Cricket advertising April 19, 2007
Posted by Shel in Advertising, Marketing.add a comment
The ratings of the ongoing Cricket World Cup in the West Indies have taken quite a beating after the exit of two of the countries that bring in the maximum advertisers: India and Pakistan. No one is that fanatical about the game as people in these two countries and their cricket teams advertiser everything and anything under the sun. Well, it didn’t work out too well, with both teams getting knocked out in the very first stage of the tournament to Bangladesh and Ireland, supposedly easy targets.
Since their defeat, there have been a host of advertisers who have cancelled their agreements or decided not to renew them again with the cricketers. It really is about time, that we stop rewarding people for no reason other than that they are on the team, especially when there is no performance at all. I think our school teams played better cricket than them, at least we used to go all out and give it our all, whereas the team completely collapses when a couple of the top order batsmen get out.
Searching for a niche advertising firm in London March 2, 2007
Posted by Shel in Advertising.add a comment
My ongoing project of researching advertising companies in the UK is progressing, although not as fast as I would like it to be. Although, it seems that there are more advertising agencies in the UK than in the US, most agencies are not well connected and publicized on the web, making it much harder to find them. A couple of days back a colleague in London told me about a new business directory that had been launched specifically for the advertising industry.
The London Advertising Directory is a comprehensive listing of advertising agencies in the London area, lots whom are not listed in other business directories or anywhere else. London’s advertising industry is much more niche and segmented than their US counterparts, most of whom do the entire gamut of advertising work. And since they are so focused on having just a few good clients, it’s not always easy to find them.
The feature I really am impressed with in this directory listing is the comment and click information, which makes the directory a lot of interactive than just a regular listing of agencies. So, far the directory has helped me find a number of really great agencies that do exactly the kind of work I have been looking for.
More on Cash Columns November 7, 2006
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Cash Columns really do work!!
In an earlier post, I had written about how the system works. Well, I got a box for my other blog, to see how if and how much money and leads I could generate from it. I am happy to say that I have 4 advertisements above mine and have received my first payment already. I am receiving lots of referrals from Cash Columns but most seem to be just random hits where visitors don’t stay too long. I think if they were to specialize a page for different topics, then more people would be directed to pages they are interested in. Why don’t you take a look at Cash Columns yourself?
Cash Columns November 4, 2006
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Have you heard about Cash Columns?
I thought the concept was quite interesting. Cash Columns lets anyone buy a box in any of its 8 columns. Each time someone buys a box in your column, you get shifted down a box and get what you paid for that spot in return.For every time your box gets moved down, you receive half of what you originally paid. I thought its a great way to advertise your product, blog, service, or whatever else you might want to.
On ads: good vs evil October 13, 2006
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I wrote about the reach of advertisements in almost every sphere in our lives in an earlier post, and thought the tone might have been too negative. While on a personal level, it can get overwhelming to be faced with ‘names’ and ‘brands’ where ever you look, from the innovative and creative point of view, it definately is a thrill to see how the process is changing along with our lives, technology and modern modes of communication.
Advertisements on supermarket converyor belts, coupons or ads on your cell phone, ads inside elevators are all new areas can’t only be seen as irritants but rather as innovative means of reaching customers, making products more accessable and relating practically to how we really live today.
Is any place safe from advertisements? October 12, 2006
Posted by Shel in Advertising, Marketing, Trends.add a comment
Are you getting sick of being bombarded with ads? Well, its only going to get worse, a lot worse from now on. For its new season of shows, CBS is placing ads of its shows and stars extremely creatively, such as on postage stamps, inside elevator doors, on eggs via a laser coating technology, and even on a 40 acre cornfield in Kansas.
Advertising is moving away from its traditional newspaper and magazine formats to catch consumers when they might not be expecting to see an advertisment, to make it memorable and something to talk about.
Advertising is intruding on more previously untouched corners of life, including novels, hotel shower curtains, school buses and the bellies of pregnant women. Golfer Fred Couples is often followed around the course by a gaggle of woman paid to wear the name Bridgestone Golf, his sponsor.
But are customers being turned away by these ads because of their intrusiveness or is it a workable concept. Read the article here in USA Today.
Mind your manners:Subliminal advertising August 29, 2006
Posted by Shel in Advertising, Marketing.2 comments
Mind your manners
Several advertisements lately are pushing social responsibility more than sales. Is it financially feasible for these companies to ask users to reduce usage of their products or just a slight aberration in their advertising game plan? Are companies using these prominently displayed advertisements on billboards merely as a way to increase their brand or do they want results that are directly proportionate to their spending?
In the modern world, advertising has become a mode of communication rather than just a sales medium. The most effective way to communicate with consumers, present and potential, is to connect with them while not necessarily pushing their products. This connection with the consumers is the essence of successful advertising.
These new advertisements for Hutch and DNA are prominently displayed on billboards across Bombay. Hutch is telling us to behave responsibly and politely and to not to take pictures without first taking permission and also to switch off our phones in movie theatres. They have a series of ads like: Hum Aapke Hain Tring Tring and Ali Baba and Tring Tring. The ads are innovative and sure to make an impact. DNA (i.e., the newspaper Daily News and Analysis) states: “There’s no difference between our rich and poor. They both spit generously on the roads.” Superb. Simply Suberb.
