Lately, I’ve been thinking about the lack of creativity in business. People are simply risk averse and don’t want to stick their necks out. Is it the economy? Our culture where you’re likely to be under attack for whatever view you espouse? Or simply the age old CYA corporate mentality? Tried and true seems to win out every time. Better safe than sorry, as they say.
Advertising is but one example where creativity has declined. I’ve now begun to put the TV on mute when I see that National Car Rental ad come on knowing I’m about to hear, “just like you business pro, just like you.” I’m turned off by the Geico Gecko and if that once good actor, Michael McGlone, asks me one more time if it’s true that Geico could save me money, well…gag me with a spoon, as they say.
I used to teach an advertising course at a local university. On the first night of class, I’d ask, “who saw, read or heard an ad today?” The students would look incredulously at me thinking that I don’t know anything and, of course, every arm went up.
Then I’d ask, “What are the ads about?”
“Oh, there’s the one where the guy spills his beer all over the girl….”
And
“Have you seen the one where the girl is talking on her blue tooth but the guy across the room thinks she’s talking to him.”
“But, what’s the product?” I would always ask.
Silence.
Two problems with advertising today: (1) the stories don’t connect to the product or brand strategy so we often remember the story but not the product; (2) they’re told to us over and over again, incessantly so that we do make a connection but end up hating the product. Oftentimes in print ads, particularly in trade publications, there’s no strategic message nor is there a story. For example, look through any trade publication for the alcoholic beverage business and you’ll find ads that show a bottle and make a statement like “Try the ultimate sipping rum.” One of my favorites is a wine ad with a photo of the bottle and the headline, “It starts with an idea.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one.
Ad agencies use forms called “creative briefs” to avoid this problem because they force you to think in a way that makes a connection between the idea and the brand strategy. But many of these ads are produced by agencies, so something isn’t working. It’s why we pester our clients and their agencies to make a strategic connection in their ads. Yes, it’s important to get outside the box but if you’re trying to sell something, please connect the story to your strategy. Otherwise, don’t be surprised when prospective customers turn off the volume on their TV or their ears.
Tags: Advertising, Creativity, Marketing, Positioning, Strategy
