Why Today's Marketing Fails - first in a series

With a title like this, I realize I'm begging the question.  Namely, why isn't it called "What Really Grinds my Gears?"  Truth is, I hear Peter Griffin is rather litigious.  Rather....litigious.  Nevertheless, with that caveat fully in mind, here goes: 

Too often, commercials represent a victory of style over substance.  It looks great, the music's awesome, the graphics are innovative, I get it.  But after the spot ends, I have no idea what the takeaway was supposed to be.  To paraphrase my people, "Why should this beer be different than any other beer?"

It's obvious that the intention of the spot was to entertain, but the intended two- or three-word takeaway was lost in the translation.

That's an easy thing to do.  By time a concept gets approved, cut, then re-cut dozens of times, the objective is often just to get a spot that satisfies everybody.  And who knows who's involved in the decision-making process?  How many times have we heard, "My 8-year-old loves the spot."  or "My brother had an idea..."

Supporting a brand's USP is essential, but often sporadic, especially at the station level.  Some of this is due to sheer volume and constrained time.  Some due to passive aggressiveness.  And some is due to not establishing an intended takeaway before the script is written.

Don't believe me?  When you watch TV tonight, pay attention to the commercials (as if you don't already!).  If you don't know what incredibly focused message was intended, you're not alone.

There's a blogger out here who shares your pain.

- Ed "Not Big Daddy" Roth

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