Why Most Ads Fail Miserably

Ever wonder why so many large companies use celebrities to advertise their products? Credibility right? Wrong. The purpose is actually to help grab your attention. Then they use a variety of product demos and overly excited smiling people to go on and on about how great the product is. Sound familiar?

The problem with this and many other approaches is that it's a byproduct of the era of brand building and simply doesn't work. The formula was to come up with a creative way to get consumers to remember their product or service (i.e. slogans, jingles, mascots, etc), and then repeat it a hundred zillion times. This worked from the 1950's through the 1980's, but became increasingly ineffective in the 1990's with growing competition and an explosion of media options. With a lack of good alternatives companies have continued to follow this formula with lousy results.

It should be obvious why this approach is not too effective. Think about it. You're a consumer. When you want to buy something do you want to make the best buying decision possible? Do you want to get the best value for your hard earned dollar? Of course. So why not educate the consumer as to why you are the best choice in the marketplace. Sounds easy and obvious, but it's not easy and almost nobody does it.

Think of your marketing as if you were a lawyer building a case for court. The marketplace is the jury, your product or service is the defendant, and your marketing is the lawyer arguing the case. And it's a life or death sentence for your business. The key to great marketing is not just where you advertise, but more importantly what you say and how you say it.