End of Advertising as We Know It

But hold on -- don’t break out the handkerchiefs and black veils just yet. The end of advertising as we know it is in fact a very good thing. Whether we want to admit it or not, the truth is that most advertising today just doesn’t work; it’s a colossal waste of money; and if you don’t pay attention, it could end up destroying your company and your brand. The loud, jump-cut television ads; the endless litany of airport billboards; the pop-up ads you may be swatting away even as you’re reading this -- they’re all just so much noise that your customers are screening out, not taking to heart.

But all is not lost. Indeed, we are at, as I have titled my new book, The End of Advertising as We Know It. Next up? The future of advertising. Make plans right now to be a part of it.

And here’s your first lesson in 21st-century advertising techniques: Don’t believe the hype about hype.

Advertising is not an art form. It’s not some fanciful creative activity governed by whim and desire. It’s science, pure and simple. It’s about selling stuff more often to more people for more money. To succeed, you’ve got to bring a rigorous, scientific discipline to your marketing approach -- because you’re in an environment where every single expenditure absolutely must generate a return.

It’s simple -- if you don’t wake up every single day thinking of new reasons for your customers to buy from you, you’re just marking time until the end.

If you buy this book with the expectation of, say, getting a crash course in making killer television commercials, you might be better off with a primer instead. While you’ll learn about effective TV commercials, you’re also going to learn so much more. Advertising is a lot more than television commercials -- it includes branding, packaging, celebrity spokespeople, sponsorships, publicity, customer service, and every other aspect of your business.

And if you want fanciful marketing theory, you should look elsewhere. I prefer results over theory, battle-tested real-world strategies over ivory-tower hypotheses. I’ve built and maintained some of the biggest brands in the world, and I’ve helped countless companies develop their own brands as well, using strategic deployment of advertising.

I’ll show you how to do the same.

My previous book, The End of Marketing as We Know It (sensing a trend here?), won nationwide acclaim -- Time named me one of the three best pitchmen of the 20th century -- and inspired me to start the Zyman Marketing Group. My clients range from banks to ski resorts, from telecommunications companies to video rental giants. All of these companies have something in common -- they’re interested in selling their products based on benefits, not just intrinsic qualities. It’s a perspective that too many companies are slow to embrace. Are you still in this lagging group, doggedly pushing the same tired tenets of “awareness” and “image”? It’s time to ditch this old baggage and move to the front of the pack.

It’s funny -- many corporate bigwigs are interested in talking about absolutely anything surrounding advertising except actual revenue generated. Not long ago, I ran into a friend of mine who’s the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He proudly boasted that his company now has 70 percent awareness. “That’s great,” I replied, “but how are sales?” Wouldn’t you know it, he suddenly realized he was late for a meeting and had to run.

I get the same kind of reaction when I give speeches virtually anywhere in the world. Major koretsus in Japan, marketing managers in London, and professors and students at the school of business in Warsaw all seem to believe that while casting advertising in a scientific light is an interesting idea, it just doesn’t apply to their company. They’re different, they say, and what works for others won’t necessarily work for them.

Guess again. They aren’t different. Sales are sales, revenue is revenue. I don’t care whether you’re selling heating oil in Ireland, souvenirs in the Australian Outback, or fighter jets in 125 countries. If you want to stay in business, your goals are the same: Maximize your assets and sell more stuff. But if you have no way to differentiate yourself from your competitors, if you don’t think about your own compelling value proposition...well, we all know how that story ends.

So how can my book change your perspective? By opening your eyes. The way enterprises are operating now not only isn’t working but is actually making existing problems worse. If you’re in the ad business, this book is a wake-up call, a warning, and a road map to success, all wrapped in one. Advertising isn’t about winning awards or creating popular catchphrases, it’s about making money -- and anything that doesn’t serve that end has to go. And if you’re not in the ad business, you better believe that you still need to know how to evaluate advertising effectiveness and understand how to best use the marketing tactics that drive results.

In the book, I’ll cover such topics as the range and reach of advertising and debunk the myth that “awareness is everything.” I’ll show you how to retain your existing customers, even at the expense of adding new ones. I’ll demonstrate why hiring a celebrity endorser might be a stroke of genius -- or the last move your company ever makes.

I’ll reexamine old advertising canards like packaging, publicity, and sponsorship, showing how you can make these old dogs newly profitable in the 21st century. In an age when media reaches potential customers virtually every second of every day, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use that to your advantage.

And I’ll wrap up by showing you what not to do, in case studies featuring two companies -- two very well known American companies -- who have, between them, blown every advertising rule I have...and suffered the consequences. By the time you’re done with this book, you’ll know what to do, what not to do, and how to guide your company to advertising success. You’ll have the knowledge, insights, tools, and direction you need to create first-rate, successful, sustainable advertising strategies.

Your customers are waiting. Are you going to serve them -- or will your competition? Sergio Zyman