advertising

by Dennis Ramdeen|14 December 201107 June 2013|Ad Industry, Blog

People management skills. We have Creative Directors and Media Directors and no People Directors. Stop the train. Speed is killing the quality of creative. Great ideas cannot be born in the time it takes to microwave popcorn. Pitching Creative ideas...

Many roads to the mind. Why everyone is an advertising expert.

by Dennis Ramdeen|08 December 201107 June 2013|Ad Industry, Blog

When you go to your dentist, mechanic or baker, they can more or less give you a few options to solve your problem. Do a filling. Remove the tooth. Put in a cap. Change the radiator. Go with the red velvet cake. In advertising it's not...

Coming to a third screen near you.

by Dennis Ramdeen|20 November 201108 June 2013|Blog, Digital Marketing

Traditional marketers, including advertising agencies have largely been in denial about the new digital media. It’s common to be in denial when one is comfortable with the status quo. Someone moved our cheese and it’s much easier to deny than...

New business pitches. How do you win?

by Dennis Ramdeen|18 November 201108 June 2013|Ad Industry, Blog

Greg Verdino in a recent blog post had this to say about pitches. "Anyone who has spent time at agencies knows that the new business pitch process, though a necessary evil, is absolute hell. You expend lots of resources, usually...

Ian Alleyne and Christmas. Doh hot yuh head.

by Dennis Ramdeen|02 November 201108 June 2013|Blog, Marketing Strategy

I can just see it. The client says "We need something that will break through the clutter this Christmas. We don't have as big a budget as Standards and Courts. And we need people talking about American Stores." They may have even...

Ham and Grog. Does a promotion have a shelf life?

by Dennis Ramdeen|31 October 201108 June 2013|Blog, Marketing Strategy

Every Christmas COURTS features their "Ham and Grog" Promotion as their point of difference; to get their cash register to ring in the crucial last quarter. In fact, the promotion predates COURTS and was invented by its forerunner Huggins. The...

Less > more: 20 minimalist print ads that inspire.

by Bjorn Stodart|24 October 201126 August 2014|Blog, Traditional Advertising

In today’s world, advertisements play a very important role for the success of a product or company. They must deliver powerful messages which attract people’s attention. For print, creative teams have to be imaginative, able to write strong copy, be...

Would Rolex sponsor an All Fours League?

by Dennis Ramdeen|08 October 201108 June 2013|Blog, Marketing Strategy

As marketing people we need to be brand police. Brand police make sure that brands stay faithful to their positioning. For example, Single Barrel has been spending the last two years trying to convince YUMA's (young upwardly mobile adults) that it is...

Should ad agencies become the client?

by Dennis Ramdeen|13 September 201108 June 2013|Ad Industry, Blog

Just in case you did not notice, let me point out to you that the Ad Agency business is changing. Agencies are being asked to be less of the striker that scores the big goal and more of the planner. ...

Are we advertising people snake oil salesmen?

by Dennis Ramdeen|27 August 201108 June 2013|Ad Industry, Blog

"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." - John Wanamaker, US Department Store Merchant John Wanamaker got it right a long time ago I think. Both in terms of the message...

10 ways to get great Creative in your Ad Agency.

by Dennis Ramdeen|24 August 201108 June 2013|Ad Industry, Blog, Marketing Strategy

Encourage dissent. Outlaw vanilla. Go for purple cows. Ensure everyone embraces the concept of Positioning. Aim to own one thing. Find creative mentors Recognise Creatives; tell them you appreciate their work Don't accept lazy work. Say no. The need for speed...

Should I bring my agency in house?

by Dennis Ramdeen|11 August 201108 June 2013|Ad Industry, Blog

Yes. If you have the following: Enough scale for it to make sense If you allow your creative team to create and not be clones of the boss If you have enough variety to provide stimulation so you don't end...

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