Larry the Ad Man's Blog

I hope you learn from my small business marketing and advertising tips.

"Advertising is to trade what Steam is to machinery" Thomas Cook.
It was an honor to be nominated for 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards.


Saturday, January 7, 2012

New CBC radio "Under the Influence" a must....

Well I am certainly under the Influence. I am an ardent follower of Canadian Ad Man Terry O'Reilly since discovering his "Age of Persuasion" radio show a few years ago. My regular readers will note my mentions of him from time to time. As I mentioned in my final Blog of 2011, the one thing that is certain in the ad game is uncertainty and in Terry's first show with a new title, the theme is clear. The title of his show needed to change because of the ever changing world of Advertising. If you have not had the pleasure of listening to the show, please do at: http://www.cbc.ca/undertheinfluence/.

A couple of great stories, especially the Standard Vodka ad strategy, but my one takeaway from the first episode says it all about Advertising. This "Contract" needs to be emblazoned on every advertising executives eyelids: "Brazil banned outdoor advertising because that advertising didn't give anything back to the people of Brazil. This echoes a concept I talk about often on the show - which I call "The Contract."

Essentially, advertising has to give something back to the public, in return for the public being exposed to the advertising. In radio and television, for example, the ads underwrite the programs. In newspapers, print ads pay for reporting, bus shelters give you protection from the elements, and so on.

Therefore, the trend coming out of Sao Paulo is a warning bell. Before that outdoor ban extends to other cities and countries, the advertising industry needs to heed this wake-up call, and give back."


"When marketers give back, people reciprocate. A recent global survey found that 33% of consumers are willing to pay a 5% to 10% premium to companies they know are doing good. It's something the advertising industry has to embrace. Sao Paulo is the choking canary in the ad mine" 


Words to live by for advertisers. What are your advertising dollars doing to fulfill your contract with your prospects and customers? Add value in all media and your ads will gain respect. Until next time, I am Larry "The Ad Man". This will be a bonus to my regular Sunday Blog this week!

1 comment:

  1. In newspapers, print ads pay for reporting, bus shelters give you protection from the elements. Seo For Lawyers

    ReplyDelete