Doing all of the work

If you are not an every day product then you are trying to get your consumer to go out of their way to buy what you have. By every day I mean the things that people always need to buy. Toilet paper, groceries and even Q-tips are just some examples of products that seem to have the edge when it comes to sales because people already know that they need it. The different brands for each products is obviously where we come in, but thats a completely different story. 

What if you are selling suits, computers or luggage? People either already have enough or they need to buy these things once in a blue moon. I find it hard to understand why people would try and promote and advertise these products the EXACT same way as the every day products. You need to push yourself in front of them just to get the attention you need. BUT, after that all you have the consumers attention. You still have to show the consumer why they need to buy your product. Which is tough because people are not always traveling or going to a dressy event or work for someone who has a strict dress code. So, how the heck are you supposed to compete. 

Apart from my obvious answer, you have to make them LOOK, YOU also have to do all of the work. Try being different, instead of creative a TV commercial or a radio ad or putting something in the newspaper, lets make life as easy as possible for the consumer. Get out there, in public, with your product and have a little show and tell. You remember in school.... Just like that. Go to where the people are and make it so easy to find out about your product and get a personable type of interaction. Nothing can show what a product is like a real person. Yes, people like to read, but do they really like to read about your product? I think they would much rather hear you tell them about it. But, not like the sales person who has set up a kiosk in a mall. Find a place, and just start talking. It doesnt matter if someone is listening or not. In fact, the less you show that you want people to listen, it seems like they will listen. Its very complicated, but also makes complete sense to me. Unconventional marketing done right will peak the curiosity and have the consumer wanting more. 

So remember, you have to make them LOOK and YOU have to do all of the work. 

Are you social enough?

One of the most popular topics in advertising and marketing right now is social media. The only problem is they are saying "if your not working on your social media, you're going no where". This is where i have a problem.
It makes a lot of sense for most companies to make sure they do a lot with social media and there are plenty of platforms to do it on. I believe it works and it works in ways that other medias can never imagine.
The problem is, it will not work for all companies or brands. Yes, when people hear how cost effective it is they just want to jump all over it. Most of the time, the person who is trying to sell it to them will be happy and leave it at that. Even though, deep inside they know that its probably not for this client but it helps their own bottom line.
Newspaper, TV, Radio, Magazine, outdoor still work very effectively because the number continue to show. If they didnt work, then all of these medias would soon disappear and everything would be online. The main problem i find with using social media is you are hoping the consumer is actually looking at your ad that is on a given site. Making sure you use a campaign properly by being interactive with the consumer and showing them that you are trying to make things easier on them to benefit from what you are talking about. This way you can feel confident that you have done the right thing for the client in regards to promoting.
Finally, do not give up on all of the traditional media out there just because someone tells you that online and social media is the best way to go. Make sure you do what you can to MAKE the consumer look.

Awww you dont like it?

One of the most frustrating things I have come across are people that are completely set in their ways that they are unable to open themselves to new ideas.
Just because YOU dont like it, doesnt mean it wont work. I cannot even begin to tell you how much that one line means to me. No matter if you are in school, industry or any where for that matter new ideas can bring success. If you try and follow one persons philosophy you probably will not go too far in this lovely profession we call advertising. I cant even count how many times I have heard:
"Well so and so liked to put a lot of description and words in his advertising and look how successful he became". Then I am expected to do all of my work to mimic that. Then the next person will tell me:
"Wow, can you believe this persons style, they make sure to keep the message simple and short with a great visual". So, now I am supposed to follow that method..... Give me a break people.
It is always said, "do not try and reinvent the wheel"which I can understand for most things but when it comes to the industry of advertising, if you do not try and reinvent then you might just bore people to death. Take one of the most sought after demographics, males and females between the ages of 18-25, you keep putting the same old message that is text heavy and descriptive in front of them then that message will be forgotten quicker than that a formula one car on the track.
Again, it always depends on who you work for, who your trying to talk to and what your trying to say, but PLEASE... I BEG YOU... Do your thing. What you want and what you can prove will work. At the end of the day, you need to feel good about the work that you did. If you do that, then success should be on its way.
Be yourself even if its bad, because there are always people out there who will respect you and like you for it.

Confusion, the brand killer

When you look at the brands that have done it right ever since inception: Nike, Apple, Coke you think to yourself "how can anyone ever do it differently. But, there are people out there who feel they can be the innovators of change and bring on a new and improved way of branding. These brands are the ones that you don't really see around for very long. There is a difference between being different and causing mass confusion. I am the kind of person that would love nothing more than to come up with out side the box stuff every time i open my mouth but, I understand that consistency is whats best for business. Be different, be shocking or be controversial but do it consistently. Get people used to the kinds of messages you are sending out and they will always know its you. Don't from dark and scary to bright and happy in the blink of an eye because you will be doing more damage than good. Get yourself a personality and stick to it. It does not matter if other people (unless your boss) thinks that it wont work, if you believe in it, say you believe in it and show how strongly you believe in it, everyone else will follow. Your brand and your image will become your child and you will do anything to make sure that your child is successful. You can have the best creative ever, but if you cant explain why its the best creative ever then it will go unnoticed. Do not ruin someone else's hard, consistent work just because you had an off day. Make it yours and the success will be sure to follow.
I might not be an expert but when I believe in something I can always make it happen. I will not stray from what I want or what I believe in just because I am told to.
You have to MAKE them look.

Can you be trusted?

When you are working on a project that has a major or minor impact on a company/brand/product you always want to make sure that it is perfect. Hope that it represents what you believe in and obviously what the client is looking for. But, the one thing that i have noticed that people never do enough of is TRUST YOUR TEAM. You might think that your idea has to be done a certain way or else it wont be as good as you want but, sometimes its you have NO idea. I know it is sometimes tough to get the ideas that are in your head onto paper because it never sounds as good. That is what your creative team is for. They have the talent to take the weird, crazy, mixed up ideas and turn them into works of art. TRUST them. If you are the executive that you think you are then no matter what they come up with, you HAVE to be able to sell it. If they produce something that you dont think is as good as you thought it should be, then maybe its how you explained it or how you wrote it down. They can only go by what you say and no matter how weird you think the ideas are in your head, their mind is way more advanced in the weird and extraordinary. If you start to nitpick and try and change everything they come up with, then good luck getting good work out of them for the next projects you have.
They create and you sell. Its as simple as that.