Paul Pomeroy weighs in on a couple of car ads.

As a guy who works in advertising I often get asked by family, friends, acquaintances and perfect strangers to offer my opinion on current ads in the marketplace. I find this funny because, unlike most people, when I meet doctors, lawyers and auto mechanics, I don’t find a way to wedge questions related to lumps on my back, clauses in my will or an incessant knocking noise coming from under the hood of my car into the course of casual conversation. But whatever. Most advertising people are raving narcissistic know-it-alls who are more than happy to share their opinions on just about anything — especially good ads vs. sucky ads.

OK, that really just describes me. And that brings me to the point of this post.

Good ads can’t be everything to all people. Nor should they be. When digesting marketing material, we make constant use of our eyelids and earlids; we focus like a laser on material that is relevant to us and filter out everything else. Ever notice how when you’re looking for a car all you see or hear are car ads? But when you’re not — white noise.

Therein lies the value — and the importance — of knowing your target market and effectively positioning your value proposition in a smart, concise and memorable way.

So what’s a good example of this? Let’s stick with cars. You may remember the most recent (and final) Mercury car campaign built on the theme line: “You gotta put Mercury on your list.”

You gotta put Mercury on your list? That’s like a high school junior (let’s call him Paul P.) going up to a senior girl and saying, “Hey, when you’re thinking about guys that you’d like to spend some time with over the weekend, I hope you’ll consider giving me a call.” Two words: dead end. I know.

So with apologies to the delightful Jill Wagner — who did all she could to salvage that campaign — a weak value proposition, bad execution and fuzzy definition of the target audience sank this campaign. Sucky ad.

And in case you haven’t noticed, Mercury cars are no longer being manufactured.

Now let’s look at an example of an effective ad populating the auto space:

To be clear, if you’re an urban hipster or a midlife crisis baby boomer looking for a car, this ad wasn’t intended for you. If, however, you’ve recently been to a grade school open house, signed someone up for karate lessons or loaded your DVR with reruns of the Wizards of Waverly Place, you may be a little choked up right now. Good ad.

Have an ad you’re wondering about? Contact AB&C and maybe I’ll check it out and offer an opinion. Who am I kidding? I’ll definitely offer an opinion.

Disclaimer: The opinions in this post are solely those of the author and not of any of his co-workers or other industry colleagues who may cringe while reading this post. Please be sure to formulate your own opinion on all products and product advertising featured here — which is, of course, the entire point of advertising in the first place.

Can Ke$ha tone it down for the Delaware State Fair?

I think Ke$ha’s pretty hot. And if my wife were to approve of it, I’m pretty sure Ke$ha and I would make a smokin’ couple. We’re both party-hearty rockers with a penchant for strong profanity. And we both brush our teeth nightly with top-shelf spirits (make mine Tanqueray 10 over Ke$ha’s Jack Daniels preference, though). Link that up with our regular late-night booze-fests, avant garde couture and devil-may-care approach to life, and you’ve got a match made in heaven.

OK, outside of the profanity thing, Ke$ha and I have nothing in common. Most anyone who has known me from first grade on can attest to the fact that I’m hardly one to rock out even on my best day (although I do have a nice collection of Def Leppard concert T-shirts). And Ke$ha is, arguably, in a better financial position to afford the restorative dental surgery that will be required to fix her teeth after all that high-spirited alcohol gargling – especially since I’ll still be paying for the teeth I’ll be missing after my wife reads this piece. On top of that, my doctor has instructed me to limit all party-heartiness to major birthday celebrations and select holidays.

But I do know a thing or two about brands. And, to her credit, so does Ke$ha. No performer could attain the stardom she has without cultivating an identity that resonates powerfully with a large and adoring target audience.

Ke$ha’s brand relies on her the ability to be both musically and visually assaulting, and I mean that as a full-on compliment. To pull that off while, at the same time, achieving broad commercial success is impressive. You can be a hater, but you have to respect the business skills.

But a brand like that takes cultivation — and not just via the iTunes download but through the in-person, live experience in as many concert venues as humanly possible. So I was not surprised by the fact that Ke$ha would be making a live appearance in our great state. Extending her first-ever headlining tour into as many markets as possible while her star is still on the rise makes perfect career sense. And yes, that includes a stop in our fair Delaware.

Speaking of fairs, I must admit to being a bit surprised by the fact that the Delaware State Fair would be the one to play host to Ke$ha on her inaugural tour — the super-duper-titled “Get Sleazy Tour.”

The Delaware State Fair knows a bit about brands, too. From humble beginnings in 1919 as an effort to promote and encourage agriculture in and around the rural communities of Kent and Sussex counties, the Delaware State Fair has blossomed into a true Delaware institution — and a not-to-be-missed experience for individuals, families and politicians from all over the state. With average attendance exceeding 300,000 each year, and entertainment attractions and options that can match just about any other offering within a 100-mile radius, the Delaware State Fair has emerged as an iconic brand in Delaware.

If Ke$ha’s brand is built upon in-your-face-ness, the state fair’s is decidedly not. In Harrington, where traditional family values rule the day, the state fair is a summer bastion of family fun that makes a stroll down Rehoboth’s boardwalk seem downright tawdry. So while the announcement of Ke$ha’s performance took me a bit by surprise, the fair’s subsequent clarification that the anticipated tone and tenor of Ke$ha’s Delaware act (and the outright cancellation of hip hop act “Spank Rock” aka, best band name ever) would be a diluted version of her normal routine was less surprising. That’s more in keeping with the state fair’s brand identity.

But what about Ke$ha’s brand? The curious question here is if she can — or will — tone down her act to achieve the more mild rating on the Delaware State Fair object-o-meter. In a public statement, officials declared that, “The Delaware State Fair has played host to other mainstream acts where a modified PG show was performed at the request of the fair, such as Larry the Cable Guy, Jeff Dunham, Carrot Top, T-Pain, Flo Rida, Lynyrd Skynyrd and others.”

Here’s the difference: All of those people can go from PG-13 to PG without compromising their core artistic identity. Hell, some of those people might be happy enough for a gig that they’d get on stage and do a puppet show if asked. But not Ke$ha. She’s not in that boat. So what does this mean? Two totally different brand identities are about to collide. And only one will be left victorious.

I have my thoughts on how this one ends. Take this, my personal favorite set of lyrics from one of Ke$ha’s latest hit singles: “I think you’re hot/I think you’re cool/You’re the kind of guy I’d stalk in school/But now that I’m famous you’re up my anus/Now I’m gonna eat you fool.” Classic. Methinks she can’t tone down her act to PG for the Delaware State Fair anymore than Andrew Dice Clay could tone down his act for an appearance at the Delaware Children’s Theater.

What this really does is leave both Ke$ha and the state fair at brand crossroads. One brand will ultimately end up being compromised. If Ke$ha decides to water down her act, she detracts — even if for only one show — from the brand that has enabled her rise to stardom. And for a performer still on the upswing of creating a brand identity (read: not yet ready for a reinvention of her musical self) that’s a slippery slope. For the Delaware State Fair, they are counting on Ke$ha toning down her act to be consistent with their consumers’ overall expectations of the fair brand experience. If that doesn’t happen, look for some inevitable backlash from fair-goers.

If truth be told, as a guy who loves both Delaware and Ke$ha (her brand, I mean) I’ll be more disappointed in Ke$ha selling out than I would be in the Delaware State Fair taking its calculated risk in hiring her. These two brands are about to engage in a battle royale. It’s the Get Sleazy Tour vs. the 4-H brigade. Count me in… with wife and kids in tow, of course.

If you really think that Ke$ha brushes her teeth with Jack Daniels you’re probably not reading this piece right now… but it’s in her best interest—brand-wise—to have people believe, on some level, that it could possibly be true.

And stake your bet on a Ke$ha-related headline in the News Journal on July 27th. Why? Take it from another hard rockin party person. You can’t pull back on that throttle.

A lesson in bad advertising.

Another car brand is on the chopping block. Ford has announced that it intends to discontinue the venerable Mercury brand.  Mercury’s recent ad campaign—a bad one—didn't help the cause.  My apologies to Jill Wagner...it really wasn’t your fault.  Instead, a weak value proposition and bad execution did in the campaign.

You gotta put Mercury on your list? Their entire campaign was built around the premise of asking (almost begging) you to just consider their product in your selection set. Hardly instills confidence. That’s like a high school junior (let’s call him Paul P.) going up to a senior girl that he likes and saying, “Hey, this Friday when you’re thinking about guys that you’d like to spend some time with over the weekend, I hope you’ll consider giving me a call.” Two words: dead end. Trust me, I know.

Too bad, because Mercury has done it right before. Here Farrah shows the right way to do it. Better ad = better results. This Cougar XR-7 model went on to set sales records.

A paid search campaign for Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau

This is the second in a series of case studies for those who read our blog. I think it's a nice opportunity to share examples of our work.

Promoting Corporate Event Planning in Wilmington, DE

Client: Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau (GWCVB)

Situation
For the first half of 2009, the GWCVB asked AB&C to promote its B2B efforts by increasing awareness of its meetings program. The GWCVB had traditionally promoted events planning in a 300-mile radius, their primary and secondary target geographies.

Strategy
Event planning has traditionally been a secondary focus of the GWCVB, and its marketing allocation reflects this. We wanted to maximize marketing budget while satisfying the demand of professionals already reading about and researching places to hold corporate events.

Execution
AB&C managed a paid search campaign utilizing keywords focused around the concerns of business meeting planners. We targeted the ads to appear only to an audience within 150 miles of Wilmington, Delaware, their primary target geography, which remains close enough to make an in-person trip to view facilities and weigh the wealth of options that Wilmington presents.

Results
By focusing on active planners within a tighter geography, we were able to stretch our resources while having a bigger splash with our select audiences. During the campaign, 41% of all visits came courtesy of the web media campaign. The campaign also reversed a trend of declining visitors, bringing in 30% more visits than First Half 2008 and a staggering 72% more visits than Second Half 2008. Unfortunately, with the end of the program at the wrap of First Half 2009, the downward trend returned, with a dramatic 40% drop in visits for Second Half 2009.

A paid search campaign for Southern Delaware Tourism

Below is the first in a series of case studies that we wanted to share with those of you who read our blog. We think it's a great opportunity to share examples of our work and capabilities. The case study below, for our client Southern Delaware Tourism, showcases our online media capabilities, specifically paid search campaigns.

An Introduction of the Southern Delaware Culinary Coast

Client: Southern Delaware Tourism (SDT)

Situation
From July 15 through August 31, 2009, SDT asked AB&C to promote its Culinary Coast concept, touting its collection of restaurants and tourism destinations. Of the total media budget, 30% was earmarked for web media.

Strategy
Our first concern was awareness. Faced with limited resources and a sharp decline in recreational travel, we developed a targeted audience-focused solution. The audiences selected were foodies, the LGBT community, beer and wine fans and the staycation set. Our second concern was buy-in from local businesses, with the intention of co-branding the advertising for the 2010 summer season.

Execution
AB&C managed a paid search campaign utilizing keywords focused around the travel concerns of our specific target audiences, layering on direct buys with The Washington Blade (LGBT), Food Network (foodies & beer and wine fans) and The Washington Post travel section (staycation). We also targeted the ads to appear only to an audience within 150 miles of southern Delaware, close enough to make a weekend out of their trip.Concerning future co-branding, we constructed the plan with enough flexibility to easily incorporate a larger media buy and additional audience segments.

Results
Using these targeting methods allowed us to stretch our limited resources to have a bigger splash with our select audiences. During the campaign, 88% of all visits came courtesy of the web media campaign. 30% of the media resulted in 88% of the traffic.

Celebrating the holidays with silver and golds!

AB&C was honored with four gold awards and one silver in the 35th Annual JASPER Awards competition. Sponsored by the Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association (JSPRAA), the competition drew more than 265 entries.

Our work with St. Joseph’s Healthcare System Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ, won gold for outdoor billboard advertising, print poster material and print brochure, and silver for magazine advertising. We also received a gold award for newspaper advertising created for Underwood Memorial Hospital, Woodbury, NJ, highlighting maternity care.

It’s always great to be recognized with our clients for our combined creative efforts. We’re happy to share this good news with you.

Award-winning work

That’s why I’m happy to report that AB&C recently won 12 awards at the 2009 Aster Awards, a medical and healthcare marketing awards program. The awards —golds, silvers and bronzes — recognized creative work in direct mail, web design, television, collateral and print. Check it out for yourself.

One gold was for our design of the St. Joseph Hospital Website. St. Joe’s old website was packed with information, but you had to take the time to dig through it. And that was the problem — especially because the good people of Greater Nashua, western New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts — the hospital’s audience — are very tech-savvy and look to the Internet as their first source of medical information. So after we impressed St. Joe’s with unique micro-sites for some of their new campaigns, they decided it was well past time to overhaul their main website.The finished product has catapulted St. Joe’s into a digital leadership position. The site has a new look with appealing colors, more images, better organization, easier navigation and attention-getting callouts that direct the viewer to the latest updates and important information. New features include video clips of exceptional patient testimonials, an easy-to-search physician directory, online bill pay capability and online class registration.

We also created a template on the homepage that can be easily updated to correspond with current ads. This ensures a complete brand experience for each consumer. And we can now use the ads to point consumers to a cohesive, attractive, user-friendly source of information on St. Joseph Hospital. And consumers are responding. Hits are up, way up. And they’re using the features we’ve created. Which is now funneling into the creation of correlating resources like a St. Joseph Hospital Facebook page, Twitter feed and more.

Spec Creative

For all you prospective clients out there, we at AB&C would love to have you as a client. We really would. And please, give me a call at any time.

Or, feel free to include us in your RFP process. Just one little thing about that RFP process...

For the record, I've been doing new business development at AB&C for several years now, but before that I was on the client side of the business. So I've been involved in my fair share of RFP processes. Over and over again, search consultants or "agency experts" told me I had to include a speculative creative project in the RFP process.

So I did. And I was dazzled by the pretty pictures and the witty concepts.

And when it came time to put together the actual campaigns, none of those concepts ever saw the light of day.

Why?

Because speculative creative is just that - speculative. It's the "theoretical rather than demonstrable" (thank you, Webster's).

Keep in mind that a well-executed marketing plan - part of that being the creative execution - is rooted in an effective strategy. An effective strategy is formed when two trusting partners share and discuss a volume of relevant background information, digest it together and formulate a deliberate, studied approach.

Yet for years, spec creative - essentially a marketing platform created in a complete vacuum - has been standard practice in the ad industry.

Do you want your campaign results to be theoretical or do you want them to be productive?

Most likely, the latter.

The truth is, speculative creative sucks. Agencies hate it because they feel it devalues the design process. But more important, because good agencies value the role that strategy plays in the creative process, it puts them in the position of compromising their principles. Either way, you're left with work that may look good but will most likely never hit the marks that you'll need it to.

A blogger once wrote that decisions based purely on aesthetics are usually bad ones because of their subjectivity. There's something to this. But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to test your potential agency's mettle.

Challenge a prospective agency to elaborate on its strategic process. Investigate who on the proposed account team is responsible for research and strategy. And ask to see examples of work in which a strategic direction led to creative execution that led to measurable results.

On top of that, never shy away from asking an agency to produce for you what they feel to be their most compelling creative pieces.

Or you can skip the RFP process and try us out for size... just sayin'.

Award-winning work

AB&C earned 11 awards, including a “Best in Show,” at the Twenty-Sixth Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, the nation’s oldest and largest healthcare advertising awards competition, sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report. Click to see the winning creative.

AB&C took top honors (the “Best in Show” award) for developing a Physician Recruitment Showcase Book on behalf of Geisinger Health System of Danville, Pennsylvania. Physician recruitment is challenging and highly competitive —particularly for Geisinger Health System, a renowned but remote health system in rural Pennsylvania. Recruitment branding has always represented Geisinger as a place where physicians are thought leaders and innovators — where they can be heard, do research, teach and pioneer revolutionary treatments and modalities.

Our idea was to create a showcase book that would capture the essence of the Geisinger physician experience. The book parallels scientific/technologic photography with quotes that aren’t so much inspirational as they are aspirational. We chose quotes from contemporary sources rather than “dead Greek guys.” Other photography captured the lifestyle of the physicians with captions that contrasted their leisure pastimes with their clinical pursuits. Response has been good — the piece has gotten high marks from physician candidates.