Blog
No man (or company) is an island
John Donne, famed British poet, once penned the now famous line, “…no man is an island.” Truer words have never been spoken since the Great Recession. Companies that once kept their marketing programs as closely guarded as the Hope Diamond have been forced to change the way they do business – just so they can stay in business. And it’s working.
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most well-known American luxury brands — internationally recognized icons who historically would not have even thought of allowing their logo on the same invitation or event signage as one of their competitors. But times have changed, forcing these companies to play nice in the sand box.
So, how do big-ego and big-name companies work together to benefit their profits? The industry name for the concept is Promotional Partnerships, and they have never been more valuable or more necessary. Essentially, one company takes the lead creating an event, for example a Kentucky Derby party. Who doesn’t love the Run for the Roses? Massey Cadillac in Orlando wanted to accomplish a private luxury event catering to their existing customers and reaching out to new ones. Isleworth Realty had a multi-million dollar mansion for sale, with owners willing to allow their home to be the event venue. The Capital Grille restaurant was highly motivated to capture the Isleworth residents as new customers. Saks Fifth Avenue provided the scenery and pre-Mother’s Day shopping opportunity with models, spring fashions, jewelry and fragrances. Throw in Sweet! By Holly Cupcakes, and the world’s most beautiful red rose arrangements from Greenery Productions, and you have an over-the-top elegant, glamorous and surprisingly affordable Kentucky Derby party.
With each participating company absorbing their portion of the expenses, rather than the entire cost, the event was not only highly successful but affordable. Companies were able to share client databases while having an equal opportunity to promote their luxury brands to affluent clientele — and no one broke their marketing budget in the process. Because it wasn’t a charity event, participating companies could control expenses and not have a required donation from attendees, thus increasing the RSVP ratio.
Even as the economy is slowly making a comeback, this trend won’t be going away. No man is an island, nor is any company. If two heads are better than one, certainly four or five are ideal.
Published March 14, 2011
Sloganeering – an unappreciated art
With all the attention on the use of technology during the revolts in Egypt, almost overlooked was the power of slogans. While some tweeted, masses chanting “We are all Egyptians!” vibrated through Tahrir Square.
Advertising agencies and marketers have long known the value and power of a slogan that is so catchy it becomes part of the pop culture vernacular, such as Nike’s “Just do it” and McDonald’s “Lovin’ it.”
If you’re a Mad Men fan, like the TW2 crew, you know that part of the fun is watching the self-assured Don Draper or ambitious copywriter Peggy Olson come up with the next great ad campaign slogan. It often feels as if you’re watching a tightrope act. Will the client love “Life – cure for the common breakfast?” Or hate it? Will it catch on with consumers or go down in flames?
Some slogans have real staying power, such as Morton Salt’s “When it rains, it pours!” while others are so overused that they eventually wear out their welcome. The grating voice of the Wendy’s customer who kept asking “Where’s the beef?” comes to mind.
So, I wondered, why is it that we remember the slogan but not the genius who wrote it? And then I remembered a sloganeer who is without equal, whose humor and wordsmithing was so clever and profound that it helped incite a revolution and unite a country. His slogans were so connected to who we are as people that we repeat them even today. That king of sloganeering: Ben Franklin.
Here are a few of his gems:
“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
“Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them.”
Do you have favorite slogans or sloganeers? If so, we would like to hear from you.
Published
Hey, you!
Pick up your room. Turn in your homework.
We knew mom or the teacher meant business when they talked to us like that. Perhaps that’s why using power verbs at the beginning of a sentence is so effective when you want someone to take action or listen to you.
Power verbs are usually written in the present tense and convey a sense of urgency and command. You often see these at the beginning of bulleted lists, calls to action or in advertising copy. Go to the General Motors official Web site page, and you’ll see what I mean.
“Find a new Chevy, Buick, GMC or Cadillac that’s just right for you.”
Notice that the first words that greet you start with “Find?”
If you were you one of those smarter-than-the-average bears who noticed that my suggestion started with the word “Go” – TAKE the rest of the day off.
Published February 10, 2011
Coming to a legislative session near you
Florida business leaders are looking with interest to the upcoming state and federal legislative sessions. The Census has meant Florida will gain two new U.S. House seats bringing the number of Florida delegates to 27 – the same as New York, which lost two seats. Only Texas and California remain larger.
In Tallahassee, the governor and legislative leaders have made it clear that business will be a hot topic. Gov. Rick Scott announced recently that he wants to revive the Department of Commerce. Legislators will decide where they want to put the new U.S. House seats. The Orlando area is expected to et at least one seat due to the growth across Central Florida.
The increased Florida population goes into the formula for distributing federal funds affecting the distribution of federal funds to states, which will eventually affect the state’s distribution to local governments and communities. Stay tuned. It should be interesting.
Published February 3, 2011