Conrad Winter Copywriter

(Former NYT ad journalist Stuart Elliott shared sage advice for United and YouTube advertisers during The NJ Ad Club’s recent town hall.)

During my formative years in advertising, there were these three guys I looked to for “the way.” Three uncles, each one distinctly different.

One was the omnipresent advertising gossip columnist: George Lazarus of the Chicago Tribune.

Another, Bob Garfield was the acerbic critic from AdAge who had a way of backhanding ad campaigns that struck fear into ad people everywhere.

The last, Stuart Elliott, was the gentleman of the bunch. The uncle you always felt lucky to be around because even though he was a big shot, he’d take the time to share everything he knew with you. His column in The New York Times provided rare insights, and in-depth exposés into the otherworldly strategy and thinking of CMOs and ECDs working on the world’s top brands.

So the New Jersey Ad Club’s April 25th town hall featuring the renowned ad journalist Stuart Elliott felt a lot like home for at least one of us in the audience. Those of us lucky enough to spend the evening with Stuart Elliott were treated to great stories and generous lessons that were both enlightening and grounding—kind of like you’d expect from your cool uncle. NJ Ad Club Board Member and Executive Creative Director at Coyne PR, Rob Schnapp’s informed questions set the tone for a revealing and intimate town hall that kept the content current and electric.

Throughout the evening, Elliott spoke like the sage who’s followed the advertising, marketing and media beat with more than the determination of a journalist—but with an undying passion that anyone in the biz can relate to. The conversation arced from earned media to burned airline passengers. He touched on social, Apple and the very-much-alive New York Times. He didn’t make predictions—he swore off that temptation long ago after the dot-com bust of 2001. What he did talk about left all of us wanting more. In the end, his hour and a half seemed much too short. So what did he talk about?

On branding your enemy. Elliott believes the repetition of negative zingers like Trump’s “The failing New York Times” Tweets can be an effective way of communicating. But you run the risk of the person you’re attacking seizing the nickname and throwing it back at you in a nasty way. Elliott said, “It might serve to actually raise them up—from the people that don’t feel it’s fair that they’re under attack.”

Don’t believe the 3 AM Tweets. “The failing New York Times” is not. According to Elliott, they’re now selling more subscriptions per month than they usually sell in a year. Elliott said, “That’s in direct response to these attacks by people who feel their alternative facts are more valid than the facts that journalists come up with.”

It may actually be a smart move to get your brand involved in politics. Conventional wisdom says it’s smart for brands to avoid politics because of the potential of negative backlash. But Elliott brought up an interesting point: while political comments can be polarizing, the benefits of appealing to one group while alienating another can be a smart strategy—especially when the party you’re appealing to represents a large and lucrative market.

Uncle Stuart’s advice for United Airlines: Having made it through the essential mea culpa phase, like many disgraced brands, United is probably thinking about advertising its way back into the hearts of the coach class. Elliott counsels against doing anything too advertisy like Wells Fargo’s current effort which he described as, “Every round is more pathetic as they try to pull at the heartstrings.” In contrast, he recommends following Firestone’s historic example. The tire manufacturer hired  Jimmy Stewart as spokesperson to help the company navigate around the bad publicity they received after a series of tire-shredding incidents. Elliott’s suggestions for UAL: Sully or a retired Supreme Court justice.

Great things about social media Part 1: coalition building. Elliott sees this as an amazing phenomenon. Not only are people using social media to share news and information instantaneously, they are joining forces and springing to action immediately by arranging boycotts and circulating de facto petitions. The power and potential for organizing the masses is unprecedented and being used to great effect.

Limitations of social media—no long game. Elliott sees the weakness of most social media creative as its lack of longevity. Campaigns are short lived, not really the type of work that builds the foundation of a brand. They light up the Internet and fizzle. One example: Oreo’s 2013 Super Bowl Tweet “You can still dunk in the dark” Tweet was a hard act to follow.

“’Twas Madison Avenue that killed the beast” Elliott’s Tweet weeks ago was a commentary on advertisers’ role in removing O’Reilly from his post at Fox News. Elliott sees it as part of a bigger trend. He co-credits social media and the ease with which people were able to instigate coalitions against O’Reilly online. And he co-co-credits the trend of companies increasingly being pressured to make a stand on important issues. These days staying neutral can be riskier than picking a side.

Advertisers are going back to the 30s. Turns out branded content, branded entertainment and content marketing are nothing new. Elliott points out that modern advertisers are employing tactics used in radio in the 30s and TV in the 50s to overcome today’s ad-blocking tendencies and technologies. Some examples he mentioned:

• Sponsored pre or during-show skits on programs like Jimmy Kimmel
• Programs like FX Channel’s “The Americas” or “Fargo” presented by one main sponsor and featuring limited commercial interruptions
• Cast commercials where the actors in the show come out and deliver the commercials during the show. For example, Tina Fey spoke for Snapple on 30 Rock.
• Online advertisers on sites like nytimes.com are running elaborate short films that are high in artistic value and low on promotional content.

Half of my analytics are wasted; I just don’t know which half. We still haven’t reached Shangri-La in advertising: that mythical ability to pinpoint consumers who actually want to see your ad and are actually in the market for what you’re selling. Elliott said, “The good news is we now have all these ways of doing that. The flip side is that it’s not foolproof. Everyone talks about metrics and data. Because it’s online, it should be easy to measure or good or the data should help you figure out what to do. But in a lot of cases, there’s too much data or people don’t know how to interpret the data or the data might conflict.”

Why is my commercial running on that weird porno or white nationalist video? Maybe this whole idea of turning it over the robots is a little premature. Elliott found irony in the revelation by The Guardian and The Times of London that ads from some of the world’s most respected brands had appeared in some rather unexpected videos on YouTube. These are brands that strain over the proper placement of their ads in traditional paid media, after all. Elliott thinks the fallibility of the algorithms means advertisers will start having to use humans (gasp) to verify potential placements going forward.

The great marketing and advertising are timeless. It’s good to be reminded that boldly authentic advertising that taps universal human truths in clear and compelling ways stands the test of time. The Apple 1984 ad will give viewers goosebumps today the same way it did during the Super Bowl of 1984. And the subversive-sensibility of the original VW beetle ads from the 60s is just as irresistible today as it was then.

What’s the meaning of it all? Or rather, what’s the deal with Super Bowl advertising? Elliott talked extensively about marketers’ undying obsession with Super Bowl advertising. Companies pay millions to run a 15-second spot that will be judged and scrutinized by millions of hungry, ad-savvy unforgiving viewers all at once. Failure to entertain has dire consequences. Elliott referenced the example of shoe retailer, Just for Feet. Their Super Bowl spot was panned as racist and ultimately led to their going out of business shortly after their fail. Yet, the obsession continues. In an era where advertising can be more targeted and cost efficient than ever, why are so many marketers willing to spin the wheel on this ultimate spray-and-pray tactic?

After an inimitable and indelible run at The New York Times, Elliott continues to ponder this and many of life’s other great questions. Follow him here: @stuartenyt, @MediaVillageCom and @cbswatchmag

To Super Bowl or not to Super Bowl? If you’re looking for a spot for the next big game—or you need an awesome case study or campaign—remember I’m here to help. Reach out.

You really couldn’t ask for a better panel for a 2017 outlook discussion. The NJ Ad Club’s panel was lively and their views were all over the place. The candid descriptions of the ways their outfits are operating and the projects and mindsets driving them were pure gold. Bunch of people at the top of the game, kind of telling it like it is. What more could you ask for? I’ve provided a wrap-up of the key points and opinions shared. (Scroll down if you want to get right to the good stuff.) Here’s a little context on the panel.

Starting with Irene Chang Britt who is the consummate client and marketer. She currently sits on a bunch of boards for big companies—Dunkin’ Brands being the largest—but in a past life ran the marketing for brands like Pepperidge Farms’ Goldfish and clearly was a close collaborator with the people on her agency teams. She had an enlightening take on the qualities and capabilities agencies need to bring to the table now—not what you’d expect in today’s world.

Dave Edwards represented R/GA, the foremost creative agency today. Per Dave, R/GA reinvents itself every 9 years. I think it’s more like every single year. They innovate, they change, they test creative boundaries, and Dave was very candid about what they’ve learned from the experience. If I hadn’t just witnessed Trump being elected, I’d say these guys were running the world.

There’s no agency like VaynerMedia. One of the things their COO, James Orsini, explained to Wednesday’s audience was that Gary Vaynerchuk, the agency’s always-on leader, believes there is no distinction between social and the Internet. It’s all one and the same. Also, in this day, each and every one of us is a broadcaster and personal media outlet. That sounds wacked, doesn’t it? But to do the things they do, grow the way they’ve grown and just reinvent the game as they go along…I think you have to be plain wacked. James told us come pretty cool stuff.

Hafeez Saheed, Head of Production at Nickelodeon Creative Advertising, demonstrated the potential of a nimble, versatile and entrepreneurial in-house creative Seal Team like Nickelodeon’s. In recent years, there’s been a lot of talk among marketers and leaders of in-house agencies about the chargeback model, where in-house agencies restructure to become profit centers. Hafeez’s outfit provides a stellar example of how that might work. Legacy brands like Popsicle that have gone dormant have been special beneficiaries of their work.

The four panelists’ diverse viewpoints took the discussion in flurry of directions. Key insights seemed to be flying in every direction. Here are my takeaways from what they said:

Stop whining about ad-blocking already. “Produce better content” was the consensus from the people in the high chairs. James Orsini said that today’s short attention-span set will willingly and wantonly watch 3-minute sponsored videos if they’re good enough. User-created advertising is block-proof advertising, according to Irene Chang Britt. She gave the example of a campaign she led for Pepperidge Farms’ Goldfish that was based on goldfish-inspired stories submitted by consumers. The campaign ran for 7 years. She never worried about ad blocking because, “they’d be blocking their own stories.”

Agencies bringing clients in-house. Through an accelerator program hosted on their properties, R/GA is attracting clients like never before. Their 3-month mentoring program for startups takes 10 at a time. Part of the arrangement is that R/GA receives an equity stake in the companies, which number 70 at this point.

And vice-versa. R/GA is also taking on a deeper consulting role with established companies. Through their Business Transformation arm, they go deep with the C-Suite much like a McKinsey or Deloitte would, “To help companies with what is their biggest struggle, how they innovate,” per agency founder Bob Greenberg.

Gary Vaynerchuk is going to get you hooked on cool free stuff then figure out a way to monetize it. You already knew this, right? But did you ever wonder what really makes people pay for something they were previously getting for free? VaynerMedia’s James Orsini gave three reasons:

1. Velvet ropes
2. Better experience
3. The opportunity to co-create the content

Skip the shiny objects, agencies. That advice from Irene Chang Britt who advises agencies to bring consumer insight and understanding to the table, not shallow stunts, technology tricks and clever-for-the-sake-of-being-clever work. When pressed by an audience member, Irene explained she doesn’t expect agency partners to bring data. Rather, a deeper understanding of her consumer’s passion-points, who they really are and how best to reach them.

Who’s embedding in the flyover states? VaynerMedia, that’s who. They just opened an office in Chattanooga, TN. They moved dozens of creative people from their NYC offices to staff it. James Orsini said their reasoning was simple, “Most of the consumers are in Middle America.”

The TV spot still matters. You’d think that VaynerMedia, gods of all things social, would distain the 15 and 30-second TV spot. Not Orsini. In fact, he thought a recent client made a big mistake betting it all on social video. Sure, they saved on media, but their messages were hidden from a core client segment.

Because, yes, people still watch TV. That from our R/GA panelist, Dave Edwards, who believes more people are watching more TV than ever. For proof, he cited the popularity of shows like the Crown, and coming enhancements by Nielsen that expand consumer tracking beyond the cable box.

Improvements in programmatic will continue to sharpen effectiveness (and creepiness.) Don’t worry, or do worry, Dave Edwards assures us Facebook and Alexa will make sure we get the right ads for the things we want.

Depth beats reach. Getting a few white bread consumers (hopefully influencers) to engage deeply and passionately about your brand of bread and their favorite sandwich is way more valuable than spraying your message out to the masses, according to Irene Chang Britt. An authentic brand story supported by a social campaign that engages the passionate few goes a long way today.

The irrefutable advantage of bringing the studio inside. VaynerMedia’s new partnership with Vimeo gives Vayner access to over 4,000 award-winning directors. The relationship gives them a huge advantage in creating episodic work for clients and in reducing the hurdles and time it takes to create campaigns. In contrast, R/GA started in film production and grew from there. The integrated full stack of production, media and creative that gives R/GA their advantage today has been evolving for decades. According to Dave Edwards, this fusion of services enables them to succeed on high-speed creative projects like one they did for Beats after the VMAs several years ago.

Clients want one-stop shops but…With so many service providers and specialties to manage, marketers appreciate working with a big AOR that spares them from managing relationships. Irene Chang Britt questions whether companies are receiving the most innovative work under such arrangements. She explained that the way agencies grow to become 1-stop shops offering traditional, digital, social, etc. is by buying smaller agencies that specialize in those disciplines. The problem is that they don’t always buy companies at the top of the game, often settling for a #2 or 3.

Trend: publishers want to get into the agency space. And you thought it was the other way around. That according to James Orsini.

Facebook is for Boomers. As they retire, they have lots of time to figure things out. Irene Chang Britt believes it’s an ideal way for grandparents to follow their grandkids.

The agency model is still the one to beat. “Agencies bring more to clients by cross-pollinating ideas,” Irene Chang Britt said. Largely because they work in multiple industries.

Leveraging little events to reach large audiences. James Orsini said that VaynerMedia is injecting influencers into 2,000-person conferences with the real payback of reaching millions through the compelling content produced.

Predictive and R/GA’s AdWords hack. Those darn AdWords can get so expensive these days. Dave Edwards said that for client McCormick Spices, rather than throwing down for pricey picks like “food,” “spice,” “seasoning” or “cooking”, they just bought “Ryan Gosling.” For many women, I guess they’re sort of the same thing.

Enough already. Speaking of predictive, Dave Edwards hopes they come up with an “Okay, I bought that” button on banner ads that cookie you mercilessly long after your searched for that 5-pack of printer ink, Disney package or whatever.

Interested in attending the New Jersey Ad Club’s next event? Look here. And be sure and check out upcoming events from the New Jersey Art Directors Club while you’re at it.