by Chuck McKay | May 9, 2012 | Market Segmentation, Targeted Marketing, Database Marketing
Don’t expect most scientists to admit it, but a physics technique called the Fermi Question provides a quick and simple way for business people to determine whether a new market is large enough to be profitable. Enrico Fermi was one of most well-rounded...
by Chuck | Apr 30, 2012 | Guidebook
Do you remember learning Sir Isaac Newton’s “laws of motion” in school? I wonder, were you like most of your classmates, questioning whether knowing this stuff would do you any good in the real world? Today I want to apply Newton’s thinking to...
by Chuck | Apr 30, 2012 | Fresh Catch, Market Segmentation, Targeted Marketing, Database Marketing, Systemic Marketing (TM)
Imagine that you’re driving your car through the countryside. The road becomes slightly inclined, and your car begins to slow. You press a bit more firmly on the accelerator, and the car picks up speed again. But then, you encounter a rather steep hill, and your...
by Chuck McKay | Apr 30, 2012 | Ad Critique / Classic Examples, Market Segmentation, Targeted Marketing, Database Marketing, Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
People seem to naturally rank things. They list things in order. They tend to remember things at the tops of the various lists. On nearly any list, most people can remember the top three with little effort. It’s generally accepted that seven is the maximum...
by Chuck McKay | Apr 30, 2012 | Ad Testing, Fishing 101 - the "How To" Class, Market Segmentation, Targeted Marketing, Database Marketing
Originally published June 3, 2005 In 1961 Rosser Reeves, the Creative Director of Ted Bates Advertising, Inc., wrote a book titled Reality In Advertising. Although it’s now out of print, you may be able to find a copy at a used bookstore or a library. Reeves was...
by Chuck McKay | Mar 1, 2012 | Ad Writing / Copywriting, Advertising / Marketing Strategy
Originally published August 12, 2008. Some trends are cyclical. Some are obvious. Sometimes both. Most are also predictable. Are all trends cyclical? Hardly. In the 90s, as growing demand and sophisticated technology converged to create the Internet, providing service...
by Chuck McKay | Feb 10, 2012 | Ad Writing / Copywriting
Originally published February 10, 2006 Some people when they visit a new community look for the typical “touristy” kinds of things. Others wonder if there’s a casino nearby. I study the local ads. This week I’ve traveled through four major southern cities. As you...
by Chuck | Jan 4, 2012 | Around the Cooler
by Chuck | Dec 18, 2011 | Advertising / Marketing Strategy, Budgeting, Pricing, and Return on Advertising Investment (ROAI), Fresh Catch
Can you imagine a more idiotic challenge than to see which business can use up it’s investment capital and be forced out of business first? Its what happens each time a new business opens with no strategy other than to sell at a lower price. Dropping price...
by Chuck McKay | Dec 11, 2011 | Ad Writing / Copywriting
Originally published December 2, 2005 Most people are convinced that advertising is easy. Most believe that they could do a better job than the ads which inundate them daily. Perhaps they could. Some of them become advertising salespeople. Sadly, they are predictable....
