Villing
Points of View
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but our ideas are on the house.
The following 117 articles were tagged as "advertising".
My six personal pet peeves about marketing & advertising trends
Thom Villing shares six practices that diminish a marketer’s brand.Read More- Advertising creativity: Light at the end of the tunnel or…
Villing & Company president, Thom Villing, shares recent examples of strong creative in advertising.Read More - Disruption. A marketing executive’s view on the future of newspapers.
Readers and advertisers alike need to be given a reason to believe in the power of the local press.Read More 
Finding Your Voice (Search) With Conversational AI
The popularity of voice enabled devices and voice search has skyrocketed over the last several years. How will your organization take advantage of these new technologies now that so many users are having conversations with their devices?Read More- Moneyball marketing
Data-driven tactics are great but they are no substitute for having a carefully constructed strategic plan.Read More - The end is near: The impending death of TV advertising
Whatever happened to smart advertising?Read More - Co-branding: Choose your partners wisely
When it comes to picking a marketing partner, we would all do well to remember the advice our parents gave us. Choose our friends wisely.Read More 
Go for the Moon: What Tesla’s Futuristic Stunt Can Teach Us about Marketing Strategy
The goal in marketing is always to get the maximum return on the dollars you spend. To do that, it’s okay to get a little creative – in fact, that’s encouraged.Read More- Super Bowl Commercials: This Year the Fans Got It Right (Almost)
Villing & Company president Thom Villing breaks down the best and the worst from the ads that aired during Super Bowl LII.Read More - Is Digital Marketing Really the Way of the Future?
The world's largest advertiser - Procter & Gamble - saw a sales boost after slashing their digital budget. What, if anything, should marketers take away from this?Read More - Marketing Magic: Getting in the Mind of Your Customer
If you are able to wow your customer, you can create a long-lasting relationship.Read More 
Four do’s and a don’t for digital advertising
Here are some basic best practices you should consider when you’re ready to put your toes into the waters of digital advertising.Read More- Advertising creativity: The road less taken.
Neither marketers nor their marketing services providers are as willing to push the envelope as they once were. So playing it safe trumps taking risks.Read More - Quick Guide to LinkedIn Advertising
With so many brands creating content, cutting through the clutter is more difficult than ever before. To enhance your impact, LinkedIn advertising is worth considering.Read More - How to create effective advertising
Developing successful advertising starts with a deep understanding of one’s target audience and what motivates one’s primary customers during the decision making process.Read More - Wake Up and Smell the Mobile Advertising
If you advertise in a way or on a medium that doesn’t fit with your customer’s habits, it will come across as annoying or ineffective.Read More - Branding’s Big Game: Are Super Bowl Ads Bigger than the Game Itself?
Brands are throwing more resources at Super Bowl advertising than ever before. But are they using the right strategy?Read More - Social Media Marketing: There Are Real People Behind Those Screens
You need to have an understanding of the people you are trying to reach.Read More - Four Bold (Or Not So Bold) Predictions About the Future of Advertising
In the spirit of looking ahead to the New Year, here are a few bold, and a few not so bold, predictions about the future of advertising.Read More - Is Facebook Advertising in Your 2017 Marketing Plan?
Even for a budget of $150 or less, you can have a significant impact with Facebook ads.Read More - Why I have a love/hate relationship with advertising
As communications channels have evolved, grown and fragmented, traditional advertising has represented an increasingly smaller percentage of our total service mix. But advertising is still a relevant marketing discipline for many organizations and a part of me still loves it.Read More - The brand name game
The right brand name can simplify delivery of marketing messages immensely. The wrong name can create untold obstacles to potential marketing success.Read More - WWDDD: What would Don Draper do – in today’s mad marketing world?
Questionable decisions about personal morality aside, Mad Men’s Don Draper was one smart guy. But as smart as he was, I find myself wondering how he would survive in today’s Mad World of Marketing. Read More - Why is there so much bad design in outdoor advertising?
I believe outdoor can be very effective, but only when properly designed.Read More 
Top 2016 Tips for Professional Services Firms: Focus on Content & Digital
One of the greatest challenges is often a matter of identifying highly targeted marketing communications tools and avoiding the costly error of disseminating your message to too broad of an audience.Read More- Piling on: Observations about the 2016 Super Bowl commercials
True creativity doesn’t get in the way of effective advertising. It enhances it.Read More - Cultural Awareness in Marketing Revisited
It’s one thing to try to create messages that are sensitive to the cultures that immediately surround you, it’s something entirely different to attempt to create messages that are sensitive to a culture in another hemisphere. So how does one navigate that?Read More - Do You Believe in Music?
Great music can sometimes transcend the transition between commercial and popular music.Read More 
Right Place, Right Time: The Power of Barbie's Latest Ads
Advertising at just the right time is a key element in getting consumers' attention.Read More- Gillette Needs to Sharpen Up Their Advertising
Gillette used to brand themselves as "the best a man can get." Some of their recent advertising tells a different story, though.Read More - Challenge Accepted: How One Facebook Comment Pushed VW to Create a Self-Stopping Stroller
Volkswagen thought they had simply posted their latest TV spot online. Thanks to one Facebook comment, it became much more.Read More - Don't Put Dirt on Advertising's Grave Just Yet
It is not my role to be an apologist for advertising in general or TV advertising specifically. But a couple of recent articles caught my attention and seem to warrant discussion.Read More - Challenging the Idea of Repetitive TV Commercials
I have been amazed by a trend that has evolved in recent years - running identical TV spots twice in the same commercial break. To me this is not only an incredible waste of money; it also represents an annoying disregard for the interests of the viewer.Read More - Cultural Awareness in Marketing
Marketing messages are not universal. When it comes to avoiding problems of perceived cultural insensitivity, it's better to be safe than sorry. Read More 
Email Overkill: Are You Overloading Your Subscribers With Messages?
While it may be tempting to increase overall response figures by sending out emails more frequently, that’s likely a bad long-term strategy.Read More- If Your Marketing Is Brilliant, Does It Even Need to Fit Your Brand?
Sometimes highly viral marketing creative seems to have little to do with the brand or product it’s promoting. Does it even matter?Read More - Will Walmart's Savings Catcher Program Catch Your Attention?
I'm not a frequent Walmart shopper, but a TV spot on their Savings Catcher loyalty program intrigued me enough to investigate further.Read More - Customer Loyalty Is The End Game For You But What’s In It For Your Customers?
Loyalty programs are great tools with clear benefits for both marketers and customers.Read More - Would You Match Your Wall Color To Your Nail Color?
When two brands combine to make a product is it always for the best or sometimes odd?Read More 
Mad Men Unstuck in Time, Part 3 - Ads from the Age of Poodle Skirts, Drive-Ins, and Rock 'n' Roll
How were the ads from the 50's, and what made them unique to today's advertising.Read More- New Mercedes-Benz Ad Reveals Market for Luxury Cars
Mercedes-Benz and Mario team up to sell luxury cars for the greater good... of advertising.Read More - Coca-Cola's Clever Second Lives Campaign
Can the big companies pull on your heartstrings with powerful advertising?Read More - The Four P's of Effective Event Marketing
As traditional advertising media outlets have become more and more fragmented, the rise of social media has enabled marketers to reach a highly engaged audience in a targeted and cost effective new way.Read More 
Cadillac Need Not Apologize for Targeting Its Demographic
Cadillac has received a lot of negative feedback for their "Poolside" ad. Did they make a huge marketing mistake?Read More- Point/Counterpoint: The End of Advertising
Is the death of TV advertising near or just hype of the information age?Read More 
Emotional Marketing - Power Beyond Anything Else
The human emotion is powerful and it drives many of our intentions and our desires. It can also define who we are as a person.Read More- Some Examples of Swift Storytelling from Adobe
We thought we'd share a few excellent examples of video storytelling from Adobe.Read More - Looking Back on the First Mac Attack
An effective marketing campaign will only hasten the demise of a weak product by creating negative trial experiences.Read More - Trust Your Power within Derrick Coleman
On February 2, over 100 million people will tune in to watch the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos face off for the Super Bowl XLVIII title. That’s the cue for the highly anticipated Super Bowl commercials to make their debut.Read More 
QR Codes Are Ineffective ... If You Use Them Incorrectly
QR Codes have graced everything from print ads to public buses. Recently, many have put them on the endangered species list. But contrary to popular belief, QR Codes can be effective if they're used correctly. Read More- What's the First Rule of Droid Club?
What's the first rule of Droid club? Don't talk about it. Just make it entertaining.Read More - Six Degrees of Holiday Shopping
Well targeted humor promotes a socially conscious Holiday shopping alternative.Read More - The Marketing of an Anchorman: How Much is 2 Much?
In traditional advertising, there is definitely what is called a "wear-out" factor when an advertiser repeats a commercial too frequently. But that is not the case with the marketing of Anchorman 2.Read More - Mad Men Unstuck in Time, Part 2 - From Handlebar Mustaches to Fedoras
Let's go back in time to the era when adman Don Draper was still small enough to sit on Santa's lap to demand his Red Ryder 1000 shot carbine rifle.Read More - People View What Interests Them...and Sometimes, It's an Ad.
Many marketers seem to believe that it's more important to get their message out there than to take the time and apply the creativity necessary to make it interesting.Read More - A Sweet Social Media Campaign for a Sweet Halloween
MSN Money estimates that Americans spent close to $7 billion on Halloween related items this year. Each year, we see more brands get into the Halloween spirit with spooktacular campaigns.Read More - Risk in Advertising: When Does it Pay to Take Creative Risks?
Chipotle's recent advertisement featuring a scarecrow in a dystopian world takes several risks. When does it make sense to take creative risks in marketing?Read More - Is It OK to Leave Out Disclaimers in Pursuit of Viral Buzz?
Getting a product demo to go viral is one of the best things that can happen for a new product launch. But is it worth going viral if you have to leave out some important facts?Read More - Are You Driving Your Audience to Dead Ends?
When you drive people to your site in advertisements, make sure to give them the relevant directions. The last thing you want to do is set them up for a frustrating visit.Read More - A Real Power Play: The Art Institute of Chicago Scores with Stanley Cup Connection
One of the best promotions I've seen recently is the Art Institute of Chicago's tie-in to the Stanley Cup Finals. The iconic lions at the museum's entrance are now sporting huge Blackhawks helmets.Read More - Winning Takes Care of Everything
Nike has released a new ad ostensibly congratulating Tiger Woods for regaining his ranking as the number one golfer in the world. Is that the right message?Read More - Ditch Those Digits: Why Dropping the Phone Number in Your Ad Will Instantly Improve It
For a time, it was wise to include your phone number on billboards and TV commercials so people would have a way to contact you. That era came and went.Read More - Cool Guerrilla Marketing Ideas
As it becomes harder to reach people using traditional methods, some companies are using completely unconventional means of promoting their products.Read More - Something Familiar, Something Peculiar: Reflections on Creativity in TV Advertising
We've all heard the expression, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." I suppose there is an element of truth there. Personally, I think that is being too kind.Read More 
Marketing About Nothing
Seinfeld, the show about nothing, offers a valuable lesson for marketers: try to do too much, and you might end up doing nothing at all.Read More- Sometimes, More IS More: Top 10 All-Time Long Taglines
Although we all acknowledge that people have shorter attention spans now than they used to, one debate never seems to go away - the impact of word counts on advertising effectiveness.Read More - The Death of Advertising: A Contrarian's View
Maybe we've been too quick to accept the conventional narrative that claims mass marketing in the form of advertising is dead. Read More - QR Codes: Good, Bad or Just Ugly
If you think QR codes are just a fad, you may want to think again. I found all kinds of statistics about the growth of QR code usage.Read More - Ads: The New Super Bowl Pregame Show
The Super Bowl is on the horizon. If you're a fan of one of the 30 teams not playing in the big game, you're probably as interested in the famous Super Bowl ads as you are in the game.Read More - These Holiday Commercials Betray Spirit of Season
The headline of this article is the same one that appeared in the newspaper recently. Maybe it grabbed your attention as much as it got mine.Read More - Manvertisements: The Unpredictable Evolution of Ads for Bros
In the last few years there have been many examples of man-centric advertising campaigns. While we arm-wrestle, let's talk shop about ads for dudes.Read More - Differentiation by Imitation?
Differentiation is a great way to increase the effectiveness of your advertising campaign. Borrowing the tagline from another campaign? Maybe not.Read More - The Four Biggest Threats to Ad Agencies (And Why I'm Excited for the Future)
If you don't spend a lot of time reading marketing articles, you may not know this, but the advertising industry (and to a lesser degree the marketing industry as a whole) is in crisis. So why are we optimistic?Read More - Have We Got a Deal for You: Couponing, Mobile Marketing & More
Deals and couponing, if not used strategically, can launch a death spiral from which full recovery is next to impossible to achieve.Read More - Camaro Advertising: Clever...And Tempting
I'm impressed with Chevy's dual approach and ability to make their messaging ring true to both ends of the buyer spectrum - young Transformers fans and mature muscle car enthusiasts.Read More - Insurance Wars: Is There a Winner in Sight?
If the 80s was the time of the cola wars, I'm thinking we must now be in the midst of the insurance wars. Recently, we've been inundated with insurance TV ads. Can there be a winner?Read More - Farmers Insurance Nails It with National Marketing Campaign
In an effort to counterbalance my recent negativity concerning Miracle Whip's "youthful" TV campaign, I thought it might be nice to go a more positive route and highlight a top-notch national marketing campaign.Read More - The Marketer Who Cried "Green"! Does Light Pale Mint Green Really Count As Saving The World?
A large number of marketers have been slapping "green" on packages when the true "greenness" of the products is questionable.Read More - Kraft Wipes Out with Miracle Whip, the "Controversial" Condiment
Lately, it seems that Kraft has become hell-bent on making their Miracle Whip sandwich spread seem edgy and controversial. I'm not sure that it's working.Read More - Super Bowl XLV Commercials: Is it me or is it smart in here?
I believe that empty creativity, not strategy, has driven most Super Bowl advertising in recent years. As a result, we've had to suffer through an inordinate amount of dumb and dumber attempts at humor.Read More - No Trump: Why Sports Celebrity Endorsers Seldom Make Sense
As a marketer, I often shake my head at the use of sports celebrity advertising endorsements for seemingly irrelevant products. What are they thinking?Read More - Super Predictions for 2011 Super Bowl Ads
We couldn't predict who would be playing in the big game, but we have a pretty good idea how advertisers will use their time during it.Read More - Don't Mention Oprah: Some Surprising Things Spam Filters Look For...And How You Can Avoid Them
Email is an important part of nearly every marketing plan. However, because of the prevalence of spam, email filters sometimes enforce some pretty rigid, and often humorous, rules.Read More - Marketing Like a Newborn: If You Keep Up That Annoying Screaming, You're Going to Be Ignored.
On November 2, I became a father. After several sleepless nights, I realized that the incoherent, bloodcurdling screams of my newborn remind me of one thing: bad marketing.Read More - The Autumn of My Discontent: The "Fall"-Out of Political Advertising
As I was driving into work, I heard another political attack ad. Will the overkill and lack of accountability hasten the fall of traditional advertising media? There are many reasons for concern.Read More - Identifying with Celebrity Endorser Key to Effective Campaign
Celebrity endorsements continue to be a popular means of reaching the masses, but what makes Drew Brees so effective in this role for PEFCU?Read More - Pure Michigan: To Everything There is a Season – Including the Use of Broadcast Advertising
The Pure Michigan campaign is a compelling reminder of what broadcast advertising can do when the medium matches the message.Read More 
Haste Makes Waste or Paralysis Through Analysis: Finding the Middle Ground
If your marketing moves too quickly, your work could hurt your brand image. However, there are also consequences for not moving fast enough.Read More- Don't Forget Those Boomers, Baby.
Boomers spend 40% of consumer packaged goods dollars, but only 5% of ad dollars are directed at them. What's wrong with this picture?Read More - Will Consumers Respond to User-Generated Advertising?
We've seen the stratospheric rise of user-generated content. Is user-generated advertising the next logical step? Or will users rebel against sponsored tweets, videos and blog posts from their friends?Read More - Early Adopters: Could they play a larger role in the success of your new products?
They may only make up 13.5 percent of the market share, but they will likely influence around half of your new product’s sales. So, are you paying attention to them?Read More - Unskippable DVD Previews and How You Too Can Ruin Effective Advertising
Over the past couple years, I've noticed many of my DVDs contain unskippable previews and studio animations. This is a classic example of how heavy-handed, force-fed advertising can turn off otherwise engaged consumers.Read More - Making an Emotional Connection: Two Brands Doing Just That
Are you making an emotional connection with your audience through your advertising? In my opinion, here are two brands doing just that.Read More - Advertising vs. Subscription Fees: Striking the Delicate Balance
It's interesting to watch online news and entertainment sources trying to make it on advertising revenue alone before replacing, or supplementing, that model with subscription fees - sometimes at the risk of taking money out of their own pockets.Read More - Utility is the New Persuasion: Why Apps Make More Sense Than Ads
Consumers are now the loudest voice in the media. Today's savvy marketers need to optimize how customers experience their brands by putting more effort toward helping rather than selling to customers.Read More - Just Do It (Even If It Doesn't Feel Right): Nike & Domino's
I saw the new Tiger Woods Nike spot last night. From a marketing standpoint, it could be a stroke of genius. From a personal standpoint, it just doesn't feel right.Read More - Tackling the Question of the Best 2010 Super Bowl Ads
On Super Bowl Sunday, it's tough being in marketing and a sports nut at the same time. If I leave the room during commercial breaks, I might miss one of the year's iconic TV spots.Read More - It's a Wrap: Generational Marketing
Now that I've covered each generation individually, it's time to wrap things up. View a chart that compares Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomers.Read More - Free Speech or Free-For-All: Supreme Court Decision on Political Advertising Will Pose Challenges to
What are the marketing ramifications of the Supreme Court decision that lifted the political advertising restrictions on corporations, trade unions and similar organizations?Read More - Sausage Strategies: Marketing Gambles by Dominos and Oscar Meyer
Both Domino's and Oscar Meyer have recently gained attention for some moves they've made in the advertising world. Will it be worth the risk?Read More - Long Live Outdoor: Why This Traditional Medium Will Be Around for the Long Haul
It's nice to see one of the old standbys, outdoor advertising (or out-of-home marketing as the genre is sometimes called), still as relevant today as it was twenty years ago - perhaps even more so.Read More - Baby Boomers: Experiences Matter
The Baby Boomers are the largest and wealthiest demographic segment in America. Because of this, it is critical that marketers understand how to effectively communicate with them.Read More - Reader Reply: Are Traditional Marketing Methods Relevant?
In response to this week's Point/Counterpoint article, our first guest author provides a little more information and an alternate perspective about the controversial future of traditional marketing methods.Read More 
Point/Counterpoint: Are Traditional Marketing Methods Still Relevant?
Most people agree that marketing and the media used to disseminate marketing messages are changing. In this special "point/counterpoint" post, we debate the extent and nature of this change.Read More- Gen X: Adaptable, Flexible & Reachable
As a follow up to my article on Generation Y, this article describes Generation X and even provides a comparison between these two somewhat similar generations.Read More - Why Gen Y? Attracting Them, Speaking Their Language, Telling It Like It Is
Most Gen Y-ers have never known a world without video games and computers. Therefore, they have different expectations than any other generation before them. Knowing a little about them can help you become a successful marketer to them.Read More - Who Says 18-34 is the Most Coveted Marketing Demographic?
When I first got into the business, everyone said 18-34 was the most sought after demographic for advertisers. Does that still hold true today?Read More - O-ver-ra-ted (clap, clap,...clap, clap, clap)
The relative success of McDonald's versus Burger King reignites the debate over the value of creativity.Read More - Sometimes the Medium is the Message
Recently I've noticed full-page ads in local newspapers attempting to reinforce the medium's continuing relevance. I have to wonder if they are simply preaching to the choir.Read More - When the Fish Get Finicky...
TV still works. It just works better with better creative.Read More - If I Had a Million Dollars: Is Super Bowl Advertising a Good Investment?
So, who won the Super Bowl? Not the game. The game within the game. The advertising. It depends on whom you ask.Read More - Attack with Caution
Marketers are taking a page from the political advertising playbook. It’s an interesting strategy, but not without risks.Read More - Truth in Advertising
Truth in advertising laws are extremely strict and hold marketers to a high degree of accountability. So why can political advertising say just about anything?Read More - Negativity works – or does it?
Conventional wisdom holds that negative political advertising works. At least, that's what we hear from the media and the self-appointed parsons of political strategy.Read More - What's All the Shouting About?
One of the first things fishermen tell their kids is the importance of not scaring away the fish by talking too loud or making too much noise. A lot of local advertisers would do well to heed that advice.Read More - Doing Well By Doing Good
Although cause marketing is a concept that's been around for many years, it seemed to pick up steam as a marketing buzz word in the early 1980s.Read More - Nobody Reads Advertising.
Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear someone say something like, "That's too many words. Nobody will read it." Words are like calories. All too often, they are empty and just make us feel full.Read More
