Archive | Advertising

Being negative isn’t always a bad thing

By Scott Flood on June 5, 2019 in Advertising, General rants, Marketing Wisdom

From an early age, we’re taught to put on a happy face, no matter what happens. So when I reference something in copy that could be perceived as negative, many clients are quick to request its replacement by something with a bigger smile. Generally, that’s not a good idea. Sometimes, what’s negative is actually far […]

Small book, big wisdom

By Scott Flood on May 22, 2019 in Advertising, Anything else, Marketing Wisdom

I’ve spent many years in the advertising industry, and from time to time, people ask me if there are any books about the craft of creating advertising I’ve found particularly valuable. I’ve read many, but the single most influential upon my work is a tattered 1972 paperback that still occupies a prominent place on my […]

Tell me what to do

By Scott Flood on September 5, 2017 in Advertising, Direct Marketing, General rants, Marketing Wisdom

One of the most common mistakes in advertising and marketing materials — one that’s even made by professionals who should know better — is forgetting to include a call to action. In simple terms, a call to action is the instructions you’re giving the reader or viewer, so they know what you want them to […]

Marketing is all about relationships

By Scott Flood on March 22, 2017 in Advertising, Direct Marketing, Marketing Wisdom

No matter how much technology a company uses in its marketing, its chances of success or failure are likely to come down to the organization’s ability to build relationships. That’s usually what effective sales and marketing efforts are all about. You want to build some sort of positive relationship with the prospect or customer, so […]

CAN YOU STOMACH THIS MARKETING TACTIC?

By Scott Flood on June 15, 2016 in Advertising, Marketing Wisdom

Ready for some pig heart and stomach on a bun? Not salivating yet? I’ll add BBQ sauce and pickles. Still not hungry? You might be surprised that it’s been a success for McDonald’s. Of course, they don’t call it barbecued heart, stomach, and tripe. They call it McRib. And it’s a perennial top-seller for the […]

FROM CLASS TO CRASS

By Scott Flood on January 20, 2016 in Advertising, General rants, Marketing Wisdom

While reading a book about the history of the New Yorker magazine (About Town by Ben Yagoda), I encountered an interesting bit of 1930s correspondence between the magazine’s founding editor, Harold Ross, and author E.B. White. Perhaps best known today as the author of Charlotte’s Web, White objected to the magazine’s acceptance of an ad […]

MEET YOUR SILENT SALESPEOPLE

By Scott Flood on January 28, 2015 in Advertising, Direct Marketing, Marketing Wisdom, Publications & Enewsletters

What is a brochure? An ad? A radio commercial? A website? You get 5 points if you said they’re all marketing communications channels. But they’re also something more. You can’t be everywhere, and that includes everywhere your prospective customers are. So you develop materials such as ads and brochures to stand in for you. In […]

BE WARY OF THOSE WITH VESTED INTERESTS

By Scott Flood on October 29, 2014 in Advertising, General rants, Marketing Wisdom

Most business owners and managers are eager to find good advice – and that makes sense. If someone else has expertise, why not borrow it (or at least consider it) when you’re making an important decision? But when you ask for that advice (or when it’s handed to you without a request), stop to ask […]

CIRCLE-Cs AND R-BALLS

By Scott Flood on September 3, 2014 in Advertising, General rants, Marketing Wisdom

A common source of confusion for many company owners and marketers is the world of copyrights and trademarks. While I’ll never claim to be an attorney or an expert on intellectual property, working in the advertising and marketing industry for many years has given me a good practical education in these legal methods for protecting […]

TURN YOUR MARKETING MESSAGE INTO A STORY

By Scott Flood on August 13, 2014 in Advertising, Anything else, Direct Marketing, Marketing Wisdom, Online Words

Want to know one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience? Instead of just telling them about you and your product or service, tell them a story. Our roots as humans go back to oral communication, and from the time we were children, stories have captivated us — not just the fairy […]

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