Ideas vs Testing in Advertising

Made for Testing

Have a great idea? Cool, put it on your portfolio. The world isn't going to see your great idea if it doesn't test well.

Seems fair enough. For a crossing-your-t's one-off it is. For creating a strong brand, it isn't.

Why it's a problem

For agencies it sucks because their creatives are creating for testing, not for air time. But, that'a s whole other post. For now, I'm speaking to why testing is bad for brands.

Here's what testing doesn't account for: time. 

Time + consistency is what leads to recognition and loyalty, which is what will lead to long-term sales.

Consumers don't become loyal to a commercial that tests well, but a brand that they can identify easily through their consuming lives.

That's not to say a commercial that tests well couldn't be a great campaign.

Solution

It is to say that, it doesn't really matter what the fuck you put out there, as long as it's a great idea and you stick with it.

Shareable Killed the Strong Brand Star

"But, how can we make it more sharable?"

I fucking hate this question. Because, if you're asking it, chances are you don't really know what that means or what it looks like. Yet, here you are trying to be one of the cool kids, without realizing that the biggest mistake in any attempt to be like the cool kids is telling them you're cool.

You might get noticed, but, with everyone else trying to impress them too, you'll soon be forgotten. Pushed aside as they get distracted by another loser looking to impress. It's a losing game. Honestly, just be your great fucking self. If you're not great, get great, and then be that.

Maybe it's because of this movie that when I think of people asking me how to make something more shareable, I think of a middle aged woman doing her best to fit in at high school by being terrible versions of what she thinks is cool, rather than being her cool self.

Shareability in Campaigns for New Brands

Putting all your focus on shareability as a new brand is a mistake. No one knows you yet. The content will be more noticed than your brand, and that content will be replaced by the next shareable thing to come. An easily understood message from a great brand will reach more people through time, rather than a fleeting piece of shareable content.

Shareability in Campaigns for Established Brands

Congratulations, you're already well-known. The brand is already alive and breathing, so this shareable stuff is just it's fart in the wind. People will smell it, know where it came from, and then it will blow on. The key here is to keep it coming and in an identifiable, easy to grasp way. A one-off is cool, but doesn't stick as much, and it doesn't do much for your brand. Just for the Internet. Let's look at a real-life example...

Which brand did the "Like a Girl" video? Nothing? Didn't think so.
Which brand makes funny content about being manly? Did you get this?

Need more convincing? Just ask these guys.

The New Digital Campaign isn't All Digital

Everyone wants their campaigns to be digital nowadays. In pursuing this requests more than a few times now, I've noticed something... 

The Realization

A "digital campaign" doesn't mean executing solely on digital platforms – banners, apps, videos — it means getting ways to get consumers to interact with content digitally... because that's where it gets shown to more people. Showrooming and third screen behavior were the first ways we saw consumers blurring the lines between "digital" and "real" world. Advertising and sharing is surely next.

The Reason

With mobile taking over digital consumption, people are exploring around the web less, clicking less, and are less likely to come across that sweet video you spent $2 million on or that contest landing page you worked for 6 months on (don't even get me started on legal). Have you guys heard of Camel's new game app? Didn't think so.

What to do About It

Find ways to get consumers to share your content or interact with your content on already populated mobile apps. Is there something you can put around town that they will want to take a selfie with? Use the new shazam visual scanner with your posters or sidewalk chalk drawings. Send people to a party where a photo booth tweets their images from their account. Get in touch for more ideas...