Sex Sells - The Value of Testosterone Driven Marketing that has flooded our Media

By

Adam Bierman

BRANDX GROUP

Foreman

I was in a very interesting meeting last month. Myself, our Creative Director and COO were in the boardroom of a $100M a year company that has about as strong of a brand identity as a business can have. Their business is helping restore hair growth in men. We were invited by their marketing team to discuss a rebranding. We were excited, as we always are, when the potential to work with such a successful brand arises but this meeting went very weird very fast. The first question I posed was, “Why are you choosing now to initiate a rebranding?” Their response was that they had not rebranded the company for 10 years and they needed to make it sexier. My follow up was, “What is the goal of hiring a company like ours?” The response was that they really loved our creative work.

What’s wrong with this scenario?

Let’s start with what marketing is: Marketing is delivering a message to a target audience, which compels them to act in the manner the marketer desires. When it comes to the male population, the adage sex sells, is frequently spot on. Men are visually stimulated and it goes back to psychology having to do with child bearing that was probably slightly more important when we all lived in caves but nevertheless it still controls our brains today. In this boardroom… the problem was that marketing for the sake of marketing, selling sex for the sake of selling sex is a meaningless waste of marketing dollars. So why has Testosterone Driven Marketing flooded our media and literally changed the way our society operates? Because it works! It appeals to the side of our society where vice exists and whenever marketing campaigns can tap into the forbidden and socially incorrect; that creates response. Finally, when something works everyone wants a piece of the action.

One of the best examples of a successful Testosterone Driven Marketing campaign over the last few years is Axe Body Spray. The commercials of the geeky guys being attacked by sultry women have been a sensation. You need look no further than their website where shampoo is sold with descriptions like “Be the bait, with hair this soft you’re sure to hook her heart.” Yet for every example of a successful campaign there are a multitude of failures. Companies that decided to sell sex for the sake of selling sex and lose. For every Axe there are many more like Carl’s Jr. For the millions of people that protested the Paris Hilton campaign (featuring her in a bikini washing a car in what under other circumstances could have been classified as soft porn) and the negative press that created I never once saw sales numbers posted showing a spike due to the racy campaign. In fact, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to believe the follow up campaign featuring Kim Kardashian was simply an attempt to show resiliency when they had clearly already lost. C’mon Carl’s Jr. Kim Kardashian eating a salad?

The problem is that Testosterone Driven marketing works in some circumstances and when it does work it is extremely memorable. Probably goes back to the whole caveman thing. This being the case, when brands are looking to grow their marketing initiatives and are conjuring ideas, oftentimes things can revert to the success of a sexy campaign and they become inspired. Unfortunately this has flooded our media with Testosterone Driven marketing that creates an excess of trash.

Back to the aforementioned weird meeting: Well, now that we have been through this it is really not that weird at all. The marketing directors wanted to change up their efforts and they immediately thought: sex. Sex is on their brain and has worked countless times before. What should have happened is this thought: Marketing is delivering a message to a target audience, which compels them to act in the manner the marketer desires. They could have posed the question and done the research on whether a Testosterone Driven campaign was the way to go. If that were the message that was going to compel their audience to buy more of their product then that would have been a great decision. If not, then the campaign would just be added to all the other trash that floats around interrupting our short time on this earth.

Adam Bierman, President of The BRANDX GROUP is a marketing and branding expert in Los Angeles, California.

Ten Tips for Giving an Interview

By

Marcus Bass

BRANDX GROUP

MVP

A reporter is on the phone, in your lobby, making his or her way through traffic to meet you, or just popped up on your instant messenger to interview you. Don't soil your pants with nervousness or go hiding under your desk if you haven't been properly prepared. Simply follow these tips to blow that reporter out of the water and get the front page!

1 - First and foremost, if there is even the slightest of doubt in your ability to properly respond to the questions asked, call a professional. In today’s age, information passes too fast and the word “retraction” is being heard less. Consider the idea that once you say it, you can never take it back.

2 - Never say “No comment” – rather use the opportunity to make a positive point, even if you have to change the subject.

3 - When scheduling multiple interviews on the same topic, schedule the least important publication first in order to get your bearings.

4 - Nothing is “off the record”. Understand that the reporters have a job to do, and are always under deadline. Any bit of information that can move them closer to clearing a deadline helps, so prepare your statements beforehand and use your words wisely.

5 - An interview is NOT a conversation – the only one “sharing” is you, so always control the message. Don’t allow yourself to be misdirected to comment on issues you had no intent on addressing.

6 - Speak in sound bites – short, complete thoughts to make yourself quote-worthy.

7 - STOP TALKING! Make your point and then wait for the reporter to lead you into the next question. Remember… Silence is golden!

8 - Honesty is the policy! If you can’t tell the truth for matters of confidentiality, then say so. Be as honest and open with reporters as possible. A reporter can sniff a lie out easy and will undergo countless hours of research to prove you lied, so do yourself a favor and tell the truth!

9 - Never rephrase a negative question. When you do it only underscores the issue. Start the answer with a positive statement an move on to the issue (or to another issue).

10 - HAVE FUN! Being interviewed should be a fun process. Remember YOU ARE THE EXPERT, so feel that way. Your tone and posture should exude confidence, give that million-dollar smile and turn a potentially stale situation into pure enjoyment.

The View From N.I.G.A

By

Adam Bierman

BRANDX GROUP Foreman

I recently took time out to participate in the National Indian Gaming Association’s tradeshow in San Diego, and found myself impressed and awestruck. I am always fascinated with the opportunity being captured by the Native American tribes involved with gaming, and I am simultaneously awestruck by the prospects that are still being left on the table.

I spoke on a panel titled “Procurement in the Indian Gaming Industry” where well intentioned, engaged parties attended to learn more about the issues facing Indian Casino properties regarding their selection process of vendors. How do you choose the best vendor for the property and how can you foster internal economic growth by preferring Indian owned vendors?

What could have been a mundane topic turned into a dynamic discussion that all led back to the difficulty facing Indian Gaming establishments working out systems to build stronger economies for their communities.

Vending and procurement seems so boring and non-important but the opposite is true. An Indian Casino is in many instances the opportunity to create not only jobs for the community but to ignite business growth. An Indian casino should create new construction businesses, food and beverage businesses, consulting businesses, security businesses and the list goes on. These businesses within the community will create even more jobs and help diversify commerce on the tribal land.

Now for the twist in my outlook: it all circles back to marketing. The economic maturity that is necessary to build these businesses to service the casino and grow the local economy starts with entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs act on opportunity. When the community begins to effectively market the opportunities available, entrepreneurs will step up and take advantage. In the room for my panel were a slew of non-Indian owned businesses that service Indian Country. They were in attendance due to their awareness of the tremendous opportunity it presented to develop new business. Where were the vendors from Indian Country? This event was the absolute greatest opportunity for them to make contacts, network and promote their business and I ran across only one Indian owned vendor!

These potential entrepreneurs come from the same stock as the people that hosted this extravaganza. Tribal leaders running the casinos are all savvy, intelligent, ambitious individuals or they would not be experiencing the success they are. So where is the marketing? How are we getting the future leaders excited about business opportunity? Where is the promotion making businesses or potential businesses aware of the needs the casino presents and how those needs can be serviced? As these voids are filled we are going to see maturation in the economies on tribal lands, leading to more sustainable and diversified economic futures.

Adam Bierman, President of The BRANDX GROUP is a marketing and branding expert in Los Angeles, California.

20 Media Terms You Should Know

By Marcus Bass

BRANDX GROUP "MVP"

1. Angle: The approach a reporter takes in writing a story

2. Backgrounder: Vital facts and history of business or issue - usually used for a feature story

3. Byline: Name of the reporter placed at the top or bottom of the article

4. Designated Market Area (DMA): Coverage area reached by broadcast stations

5. Feature: An article that's not necessarily hard news, written from an objective standpoint

6. Ghostwriting: Writing generated without published credit to its author and often credited to another

7. Media Alert: Also referred to as a news advisory or tip sheet; a brief summary of the basic facts surrounding an event

8. Official Statement: A written comment prepared for the purpose of responding consistently to any question from the media regarding a particular controversial issue

9. Media Kit: Organized package of information that includes background information on a general topic or special event

10. Pitch Letter: Letter to journalists or editors introducing story ideas

11. Sidebar: Feature appearing in conjunction with news article, giving human interest or historical aspects of a story

12. Tease: Enticing lead to a story that tells just enough about the story to urge the reader or listener to continue

13. Trade Publication: Publication that focuses on a specific profession or industry

14. Wire Copy: Stories supplied to newspapers by news services

15. Wire Services: Companies that supply news to various media on a subscription basis

16. Consumer publication: Printed matter intended for the general reader

17. Embargo: Any restriction on when specific information may be used, stating the desired date and time of release

18. Lead story: Most important article on page one

19. Narrowcasting: Broadcasting journalism that targets audiences with specific interests

20. News (Press) release: The most common written form of public relations, used to announce a client's news and information

Marcus Bass, Director of Public Relations for BRANDX GROUP is a public relations expert in Los Angeles, California

Marketing the New Healthcare Bill

By Adam Bierman

BRANDX GROUP Foreman

As the new 2010 Health Care Bill has been introduced and passed, medical professionals in addition to the general public have all said in unison – “ok, now what?” Many unanswered questions remain. People are still trying to understand the most important thing of all – how the healthcare bill affects them and their families. Patients make the decision as to their care provider based on their perception of that provider’s brand. Any industry where the service provider has a unique skill set that is not commonly understood by the public will always be driven by perception. At no time in recent history has a medical professional’s brand been as important as today. With 32 Million Americans who did not previously have health insurance now gaining access, the medical profession is sure to see an uptick in demand.

Today, the web is the most powerful branding tool available. The web provides more access to branding opportunities than ever before with extremely low barriers of entry. The share of adult internet users who have a profile on an online social network site has more than quadrupled in the past four years – from 8% in 2005 to 40% today. Facebook for example currently has in excess of 350 million active users on a global basis with 50% of active users logging into the site every day. This presents a unique opportunity for direct communication or “digital direct marketing”.

Social networks don’t cater to younger patient populations either. A recent Forrester Healthcare online survey pointed out that even for “older: disease categories with average ages of 50-60 years, roughly 20% of all patients turn to social computing for health information.”

Your usage of these tools should be in line with your brand. If you are the doctor who is perceived as cutting edge, innovative and accessible than you will be well off to utilize a lot of social media. If you are renowned as the conservative expert in your field, using online press releases to distribute information about your latest accolades will bolster your brand.

In addition to social media, now is a unique time for medical professionals to utilize the services of a public relations arm to well position themselves as leaders. From small practices looking to make a deeper connection into their local communities to large national healthcare corporations seeking media exposure, there has never been a better opportunity for big brands to expand, and smaller brands to compete and dethrone their larger counterparts. Close to 95% of all Americans get their information from a seemingly unbiased third party source (television, radio, magazine, newspaper, blog, etc), which can lend credibility to a brand looking for higher visibility and long-term presence within the healthcare industry.

There are tremendous opportunities to effectively brand your self in a cost effective manner, harnessing the power of the internet. Your brand and in turn, business, will grow with properly executed initiatives. Medicine is a profession where patients make decisions based upon reputation, and you stand to gain immensely being pro-active in creating the perception your target audience has of you.

Adam Bierman, President of The BRANDX GROUP is a marketing and branding expert in Los Angeles, California.