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    Like, like….like

    By
    Steve Poppe
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    I went to a PSFK Conference a number of years ago and posted “Sort of” is the new “um.”  Well, I’m here to update you — “like” is the new “um.”  For 5 years it has been a nervous word kids and Millennials use to fill in their sentences.  But now the word is taking on more meaning, or lack thereof, thanks to Facebook’s use of “like” as a ranking system. 

    When a teen or tween tells a friend the gut-wrenching “I like Mary” it’s very different than the like-gating or liking that’s going on when marketers are cheesing consumers into pressing the like button.  Don’t native Inuits have nine different words for snow?

    One used to rank online affinity by counting web traffic.  If a site had lots of traffic, it was a well-appreciated site. Web Trends followed that traffic to see what people really landed on and it informed marketers. But then SEO jockeys started cheesing the system and traffic became less relevant. Enter the “like” button. But now even liking isn’t always liking. Google likes liking and calls it +ing (plusing).  

    A number of Facebook and Google Plus cottage industries are emerging and helping marketers game the system.  It’s a huge business.  But only about 10% of them really know what they are doing. And that 10% get what corporate CEOs and CFOs get — tie likes to new and recurring sales and you have a touchdown. Otherwise, those likes are flatter than a non-redeemed coupon.  And how would Mary feel about that?  Peace!

    Writing An Effective NRP Billboard.

    By
    Steve Poppe
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    0

    I’m getting ready to do my first ever paid billboard ad promoting What’s The Idea? on NPR. Though I’ve written over 2,600 blog posts about branding and marketing, I’ve never actually done an ad for this business. Nor have I written for it a brand strategy. Clearly some cobbler’s children shit going on here.

    An NPR billboard these days is anywhere from 10-15 seconds of copy read on the radio by an NPR announcer. Recorded but sans any overt production value. Just words. If they are still holding to form, NPR will not allow any superlatives or overly salesy copy.

    This is going to be a wonderful exercise. Boiling down What’s The Idea? and its value proposition to a scarce few words.

    Here’s what copy must do:

    • Explain what the business is. (Brand consultancy.)
    • Establish what the business does. (Brand strategy.)
    • Explain what brand strategy is. (Organizing   principle.)
    • Explain why prospective clients need a brand strategy.
    • Lastly, establish why What’s The Idea? is a good choice.

    And all this must be accomplished with panache in less than 15 seconds.

    It could be worse. I could be writing an actual roadside billboard, where you are limited to 5 words and a picture.

    For the next few days, I’ll be putting my thinking cap on and drafting a billboard. Stay tuned.

    Peace!

     

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