Craig Hancock’s Post

ONE OF THE GOLDEN RULES IN ADVERTISING IS… 🖋️ “Do nothing to merely interest, amuse, or attract your potential customers.”🖋️ Imagine a stranger walking up to you and cracking jokes before trying to sell you a shoe. You'd be annoyed, right? Nigerians are serious about their money. We're not interested in your comedy routine. We want to know how your product or service solves our problems. Trying to be funny can backfire. Just go straight to the point. Nobody wants to buy from a clown. #advertisingtips

Am I the only one who doesn't feel bad that people who made super bowl ads are facing critique? Unpolular opinion but come ooon. The coddling! The thoughts and prayers! The lamenting that folks in the top 1% of their chosen field are being brutally attacked by the opinions of the villagers! I feel like I'm at Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing when all the old guard comforted him for being treated so poorly by that mean woman and all the people who have such unfairly high standards for a lifetime appointed Supreme Court Justice. People who made super bowl ads are a part of the creative aristocracy. Many of them are too far from the proletariat to remember that feedback is actually their friend. It's not going to hurt them and it doesn't mean they didn't do a great job. Who knows, maybe listening to some of it without pouting will even help them do a better one next time! If I put anything creative out into the world and there are no critical responses, I take that as a miss. If nobody even cared enough to hate it, what artist in their right mind calls that a win? #selfawareness #youllbeokay #perspective #responsiblemarketing

In this newsletter, Bob Hoffman asserts that marketing are terrible improvisers. He writes: "The reason so much of marketing is uninspired is that marketers are not expected to improvise. They are taught “truths.” They have learned their fundamentals and know all the "right" moves. They are encouraged to apply what they have been taught. They are not encouraged to make shit up." He continues: "Improvisation requires a heightened awareness of what’s going on around you and the ability to feel the seams. Established practices are the enemy of improvisation, but are the currency of most marketing activity." #marketing #improv #improvisation

Distinctive. Hilarious. Totally on brand. Just the right side of edgy for the brand. Which brands could get away with the words "don't even think about boofing it" 😂 Perfect storyline to entertain and amuse while also making it very clear what the product is and does. The boys explaining what it really is while Ozzy just continues to talk about it as a drug. Perfect celebrity - Ozzy is totally in keeping with the brand. Perfect for the storyline. Universally known. Read more about consumer response in this week's AdMiration newsletter (comments). Fantastic work by Liquid Death What do you think? https://lnkd.in/gyGUKGE7 #advertising #consumerinsights #creativeandeffective #marketresearch #AdMiration

A lecture on authenticity, positioning, tone of voice, celebrity engagement, clarity of messaging, not taking ourselves and what we do too seriously, but delivering a seriously good creative. Or just a fun ad. #advertising #brand #marketing #communication #liquiddeath #princeofdarkness

I'm sure I'm not the only one in a post-Super Bowl daze this morning....great game, late night. There are plenty of people talking about the half time show and even more about a certain pop superstar but the moment captured below is what got me! Andy Reid and Travis Kelce both played it off in the press conferences but it got me thinking about controlling your emotions when under pressure in your job. ✔ We all get carried away - whether it is excitement or frustration BUT if you can take a beat and process before you react, the outcome will be so much better. I do well with this when responding to emails but it is an everyday challenge in meetings or demonstrations to work that pause in real-time. ✔ Issues are inevitable and problems will force you to stray from the plan - are you calm in thinking through next steps or do you become frenzied? Taking that breath and mapping out options on paper really helps me to prevent panic from setting in and driving my actions. ✔ Don't respond in kind and escalate.....someone yelling in your face (or your ear) does not require the same reaction from you. Take the high road - be calm and professional. ✔ I once had a customer screaming for 10 minutes because a delivery would be 1 week late. I let her vent and jotted down my notes for response while she did. When she finished, I calmly apologized for the inconvenience and walked her through the options to move forward. My reaction took it down about 10 notches and saved the account. #football #lifelessons #presales #supplychainmanagement

#HealthTriviaTuesday When we think of the plague, many of us think about the "Black Death" during the 14th century that caused more than 50 million deaths in Europe, but the plague is still around today. Name the three types of plague. Place your guesses in the comments below. Answer will be revealed at 4 PM ET.

💸 When marketing and sales miss the mark, it's like watching a comedy show without the punchlines! Let's face it, we've all been there—struggling through ineffective strategies that feel about as useful as a chocolate teapot. From mismatched campaigns to sales pitches that land flatter than a deflated balloon, it's time to turn this ship around! 🚀 Let's spice things up and swap those snooze-worthy tactics for ones that'll make your audience jump out of their seats with excitement. Share your stories of marketing mishaps and sales shenanigans in the comments below, because sometimes, the best lessons come from those cringe-worthy moments! #MarketingFails #SalesGoneWrong #LearningFromMistakes 🌟📈 https://lnkd.in/engdbj4w

I’m not a fan of giant companies. I am a fan of Marnie Zambri, TrustDALE’s Senior Producer. She recently solved two problems two consumers were having with two giant companies, one an airline and the other an appliance manufacturer. Both companies have made what appears to be a conscious decision to purposefully abandon reasonable customer service. I believe this is happening because television news has largely abandoned its role as a watchdog of consumer abuse or neglect. Companies no longer fear being exposed for their accidental or purposeful failure to stand behind their products and or services. In both cases, Marnie bypassed their “no”-customer service departments and directly contacted their marketing departments, to gently let them know TrustDALE was preparing a story on their failures to deliver reasonable customer service. Marnie solved both problems because the companies didn’t want to get a black eye on our TV show TrustDALE Investigates, which airs on Saturdays at 11:30 am on Peachtree TV in Atlanta. Marnie saved both consumers a combined value of $7000. We can’t help everyone, so that’s why it’s so important to make great buying decisions upfront, which is why you should, and thankfully do, use the pros recommended by TrustDALE. #trustdale #customerservice #consumeradvocate #dalecardwell #deepthoughts

I see you brought up politics at the Thanksgiving table, I too like to live dangerously. Political discussion sometimes feels inevitable when families get together for the holidays. But as it turns out, most people want to avoid it. A 2022 Quinnpiac poll found that 65% of people hope they can avoid the annual family political debate at Thanksgiving. If you’re from a family who just needs to debate SOMETHING when they get together, try these instead: -Is a hot dog a sandwich? A pop tart ravioli? Cereal a soup? -Does the Roman Empire really deserve all the clout and attention it’s been getting lately? -Was there enough room for Jack on the door? -What is the proper way to load a dishwasher? -What kind of bear is best? -Is it better to be a superhero or super villain? -Do straws have one or two holes? -Which current or former NFL player has the most entertaining endorsement commercials? -Best Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloon? -Who was the true villain of Mean Girls? Happy debating! (And just for the record the correct answers are: not sandwich, ravioli or soup. No, far more superior empires. Get him on the door now! Silverware should always be loaded handle down. Spectacled bear. Villain. Two holes. Peyton, obv., Snoopy. Janis Ian)