Category: Marketing

Try Something Different

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always got.” This trite saying crops up all over the place. It is variously attributed to Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, Tony Robbins, Marian Diamond and several others. The trouble is that it just is not true. The world changes. It is volatile and uncertain. Things which worked well last year might work... Read More--

Most Creative TV Ads of 2021

Advertising is creativity in action.  How can you make beer or ketchup or vaccination topical, relevant and fascinating?  The clever people at advertising agencies do some lateral thinking and keep coming up with creative ideas.  Here are my top six favourites from 2021 on Youtube. 6. BLK – Vax That Thang Up – How do you encourage young black people to get vaccinated?  Maybe by using... Read More--

Examples of Lateral Thinking in Marketing

Brand marketing offers tremendous scope for lateral thinking.  In the UK there are several price comparison sites for services such as car or house insurance.  How can you differentiate yourself? One of the most well-known brands is Comparethemarket.com.  Its whole branding, messaging and advertising is posited on one ridiculously obscure piece of lateral thinking – that customers might confuse... Read More--

When the World Zigs, Zag.

John Bartle, Nigel Bogle and John Hegarty founded their eponymous agency in 1982 after leaving the TBWA agency. They started with a highly unusual principle for an advertising agency – no creative pitches. Nigel Bogle argued that if they really were more creative than other agencies, they should not give away their best ideas free in their pitches. They should focus on strategy. It was a radical... Read More--

An Innovative Complaint – United Breaks Guitars

In 2008, Dave Carroll, a Canadian guitarist and songwriter, flew with United Airlines from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Omaha, Nebraska with a stop at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.  During the layover at O’Hare a fellow passenger saw the baggage handlers throwing baggage including Carroll’s precious guitar.  Sure enough, when they arrived in Omaha the singer found that his $3500 Taylor guitar was... Read More--

Overcome the Customer’s Concern – Transfer the Risk

During the economic depression which followed the financial crash of 2009 car sales slumped across America.  Automobile makers tried all sorts of promotions, many featuring big price cuts, but they could not lure buyers onto their forecourts and persuade them to buy.  Rebates and other traditional incentives just were not working.  Hyundai USA took a different approach.  They kept asking why and... Read More--

Marketing Lessons from David and Goliath

Let’s start this marketing innovation blog with a Bible story from the book of Samuel. Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah.  Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the... Read More--

Bypass the Naysayers

Mickey Schulhof’s parents, both Jews, fled Hitler’s Europe in 1939 and settled in Long Island.  Mickey was a brilliant student and gained a doctorate in physics from Brandeis University in 1970 before joining CBS to work in their music records division.  In 1974 he joined Sony and rapidly rose up the ranks becoming vice-chairman of Sony USA and then the first American to become a board member... Read More--

Twenty Great Sales & Marketing Questions to Ask About Your Product

If you are launching a new product or service or if you want to review sales and marketing tactics for an existing product or service then here are twenty probing questions to ask.  They are intended to challenge conventional assumptions and to take you back to the basics of sales and marketing.   How would you describe our product (or service) in one short sentence?   What are the main features... Read More--