Sunday, May 1, 2011

Most advertising is off brand.

The problem with advertising in our modern world isn't that no one believes in it anymore, it's that most brands refuse to spend the time and the money to live up to the image they want to project.

I say this roughly 48-hours after returning from Las Vegas and still unable to rid my 6'2" frame from the deep vein thrombosis-inducing coach seat I was sentenced to for the five hour duration of the flight. I flew "the new United," and airline that's "merged and is now emerging."

If airlines were as good as they make their commercials say they are, people would love them. As they love Jet Blue, Virgin and to a degree, Southwest. Likewise, the top two telcos, AT&T and Verizon spend over a billion each telling you they're reliable and they don't drop calls. But of course, you hate them. Because they're unreliable and they do drop calls. Fast food restaurants show us delicious looking food that looks nothing like the final product.

People don't hate, or ignore advertising. They hate and ignore advertising that isn't backed up by brand behavior.

Again, it's not advertising people have stopped responding to, it's advertising that lies or distorts.

People listen to Apple ads. Not necessarily because they're better ads, but because they're actually on brand.

Most ads, those that show you a world that isn't delivered by the brand they are advertising are, simply put, off brand.

No comments: