AMiable Solution #90: The Big Face-Off

In addition to seeing a host of familiar products and services advertised during this month’s Big Game, you’ll likely also see a slew of familiar faces, which brings us to our second theme to glean from Big Game commercials:

2.  Celebrity endorsements.  Crawford had more than just her ice-cold can of Pepsi sweating in the soda company’s 1992 commercial.  In 1993, McDonald’s pitted basketball legends Michael Jordan and Larry Bird against one another in an epic hoops-shooting contest.  Just three years  ago in an interesting twist, Snickers featured Betty White not as someone who enjoyed the       candy bar but as someone who needed it.

And that’s certainly not all.  The list of celebrity-focused commercials promoted during The Game--and throughout the year--is as long as the playing field itself. 

According to Dean Crutchfield’s September 22, 2010, article in Ad Age, roughly $50 billion is spent on corporate sponsorships and endorsements worldwide.  Some brands have seen sales increase by as much as 20% because of them. 

But celebrity endorsements are not without risk.  “Good” celebrities can go bad in the buying consumers’ eyes.  Remember Tiger Woods?  Michael Vick? Paula Deen? They all endured period of public examination of personal experiences that left them without credibility and without sponsors.

Your organization can play the sponsorship game without the drama and expense of an entertainment icon or sports hero.  A more localized figure that is both recognized and respected by the community, whether that community is your organization’s town, county, state, or region, could increase your brand’s visibility and consumer response just as well.  The key is to choose someone is who both relevant to the brand and to the consumer.

AMiable Solution #89: Scoring Big with On-Air Influences

Why do more than 100 million people flock to their televisions every January to watch The Big Game?  For some, it’s actually the game.  For others, it’s the commercials.  Considering the millions that advertisers pay to have their ads included in the program, it’s no surprise.

If you don’t have the budget to sponsor some prime-time game-time air time this month, you can still learn from the success of those who have.   We present to you four marketable themes from some of the most memorable television ads, beginning with…

1.       A catch phrase.  Wendy’s did it in 1984 with elderly ladies and a simple question: “Where’s the beef?”  Budweiser did it in 2000 with its friendly, conversational “Wassup?”  How can you create an unforgettable catch phrase that people will not only talk about but also respond to?

Above all else—originality, creativity, use of language—a catch phrase must communicate a benefit, whether it’s direct or implied, emotional or practical.  Geoffery Moore, marketing consultant and founder of the site, www.yourbestmarketingmove.com, says a good catch phrase “should either trigger something you want the customer to remember, or something you want them to do.”

Remember these?

                “So easy a caveman can do it.” (Geico)

                “Maybe she’s born with it.  Maybe it’s Maybelline.”  (Maybelline)

                “You can do it.  We can help.”  (The Home Depot)

                “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” (Timex)

                “Put a tiger in your tank.” (Exxon)

                “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” (M&Ms)

They don’t just sound clever.  They also communicate a message.  Starting an insurance policy with Geico is hassle-free and simple.   You don’t have to feel overwhelmed or unprepared when you take on a home improvement project.   You don’t have to save your Timex watch for special occasions: it can handle the daily beating-and-banging of real life.

No matter how big or small your organization, a well-written catch phrase can turn your direct marketing efforts from regrettable to unforgettable.

Want more tips from the top?  Check back next week for another successful marketing tip drawn from Big Game advertising.