Mad Men: A far cry from current day US TV commercials ?

24 03 2012

With the much anticipated return of Mad Men to US screens tomorrow night, it got me thinking – where ARE those witty, clever and creative commercials that Madison Avenue’s Don Draper and the folk at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce come up with so effortlessly on the show?

Having watched US television for almost a year now, I can count the number of truly clever and witty US commercials on one hand – and that’s being generous. Despite the big budgets and the hype (just think $3.5 million for a 30 second ad spot during the Superbowl) – most adverts here leave me feeling rather flat. Now, I don’t know about how many products these adverts sell (and it may be a lot more than British adverts) but from a creative standpoint, I have no qualms in stating that in general, US adverts don’t hold a candle to their British counterparts. And the key difference may come down to the points below:

Humour: Brits just do subtle humour so much better … UK advertisers will often use humour as a way of getting attention for the product, and the product itself is not the focal point of the TV advert. The humour takes many forms (satire, puns and witticisms) and the audience really needs to listen and pay close attention to the adverts in order to “get it”. And they do.

Hard-sell: Almost totally contrary to the above mentioned ‘softly softly’ advertising approach, a majority of US adverts tend to go in for the hard-sell technique (or as I like to call it, the ‘in your face’ technique). It’s all about the product information (sometimes in the form of a silly jingle) pressurizing the customer to buy, buy, buy. Quite often, the advert will take the form of a simple product demonstration comparing it to its “leading competitor” and showing how the advertised product is superior. These kinds of adverts are few and far between in the UK – and advertising regulations prevent the direct mention of a competitor brand name in an advert.

So why is it that despite a sophisticated audience (I have many American friends who appreciate humour, totally ‘get’ satire, and are some of the wittiest people I know) US advertisers tend to dumb down TV commercials? I don’t believe it is a lack of talented Ad Men. In fact, the very law of averages would suggest that there are many more Don Drapers in the US Ad world than in the UK.

Perhaps – it is the fact that smaller budgets (like in the UK) actually force more creativity? After all, if you can’t afford to spend millions on an advert – your creative idea had better be bloody good, and funny to boot.

Friends on both sides of the pond (and beyond) – what do you think ?


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Categories : Advertising, PR, US working culture

The Art of Plain Speaking

3 02 2012

Since when did the English language evolve into a world of vacuous, jargon filled, unsubstantiated spin? Ever since I started working in PR it would seem. For an industry which is rooted in communications, we PR people sure go a long way to avoid any form of plain speaking.

I personally believe that using simple, succinct language to communicate, either with journalists or clients, is not bland in any way. Rather, it is effective and gets your point over in a precise manner. I believe that as an industry, we are very guilty of using meaningless ‘buzz words’ and phrases in our day-to-day conversations with colleagues, clients and the media – a trend I’ve noticed on both sides of the Atlantic.

My pet peeves:

  • “Can you craft this into a press release?” – Ummmm… do you by any chance mean ‘draft’? Or simply ‘write’? The last time I crafted anything was at my art & crafts class in junior school (and it wasn’t very good).
  • “I’ll circle back with you on this” Just walking up to me (in a straight line) and telling me what you think will be sufficient thank you. I don’t need you to do that in a circular, square, or rectangular motion.
  • “Could you just put out some feelers to see if there’s any interest in this story.” I am not an octopus. I don’t have feelers. I can test a story idea with a journalist by giving them a call and running it by them, if that is what you mean.
  • “Do you have the bandwidth for another project right now?” When someone asks you this, they mean do you have any capacity/time to work on yet another project. Bandwidth? Seriously? We’re not on Star Trek, and I am not actually a computer … (even if I am guilty of operating at the efficiency levels of a machine)
  • “Why don’t we cross-pollinate on this one?” – In PR world, this means a mixture of ideas, a mixture of teams or strategies. By the way, most of these “cross-pollinated” ideas will no doubt be the result of a team ‘brainstorm’ (or better still – an ‘ideas shower’).

So – I would like to urge that we stop speaking in PR nonsense and go back to speaking in plain English (or even American, if you prefer). If not, you’re running the risk of being labeled a ‘Jargonmeister’. Yes – a Jargonmeister = “A master of ridiculous jargon. Someone who has a ‘deep’ and ‘robust’ vocabulary, but nothing they say actually means anything.”


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Categories : PR

What to expect on a PR business trip…

24 01 2012

 

Last week, I had the good fortune of travelling to Denver, Colorado to staff a three day long client event – my third business trip on this side of the pond.

As far as trips go, this was similar to any other, and while no two trips are the same – there have been some general themes I’ve come to expect from such trips and thought I would share my thoughts for other budding business travelers :

  1. Go without any expectations of your trip being an opportunity to ‘see the city’. If you get free time, that is a bonus – but if you go expecting it, you’ll most likely be disappointed. On this particular trip, I saw the inside of a conference hall, and the (rather strange) Denver airport . Luckily, I also got a chance to catch up with a couple of old friends during my last night in town.
  2. Be very mindful of your discussions with colleagues or on the phone in public spaces such as airports. More often than not, client representatives (or even competitor companies) will be attending the same event as you and there may be representatives from those organizations on your train carriage, sat next to you at the airport bar or in the seat behind you on the plane – so be professional at all times. You may very well bump into them at the event the next morning!
  3. Be healthy. Business trips are not conducive to healthy eating. More often than not, you’ll find yourself eating at airports and hotel room service or worse still, at a full (and free) buffet at whatever event you may be working at.  If you weren’t aware – Americans love buffets.
  4. If you’re a frequent traveler, I would recommend starting to take your gym kit with you on your trips. Most hotels have fitness centers that you can use free of charge. Or you can download a free app to show you running routes in the city you’re in. That way you get to see a bit of the city too.
  5. Be adaptable.  When working an event, things will happen which are beyond your control (despite that contingency plan you spent hours pulling together).  Be ready to adapt and think on your feet if this happens. It almost certainly will.
  6. Use the time at events to get some one-on-one time with your client, and build the relationship.  Going out for dinner and a drink with a client post event = totally okay.  Always offer to pick up the tab.
  7. However, 10 margaritas and salsa dancing till 4 in the morning with a client = not okay. No matter how cool they are and how much they insist.  Diplomatically turn down offers to go clubbing, or bar hopping with a client after your event. You are representing your agency and professionalism is a must at all times.
  8. Try to take home at least one learning from each event/trip.  This time, my learning was to wear flat, comfortable shoes – at the expense of style!  Go figure.

 



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Categories : Other, PR, US working culture

The Reputation of Reputation Management

20 12 2011

Last week, I was in NYC for the office holiday party – but before the many margaritas and celebrations began, the team spent a chilly New York afternoon delivering meals on wheels to the elderly folk of Manhattan. Not only was it a rewarding experience and one that I enjoyed, it made me think about what socially responsible PR agencies can and should be doing – and doing so on a more regular basis.

It made me ponder: Are we so busy protecting and building our clients’ reputations – that we sometimes forget our own? How often have we advised a client about their corporate responsibility strategy (or lack thereof) and banged on about its importance? How many PR firms have a formal corporate responsibility program?

Ironically, for an industry whose very essence is based on reputation management – PR doesn’t exactly have the best image. In my 6 years of working in the industry – I have so many times been referred to as a party planner, promo girl, PR girl, spin doctor, word-smith – or even “oh so you work for the dark side”. Clearly, the reputation needs some work – as does the need for developing a clearer ‘definition’ of Public Relations.

In some ways, the negativity surrounding PR is inevitable as we often work on controversial issues and the very nature of our job means we represent clients who have a particular position to promote or defend. However, I believe there ARE things we can do to fight the stereotype – and build a positive reputation – and maybe it all starts with a little bit of “giving back to the community”.

C’mon, if us PR professionals can implement communications strategies that influence presidential elections, surely we can work together to re-brand our own profession.

Maybe it’s time to start practicing a little of what we preach…


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Categories : HR, PR

Red eye and a cuppa chai …

8 11 2011

If you’re looking for career advice (akin to my last post) or serious PR commentary, skip this post. If you want to hear about how Mini is getting on at her new job stateside, read on…

So, I’ve completed one week at my new job at a Los Angeles PR agency, and I feel it’s time to reflect on some cultural nuances and dedicate a couple of paragraphs to my new-found American friends.

The office vibe is part serious PR operation/part youth club – filled with lots of good energy, creativity, hard work, and a LOT of laughter. A great combination, conducive to both work and play.

A small team, the girls in my ‘pod’ waited approximately 3 hours on my first day before taking the piss out of my accent (which to American ears is apparently very English). I knew then, straightaway, that I was in good hands. Later in the week, this was followed by a quick admission that they have been finding it HILARIOUS that I drink a cup of Earl Grey tea at about 4 pm every afternoon. In fact, a (semi serious) suggestion was made that I should consider sporting a ‘bonnet’ (as that is obviously what all English ladies wear) at my desk, as I sip my tea every afternoon.

Urmm... Lady in bonnet drinking tea

Thus, I have found people as incredibly immature (and cool) as myself – we will get on like a house on fire. The banter is good, and it would appear that humour & warmth does ofcourse transcend cultures.

The one thing about office life that slightly concerned me last week is that I was initially under the impression that two of the girls had some major drug habit to something called ‘Red Eye’.

Imagine overhearing this conversation:

Girl 1: “Let’s take a Red Eye. Have you ever taken a Red Eye?”

Girl 2: “No, I really can’t function after a Red Eye.”

Girl 1: “Yeah last time I took a Red Eye was like 2 months ago. It left me really drained, and I couldn’t get any sleep on the Red Eye.”

A quick check on Wikipedia and it soon transpired that my colleagues were not in fact talking about some kind of narcotic – rather they were arranging their travel plans to NY for later this week. If you’re interested, the Wikipedia definition of a red-eye is “any flight departing late at night and arriving early the next morning. The term red-eye derives from the fatigue symptom of having red eyes, which can be caused or aggravated by late-night travel.”

PHEW…..


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Categories : HR, PR, US working culture


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