4 Words That Are Worth A Lot Of Money…

“Terms and conditions apply.”

It’s the equivalent of saying “Strings Attached” or “Warning: We’re Lying.”

As soon as someone uses that phrase in any offer, switch off. Walk away. Don’t get sucked in  – because if you do, you’re going to get blown out the other end a whole lot poorer.

When people use that term, they mean that they can’t keep the promise they’ve just made to you – and all likelihood, what you thought you were paying for doesn’t equate with the reality of what you’re going to get.

Those four words are worth a lot of money: yours. The person using it is looking to part you from it. And if you fall for it, you’ll have no-one to blame but yourself.

Happy Birthday…

Birthdays are pretty awesome – especially if the presents you get are what you want. The thing about brithday presents is that they work on two levels: firstly, you’re never sure what will be concealed under the wrapping paper; and secondly, there’s always the chance that even if you try guess, your expectations can always be exceeded.

This is what brands should always try to do for their consumers: give them what they want and then exceed their expectations… It’s a simple exercise. Just keep increasing the pleasure, and watch your consumers increase your brand’s profile and profits.

Personal Note:

So the 21st of this month was my birthday. Check this out:

Why so serious?

A full-on Joker belt… That’s what was hiding under the wrapping paper. Given to me by someone who knows what I like -  and exceeded all my expectations by getting it to me on time for my birthday. How’s that for a cup of awesomeness? Kitty Stiletto – you rock.

Applied Creativity…

Ok…

So I’ve been ranting a bit this week about the uselessness of advertising awards and wasted creativity. And now I get a chance to rave.

JWT JAPAN Tokyo walked away with the Cannes Grand Prix Media Lion for their KIT KAT MAIL campaign.

In Japanese, KIT KAT sounds a lot like “kitto katsu” (“surely win”). The brand wanted a campaign that would tie in with the university entrance exams and position KIT KAT as a good luck charm. Apparently, it’s tradition that one presents gifts to the students as talismans against ill fortune.

The creative solution from JWT was to design an  KIT KAT parcel (an edible postcard if you will) that would be sold in post offices around the country and could be mailed to the students to wish them good luck. Occam’s Razor in action…

Sheer Brilliance

This idea not only made KIT KAT available in over 20 000 competition-free locations (along with US$11 million worth of PR in free media) but also resulted in the Japan Postal Service making the product a permanent fixture for retail within their post offices. Apparently, people are still using it to send good-luck wishes for a host of reasons.

Nick Brien, president-CEO of Mediabrands Worldwide and president of the media jury at Cannes was quoted as saying, “It was a brilliant idea, flawless execution and amazing results. They created a business model that didn’t exist before.”

A creative solution to a business problem that had a measurable impact for the brand, creating not only the desired initial buzz around the brand but also a new and sustainable way to sell the product. This is the kind of business-advancing advertising that deserves not only the recognition of the award but the respect of the industry.

This is how it should be done.

Wasted Creativity…

Now, if you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that I’m no fan of advertising awards.

So this little nugget I found interested me no end. CP+B (that’s Crispin, Porter and Bogusky) are the multi-award-winning agency behind such campaigns as Microsoft’s  “Bill and Jerry”, “I’m a PC” and “Laptop Hunter”. They also do (again, award-winning!) work for Burger King.

Now here’s the rub: for the 5 years that CP+B have been working the Burger King account, market share for the “King” has  fallen to 14.2% from 15.6%.

In strong contrast, McDonald’s has grown from 43.6% to 46.8%.

And while you can’t fault the level of creativity in the Burger King campaigns (they’re actually OK), you gotta ask yourself: what’s the point of award-winning advertising if it’s not advancing the brand?

Leading By Behinds…

There’s nothing worse than a someone in a leadership position who cannot stick to a decision. More often than not, these people have been placed in these positions by virtue of their time-served within an organisation or their incredible aptitude for brown-nosing.

At best, they’re an annoyance – a painful pebble in the shoe that hinders the process and delivery behind any project. At worst, they’re an infection, an incurable disease that destroys initiative, innovation and interest at all levels within the organisation.

So what do you do when you discover that you’re being led by the worse of these cases? Move on. Get gone. Bail out.

That this person is in charge at all, speaks volumes about the organisation. Clearly, the priority is not the delivery but the egos of the senior management. You’re working in a high-school, where popularity is everything and professionalism is nothing.