What If...

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You ever play the "What If?" game? Of course you have. We all have. It can be either cathartic and masochistic depending on the situation, to ponder what might have been.

Masochistic: What if... I didn't eat those 4 double-cheeseburgers with extra cheese and fried onions and gravy fries?

Cathartic: What if... I had taken that job with that company that just went under rather than the one I did choose?

And by all means, the "What If?" game is not only for the little people...

John McCain... "What if I hadn't chosen Sarah Palin to be my Veep?"

Michael Phelps... "What if I hadn't smoked that bong?"

***

Today, my 4 brothers, our sister and I collectively and figuratively played the "What If?" game.

What If... our father, way back in 1950, decided to pursue a position with this one particular organization... instead of the path he ultimately chose?

How incredibly different ALL of our lives would be today had he chosen one career path over another.

Here's the story...

Our father Joseph Olenski, Sr. worked for 40+ years in the A&P supermarket chain, becoming a high-ranking VP of something or other during his tenure. All of my brothers, sister and yours truly ALL cut our working teeth in the supermarket world. Many of us would eventually even meet our significant others while working in a supermarket.

BUT... and here's where the "What If?" comes into play...

What if our father had decided to pursue a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation? Yeah, the FBI... G-Men, Feds, all that...

The story goes that in 1950 our father was recruited out of college for the FBI because of his military history and background --- he was an MP during World War II and a recent college graduate.

We're not sure if he ever went through training with the FBI, but we do know that their first assignment for him was due to the fact he spoke Polish --- the FBI wanted him to move up to the coal mine areas of Pennsylvania, specifically the Scranton area. The fear at that time was that communists were infiltrating the coal miners and they wanted someone from the FBI to go undercover there. Since our Dad spoke Polish fluently, he was selected. The story goes that when he told his mother (our grandmother) of this assignment she talked him out of going. He was accepted into the FBI, but simply choose not to go.

So why was it today my 4 brothers, our sister and I collectively and figuratively played the "What If?" game?

It's because of a letter (see below) my brother Michael uncovered recently and shared with all of us today. It was a letter signed (not stamped, but signed) by the head of the FBI at the time -- you know who I mean -- and by the looks of it, it sure sounds like our father never bothered to inform them of his decision.

So my brothers, sister and I now wonder, how incredibly different our lives would have been had our father joined the FBI and NOT the A&P. Quite the disparity in career paths, huh?!

My brother Joe today reminded us of a quote from John Lennon: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

Seems in 1950 life was happening all around our father and his plans didn't include the FBI.

So... what about you? How does the "What If?" game affect you? What examples, life-changing or otherwise, do you have of the "What If?" game?

Here's the full letter.. PLUS I also cropped out the top and body separately for better readability. Click on each file to enlarge.

Full Letter:














Header:






Body:

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What If...

The results are in...

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On Jan 28th, I posted the following two-pronged query:

What makes a TV commercial memorable? And follow up question, is it the product you remember or just the commercial itself?

I posted this query both via this blog AND via Linked In. The response I received was overwhelming. I heard from people as far away as South Africa and Australia. Very cool.

Some findings:

• Humor was definitely the most-oft used word to describe what makes a commercial memorable.
• Other words that came up a lot were "tagline" and "jingle"
• Many mentioned the use of an iconic-type character as being an integral part of making a commercial stand out from the pack.
• Another person took it a step further and delved deeper into the heart of the advertising matter (BTW, this is a great, GREAT point): "Advertising, especially TV commercials can get customers in the door only one time. After that, it's up the seller to build trust and loyalty."

Ok, here are now just SOME of the answers I received in their entirety and a follow up question after... so read on!

What makes a TV commercial memorable? And follow up question, is it the product you remember or just the commercial itself?

• "Heart and or Humor. One that tickles the funny bone, makes you laugh out loud and call a person in the other room ... "Hey, you've gotta come see this commercial ..." On the flip side, one that pulls at the heart strings, or even at times rips the heart right out of your chest with power, energy or fear, causing you to pause and think. Makes you say "wow!" They only come along so often. Product is not always the most memorable part - think of how many times you've said, "I saw this great commercial, don't remember exactly what it was for, but ..." I seem to remember product on the powerful serious spots - less so on the funny commercials where sometimes the punchline over powers product."

• "It is best done with an icon, a grabbing tag line, a memorable jingle, and humor, with the icon and the brand tied together...Examples: "Energizer Bunny" or "Tony the Tiger" for Kellogg cereal. To stand out and become memorable, it must be unconventional. The conventional is boring, and immediately forgotten, because it never engages the consumer."

• "Generally for me, a TV spot has to score high in 2 areas to be memorable: sheer entertainment value and disruption/thought-provoking ability. That second category covers those few ingenious spots every year that go completely against the settled order of things to really achieve something different.
  
  As for whether I remember the product or just the commercial itself, that varies. But I bet you a dollar to a donut that those of us in the biz latch on to the sponsor probably five times more often than the average viewing Joe or Jane -- so if we're inconsistent in our recall, imagine how they do on that score."
  

• "Usually because its entertaining or amusing, but those are the ones that the commercial is more memorable than motivating me to buy the product. The Target Commercials "expect more pay less" (a little bit more) were way cool, captured the essence in a captivating, almost mesmerizing seamless way, my faves were the effort-less and autumn season. Target's Hello-Goodbuy are pretty cool too. I already preferred Target before the ads."

• "I often remember ads that are funny, but not the product. I think to be memorable isn't really the point, it is to be remembered favorably with the target audience. To do that I think of two things - a message and delivery that is right for the product and enough repetition to stick the point without making you scream. In a class on making design strategic I learned the best place to be is remarkable and relevant. One without the other is useless."

• "Part 1-A commercial is made memorable by making an example of circumstances people identify with in their everyday lives...triggering consiousness. Part 2-However, memorablity and effectiveness (in the aspect of increasing sale or engaging the audience) are completely different....If the commercial is memorable, I remember the commercial. If the commercial is effective, I remember the product."

• "Humor often makes the ad memorable. But a strong BENEFIT makes the product memorable. The classic example I always use is the old Wendy's commercial with the old woman who said, "WHERE'S THE BEEF?" The commercial was funny, but the ad also had a strong benefit statement - Wendy's has bigger, better burgers."

• "If you don't remember the product or service, the ad is a failure. The ad should address a need, demonstrate how the product or service meets the need, and do it in a compelling, memorable way, with a device known as a hook. 25 years after it ran, people still remember Wendy's "Where's the beef?" ad. It is a great example of saying, "Wendy's burgers are so big, they stick out from the bun. The other guys' burgers are so small, you have to look for the patty!" Beautiful. Dang. Now I'm hungry for a Wendy's burger."

• "Music and humor make TV spots stand out in my mind. Some jingles stay in my head for decades. If the product in a funny commercial is going to be memorable, as opposed to just the spot itselfl, it needs to be tied in appropriately, like the Windex ad where the birds fly into the glass. Obnoxious ads also stand out, but make me NOT want to buy, such as "Head On! Apply directly to the forehead!"

• "An iconic character these days goes a long way. Progressive Flo. Geico Gekko. That Pelosi lady who tries to sell every manner of crap. Works."

• "It's just the commercial people remember. Many people (myself included) sometimes refer to the bunny as the Eveready Bunny. Don' think that's what the Energizer people want."

• "Stupid commercials are the most memorable, followed by funny ones. I tend to remember a commercial first then the product."

• "I produced commercials for ESPN for a few years. My experience as a producer and as a consumer tells me it's the commercial."

• "A human truth engagingly presented. Most TV commercials are not effective because either
  a.The writer would rather be in Hollywood or
  b.The client thinks the world is fascinated by his brand.
  
  Effective TV advertising is all about the consumer and filling her needs: emotional, rational or both. Links: http://www.TacticalTV.com.au"

• "Humor, a good idea with originality and sometimes a scew view of the world."

• "One word....JINGLE. Jingles may be cheesy, but they work. Think about it...it is not the product, it is the clever tune that people remember."

• "A TV commercial is memorable for a countless amount of reasons. It's this type of approach that has made TV commercials unsuccessful, in my opinion. All commercials should focus on one thing and that's increasing sales strength. Instead, commercials cater toward entertainment. For example: a guy standing on his head doing back flips while drinking a Bud Light is strictly entertainment. In no way am I enticed to get off my couch to buy a bud light. A TV commercial does not have to be memorable it needs to convey a USP. That way, it resonates with the specific target audience by creating an "a ha" factor. Everyone involved in the production of a commercial should approach it with this understanding.
  
  Take jingles for example, sure they are memorable, but just because you remember it doesn't mean it enticed action. Jingles that convey the client's USP are successful, in my opinion. I believe there is a misconception in today's media. Just because everyone is talking about the commercial does not automatically mean it increased client's sales. Success in this business should be measured by sales not publicity or "creativity."
  
  To answer the second part of the the question I always remember the commercial itself and not the product. To be completely honest the majority of the commercials are a complete waste of the client's money. I don't buy Bud Light because someone does back flips. I buy it because I like the taste or it's on sale. Advertising is just a sign that points the seller to the buyer. It doesn't matter how clever your message is, it's up the seller to uphold the promise we made to the buyer.
  
  Advertising and specially TV commercials can get customers in the door only one time. After that, it's up the seller to build trust and loyalty. I think that's the misconception of advertising. By itself it can't single-handily increase sales."

• "mostly I find commercials annoying. I rarely watch TV so I'm not really a great person to make a comment. But I wanted to comment because I like your blog. :) Memorable commercials are typically ones that annoy me. I hear the jingle over and over and I never want to buy the product because I'm so annoyed!

• "Commercials that portray people getting hurt are most memorable, i.e. falling off the ladder, walking into the glass door, the football player hitting office workers. Interestingly, I can't say for certain which products they were pitching."

• "I am not a fan of SHOUTING on the commercial. Like FRANK selling Dish Network (or Direct??) or the Hilshire farms commercial. I know the name of the company in the commercial, but immediatly hit the mute, so I dont know the message. We they selling the meat half off? I will never know."

• "I remember commercials that have interesting animation, good music, or beautiful effects OR those that are really irritating. I often remember the product only more or less, eg: "it's about butter substitutes", but I don't recall the product if asked. However, I often find that I am 'attracted' to the product, in that I notice it among its fellows on the shelf. I don't always buy it. Buying is more closely related to whether I would buy it anyway, and how much it costs."

• "Great topic, right before the Super Bowl. Will we see anything memorable tomorrow? Apple's 1984 or will they be more like the Pets.com sock puppet."

And that leads me perfectly into my follow up query... did any, ANY of this year Super Bowl spots qualify as memorable?

Look forward to hearing from you!

Steve O

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The results are in...

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An abridged special edition of the TMA -- Super Bowl edition.

Obviously this will go down as one of the, if not THEE best Super Bowl game ever. An absolutely incredible ending to the game, a game that saw both defenses running on fumes in the 4th Quarter.

Will get to the game in a bit BUT, as always, I am here to let you know what you COULD have been watching instead of the Super Bowl.

One word sums up what you could have been watching: Marathon. As in numerous channels decided to go on Auto Pilot and hit the play button on many a marathon of TV shows and movies.

Here's just a sampling of the many marathons that dotted the TV landscape on channels other than NBC:

• Hallmark Channel -- I Love Lucy
• Versus -- World Extreme Cagefighting
• Speed Channel -- Pimp My Ride
• Spike TV -- CSI
• Oxygen Channel -- America's Next Top Model
• And... for the 2nd straight year, AMC decided to go with the Death Wish marathon and really, if you're not into football, who better to spend Super Sunday with than Charles Bronson?

Ok, let's get to the game...

• As per MQ's Timex, Jennifer Hudson's National Anthem checked in at 2 minutes, 24 seconds, which I think was over the 2 minute, 3 second Over/Under.
• First "Official" Super Bowl spot, first one run after the game started, went to Bud Light. Spot was good, not great. Featured a group of office workers sitting around a conference room table debating how to lower costs. One poor sap suggests cutting out Bud Light at meetings and he is ceremoniously tossed out the window to the street below. Eh... again, liked it, didn't love it.
  
• Will show my favorite spots later...
• John Madden. I love the big fella, I really do, but Lord a'mighty does that man say some strange things and state the obvious a whole helluva lot. Case in point:
• At one point in discussing Cards' Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt's looking for answers after the First Half, especially in the spectacular way it ended, Big John used the phrase "stew in his own juices." Um, ok... A nice pork roast is delicious when it stews in its own juices, not sure about an NFL Head Coach.
• Later in the game, the topic turned to Kurt Warner -- for the 5,324 time mind you -- and how different he looks now compared to when he played for the Rams. "When Kurt played for the Rams, he weighed 240 pounds... now he weighs 205. He lost weight." Really? You figured that out all by yourself... nothing gets past Big John.
  
• The Boss was large and in charge. A great, GREAT halftime show by Bruce, et al. A little schmaltzy with the "referee" coming out toward the end to throw a "flag" on the boys but overall, thought they sounded great.
• At the end of the game you had one team making a great comeback only to see their defense, that fought so hard to keep the game close, not be able to make on final stand. Has a familiar ring to it, does it not Eagles fans?
• Kurt Warner & Ben Roethlisberger. Two big time QBs. Yes Donovan McNabb makes some of the same throws, only he doesn't make them when they count like they did. At least he hasn't shown the propensity to do so as of yet in his career.
  
• Finally, before I get to the TV spots... I thought aloud that if the Steelers lost this game, the blame would fall squarely at the feet of their Offensive Line. Time and again, they provided neither adequate protection for Big Ben nor any holes for the Steelers running backs. Big Ben, with his ability to keep plays alive with his feet, was the real MVP of the game.
• Obviously the Steelers did NOT lose this game so where does the blame fall? Well I have to say the Cards Defense. And it's not just for their failure to stop the Steelers on the final drive. On a drive earlier in the 2H, they were flagged for 3 Personal Fouls.... THREE!
• This Super Bowl will go down as one of the greatest in history. The rollercoaster of emotion in the 4Q was simply remarkable and unprecedented. It was clearly on of those "shame someone has to lose" kind of games.
  
• Ok, here now, in no specific order, are some of the TV spots I liked from yesterday's Super Bowl. Enjoy and I will see you next year with the TMA. Thank you for being a loyal reader!
  

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"Hello McFly, there's another person at the other end of that line..."

Quick, what do the following have in common?

"Business that sells products or provides services to other businesses."

"Marketing efforts directed from one business to another."

"An area of advertising for products, services, resources, materials, and supplies purchased and used by businesses."

"... the marketing of goods and services to businesses in order to keep those companies operating."

These are all some of the many definitions of the term Business-To-Business Marketing/Advertising.

What else do they all have in common?

Give up?

None of them mention the word "human" or "person" or "people!"

Ok, I understand the literal definition of B2B would not include such a reference but maybe it should!

I once had a long, detailed conversation with a client of mine who could not for the life of him grasp the concept that while he was trying to sell his wares, products and or services to another business... there was in fact another human being on the other end of his sales pitch and not a building of bricks and mortar!

I tried, in vein I'm afraid, to convince him that even though it's technically one business to another, you still have to have some human element infused in the advertising and marketing collateral.

Even something as seemingly innocuous as a salutation on a letter.

Don't you think "Dear Mr. Jones" or "Dear Bob" sound better than "Dear Fellow Business Owner?" or something hideous like that?

(NOTE: I know ALL about the value of personalization and how response rates increase exponentially and all that good stuff! I was merely making a point!)

I tried time and again to infuse some sense of conversationalism into the copy and overall feel of his mar comm pieces. He wasn't going for it.

So, the campaign rolled out as the client’s direction and… failed miserably. Needless to say he was none to pleased. BUT… he did have the sense to realize his mistake and a short time later, we tried it “my” way and it was a rousing success. Ok, maybe not rousing, but it was successful!

Point being kids…

When it comes to “Business To Business” in the context of marketing & advertising, remember, there’s a fellow human being on the other end of the line with feelings, emotions, good days and bad days… just like you.

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