Re: Why online advertising sucks

From: Brian Shepherd <shepherd_at_MIT.EDU>
Date: Mon 09 Apr 2001 12:18:51 -0600

BRIAN SHEPHERD <shepherd_at_MIT.EDU> WROTE:

> Geri, with all due respect, I'm going to say you're wrong
> about your assumption of Coke's intentions. I believe
> billboards can be incredibly beneficial for advertising to
> 7 year olds who don't drive. I still remember as a kid
> riding in the back seat of my parent's car, driving back
> and forth up the east coast along Route 95, seeing signs
> for "South of the Border!" "Stuckies!" And that was 20
> years ago! I can't remember one ad I saw from Friends
> LAST NIGHT! When I was a kid, if I saw a sign for
> McDonald's, I'd ask my parents "when can we eat?". Remember
> that Coke is a huge brand, and youngsters are their main
> target. Yes, even seven year-olds. I will give a good
> example off a theme you presented in your next sentence.

TO WHICH GERI KONSTANTIN <geri_at_virtualadv.com> REPLIED:

<Gee Brian - I wish I had parents like yours. Mine never
<would have let me have something just because of a stupid
<ad! Just go tell the marketing Director of Stuckies you
<are targeting your next billboards to 7-year olds.
<I bet you'll be laughed out of the room.

Really? So your parents NEVER gave you anything you
asked for? I can remember asking for cereal, toys, games,
puzzles, clothes all because of advertising I was exposed
to as a kid. I find it hard to believe that you were never
influenced to ask your parents for something. And by the
way, whether my parents gave me something isn't the point.
The point was to "plant the potential purchase seed". I
would also suggest you visit a Stuckies if you get a chance.
You'll find toys, candy, mementos and all kinds of crap kids
want. And if the marketing Dir of Stuckies told me that
he wasn't targeting kids in some capacity and wanted to laugh
me out of the room for suggesting it, I would urge the
Stuckies board to fire him/her ASAP.
  
TO WHICH BRIAN SHEPHERD <shepherd_at_MIT.EDU> THEN WROTE:

> And guess what? Kids get thirsty too. Kids are
> waiting while the car gets filled up with gas. "Mom, can I
> have a coke?" You've been in the business long enough to
> know that Coke's goal is to get it's brand in front of a
> person so that when that person wants to have a drink, they
> choose a Coke. Mostly, because it's there.

AND GERI KONSTANTIN <geri_at_virtualadv.com> THEN REPLIED:

<Man- I really wish my Mom was like yours. Mine would have
<told me to shut up and have a glass of milk when we got home.
<By the way did you work at McCann Erikson? My friends who
<worked there on the Coke account never mentioned their
<advertising strategy was to get the Coke brand in front
<of a person - if that were true, how come Coke isn't runner
<banner ads everywhere!!! Sorry - I respectfully disagree....

Well, with all due respect Geri, your mom telling you to
"shut up" explains a lot about why you're having trouble
stepping outside of your own experiences and seeing an
alternative view. I never worked at McCann Erikson, but I
would bet every dime in my pocket that there is a strategy
to put the Coke brand in front of select people, as
aggressively as possible. Geri, please enlighten us as to
what Coke's strategy is, if it's not to build a strong brand
and get that brand in front of a potential customer.

My best regards,

Brian K. Shepherd
shepherd_at_mit.edu



Received on Mon Apr 09 2001 - 13:18:51 CDT