Intelligent marketing

Kathy Sierra has come up with a smart look up table for intelligent marketing.

Why does the advertising industry not get that the start point is getting the product right? I was at a conference the other week where a senior agency fellow brought out the tired crutch of "the ad show reel" to break up the empty aphorisms. It ended with a recent Orange campaign whose agency had the "daring" idea of showing how positive life can be without a mobile phone. "What a great brand" he panted in awe.

Wrong answer. Orange is no better a brand than its competitors in the UK any more. It does not win awards for its product service or customer delivery any more. It's advertising agency is allowed to cast hither and thither from one disjointed campaign to another, some of which are better than others, but none of which relate particularly strongly to the experience of being an Orange customer. And it looks like someone in Paris has forced them at the point of a gun to revive half the long term tag line that the agency unceremoniously ditched on being awarded the business ("The Future's Bright..."). This is neither great marketing, great advertising nor a great brand. It's a dog's breakfast.

To finish on a positive note, my friends Gerry and Nik are going from strength to strength with client wins for their start up Unity PR. They have come up with a campaign idea for Crisis, the homeless charity, where we can buy a Christmas pudding this festive season and a homeless person gets a dinner out of it. Now that's what I call intelligent marketing.

Comments

[Noelle]

Orange coverage is so meagre in these parts that their customers are very used to life without a mobile, but what a wonderful ad - sensuous dancing people to Brian Eno "Music for Airports". Am almost tempted to convert.

[Lance]

Sir,

Thanks to your link to the "intelligent marketing" page of Kathy Sierra, I discovered (the link to) the Sarah Mclaclin "world on fire" video. I had not heard of this song/video before.

An idea so simple, and yet so dramatic. Head-spinning, deeply moving, thoroughly memorable and brilliant.

Puts the Benetton and their ilk campaigns to shame.

Any idea where one can see the Orange advert on the net?

Here's hoping that the frenchies stick to the burning of motor vehicles leave my fleet of titanium two-wheelers unscathed.
Lance

[Noelle]

All the orange ads and more at
http://www.visit4info.com/coolads.cfm

[Mark]

I am not denying they are nice ads that do not resonate. For example the Harmonious Couple appeals for all sorts of reasons. M objection is to advertising being de-coupled from the nitty gritty reality of product delivery and customer service.