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Hello. I'm Stacey Pilcher. I am a strategic marketer and brand consultant who is passionate about helping my clients build their businesses.
I started my business in 1999 and believe inspiration comes from within - and also within the Grand Canyon - that's why you can find me hiking there every year.
I started this blog to help my clients think about new opportunities. How can I help you?
Posts Tagged ‘advertising’
Marketing’s double standard.
Friday, May 11th, 2012
It is interesting when election year comes around, integrity seems to fly out the window. Why is it that political marketers use a different playbook? Falsehoods in political advertising are so prevalent we now have Factcheck.org and Flackcheck.org, both projects of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. And PolitiFact, a Pulitzer Prize-winning operation of the Tampa Bay Times.
Factcheck.org is aimed at reducing the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics – they watch and listen to ads, debates, speeches, interviews and then report of the factual accuracy.
Flackcheck.org debunks false political advertising and reviews how the media reports on political campaigns. They are also reminding broadcasters of their right to reject or require changes in political ads aired by super PACs. (Candidate-produced advertising cannot be refused or censored even if it is inaccurate or defamatory. What? Yes, this is a federal law.)
And then there is the Fact Checker column in the Washington Post. The author Glenn Kessler, has recently issued a challenge to both Former Governor Mitt Romney and President Obama to “give a least one campaign speech, on a substantive policy issue, lasting at least 15 minutes, that does not contain a single factual error or misstatement. That means no sugar-coating of your record, no exaggerated claims about your opponent’s record, and no assertions that are technically true but lack crucial context.”
Fraudulent and deceptive marketing and advertising is not acceptable for any other product or service, just ask Reebok who is to refund $25 million for false advertising of the EasyTone and RunTone shoes.
Hopefully, in our lifetime, political marketers will be held to the same standard. What do you think?
Tags: advertising, marketing, Political Advertising
Posted in 2012 | No Comments »
Keep your head out of the sand.
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Why was 2010 such a banner year for the Publicis Groupe? Is it Maurice Lévy, CEO? “The shock that the Internet caused is still not finished,” Mr Lévy says. “We need to be ahead of the curve; otherwise we will not be able to accompany the client of tomorrow.”
Acquisitions:
2000 Saatchi & Saatchi
2001 Leo Burnett Worldwide
2007 Digitas (online marketing)
2008 Performics (search marketing)
2009 Razorfish (largest digital agency)
It’s not about being all things to all people – it’s about watching the trends and owning brands that are of the future. Advertising agencies are interesting entities, since it is their job to understand consumers and keep clients and their products relevant, yet they struggle to stay relevant themselves. Agencies have always tried to be a one-stop shops, but now the industry is so specialized that no one agency can do it all. It is important to work with a variety of talent.
That’s why Lévy gets it. Sales and margins improved in 2010 and the company purchased a PR firm in China and 49% of a talent agency in Brazil. In 2011, it started by purchasing Chemistry agency in Brazil. Lévy doesn’t rebrand the companies he buys. He buys them so that his holding company has strength in the direction things are going.
Tags: advertising, digital marketing
Posted in 2011, Strategy | No Comments »
Caveat emptor, or in this case let the voter beware.
Thursday, October 28th, 2010
In 2006, the Arizona voters approved a tax on tobacco to provide funding for early childhood health and development, as well as parenting programs for Arizona families. This initiative is called First Things First.
It’s now 2010 and the legislature has put Proposition 302 on the ballot to terminate this voter approved program and services to sweep existing and future funds into the state’s general fund. According to the Arizona Republic, the Legislature claims the money is needed to help balance the state budget. “If approved, Prop 302 would send $345 million to the general fund to help draw down the current $825 million deficit. The money would not have to be spent on the types of health and welfare programs that First Things First supports; however, the ongoing collections from the tobacco tax would be directed into child health and social-service programs that the Legislature would oversee.”
What does this ad support, when a yes vote on Prop 302, dismantles the early childhood initiative First Things First?
Clearly, a “Yes” vote for Proposition 302 will dismantle First Things First and eliminate funding for early childhood health and development programs. Which makes the following campaign slogan very misleading. Rather deceptive, don’t you think?
As the elections approach voters should beware of deceptive messaging practices.
Get informed, get out to vote.
Tags: advertising, consumer perception
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
What is Marketing?
Thursday, September 16th, 2010
I had a client ask me that question the other day and it got me thinking that there are probably a lot of people in business that really do not understand the depth of marketing. This particular client described marketing as an occasional ad and his sponsorship presence. Hmmm. . . of course marketing includes advertising and sponsorships, but what about. . .
. . . the customer service department?
. . . the billing department?
. . . the purchase experience off and online?
. . . the product design?
. . . packaging?
. . . product delivery?
. . . the web site?
. . . the facebook page?
. . . the product performance?
. . . the twitter account?
. . . communications after the sale?
. . . the competition?
. . . what people are saying off and online?
. . . how the company treats its employees?
. . . the company’s personality?
. . . the physical office or store?
Tags: advertising, brand strategy, consumer experience
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
Got a Light?
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Advertising has taken many shapes and forms over the years and is constantly changing due to technology and culture. Who would have imagined when Al Gore “invented” the Internet that the interface would become a platform for advertising and social media?
One unique medium to fall victim to both technology and culture in the 20th century has been the matchbook – wonderful miniatur
e pieces of advertising, art and memories. They were first commercially produced in the 1890s in the United States. But it wasn’t until the 1940s that they began to reach commercial success as an advertising medium. Matchbooks served as reminders of products, restaurants and destinations for nearly five decades.
Smoking was cool back then, too. Just watch the popular TV show Mad Men for five minutes.
But in 1968 the first anti-smoking campaign ran in the U.S. Within three decades, the number of smokers was reduced by 50%. This was a true cultural shift. Today, smoking is even banned from restaurants and bars. To make it even more difficult for the little matchbook, technology changed. Disposable lighters flooded the market and the matches became archaic.
Now an art form for collectors, the matchbook holds a unique place in history. Will Facebook one day stand by its side? You can count on change as the only constant in marketing, and in life.
Tags: advertising, marketing trends, social media
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
Quack Marketing
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Yesterday while reading the ever serious Harvard Business Review, I really quacked up.
A piece expertly written by the CEO of Aflac, Daniel P. Amos entitled “How He Fell for the Duck“ was the culprit. It was about how he fell for the duck, how the duck grew the business and how the duck went global. It reminded me how important it is to approach marketing with an open mind.
FreeFoto.com
Not that a duck, or for that matter a gecko is right for every client’s marketing campaign, but being safe usually is not a big winner either. In marketing moving forward with calculated risk is a good thing.
Calculated? Think of a game of bridge. It is defined as a game of skill and chance. Decisions are made based on the players’ knowledge of what has already transpired and their tactical abilities. The style and demeanor of each team factors into the play, and of course the luck of the draw. In marketing we are faced with much of the same challenges.
1. Know the market – What has already transpired and what is the projected environment?
2. Recognize the advantages – What makes your company/product/service special?
3. Study the consumer – What are their motivations and why are they relevant?
4. Set objectives – What are the desired results of the campaign?
All these questions help assess risk. But how much risk should you take? Mr. Amos said, “Don’t risk a lot for a little; don’t risk more than you can afford to lose; and consider the odds.” The duck debuted on New Year’s Day 2000. If you are risk adverse, play it safe. Puppies and cute babies are always a sure bet.
Tags: advertising, global marketing, marketing, risk
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
A Picture Paints 1000 Words – Advertising that Connects
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
The value of a picture is in the meaning it conveys. The point when a picture becomes an image. The power of the image lies in the interpretation by the consumer. Every consumer will interpret a picture differently, depending on their perspective.
Painting an image that connects with your consumer opens communications and helps create more meaningful marketing and advertising. The key is in understanding your consumers’ point of view. It is not enough to know their age, income or marital status. It’s almost like you need to see inside their head and then help them build an image they believe in, one they can own.
Cognitive scientists do look inside people’s heads. Professor of Business, Emeritus, at Harvard Business School, Jerry Zaltman, studies the human brain. How it works. He has a patented process that uses visuals and metaphors to unlock the underlying beliefs and feelings that influence consumer behavior.
It’s called ZMET (Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique.) In his new book, Marketing Metaphoria, he unlocks eight deep metaphors shaping human thought: balance, transformation, journey, container, connection, resource, and control.
Tapping human metaphors or images that relate to feelings and connections makes communications more meaningful. It is what makes a picture into at least 1000 words or 1000 words into an idea.
Tags: advertising, consumer perception, marketing, metaphors
Posted in Brand Adages | No Comments »