Grapeshot is a fierce weapon when it’s used effectively.
You see, “Grapeshot” is a cannon load that
is made up of a lot of explosive and a lot of little balls
of lead. Kinda like a giant shotgun. You can imagine the
damage grapeshot can do - especially if the cannon has
some gunners who know what they are doing; or, if you have
a whole lot of them (cannons, that is). In advertising,
broadcast is the equivalent of a cannon loaded with grapeshot.
You load the cannon (the medium) with a charge (the number
of spots) and the shot (broad reach) and you light the
fuse. The cannon goes off against the on-rushing hoards,
the ones you hit get the message - the ones you miss either
don’t know any different or they thank their lucky
stars they WERE missed.
I don’t know about you, but
I have a tendency to really dislike people who shoot at
you too much (excess
frequency), with really b-a-d shot (miserably bad commercials).
When that happens I either kill the messenger (turn off
the tube/radio), or I start to really dislike the side
firing the cannon (the advertiser).
Remember GRP’s
and TRP’s? Well, research has
shown that the optimum level of EFFECTIVE exposure is THREE
TIMES. Now, what that means is that I might fire the cannon
a dozen or more times, but if I can get close to you at
least three times I’m going to get your attention
- really get your attention. To do that takes a combination
of things that most advertisers haven’t the foggiest
idea of how to do it, because - remember - this is a cannon
that spits out a whole lot of devastating power.
Before
we go any further, let me say that cannons are expensive.
They take a lot of men to crew them; they require a lot
of maintenance; they work best in groups; and they have
to be supported by all of the other service arms (infantry,
cavalry, etc.).
Expensive. So, if you have to ask the price
... you probably can’t afford it. And, you better
have a target that isn’t too difficult to hit. Look,
it’s one
thing to fire away at a whole regiment with the prospect
of hitting something than it is to try and pick out one
squad, or even one person (like a colonel or general).
To do that you need sharpshooters. No, cannons are weapons
of mass destruction.
Since frequency of message is so important
against a huge target (to overcome the other clutter; and,
to get your
point across), a lot of advertisers rely on a concept known
as “Doughnuts” (or, “DoNots” -
depending on your point of view). These are spots (radio
or TV) that have a standard intro and out that take up
about 10-15 seconds, with the rest of the spot reserved
for specific sales related items. A lot of car dealers
and supermarkets use this technique. This gives the advertiser
a continuing level of awareness and memorability without
major cost outlays - and ... AND ... - the “hole
of the doughnut”, which highlights one or more brands
of products, is usually paid for with Co-Op dollars. Viola
! C’est la guerre!
A major consideration is the type of creative approach:
a “Product” Lead; “Personality” Lead; “Humor”; “Facts”; “Price”; “Benefits”;
ad nauseam ...
The key is: produce commercials (cannon loads)
that tell the people you are trying to communicate to what
it is
you have to offer in very broad terms.
If you are going
to use a cannon ... THINK cannon. It is designed to reach
masses. If you add supplemental media,
THINK how it is to be used - and against whom. With the
advent of VCR’s and CamCorders, TV production seems
inherently easy. It isn’t, and should not be left
to amateurs. Neither should radio production. It takes
a very strange type of person to condense a selling message
to 15 - 25 seconds that is effective and attention-getting.
Not every one can do it. Pegram proved that to McClellan,
Pope, Hooker, Meade, et al.
As we strike tents and begin
saddling-up, a “Gallup”-er
has brought us a communique that among the least respected
occupations are advertising practitioners (please note
their terminology: “practitioners”, not “professionals”).
Somehow I understand that.
The next time in the saddle
we’ll reconnoiter some
creative approaches that have worked gloriously and some
that have been disastrous. ‘Til then, keep you eyes
peeled for the carpetbaggers and keep an edge on your saber.
