Promo - December 2007 - (Page 21)

Commentary LETTERS to the editor SOCIETY DOES HATE ADS (Crumb on Marketing, November) Robert Crumb is right on target! It’s tough to swallow. The truth of it is, our society despises most of the techniques real advertising does. Much of it is invasive and done in poor taste. Advertising has changed much in the same way that science fiction and horror movies have changed from the 1950s and 1960s. Nowadays those types of films have no story and are truly gross. Advertising was seen in the 1950s and 1960s as almost a desired application to which the public was drawn. Now with all the elements that make up advertising, there is massive distrust. They also feel and see that many words have lost value. Many images are put-offs to the public. There is a grounded resentment on all fronts, from excessive table tents in restaurants to the shallowness of oil firms running TV ads about the environment. And then there is the manufacturing distrust of tennis shoes to toys. There are ways to advertise without having a cheap sandwich board in the front of one’s business. Thank you for publishing Robert’s letter to you! It was an honest thing to do! Chris Anderson Impact Promotional Products Owner CRUMB HYPOCRITICAL? Granted, Wikipedia isn’t the most reliable site on the Internet, but I found Robert Crumb’s page (http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_Crumb) interesting, especially the copy he wrote for the Devil Girl Choco-Bar: A word to wholesalers and retailers of the Devil Girl ChocoBar. It may seem to you the depths of marketing ignorance to state in bold letters on the package ‘IT’S BAD FOR YOU,’ but think about it this is a brilliant strategy in consideration of kids today; a stupid, know-nothing generation of brain-dead morons who want nothing more than to be ‘BAD.’ We’re certain this morally bankrupt horde of ‘slackers’ will eat up this low-grade product as fast as you can place it on your candy counter. The sharp, up-to-date business operator will not fail to perceive the beauty—and reap the profits—in the hook ‘IT’S BAD FOR YOU!’ Not what I would expect from someone so against “the business of preying on the consumer.” What exactly did he think he was doing if not marketing? Stephanie Fiero Marketing Coordinator PIECES OF SAME PUZZLE (Apples and Oranges, September) Somehow it seems appropriate that an industry that offers literally hundreds of thousands of different products uses nearly that many terms to describe their uses. This is an industry that relies on creativity, energy and enthusiasm. Our members continually invent, find and conceptualize new ways to capture the public’s attention and reinforce brand messages. Sometimes they do that by creating new products, sometimes it’s by repackaging tried-andtrue methods and sometimes it’s by utilizing new delivery methods. But regardless of what terms we use, the goal is always the same—know the audience and make sure that every element in the marketing program captures their attention, engages their senses and impresses the brand message on them. Premiums, incentives and promotional products are Continued on page 22 TALK TO US! We’d like to hear what you have to say about us or about news, trends and issues in promotion marketing. To contact the editor: Mail: Promo, 249 W. 17th St., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10011-5300 Fax: 913-514-7179 E-mail: larry.jaffee@penton.com Phone: 212-204-4222 Promo / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / December 2007 21 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_Crumb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_Crumb http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - December 2007

Promo - December 2007 Contents Editor's Note Urban Refuge Digital Directive Soft Soap Voice Lessons Jordan's Monster Deal College Bowl Sprawl Good Deeds Commentary Blue Christmas Q&A: Clutter Cutter Widgets? They're Easy The Agency Center Resource Center Secret Weapon Index of Advertisers

Promo - December 2007

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