmarks in my web browser.”

Sex.
“Hi there, just wanted to show my appreciation for your time and hard work.”

I am now feeling really good about myself. There are people out there who actually like what I am saying.

But what sort of a person would use the name ‘Sex’?

Then I got this one and started to wonder.

Fettverbrennung.
“I’m 21 but can only develop thin blond facial hair. How long till I can grow thick dark hair? I realize everyone grows at distinct charges and occasions in their lives but what about individuals in a comparable situation to what I have described?”

Is this some obscure reference to my moustache?

At this point I spoke to Hayden, who knows about all things internet.

I think his explanation went something like:

“I’m sorry to tell you but they’re all spam.
Their comments are general and don’t actually refer specifically to your post, they could be about any post. They are just playing to your ego.”

He went on to tell me that it’s known as “Comment Spam” which is a guerrilla marketing technique, usually promoting dodgy products such as copy-watches, porn and Viagra.

They’re probably using a program that’s searching WordPress blogs and then submitting comment automatically to those sites.

The link on their user name goes to a web site and the more incoming links from different sites gives them a higher google ranking.

For instance, ‘exam training’ would link to a web site about training.

However it isn’t of much use to you, as you are linking to sites with a lower ranking and that will in turn lower your ranking.

Here are a few more, unedited, comments for your entertainment.

Some of the names are rather creative as well.

cope with break up songs ladies.
“I’m curious if it’s okay to borrow part of this publication to use for my research project.”

rock songs get over sad.
“My husband and I genuinely loved learning about on this publication, I was just eager to know if you barter featured posts? I am always attempting to find site owners to make deals with but it’s only a point of view I would call for.”

80 tals kläder.
“Very interesting and useful information, thanks!”

Chanda Carthew.
“When i visit a blog, chances are that i get disappointed. On the contrary,I could honestly say that you writting is decent and your website solid.”

Fettverbrennung. (Again)
“How to make thin hair grow quick and lengthy? I have supper thin hair and it grows truly sluggish how can I make develop faster and longer in the least expensive way?”

get over your ex husband.
“I’m just wondering if it’s okey to borrow some piece of this publication to use for my research project.”

Haven’t I seen this comment before?

I have just received this one. I think it’s time to get some anti spam software.

penis enlargement.
“lol, nice article friend!. I was reminded of my friends about it, maybe I’ll tell her this blog, and some other friends.”

We pitched for a new account the other day.

At the end of the meeting the marketing manager said that he would consult with his marketing team and get back to us with their decision.

Now this isn’t unusual, except for the fact that part of his marketing team were involved in creating all their current in-house advertising and catalogue work.

So, in effect, he was asking his people to decide on an external advertising agency that could jeopardise their jobs.

He wasn’t looking to find the best outcome for the company but rather the best outcome for the harmony of his staff.

Needless to say we didn’t get the business.

What this does point out is the current consensus mode of managing.

These managers would rather keep everyone happy than make hard decisions that could cause conflict.

They take the easy way out.

This same management style seems to be used by politicians in developing policy and building infrastructure. More time is spent on consultation, with all the ‘stake holders,’ than actually getting the job done, that’s if the job ever gets past the committee stage.

Millions of dollars are spent on this consultative process and then there is no money to actually do anything.

I have always found that the best managers are those who have a vision and involve their staff in realising that vision.

They are forceful in achieving their goals but, in the end, everyone feels as though they are part of the process. However they never shirk away from the tough decisions.

When you ask for a consensus you will end up with an average of everyone’s opinion and many of those opinions are biased towards the individuals self interest.

That’s not managing, it’s barely coping.