Smuggling in the obvious

I just saw a really tense and corny ad for a check cashing/loans company that featured some seemingly ‘border-procedure-prepared’ honkies who get grilled by a border guard.

The commercial goes on to explain that their company will let you know ALL of the particular documents you need to bring in to get your overpriced short term loan in the shortest amount of time, to eliminate runaround. This is further explained via the verbal cues of the spokesperson crawling out of the trunk of the heavily-tinted ride, thereby sealing the link to the stereotype of  who they are trying to reach as a customer base: illegal immigrants.

Immigrants, both legal and otherwise are growing market in the USA – and are likely familiar with the types of businesses which offer cash solutions to those that can afford the heavy cut they take for the service, whatever your reasons. The commercial is bright, funny and just a little insulting – though the drivers of the vehicle seem to sell disbelief that there was anyone in their trunk, as if the ad man snuck into their trunk without them knowing at all.

Why it works-

By having all of the required documents available to prospective customers, it’s implied there will be no shame or embarrassment about not being prepared, a costly scenario to both time and morale. You could also see in advance what type of paperwork must be shown to move through the process, so you can dig up whatever paperwork is necessary before even setting shoe outside of the boot.

Putting your brand on the map

Ryan Hart has created a new area for brands to compete, a new avenue with which to see your customers, a foundation of how businesses can be generous to the world around them for a true win-win, and he will help put your business on the map.

His new website and advertising map is called Million Dollar Earth. In a move that I personally hope will gain a following in the ever-growing arena of corporate strategies, 10% of the revenues go to Charity: Water, which brings clean water and the infrastructure to get clean water to communities that need it in developing nations.

If corporations of all sizes, and young ventures grew to regularly compete in such habits of perpetual generosity, we would share greater pleasure in our victories in business! There would be better world, populated by loyal and grateful customers, which in my opinion, are the very best kind.

I recently spoke with Ryan Hart about his inspiration and goals for Million Dollar Earth, and how long this idea has been cooking. He mentioned being inspired by Alex Tew, who famously sold a million pixels, but saw how he could do more with the type of response that was possible, thanks to Alex’s experiment.

Ryan would form Million Dollar Earth in only a few months, the meteoric rise is perhaps referenced in his logo, a star coasting the span of the word Earth. Merely saying that he saw it take shape in a short amount of time is possibly an understatement though. Ryan got the idea in late November 2010, and finished up some other projects while the idea brewed. In the Spring of 2011 and ready to strike, he hit the ground running on March 7, 2011, and has been efficiently taking care of business and developing his website, which will debut on May 03, 2011.

Million Dollar Earth creates another avenue to have your brand compete on the internet, to places where your competition is absent unless they’re in the loop. It is also a way for small businesses to see a different section of the customers that click to shop, review or peruse before setting foot in a brick and mortar store.

The advantage for the business is that your company virtually own cities across the world, and link relevant ads, product descriptions, FAQ, details, videos, or your twitter feed on the marketed map of Million Dollar Earth. When you direct your customers to “your” city via an email, text, coupon or flyer or even a whiteboard, they will be exposed to your brand in a new way, pinpointed.

The real value for consumers here is the newness of the territory, the interest in seeing who is where, and looking around a digital world for places that we’ve been physically. The added benefit for all who are involved is the altruistic work which engenders positive association with the brands, and strengthening connections with their customers and clients.

In a networked planet that we are growing into, there are some potentially awesome benefits to this approach. Incorporating this information into enhanced displays or virtual reality applications are a strong possibility for using this ad information to reach your customers, or for your customers to find you when they need you.

Ryan says that he will be working on Million Dollar Earth until the day that the very last city sells. The site then will be largely automated: as cities are bought and sold, the site acting as an intermediary by handling the negotiations between seller and purchasers of cities, with a few percentages taken out for operational costs and of course, the system constantly donating money to Charity: Water with each transaction. Awesome.

The intended focus is on fun, creative experience for the user and also for the businesses, who will probably let customers know of their new ad by word of mouth and direct link.

As a result, it won’t likely reach the people that don’t get social media sites. Ryan indicated that the users who have the most difficult time are those who don’t have facebook accounts or use social media on a regular basis. “They don’t think that social media or those connections add anything to their lifestyle” says Ryan.

There is a new chapter in online advertising coming our way, if not whole volumes of possibilities in the coming years. How we interact, react to and incorporate the brands we love (and the brands we’re grateful for) will be instrumental to how we will put ourselves on the map, and who we find next to us, and how we will all find our customers.

In full disclosure, I intend to purchase Redmond, WA on Million Dollar Earth.com. I plan to post pictures of my paintings and links to my website as an Artist, AGS Custom Interiors.

Love it or hate it.

Miracle Whip has an ad where people appear to spontaneously vow their love or general disgust for Miracle Whip, a food product.

These testimonials come from normal looking people across all culture groups as well as celebrities, who proudly exclaim how the world can be divided into two clear groups; those who like it as a regular part of the pantry, and those who would rather it didn’t exist in the first place.

Why would someone want to lend credibility and attract attention to the most negative opinions about their product? Wouldn’t that be a negative association that any reasonable company would want to avoid? How is this ad helping if it’s only spending part of the time advocating for itself, and part of the time knocking themselves?

The conflict is a polarizing event that gets our attention.

There is no grey area in the battle for Miracle Whip, and in this battle, you had better know who’s side you’re on.  This has a few possible reactions:

1) It reminds you to buy a product you already like; you know what side you’re on!

It kind of sounds even better when you hear people say they don’t like it, those poor saps. You must have heightened palate with which to taste a satisfaction that you are one of a chosen few to enjoy. You had better be sure to get a jar right away, slather it on in the usual way and re-affirm your appreciation of and allegiance to your love! If there are others around who disagree, they are likely to not look at you while you enjoy your treat.

2) It reminds you as a kid your friend made some sandwiches that tasted funny.

If you are a picky eater you probably made a scene, otherwise you just tried to avoid the bizarre spread coating the inside of your sandwich, and decided to fill up on potato chips instead. You exclaim out loud as the commercial airs, “I can’t even imagine how people eat that stuff”, chiming in with your televised colleagues. You that know that mayonnaise is the white stuff that goes in sandwiches, and that’s the way it should be! If there are others around who have a dissenting opinion, you are likely to hear it.

3) It reminds you that some of your friends say they like it or don’t, but that it hasn’t been something you remember the taste of.

From here, you are expected to make a choice considering a clear division of the people on this extremely polarizing topic of opinion: Miracle Whip, do you like it or not?

3a) You avoid the conflict- You keep it on your radar and may consider making a purchase, if you remember the next time you’re at the store. You’ll decide later.

3b)You pursue the conflict- You poll the people around you, to see who is on which side. If you like the people that like it, you’ll have a more favorable response when you try it. If there are mostly negative views of the product you are less likely to try it soon, but the divisiveness of the issue may urge you to know what side you’re actually on.

3c)You might give it a shot if it’s not a hassle. Perhaps you see the commercial at a place where it is available for you to try, or at a friend’s house, it might come up in conversation and you’d like to see what all the fuss is about. The ad characterizes that you must either love it or hate it, however, your reactions are likely to be influenced if you are a guest in someone’s house. If a friend of yours is a consumer of the product, they are to be likely someone with personal credibility or influence.

What works: Most of these outcomes bring the conversation of the product into people’s lives for an extended duration beyond the commercial, the repetition of the product name is mentioned frequently. In a sense, it calls on it’s brand loyal customers to step up to bat for the product, and encourage others to try it, especially in the face of adversity.

After all, the less they like it, the more is left for you.

A beginning, with no end in sight

This blog is a regurgitated analysis of advertising that is “spoon-fed” to the public.

I’ll begin with an ad campaign (if it can be called that) I’ve seen grow for a few years: Vern Fonk Insurance.

I can’t remember exactly when Vern Fonk started doing television advertisements, but initially they were like most attempts at “in house” advertising production; the owner or top manager amateurishly reading off of a card just beneath the camera, assuring friendly service and ultimate selection or something that corresponds to their niche in the market.

They have grown into bizzare, whimsical spots that grab our attention, and offer little guidance as to the reason for being. Some shorter spots don’t even announce any details about the nature of their business, but merely throw a wrench into the pattern of commercials between the acts of popular sitcoms, by flashy or perplexing segments.

The confusion is enough to keep you considering “What the hell was that?” well into the next commercial, and possibly the program.

What works: The sub-professional angle. You can tell when the ad you’re seeing has had a TON of money thrown at it, and you can see when corners were cut and somebody borrowed the neighbors video camera to have the secretary recite the values of the company, as if read off of the website itself. Vern Fonk is at the top of the latter. By embracing and relishing the ease and aesthetic of home made amateur advertisements, they reach the customer they want to connect with. The one who knows when good enough is indeed enough. Cranking out ads that aim for the funny bone or deep subconscious need to understand what you’ve just seen keep your brain focused on the brand , or even just the ad, long after it is over. They don’t seem to be bothered by phoning it in, and they’re letting you know that you shouldn’t be bothered by it either.