Consumers Don't Have an Attention Problem. It's Just That Your Advertising Isn't Very Good.

With so much media available to consume, quality matters more than ever for ads.

If a brand releases an ad and no one sees it, is it still called "advertising"?

People have more tools than ever before to skip out on ads entirely. More than three-fourths of the people in North America engage in automated ad-blocking, and 10 percent of them block ads across four kinds of media or more, according to Deloitte. Much like the question of trees falling in forests, what good is a brand's message at a time when people generally don't want to hear its sound?

Ad units are shrinking in the wake of ad-blocking technology, but human attention span remains unchanged. Today's consumers are surely more distracted than any previous generation, so they guard their attention spans more mercilessly. When advertisers can successfully command that attention for a minute or two, it means the consumer is watching an ad for the same reason he or she binge-watches Stranger Things on Netflix: The ad has managed to present itself as relevant or vital to the viewer. It wins every time.

Just 10 years ago, Gillette dominated the razor blade market. Its ads were comfortable, predictable 30-second units that reminded everyone of something they already knew: You need razor blades on the regular, so you might as well buy Gillette.

But, the market had to reorganize itself with the appearance of Dollar Shave Club and its distinctly off-the-wall messaging. The notorious startup used quirky 90-second ads to spread its word online, presenting itself as unignorable by comparison to the competition. Even though we live in a time when people can skip ads, block ads and avoid ads, Dollar Shave Club's marketing won major viral attention. It didn't exactly kill Gillette's Goliath, but it sure made Goliath sweat.

The lesson here is that people don't hate all ads, they just hate the crappy ones. The bar for perceived quality in advertising is so low these days that many choose not to engage with anything on principle alone. People even close web pages they want to visit when the page auto-plays a video ad. When job number one of the advertiser is to interest consumers, it's never been easier to annoy them.

Far from the rise of the six-second ad unit, there's strong evidence that people generally want long-form content.

Ooyala reports that long-form video content consumption is up 30 percent from last year. Instagram used to be all about sharing individual photos and short videos, but now with the launch of IGTV supports 60-minute videos. The most widely subscribed YouTuber, PewDiePie, regularly posts 20-minute-long videos to a community of millions of fans. Joe Rogan's podcast blends comedy, politics and philosophy for two to three hours at a stretch, and is one of the most popular podcasts on the internet.

People can, of course, handle stories and follow them over time. It's one of the defining characteristics of humanity. But, there are so many stories competing for our attention nowadays that we are extremely selective about which ones we let into our lives. If any of these opt-in narratives will come from advertising, those ads must first run the ad-blocking gauntlet, then be immediately relevant and spectacular to the consumer upon arrival. The bar for perceived quality in advertising these days is actually quite high.

But, there is meaningful assistance on your way to clearing it. Social listening tools trawl the internet to learn what's being said about and around different brands. With help from a company specializing in consumer insights and some Nielsen data, brands can better learn who their customers are, what they love and what they don't love. This is key information in designing a vital, relevant message. In simplest terms, a brand must know its audience. The marketing needs to reflect what the audience is interested in, not what company leadership is interested in.

From there it's only a matter of iterating and optimizing. The great thing about digital advertising is that you get feedback instantly. You can iterate a campaign to make it better. Simple tweaks in copy, reframing key ideas and A/B testing can help make your campaign truly great.


Otherwise you run the risk of a mediocre campaign and a wasted media spend. No one wants to hear that sound.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/
Image credit: Dennis Fischer Photography | Getty Images

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6 False Advertising Scandals You Can Learn From

New entrepreneurs are often tempted to exaggerate what new products or services are capable of. No wonder: Presented to a powerful investor, a stretch of the truth just might help land that series A funding.

And, less seriously, a bit of marketing flair or showmanship, in many cases, will help an entrepreneur accomplish his or her without many repercussions.

But, in other cases, if you’re that entrepreneur who is caught deliberately misleading investors or consumers, you could face false advertising charges -- and the ruin of your brand's reputation. 

Consider these six examples:

1. Airborne gets caught by its own fake science.

Back in the 1990s, the herbal supplement Airborne was all the rage. Packed with vitamins and minerals, it was pushed by marketers as being capable of preventing or mitigating common illnesses like the cold and flu. Eventually, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) stepped in to test the claims of the manufacturers, discovering that there was no real scientific evidence to back up the claims. Airborne agreed to pay $23.3 million to settle a lawsuit.

2. Nope. Splenda doesn't come from sugar.

In the early 2000s, then-new artificial sweetener Splenda engaged in a marketing campaign with the tagline, “Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar,” to convert consumers of other artificial sweeteners as well as sugar purists hesitant to consume anything artificial.

But, as the Sugar Association uncovered, Splenda wasn’t really “made from sugar,” because it's actually a chemical compound heavily processed in a factory. The association filed suit, which was eventually settled out of court in a confidential settlement. Splenda rival Equal was also outraged at the claims; it took Splenda to court in 2007 and also reached a confidential settlement.

3. Sadly, New Balance shoes don't make you lose weight.

Back in 2011, New Balance introduced a new line of shoes it claimed had features that “[used] hidden balance board technology that encourages muscle activation in the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves, which in turn burns calories.”

Multiple studies cited in the resulting class-action lawsuit indicated that the shoes didn't provide any additional health benefits compared to walking shoes, and might actually lead to injury. Needless to say, the case was not good PR for New Balance. Anyone who purchased a pair of the shoes was entitled to ra $100 refund, and New Balance eventually paid out more than $2.3 million.

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4. Fake Science II: Rice Krispies don't boost your immune system.

Back in 2010, Kellogg erroneously claimed that Rice Krispies had “immune-boosting properties,” allegedly because of the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that the breakfast cereal was fortified with. The claims were dubious, at best; the Federal Trade Commission ordered Kellogg to halt any and all advertising making reference to these effects.

When the case was settled in 2011, Kellogg agreed to pay a $2.5 million fine to affected customers and donate $2.5 million of Kellogg products to charity.

5. Volkswagen emits untruths.

In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen, claiming that some of its vehicles burned clean, diesel fuel. In reality, Volkswagen had been cheating on its emissions tests for more than seven years. This wasn’t a simple mistake, either; Volkswagen engineered a piece of software that allowed a vehicle to detect when it was being tested and intentionally reduce harmful exhaust as a temporary measure to fool testers.

This false advertising scandal proved a huge blow to Volkswagen; not only did the carmaker take a reputation hit and face a major FTC lawsuit, it also faced a potential $90 billion fine for violating the Clean Air Act.

6. Red Bull doesn’t give you wings.

This one’s an especially interesting case. You’re likely aware of the energy drink Red Bull’s signature tagline: “Red Bull gives you wings.” As a reasonable consumer, you know intuitively that Red Bull cannot, in fact, give you wings -- yet that was part of the premise behind a 2014 lawsuit against the beverage company.

Additional complaints mentioned Red Bull’s claims that its beverage could improve concentration and reaction speeds. Red Bull eventually settled for a $13 million payment, but said: “Red Bull settled the lawsuit to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation. However, Red Bull maintains that its marketing and labeling have always been truthful and accurate, and denies any and all wrongdoing or liability.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the legal framework for truth in advertising, so you can walk the line as closely as possible without creating problem for your brand, the Federal Trade Commission has a helpful outline on the subject.

In any case, stick as close to the provable, objective truth as you can; and, if you’re ever in doubt, consult with a lawyer about what you can and can’t say to promote your product.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
Image Credit: Red Bull



ABOUT WNFP
Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is a business organization focused on providing our members and guests with an extraordinary networking experience, bringing business professionals together for the sole purpose of generating new relationships and developing new business opportunities. Not a member, learn how you can become a member and join this awesome group of professionals to connect and grow your business.

Stay Connected with WNFP!