Philip Tate, APR, Fellow PRSA’s Post

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Back in the late 1990s, Pepsi and Coca-Cola were in the throes of a fierce rivalry known as the "Cola Wars." This era saw both brands vying for dominance in the global soft drink market with aggressive and innovative advertising campaigns. It was during this intense competition that Pepsi unveiled one of its most clever ads. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝’𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 The ad depicts a young boy who approaches a vending machine to buy a Pepsi. However, the Pepsi button is out of his reach. Undeterred, the boy inserts quarters to purchase two cans of Coca-Cola, which he then places on the ground to stand on. This elevates him just enough to press the Pepsi button and get his desired drink. The simplicity of the plot is what makes it so effective. 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 This ad is packed with symbolism. By using Coca-Cola cans to reach Pepsi, it subtly implies that even Coca-Cola can help you get to what you truly want – a Pepsi. It’s a playful jab at Coca-Cola, showing Pepsi’s confidence and cleverness without uttering a single word. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭 The genius of this ad lies in its simplicity and directness. It doesn’t rely on complex narratives or high production values. Instead, it conveys its message in a straightforward and humorous manner. The visual of a boy using Coca-Cola cans to reach a Pepsi button is immediately understandable and memorable. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭 This ad not only resonated with viewers but also made a significant impact in the advertising world. It showcased how a well-thought-out and executed ad can effectively convey a brand’s message, strengthen its identity, and leave a lasting impression. The rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola is legendary, and this ad became a high point in the Cola Wars, showcasing Pepsi’s innovative approach to marketing. 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 This ad teaches us several important lessons: ✅Creativity Over Complexity: Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective. ✅ Playful Rivalry: Competitor brands can be referenced in a fun and light-hearted way without being malicious. ✅Strong Visuals: A powerful visual can communicate a message more effectively than words. ✅Brand Confidence: Confidence in your product can be conveyed through clever and bold advertising. In the end, this Pepsi ad is a testament to the power of creative marketing. It remains a brilliant example of how a simple, well-executed idea can resonate with audiences and stand the test of time. In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, this ad is a reminder that sometimes, all you need is a few quarters, a couple of cans, and a great idea. #marketing #goals #ideas #growthmindset Vc to the owner Leena Kakani 🌟

Brilliant article from Mark Ritson, encapsulating the fundamental truths that many campaigns unfortunately fail to deliver on. You can NEVER achieve long-term and short-term results simultaneously with a ‘single brand response ad’—it inevitably leads to a compromised, muddled outcome. At Atomic London, we’ve proven that it’s entirely possible to achieve exceptional short-term and long-term results at the same time—but only if you have the right creative experts, sat around one table, working together on a true through-funnel campaign, rather than isolated executions that are rarely fit for purpose.   The key is starting from the right place: building a comprehensive through-funnel creative platform, not just a one-off TV ad stretched beyond its limit. Or worse, taking a digital concept that ‘worked’ on Facebook and assuming it’ll perform on TV. When done right, a through-funnel creative platform allows you to create highly emotional and entertaining advertising at the top of the funnel (a rarity these days), engaging social campaigns that don’t look like cut down TV ads (that weren’t very good to start with), while still creating hard-hitting, rational performance-driven creative at the bottom end of the funnel that might even make you smile and click rather than growl and ignore. Crucially, it then all has to be held together by a unified, distinctive, and consistent set of brand-building blocks.   It sounds obvious, but too many brands struggle to get this right—either because their agencies don’t understand these fundamentals, or they lack the strategic and creative ‘height and depth’ to make a proper impact in the channels where it matters most.   The faster we, as an industry, embrace these fundamentals, the sooner the work will improve, and the faster we can help brands grow.    Surely, that’s a better mission than pretending that a one-off brand response TV ad can do it all, which of course requires you to find the one-in-a-billion customer whose left-hand side of their brain and right-hand side of their brain are exactly the same size! Have a read of @Mark Ritson’s article and let me know what you think.   https://lnkd.in/emFhD336    #BrandStrategy #FunnelMarketing #ThroughTheFunnel #GrowthMarketing   https://lnkd.in/eKvJuKUm 

What's NOT direct-response advertising? Building awareness for a category isn't a direct response. It's market expansion and takes more money than you imagine. Educating people about why they should eat healthy food won't make people choose you, it will move people to eat healthy. Instead, telling them good reasons to buy from you over others is usually catering to the audiences looking for a solution in that context. The catch is, the ones who usually educate people about the category occupy a preferred spot for people to buy. That's why, it's always an 80-20 mix. In the early days, spending money on ads to educate people on why your product is better and demonstration is the best way to garner m-share. Those glamourous brand films are useful to maintain top of mind when your brand occupies a significant double-digit market share which usually takes 4-5 years. PS: One more favourite direct response tempelate

Cadbury 5 star launched a new advertising campaign called “Make AI Mediocre Again” and here’s everything you need to know about it: The new Cadbury 5 Star advertisement, titled "Make Al Mediocre Again" is part of the brand's humorous "Do Nothing" campaign. It critiques the rapid advancements in Al and its impact on human pace and leisure. The ad playfully imagines a solution where Cadbury 5 Star builds a server farm that generates nonsensical data to "train" Al into becoming less efficient. This quirky narrative aligns with the brand's philosophy of celebrating relaxation and stepping back from life's relentless pace. The campaign humorously tackles societal concerns about Al's growing role, encouraging people to embrace imperfection and enjoy the simplicity of "doing nothing." It extends Cadbury 5 Star's history of inventive marketing stunts, such as launching the "Nothing University" and creating "Nothingcoin." By blending humor with a commentary on technology, the campaign appeals to audiences overwhelmed by Al's influence, especially on digital platforms. Overall, it's a clever and light-hearted approach to resonate with the brand's youthful audience while sparking a conversation about balancing technological pressure and human well being. Do let me know what are your views on this! Ps: Advertisement video attached for reference.

Is the consumer still king? Advertising has always been a dream industry for me. Watching those captivating ads from Cadbury, Dhara, Amul, and others felt like stepping into a fantasy world where everything was perfectly crafted for me and my life. Those ads had longer narratives, memorable music, sepia tones and featured beautiful, relatable faces. They were designed with an everyday consumer in mind. Since I have started working in the industry, I've experienced firsthand, the evolution of advertising. I believe it has shifted from being consumer-centric to more competition-driven. Today’s ads often focus less on connecting with the real-life consumer. The stories, imagery, colors and emotions displayed seem to be influenced more by what others are doing rather than by genuine consumer life stories. So, is the consumer still the king? The real question isn’t whether the consumer is still king, but rather how the balance of power has shifted. This power is shaped by the strategic decisions of marketers and advertisers. Roles now extend beyond simply meeting consumer needs to also influencing their desires and perceptions. So by understanding this relationship and thus shaping the communication likewise will help us develop more effective and responsible marketing strategies that will genuinely resonate with our consumers. Your views please?

Video ads are becoming an essential part of modern advertising strategies. Learn how this trend is driving higher engagement and brand awareness.

Mid last year, I made the decision to in house our creative production for marketing. The campaign that we launched this week for WSFM's Jonsey & Amanda is testatment to the validity of that decision. The campaign, breathes new life into a brilliant concept originally developed by our trusted partner and creative thought leader Emotive | Creative Agency, but as you'll see in the execution, makes no compromise on production quality. ARN is a business that generates thousands of hours of content each day, and it's important that as a marketing team, we can move with the same agility when developing and producing our campaigns, which is what inhousing has enabled. I have seen the edit and feedback loops transition from days to instantaneous, allowing the marketing team to reclaim hours of time, by literally sitting with the production team to edit together, and develop the assets. It's meant that they've had more time to perfect the minutiae of the ads (like brand cues and messaging) and also think about extending the campaign into other touchpoints. Creative agencies are absolutely critical for extending our thinking and enhancing the power of our brands which is why we still partner with them (and inhousing won't work for all brands), BUT where our ambition is to use the content to sell the content (at speed), it's certainly proving beneficial. Well done Erin Donati and Donna Gordon for orchestrating such a brilliant campaign and to Sean Vandenberg, Ante Miocic, Jarryd Haefele, Becky Lilyman & Lachie McKenna for exceeding expectations on the vision once again. https://lnkd.in/gCyewQ7E

When it comes to making a splash in the crowded world of advertising, you need to stand out with the best marketing campaigns that grab attention and drive results. From heartwarming stories to jaw-dropping visuals, the best digital marketing campaigns have shown us how creativity can lead to incredible engagement. In this section, we’ll dive into some of the most unforgettable campaigns that not only resonated with audiences but also set benchmarks for success in the marketing arena. Whether you’re a small business owner or a seasoned marketer, these examples will inspire you to think outside the box! Click the link to continue reading... https://lnkd.in/esWc3H97

This article provides a fresh perspective for those of us studying and/or working in marketing. We often view advertising merely as a tool to showcase what a company offers, but its impact goes far beyond that. Advertising has the power to influence social change and contribute to organizational growth. It's a call to embrace a conscious and responsible approach to marketing. It’s time to recognize this transformative potential! https://lnkd.in/gQ4gPSSm

How to steal brands’ million $ marketing strategy for free 💡 The Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII one month ago. But they weren’t the real winners. 16 brands spent $7m+ for 30-second ads 🤯 (The ad inventory was sold out since Nov 2023.) 1. BMW USA - Christopher Walken in “Talkin Like Walken” ft Usher 2. Squarespace - Marty and Francesca make a website 3. Dunkin’ - Popstar ft. Ben Affleck & Charli D’Amelio 4. Homes.com - We’ve Done Your Homework 5. T-Mobile - Magenta Status Audition Tapes 6. Verizon - Can’t be broken ft Beyonce 7. NYX Cosmetics - That’s Suspicious 8. Uber Eats - Don’t Forget Uber Eats 9. Bet MGM - ‘Tom Has Won Enough’ 10. Michelob ULTA - Superior Beer 11. M&Ms - Almost Champions 12. Popeyes - The Wait is Over 13. Mayo Cat - Hellman’s Mayo 14. CeraVe - “Michael CeraVe” 15. ELF - Judge Beauty 16. Pringles - Mr P All these ads used 3 key principles 👇 (And you can start using them today) 1). Humour and emotion still reign supreme You can ALWAYS capture hearts by connecting to viewers. Use laughter and heartwarming stories. 2). Wider audiences (in particular Gen Z) are the focus Phrases like “it’s giving” and “it slaps” were all over the ads. → Don’t be afraid to switch things up → Be tactical in your execution → Get with the times 3). Capitalising on social media trends = guaranteed success Ads that refer to social media trends kill it (e.g. the famous Beckham “be honest” fiasco). Leverage social media trends for easy wins. You don’t have to spend millions. ‘Steal like an artist’ instead. Use these 3 principles in your next campaign.