An
interesting book about the theories of advertising. I sometimes get the feeling
that most theories and people are turned into strawfigures, but is it
interesting just to see such an entertaining collection of thinking.
„The
proposition is the strongest competitive promise on behalf of a product or
service that can be made to the consumer in the terms of his own self interest.
It must be truthful demonstrable and unique – clearly elevating the product or
service over the competition.“ (Jeremy Bullmore quoting an old JWT manual in
Feldwick, 2015, p.x).
“’What
then’, Lasker asked later that evening, ‘is the secret of good salesmanship?
What is it that actually makes people buy?’
‘That
is too simple’, said the tall Canadian, drawing on his cigar. ‘You have to give
them a reason why.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.35).
“According
to Starch, advertising fulfils the following roles in the selling process:
-
it reduces sales resistance
-
it develops a readiness to accept
a product
-
it creates desire or demand for
the commodity.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.51).
“The
addition of memory allows us conceptually to extend the AIDA selling model to
situations where action cannot be taken immediately. (….) even when advertising
does not lead to an immediate sale, it works in the same way – there is merely
a time lag between conviction and action which memory must make good.”
(Feldwick, 2015, p.51).
“there’s
an easy way to beat that game. Instead of showing a big picture of the car, you
show a big picture of Marilyn Monroe and a little picture of the car. If that
doesn’t work, you take some clothes off her.” (Feldwick quoting Mayer, 2015,
p.54).
Hopkins
and the USP and that the consumer remembers just one thing: “He produced no
real evidence for this claim – and I know of none myself to support it – but it
has been so often repeated ever since that it now seems to be universally
believed.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.61). “’The Man in the Hathaway Shirt’ became
hugely successful, with his signature (never-explained) eye patch – so much so
that future ads in the series dispensed with copy, and eventually even the
brand name.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.92).
“But
at the heart of Packard’s attack is a strand of truth which advertising folk
themselves have often found uncomfortable – the fact that much advertising does
indeed influence people’s behaviour in ways other than conscious, rational
argument. If we accept this as a fact – and today it is increasingly hard not
to – we may have to allow a debate about the ethical implications of it.”
(Feldwick, 2015, p.83).
“Stephen
King pointed out in 1965 that to separate style and content is an artificial
exercise. A consumer responds to a message as a totality.” (Feldwick, 2015,
p.98). “Attitudes may influence purchasing, but purchasing also influences
attitudes.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.99).
“JWT
planners were among the first to show that users’ experience of a product was
significantly different when it was branded. Thus advertising helped create a
real (subjective) value, from which brand buyers benefited.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.102).
“’How
ads work’ was a question which we therefore confronted on a case by case basis.”
(Feldwick, 2015, p.105).
“Common
sense tells us that the sun is smaller than the earth and moves around it. (…)
science is only needed at all because common sense is so often wrong.”
(Feldwick, 2015, p.120).
“When
I go into a restaurant – and they bring me the bill – and it says at the
bottom, Service is not included – (longish pause) – is that information, or
persuasion?” (Feldwick quoting Bullmore, 2015, p.123).
“The
idea, in lay terms, is that we are continually making mental connections
between different perceptions and different experiences and for the most part
we are doing this unconsciously. (…) We instantly and subconsciously make links
between images and ideas, images and emotions, and the patterns of these are
continually influencing the choices we make.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.129). “the
principal way advertising influences buying behaviour is by making brands more
salient, that is, more accessible in more consumers’ memory. Advertising is
therefore, in a phrase they use ‘mere publicity’: the role of creativity is
neither to persuafe nor to seduce, but merely to create images that are closely
linked to the brand and which lodge in long term memory. In a powerful
expression of Byron Sharp’s advertising does not create meaningful
differentiation between brands but ‘meaningless distinctiveness’ (Feldwick,
2015, p.138).
“One key finding is that brand size is almost
entirely predictable form brand penetration in any given period: average weight
of purchase varies very little by brand. (…) brands cannot grow without
attracting more buyers.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.136). “different brands are bought
by essentially the same kind of people.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.137).
“the most powerful single force us fame.
Simply making a brand more famous drives sales. (…) a strong correlation
between a brand’s relative Share of Voice and its sales performance.” (Feldwick
quoting Binet and Field, 2015, p.138). “effectively keeping your name before
the public’ is a key factor for advertising success.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.138). “that
people most value and are most attached to what they perceive others are
valuing.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.139).
“I
think you will find that the advertising is most easily understood as a series
of gestures intended to create a relationship.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.147).
“”humbug consists in putting on glittering
appearances – outside show – novel expedients by which to suddenly arrest
public attention, and attract the public eye and ear … An honest man who thus
arrests public attention will be called a “humbug”, but he is not a swindler or
an impostor.’” (Feldwick quoting Cook, 2015, p.158). “Humbug, as Barnum
promotes it, is about shamelessly rigging the odds in your favour.” (Feldwick,
2015, p.159).
“All
of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can
vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift ot onto a
higher level.” (Feldwick, 2015, p.162).
