From Soap to Success: Claude Hopkins' Unlikely Path
Did you know that some of the most iconic ad campaigns of the early 20th century were created by a man who started his career selling soap door-to-door?
In "My Life in Advertising," Claude Hopkins recounts his humble beginnings and the valuable lessons he learned. From writing free ads for local merchants to becoming one of the highest-paid admen of his time, Hopkins' journey is nothing short of inspirational.
Key takeaways from his story:
1: Every experience is a learning opportunity
2: Understanding your customer is crucial
3: Hard work and innovation pay off
What unlikely experiences have shaped your career? Share your story!
#CareerJourney#AdvertisingLegends#SuccessStories
What's your favorite part of the Super Bowl?
I know it should be about the game, but for me, it's mostly about the food and the commercials. 🏈
For several years, I worked in the advertising industry, and the Super Bowl was an official holiday for us. The day after the game, we'd all bring in our leftovers, gather into rec room and proceed to re-watch every commercial that aired during the game and voting on our favorites. It was fun, yes, but it also helped us to see trends and understand what our clients were looking for.
It's not much different for me today, except these days I pay much closer attention to the VO than the actual ideas. Trends change for us as well! Are things still super conversational, like you're talking to your best friend? Or are we leaning more toward an "announcery" read these days? Is the Millenial sound still popular? How much vocal fry do you hear? All these things help me to grow and serve my clients in the best possible way.
I can't wait to hear what spots were your favorites! ✨
#Commercial#VoiceOver#SuperBowl#Advertising
> A SOCIAL IMPACT LENS vs AN AD LENS. Great piece from Kian Bakhtiari.
Advertising can have a positive and negative social impact.
Negative - it funds megalomaniac organisations like Meta and Google. It is also a growing area for criminality - Ad Fraud (ref Bob Hoffman). Encourages us to eat badly, buy stuff we don't need and overconsume.
On a good side, it can change behaviours, attitudes, minds and make good happen.
Brands are only starting to see what they do through a Social Impact lens. See the good they can do for people, communities and society. (And avoid the bad).
Consumers connect with brands that have values, and those that do good do better.
If every brand adopted a Social Impact strategy across their activities and marketing, the difference they could make would be incredible.
For example
Coca-Cola's "I like to teach the world to sing" was a great advert in the early 70's. The song was a global hit. But it was just seen through an ad lens. Which is how Coke ses all it's ads.
But review it through a Social Impact lens.
The idea of bringing people together through song is a big idea. Massive.
Music unites us, it defuses anger, it crosses boundaries. When we sing we don't see differences, we are in harmony literally. The song is a step towards peace. So the lyrics, "I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony" could be a reality Coke could deliver... if it could change its lens. (Which is as likely as snow falling in summer.)
My focus now is trying to get brands to see through a Social Impact lens. To do good while still selling, increasing brand loyalty and raising brand equity.
Check out My Social Impactwww.MySocialImpact.orghttps://lnkd.in/exQyYdZaDuncan Hancox Marcus Warry #socialimpact
Founder THE PEOPLE, Gen-Z Insights & Strategy | Author of Marketing for Social Change | TEDx Speaker
Brands spent a record $650 million on Super Bowl commercials.
Amidst all the hot takes on the best and worst adverts and strategic breakdowns. What I found interesting is that no one is questioning the madness.
I kind of understand the business decision. It's the most-watched media of the year in the world's largest consumer market. A chance to be culturally relevant and make a buzz.
But the Super Bowl is a super crowded space. Imagine what you could do with $650 million? or even the $7million from the 30-sec ad? How many lives you could change with that money?
There are numerous studies which show how abundant resources can have a negative effect on creativity.
This isn't an argument against marketing but a request for more critical and creative approaches.
#superbowl#marketing2024#creativebusiness
A record number of people watched the Super Bowl earlier this month, and you know what that means.
A record number of people saw the commercials companies, networks, and organizations paid millions of dollars to get in front of millions of people.
Did it pay off?
Only their accountants can tell you that.
What I can tell you is which commercials I considered the best, the worst, and the most mediocre of all. I’ll also tell you what I think makes them good or bad commercials. It’s great of they’re entertaining, but if I can’t remember what they were trying to sell, or if they told me nothing about the product they were trying to sell, then I consider that ad a waste of a lot of money.
#superbowl#marketingstrategy#superbowlads
Today I saw a Reese’s commercial. As a marketer, I am accutely aware and constantly evaluating the marketing that makes up my life. But I have to say this one missed the mark for me.
Here’s why:
If an advertiser could create a profile on me based on my purchases, browsing history, consumed content, etc they would find, I am a health-conscious 20 something female who values career and personal development, family and faith, and I have a creative edge. I definitely was not the target for this ad. It wasn’t so much the simple, somewhat boring visuals but where the wheels of this ad really fell off the tracks was in the voiceover.
“If you’re making a to-do list today. Make it easy on yourself. Just write down ‘Reese’s’ then write ‘eat them’, and then… you’re kinda done for the day.”
I almost scoffed as I slicked mascara through my eyelashes at 6 AM this morning effectively checking off the third item on my long list of productive to-dos. The irony of it was not lost on me. In 15 seconds, my perception of Reese’s changed. I associated Reese’s with lazy, undisciplined behavior. I associated people who consume Reese’s with a lack of motivation. I thought of Reese’s as a sugar packed, unhealthy food filled with ingredients I wanted nowhere near my body. This is all quite the change from how I use Reese’s in my life. I often purchase dark chocolate Reese’s thins as a small reward for hard workouts or celebrations of completed tasks, but 15 seconds was all it took to change my perception.
Had Reese’s shown me a different ad, it may have gone differently. Reese’s could have positioned themselves as a sweet treat that brings forth feelings of warmth and nostalgia. If they had shown grandpa sharing a Reese’s with his grandson on the fishing dock, or a couple sharing a Reese’s on the top of a mountain after a hike, or even a group of friends smashing Reese’s in between two graham crackers and a toasty marshmallow, it would have been a better match for me.
But instead, I’m almost angry at Reese’s. How could they suggest that I would be the type of consumer that sits around and eats Reese’s all day? I’m pontificating a bit to give you the picture, it’s not really that deep and yet for a marketer this insight is everything.
You may say to me “Well, Natalya, budget is at play here.” “This isn’t their main marketing channel” on and on. But at the end of the day they missed a fundamental marketing truth: Message - Market - Match.
That’s where Reese’s went wrong. I’m not here to say don’t eat Reese’s or that Reese’s marketing department sucks. I’m using my evaluation of their ad from a consumer perspective to teach you a simple question you should ask yourself every time before posting that ad: Who is this for, and why should they care?
If your answer doesn’t match, is not compelling, or feels inauthentic to your brand - you’ve probably built yourself a dud of an ad, and you should reach out to me for help fixing it. The Hershey Company
Brands spent a record $650 million on Super Bowl commercials.
Amidst all the hot takes on the best and worst adverts and strategic breakdowns. What I found interesting is that no one is questioning the madness.
I kind of understand the business decision. It's the most-watched media of the year in the world's largest consumer market. A chance to be culturally relevant and make a buzz.
But the Super Bowl is a super crowded space. Imagine what you could do with $650 million? or even the $7million from the 30-sec ad? How many lives you could change with that money?
There are numerous studies which show how abundant resources can have a negative effect on creativity.
This isn't an argument against marketing but a request for more critical and creative approaches.
#superbowl#marketing2024#creativebusiness
As the Super Bowl approaches if a few short hours, the contrast between working in marketing and other fields becomes clear. While everyone else buzzes about Taylor Swift, Usher, and the game itself, marketers will be dissecting the commercials and advertising strategies used during the event. #SuperBowlCommercials#MarketingAnalysis#AdvertisingStrategies
🏆 Doritos 'Dina Mita' - This year's Super Bowl Champion?
🥇 It wouldn't be the first time.
Doritos have form in delivering Super Bowl MVP's and this year's ad featuring Jenna Ortega and Danny Ramirez from Goodby Silverstein & Partners might just extend the streak.
Why? Creative Effective Playbook Factor #2.... The power of storytelling.
🍿 Advertisers should consider ads as sponsored entertainment. Would you ever persevere with a show absent of a decent story? Nope.
🧙♂️ A story, of twists and turns, is able to enhance the drama, the suspense, the anticipation - which all ultimately heightens the impact of the narrative's peak emotional moments.
👌 Surely this ad does that to perfection, as well as crucially providing the brand a hero role.
Full shakedown and rankings of results, incoming.... To quote Dina: 'Go ahead, try us'! 😉
Did you watch the Super Bowl just for the commercials?
Are you curious about the production behind those brand ads? Bonus points if you can explain it to your non-marketing friends!
The briefing process and production are more than just a celebrity reading a script. And have you ever wondered about the real cost of those ads?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
#SuperBowlCommercials#AdvertisingProduction#MarketingInsights
Gonna be honest, but seemed like the era of the big game commercials is dead, in a lull, or at least in a serious identity crisis.
The obvious answer is for $7 million you can do a lot more than spend it all in 30 seconds on a Super Bowl spot to the widest audience possible (and potentially not the one that you really need to drive your business).
No, spectacular take-your-breath away 30 second ads. No memorable heart strings pulled. No buzz words introduced. Lots of branded reminders without inspiration or a reason to shop. Lots of reliance on celebrity appearances with a small dose of plot. Likely because trailers, teasers, surrounding ecosystems and experiences now hold brand ideas a bit better and provide infinitely more participation on someone’s terms.
Dunkin’ might have been the best simply because it put a smile on my face, and us Boston people are proud of our own (all while achieving more brand awareness which I’m not sure how that helps???)
Maybe I missed a spot or two, but felt like big letdown more than anything. Also least amount of ad chatter during games ever….
