Posts Tagged “public relations”

Do you know one way to tell what businesses are competitive – and lucrative? Count how many ads you see on TV. On that basis, there’s huge money in drugs, pet food, automobiles, and…fast food. McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box (my personal fave) and their brethren account for a huge chunk o’ change in the TV network’s up fronts. Fast food is big business. Every dollar they spend helps establish product positions and reinforce their formidable brands. TV spots don’t just encourage you to buy fast food – they tell you how you should feel about a particular fast food outlet, as well as how and why you’d want to crave their products. The spots (generally) do a masterful job. They promote a positive image of each chain.

And all that hard work can be shot to Hell in the blink of an eye by one bad experience at a drive-thru window.

Read the rest of this entry »

Slogans. Gotta love ‘em. Good ones are designed to elicit emotions, specifically to communicate how a company wants you to feel about them. I’ve seen some brilliant slogans – and some really bad ones. Ford Motor Company has gone through a bunch in the past few years, some good, some…not so much. Here’s a sampling:

Ford has a better idea.

Quality is Job One.

Have you driven a Ford lately?

Drive One.

Um…yeah. Read the rest of this entry »

What is spin? From a marketing frame of reference, spin can be defined as using marketing and public relations to influence public opinion in your favor, by way of slanting the argument. Spin is a fact of life. Some spin is opaque. Some is transparent. Some is so well-constructed that it’s virtually invisible. But spin is usually REactive, not PROactive. To be more accurate, spin is usually employed as damage control as a tool of defense, rather than as a offensive tool.

In recent years, we’ve seen spin that would make a top envious from organizations like the tobacco growers, automobile makers, and scads of politicians (who virtually invented spin). Last night, I saw a TV spot for a group that has decided to take spin to a new level, proactively seeking to change the hearts and minds of the great unwashed before they even get their hackles up regarding the group’s product. Read the rest of this entry »