Advertising 101

Going back to my college days, i took up Marketing Major in Advertising before i landed in Business Administration. I'm tackling this issue because i feel that not too many people have the intimate understanding of modern advertising like i do.

Todays topic is: Understanding Modern Advertising.

Of course i say this in light of the Ulu Pandan bear, here in Singapore about two weeks ago. That was one heck of a mis-understood guerrilla marketing campaign.

All anybody wanted for was for people to watch a video of a wild, potentially man-eating animal scavenging for food at a bus stop near their home and their defenceless children and then go out and buy a whole bunch of electric shavers. Instead, they went and reported the bear to the authorities. The next thing you knew, there were people with tranquilizer guns looking around looking to shoot the bear.

Needless to say, very few potential shaver-buyers were amused when they found out the bear was actually just an advertising guy in a bear costume. In fact, many were furious. Those behind it were investigated by the cops.

In advertising circles, the whole thing was just a demonstation of how straight-laced we as human beings always take threats to their lives too seriously. Anyone else would have laughed at the prospect of getting mauled by a bear while waiting for the bus. It wasn't like it was a bomb hoax. It's a bear hoax. A bear can only kill one person at a time. Nevertheless, even with the public nuisance charge, the subsequent public apology, the waste of resources and the unnecessary panic, many marketing experts would still say this campaign was a resounding success. In fact, its something like a coup. The advertisers gets a lot of attention and got it for a relatively cheap price. And that's the principle of of modern advertising : it's all about attention.

It doesn't even matter if the attention comes in form of people cursing you for the destruction you caused or if you get to sell any shavers. Whats important is they've heard of you. Of course advertising did not start out this way. The early days in the trade were rather different:

In the beginning advertising simply meant telling people what was good about your product so that they would buy it. For instance, if you were a caveman with a rock to sell, you would tell your your customers what was good about the rock.

Caveman Juan: "this rock many good for pound on head of mighty dinosaur."
Caveman Pedro: "do you have it in blue?

And that was it. If someone wanted a rock to hunt dinosaurs with, they'd just pick one on the ground because there were lots of rocks in prehistoric times.
They'd be silly to buy one. Also Commerce had not yet been invented. Early advertising was not very effective.

Then one day, a marketing pioneer came up with a novel concept that would forever change the industry: Lying. Cavemen were no longer limited to telling people what their rocks did, they could just make up stuff about it to make it more attractive:

Caveman Juan: "this rock not just good for pound dinosaur. Also good for hips, thighs and abs."

Lying was quickly followed up by Lifestyle Advertising. Instead of just lying to you about the features of the product, they could lie to you about the kind of lifestyle you might lead if you used the product. Cigarette and alcohol companies loved it. They started putting out a great many advertisements implying that if you smoke and drank heavily, you would be slim, have a healthy glow and live on a yacht.

While these developments were great, they had drawbacks. For one thing, it was a lot of work for advertising firms to brainstorm concepts, pitch them and then rent yachts. Thats when they up with the advertising we have today: Guerrilla Marketing

By far the greatest benefit of this approach is that many older businessmen don't understand it. The advertising firm tells them they need to get "hits" , go "viral" and "leverage on social media" and they just lap it up. They no idea what it means. That free's up ad firms to do- well- whatever they feel like.

Suppose they felt like posting a suggestive Facebook message about liking it "on the desk in the office" . They'd do it and then pretend later it has something to do with breast cancer. Suppose they felt like vandalizing postboxes. They'd just go out there, spray paint some postboxes and pretend it is a good way to get publicity for a postal company. That's right, advertisers get paid to vandalizes postboxes. I know a whole bunch of people who would do it for free.

Still, the campaign was so successful that when real vandals spray painted real graffiti on a train, people thought it was advertising. And im not saying this is exactly how it happened, but suppose it was the night before the pitch for the electric shaver campaign was due and ad people are out drinking instead of coming up with a campaign. Suddenly someone has an idea:

Drunk Ad Person 1: "hey, i have this bear costume i'm saving for haloween. Wouldn't it be fun to put it on and scare some of my neighbors on the way home to Ulu Pandan?"

How Would You Asses PNoy's First 100 Days?

I was on my way home yesterday after work via cab. suprisingly, the cab driver noticed me asking; "are you Philippine? (referring to me as a Filipino) and of course at the spur of that moment i was a bit pissed and replied him back "why? is there any problem uncle? He said: "no lah, your plesident (President) Aquino is close to ending his first 100 days in office, i follow Philippine politics leh.".. as a Philippine, how would you rank his performance on a scale of 1 to 10." Then i said; "oh is that it? i answered and explained him why:

"Failure. He needs to show more effort as a person and not rely only his staff, thus making himself look inefficient and incapable.

Sincerity is a perception. If he appears sincere to most people, some perceives him as arrogant and insincere by his put-up humility.

Apparently, the President merely relied on his staff who are not vigilant but vindictive as displayed at the way they want to blame the past administration on everything and even their own failure.

It is high time that the President become aware that as a leader he must carry the mantle and the banner that will lead the people to a better future. The problem is he always looks at the past administration's failure and not his own."

After that, the Uncle just gave me a blank but smiling face and said .. "aiyah, all same-same lah!.. but then i realized; ya, see this Uncle is a Singaporean and yet he still seems to care about the Philippines even if he doesnt know much about it.. or maybe he just wanted to start a friendly conversation with me partly because he is sleepy..

So im asking you now Kabayan? What do you think about PNOY?

A Father's Letter To His Son

My Dearest Victor Paulo,

I finished talking to you this afternoon, via YM. I didn't tell you everything I wanted to say, partly because I am not very good at expressing myself on the spur of the moment, and partly because I wanted the conversation to be as upbeat as I could manage. So I decided to write you this letter instead :D


October 14, 1999..was one of the most happiest day in my life! The day when i first layed eyes on you, the first time i held you in my arms.. the day you were born. Today, you are 12 years old, and at this point in your life you can’t, much less understand what I’m going to try to tell you in this letter. But I’ve been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as I reflect on what I’ve learned, and about my role as a Father, in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years.

You won’t be able to understand this letter today, but someday, when you’re ready, I hope you will find some wisdom and value in what I share with you.

You are young, and life has yet to take its toll on you, to throw disappointments and heartaches and loneliness and struggles and pain into your path. You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life.

For this, be thankful. You are at a wonderful stage of life. You have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils.I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I’ve learned. As with any advice, take it with a grain of salt. What works for me might not work for you.

Life Can Be Cruel
There will be people in your life who won’t be very nice. They’ll tease you because you’re different, or for no good reason. They might try to bully you or hurt you.
There’s not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself. When you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them.

There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success. Life won’t always turn out the way you want. This is just another thing you’ll have to learn to deal with. But instead of letting these things get you down, push on. Accept disappointment and learn to persevere, to pursue your dreams despite pitfalls. Learn to turn negatives into positives, and you’ll do much better in life.

You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love. I hope you don’t have to face this too much, but it happens. Again, not much you can do but to heal, and to move on with your life. Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life, and learn to use them to make you stronger.

But Be Open to Life Anyway
Yes, you’ll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life … but don’t let that close you to new things. Don’t retreat from life, don’t hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things, new experiences, new people.
You might get your heart broken 10 times, but find the most wonderful woman the 11th time. If you shut yourself off from love, you’ll miss out on that woman, and the happiest times of your life.

You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet … and then after meeting dozens of jerks, find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people, and don’t open your heart to them, you’ll avoid pain … but also lose out on meeting some incredible people, who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life.

You will fail many times but if you allow that to stop you from trying, you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments. Failure is a stepping stone to success.

Life Isn’t a Competition
You will meet many people who will try to outdo you, in school, in college, at work. They’ll try to have nicer cars, bigger houses, nicer clothes, cooler gadgets. To them, life is a competition — they have to do better than their peers to be happy.

Here’s a secret: life isn’t a competition. It’s a journey. If you spend that journey always trying to impress others, to outdo others, you’re wasting your journey. Instead, learn to enjoy the journey. Make it a journey of happiness, of constant learning, of continual improvement, of love.

Don’t worry about having a nicer car or house or anything material, or even a better-paying job. None of that matters a whit, and none of it will make you happier. You’ll acquire these things and then only want more. Instead, learn to be satisfied with having enough — and then use the time you would have wasted trying to earn money to buy those things … use that time doing things you love.

Find your passion, and pursue it doggedly. Don’t settle for a job that pays the bills. Life is too short to waste on a job you hate.

Love Should Be Your Rule
If there’s a single word you should live your life by, it should be this: Love. It might sound corny, I know … but trust me, there’s no better rule in life.Some would live by the rule of success. Their lives will be stressful, unhappy and shallow.Others would live by the rule of selfishness — putting their needs above those of others. They will live lonely lives, and will also be unhappy.


Still others will live by the rule of righteousness — trying to show the right path, and admonishing anyone who doesn’t live by that path. They are concerned with others, but in a negative way, and in the end will only have their own righteousness to live with, and that’s a horrible companion.

Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse, love your children, your parents, your friends, with all of your heart. Give to them what they need, and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment, but only love. Open your soul to them.


Love not only your loved ones, but your neighbors … your co-workers … strangers … your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile, a kind word, a kind gesture, a helping hand.

Love not only neighbors and strangers … but your enemy. The person who is cruelest to you, who has been unkind to you … love him. He is a tortured soul, and most in need of your love.

And most of all, love yourself. While others may criticize you, learn not to be so hard on yourself, to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love … but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being, worthy of happiness and love … and learn to love yourself for who you are.

In closing, know that with all of my heart I love you, I miss and think of you every single minute and day of my life, and I am so very proud of you..you have grown-up to be a bright fine young man..You are starting out on a weird, scary, daunting, but ultimately incredibly wonderful journey, and I will always be there for you when I can.."Happy Birthday Son..Mahal na Mahal kita Anak."

Much Love,
Daddy

How To Deal With An Insecure Boss

I'm back folks! After a while away from the cosmic blog galaxy, i finally got some time to get my fingers typing again. I recently started at my new work place. And as usual, being the new guy, there's always something or someone who will short your fuse. Like my AGM (Assistant General Manager) for instance.

Few things are more destructive to a career than a boss who is insecure. Unfortunately, it is a near certainty that most people will encounter one or more such persons along the way. While, I'm in the quest to further improved my life for my family and myself, I'm taking this hobo motherf***ker's actions maturely and in a more civilized way.

The actions of an insecure boss will eventually create an insecure organization, riddled with anxiety and indecision. People will spend more time looking over their shoulders than looking ahead. Good defenses become more important than effective offenses.

SEVEN TRAITS OF AN INSECURE BOSS:

You will know your boss is suffering from an insecurity complex when he or she is engaging in behavior highlighted by these seven such traits:

1. The boss insists on absolute control over everything in the department.
He rules with an iron hand, refusing to delegate any real authority. He doesn't trust anyone. He has few allies. Those allies he does enlist are formed into a tight little clique strongly obligated to his authority and dependent on it. They live an uncertain life on a short leash.

2. The boss constantly interferes in the work of his staff. Second guesses are the order of the day.

3. He constantly defends his position. Every question or hint of criticism is treated as: a challenge to his worth and authority. He doubts he has the respect of his associates.Those who exhibit a mind of their own are under constant attack.

4. The insecure boss is most often an absolute perfectionist. He will climb the wall when you make a mistake. But look out. When he fouls up, he will blame it on someone else. He has to be right every time.

5. He will resist making decisions. This means endless studies and return trips to the drawing boards and board room for meetings.

6. He will frequently remind you who is boss.

7. He finds it next to impossible to laugh at himself, but he is quick to laugh at
others.

SEVEN ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

There are no certain quick fixes, but there are seven steps that will help mitigate
the situation and advance your own interests. Actually, insecure bosses can offer
opportunities.

1. Be certain you are not contributing to your superior's low self-esteem. Do everything you can to reassure him of your respect for his position and your
commitment to helping him do his job.

2. Shore him up at every opportunity. Learn where he feels most insecure--where his hot buttons are--and make a special effort to be helpful in these areas.

3. When you have to challenge him, and surely you will from time to time,
be certain to do it in a positive way. Don't question his authority. Never challenge or criticize the boss in the presence of others.

4. Never go around your insecure boss to deal directly with his boss without explicit approval. Make sure he realizes that you clearly understand the hierarchical relationships. You don't want to become an endangered specie because you are seen as questioning his judgement and appealing to higher authorities.

5. Always be sure he gets more than his fair share of credit for your good work.
Stay one step behind him when the limelight shines.

6. Find some of his good points and acknowledge them, publicly as well as privately. Remember, your boss may be a pain in your itchy little ass to work with, but surely he must have some redeeming features worthy of compliments.

7. Think of your own insecurities and what helps you deal with them. Apply what you learn from this analysis to dealing with your insecure boss.

I'm still at my breaking point though. If your experiencing the same as me, i hope this helps..have a nice weekend y'all!