Ignore the Research and Trust Your Gut

Here's a speech I liked hearing about - reported in Advertising Age by Lisa Sanders and from the mouth of Euro RSCG Worldwide's David Jones:

Ignore the Research and Trust Your Gut

Taking a "swipe at the research and pre-testing industry," Mr. Jones next exhorted listeners to stop asking permission. Drawing on a "truth" from British comedian Vic Reeves that "96.2% of all statistics are made up," Mr. Jones -- also a Brit -- argued that some of the most well-liked ads aren't based on research or focus-group results. Instead they rely on a creative director's gut instinct of what consumers will like. He cited Procter and Gamble's effort for Charmin toilet tissue created by Euro rival Publicis Worldwide that riffs off of the many euphemisms for elimination. "Publicis took a risk, and did it without a bit of research," he said.

And by way of reinforcing the previous point, his last bit of advice was for creatives to "trust your gut." Advertising is changing fast, and to not take a risk is risky -- even though it's scary to take a risk.

No argument from me. I love it.

But there is one big problem. When targeting Baby Boomers you have to have the right guts around to trust. That'd be 50+ creative guts.

It wouldn't be too bright to trust my gut to come up with a campaign for a product aimed at twentysomethings. My gut would tell me, "… Ummm ... ummm ... Wait! I got it! We get some twentysomething girl an' spike her hair an' give'er tattoos and a nose ring an' put an iPod on her head an' bed some hip-hop music an' have her hold up the toothpaste! Yeah! They'll buy it! They'll buy it!"

Sixties music. Peace signs. They'll buy it. Portraying Boomers as teenagers with gray hair. They'll buy it.

Actually, I'm talking about diversity and playing the odds.

Also in the piece are incisive comments by Mr. Jones about the problems of relying on WOM and the premature death knell for the 30-second spot.

And check out other videos from the conference. I especially liked the ones with David Verklin and Alex Bogusky. Much of what they say parallels a few chapters in my book:

Verklin: More video/commercial content needed, and targeted.
Bogusky: Working with a client.

Another Same Old, Same Old

Here's another 'same old, same old' article in the December 2006 edition of CRM magazine.

Nine out of ten points made and 'new insights' revealed are in my book Advertising to Baby Boomers (June 2005, Paramount Books) and/or can be found on this blog. Many of these same points are also discussed in Brent Green's Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers — and if you've kept up with Matt Thornhill's Boomer Project.

Again, nothing much new here - but for a quick, skeletal 'Cliff Notes' version, give it a read.

A 2nd Edition of my book (probably in paperback) with four or five new chapters and much updating will be available in early 2007.

The steady glow of the Boom tube

Eric Deggans has a top-notch piece in The St. Petersburg Times:

"… A mountain of assumptions: Older consumers don't change brands easily. Older consumers are too savvy to be swayed by peer pressure or fads. Older people aren't interested in consumer items such as fast food, fashionable clothing, electronics or entertainment. Older consumers will watch advertising messages targeted to young people, but young people won't reciprocate."

"Such presumptions led major advertisers to target young people decades ago, building a media establishment that valued, over all others, consumers ages 18 to 49. And nowhere was this disparity worse than in the TV industry, where older adults spend more time watching television, but still are valued less."

All echoing themes in my book, my presentations, this blog. Here's one more:

"Researchers always asked 'When will the boomers become old and start acting like their parents'" said Sarah Zapolski, of the Knowledge Management research division at AARP. "But we were asking the wrong question. In many ways, boomers are behaving the way they've always behaved: They've always been less conservative about shopping and entertainment and fashion."

But it was the lede that really hit home:

It's something Linda Ellerbee can feel, like a cold breeze on the back of her neck, every time she meets with somebody from Madison Avenue.

No kidding. Wait until you start preaching to Madison Avenue about this stuff. It's less like a cold breeze and more like being dumped headfirst into a cryogenic freezer...

Visit Linda Ellerbee's Lucky Duck Productions.

MIT AgeLab

While on a private day-long consult for a major pharma company and their marketing agency, I met Dr. Joseph Coughlin, founding Director of the MIT AgeLab:

Our work is "use-inspired basic research." It seeks to be profoundly practical in everyday living -- transportation, health, communications, business, work & retirement, planning & decision making, play & recreation, and caregiving, while seeking to advance basic understanding of how aging impacts and is impacted by social, economic and technological systems.

Our research is motivated by a shared belief that the appropriate use of technology, along with innovations in delivery, can have a significant impact on the quality of life for older adults, their families and caregivers.

Our activities involve an array of disciplines including engineering, computer science, human factors, health and medical science, design, management, marketing, and the social and behavioral sciences.

As you can imagine, I've 'seen'em all' when it comes to presenters and pundits specializing in age-related issues. Dr. Coughlin's presentation was nothing I'd ever heard or seen before. Mind-boggling technological advances are already here or down the road apiece. Every company focusing on the 50+ market should grab him for a private consultation, every Baby Boomer marketing conference should book him.

The day was productive and fun. The three 'experts' were Dr. Coughlin, John Page from Yankelovich, and you-know-who. The numbers-cruncher wore a very conservative, gray suit, the academic a dark pinstripe and loud bow tie, and the ad guy a mock turtleneck and over-the-top orangey sport coat.

We were straight from central casting.

The History Channel's "Our Generation"

Whew. I'm back from a grueling but productive and fun road trip.

I'll blog about it chronologically, with three entries. You're reading the first one:

A stop in Atlantic City for a talking head gig on The History Channel's 13-part series Our Generation with Steve Gillon. It was taped at an antique show, the crew was bouncing around, wending its way in and around booths hawking toys from the 1940s, 50s, 60s. It's a big business, these Baby Boomer toys.

I brought in my pal John Migliaccio - and Steve, John, and Yours Truly huddled alongside a hectic aisle, chatting about the advertising and marketing back then. And the TV shows. And the toys. My diarrhea of the mouth included bloviations on Howdy Doody, Wyatt Earp, Mr. Potato Head, our disposable childhoods, and who knows what else — and who knows what'll be left in and what'll be left on the virtual cutting-room floor.

John talked about his Slinky.

I didn't know it at the time, but AARP is the sponsor of the show. Steve Gillon will be at the AARP convention this week. Something from the AARP convention web site:

The History Channel presents "Our Generation"
Steve Gillon and Hugh Delahanty

AARP is proud to be the exclusive sponsor of Our Generation, The History Channel's new series that takes you on a journey to visit the places, people and events that have shaped the largest and most vocal generation in American history: the baby boomers. The History Channel's resident historian, Steve Gillon, tells the stories of the unforgettable events that defined this generation and changed the world. This generation rocked at Woodstock, rocked an administration during Watergate, watched America put a man on the moon, and helped create our digital world. From politics to pop culture, this is the story of the iconic moments that defined America's most iconic generation and is told by the people who witnessed these events and made them history. Join Steve and Hugh Delahanty, editor-in-chief of AARP Publications as they discuss Our Generation, preview clips from upcoming episodes, and answer audience questions.

The show premieres this Friday. Keep a lookout for it. When the episode I'm in is on, the world shall be warned right here.

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Update 12/16/06 - The episode is scheduled for this week:

Our Generation: Toys of a Generation Airs on Friday December 22 12:00 PM, 6:00 PM