interTrend Communications, Inc.’s Post

Color me blue, but 37 nights and 38 days left in the every-four-year angst, and here we are with another lackluster political ad season. Lackluster is putting it kindly. Can’t say I’m surprised: judging by what we’ve been hearing from clients who operate in that realm, it feels like the whole category has waved the white flag and adopted block and tackle as a mantra. Inspiration and creative horsepower? Not so much. Still, and regardless of your partisan affiliations, you might figure that with an opportunity-rich matchup at the ticket top, something great would have bubbled up. Somewhere. In American history, it frequently has. Draw a twisty line from the LBJ “Daisy” spot to Reagan’s “Morning in America” to, giving the devil its due, Willie Horton against Dukakis and the incidence of good-to-great is impressive. The last cycle-commanding spot I can think was Bernie Sander’s “America.”  That was back in 2002, it was in the primary, and it wasn’t enough for the win. But that loss isn’t why we’re seeing so damned much consistently uninteresting work from ticket top to bottom. It’s the same addictive malady afflicting advertising as a whole: the shift from strategic to tactical, brand to retail, durably memorable to transitory forgettable. Some will tell us it’s all collateral damage from the rise of social media and the attitude that idea-based creative is disposable and fungible, not essential and precious. And while might be something in that, I’m thinking more about the debilitating impact of our current over-reliance on data. Here’s the problem: data gives us a perfectly lovely window into “relevance,” defined as “what will have meaning to the audience.”  In theory, by connecting that meaning to product being sold, you jump over the moat, lower the drawbridge, and get invited into the consumer’s warm and fuzzies. Theory, in this case, can only take you so far.  Because when paint-by-numbers pretense meets our tough, competitive, attention-deficit world, reality emerges. In part, because elevating relevance over “interest” not only skips over critical rungs in the AIDA ladder, but also invites exactly the kind of solution Maslow warned us about. The bit about when you all you have is a hammer, the solution to every problem looks like a nail. For a whole lot of political marketers, that nail is connecting a hot button issue with a candidate who either gets it, feels your pain, has a plan, or will get it done on day one.  Then, they pound the living daylights of it. Substituting media throw-weight and repetition for something that will not only build interest and desire but stand out in conditions that are  maddeningly fragmented. Where does that leave us?  Right where we are. Addenda: this morning's Ad Age newsletter talks about "how liberal creators" are breaking through. Seems that big, bright orange, "click-baity headlines with arrows are the difference-makers. Shudder.

Curious about the industry's significant uptick in new business? 📈 Anuschka Clarke, Managing Partner at the7stars, shares her take on the advertising industry's new business surge with Campaign UK. Read more below and let us know what you think! 👇 #the7stars #CampaignMagazine #NewBusiness #MediaAgency

To my residential agent contacts out there. Keep an eye out for Homes.com at Super Bowl 2024! Our parent company CoStar Group is making the largest marketing investment in real estate history in 2024 to give you a portal that actually connects home buyers directly to listing agents. I’ve seen this new product and it is impressive. Message me if you want to learn how to monetize this investment for your business. #YourListingYourLead

When is a fake better than the original? In the spirit of April Fool's (don't panic, it was yesterday - you're safe) we'd like to celebrate a side of advertising that is not real. Yes, there is a whole category of creativity out there called "spec ads". They are made by anybody, bought by nobody, and look exactly like the real thing. For your enjoyment, and nothing else, here is our blog on some great spec ads: Spec Ads: Advertising Without Rules https://lnkd.in/eVFTRh4t https://lnkd.in/eRVNZnfp/

🔥 Witnessing brilliance in action! 💡 Liquid Death's latest campaign is a stroke of genius. They're auctioning off prime advertising space on a national run of Liquid Death cases, and the bidding war has already soared past $222K in just a few days! 😱 It's not just about the numbers; it's about the innovative approach and the buzz it's generating. I'm on the edge of my seat wondering just how high this will go! 📈 And more importantly, I can't wait to see the impact on brand conversions post-campaign. 🚀 Kudos to Liquid Death this astonishing idea. #LiquidDeath #MarketingGenius #marketing #partnerships

I sat down with Greg MacDonald of Chelsea Strategies this week and talked about his view of the key trends for 2024. We focused on the impact of the 2024 election on Programmatic Ad buying, the implications of Privacy changes for Retail Media Networks and how AI is driving a new wave of M&A in the Digital Media industry. https://lnkd.in/gkFdZPDF

Grab a cup of coffee and join us weekly for a chat with Lew, where he shares his insights and experience as we follow his unique journey from copper pot hawker to captain of industry. Unconventional Advertising: Exploring and Discovering Read more in the comments box #lewgeffen #sothebysrealty #property #realestate

Who's ready for some football? 👋 Super Bowl LVIII takes place this weekend, and even if you're not excited about the game, odds are you’ll probably tune in to watch the year’s best commercials. This is where brands pull out all the stops to delight and entertain the massive audience that assembles for the big game each year. Our customer, Parliament #VFX, is well known for producing some of the best in the business, and this year is no exception. Several of their clients are already releasing teasers and trailers to build anticipation ahead of Sunday's broadcast – like this one from State Farm, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger: https://hubs.la/Q02k94d_0. Or these standouts from Mountain Dew: https://hubs.la/Q02k94gR0 and Fanduel: https://hubs.la/Q02k902s0. Want to learn Parliament's secrets for Super Bowl success? Join us on February 13th to learn how they create this mega lineup of star-studded, effects-laden masterpieces – and manage the massive data challenges that go along with it. https://hubs.la/Q02k94G90 #parliamentvfx #superbowl #ads #advertising #creators #creatives #cloud #cloudcomputing #mediaandentertainment #winwithWEKA #RuntheImpossible

From dreams to triumphs, we've got your back! 🐅 Contact Black Tiger Advertising for a FREE consultation and let's craft a winning strategy together. Your success story begins now! 💥 #BusinessSuccess #MarketingStrategy #UKBusiness