AMC’s hit advertising show Mad Men is off to a great start

AMC’s hit show Mad Men started its fourth season this last Sunday and my wife and I were bursting with anticipation. The last season ended with the future of the fictional ad agency, Sterling Cooper, hanging from a thread and it felt like an eternity of waiting to see what would happen next.

If you’ve missed the last three seasons, just know that I’ll be spilling the beans on some happenings in the first episode of season four below…so if you hate spoilers: READ NO FURTHER. For those of you who don’t mind, the backdrop for the show is important to know before reading on: The show takes place in 1960’s New York, specifically Madison Avenue, the hub of western advertising, especially back then. The show is filled to the brim with alcoholism, sex, infidelity, excitement and a look at the workings of ad agencies.

For those of you who are avid watchers of the show… did you like the new episode or did you think it was lacking?

I thought it was great. The new season started off with a bang; all sorts of PR problems and growing pains of a fledgling advertising agency make the screen burn with conflict. My favorite part of the whole show was when the protagonist (Donald Draper played by 2008 Golden Globe winner John Hamm) throws a client out of the office for being so stuck in their ways that they can’t think outside the box.

I got such a rush from that scene! I think all creative department workers dream of doing this to a client at one point or another, even though they probably never have. It can drive one crazy when a company, who by the way is coming to you because they need to change their strategy, are unwilling to listen to the creative ideas that will help them reach their market.

Sometimes, all the client really wants is a new production of an ad they’re already running. It’s as if they expect to turn a huge profit on the same ad. Many times these same clients then act totally surprised when the same ad produces the same results.

I’ve lost hundreds of hours on rewrites just because the account executive is scared he’s going to lose a client. And truthfully, I don’t mind rewriting an ad if it’s in the name of progress. After all every business should be involved in their own advertising campaign and should help come up with concepts that will attract more customers. That and, well, the more I write, the better I become in the long run.

So tell us…do you love the show?

What was your favorite season?

How is season 4 treating you?

What was you’re favorite scene?

Until next time…Happy Marketing

The iPhone 4

It was late June and the streets were buzzing with excitement about the new iPhone 4.

Two of the guys at work were flipping out and blabbing like chatty Kathy’s about the cool features they had on their new phones and how long the line was to get one.

About twenty minutes went by when I began noticing that folks online were already complaining. Among the top of these complaints was a reception issue which was later found to be due to a faulty antenna.

The complaints continued to pour in and Apple just sat defensively silent.

Since then the Apple corporation has done very little to calm the worries of their patrons.

They have even managed to scare off potential clients. What we’re now witnessing is a PR nightmare.

Had they managed their response better they could have avoided their falling stock prices and collapsing client base.

However I do believe they’ll be ok in the long run for two reasons: They still make good products, and people can be forgiving if you make it up to them (especially when it comes to technology). And per Apple’s most recent press conference (see the video below) they hope to have “made it up” to their customers.

Apple forgot that the cardinal rule when dealing with a mob of angry customers is; SHOW THEM YOU CARE.

Instead of avoiding responsibility and trying to keep things quiet, Apple should have stopped everything right away, recalled the units and made a loud and heart felt public apology.

People want to feel as though they are dealing with companies that care. When you deny something or try to keep things quiet people feel betrayed. Making a bad product once can get you in trouble, but betraying people will make them hate and fear you.

Unfortunately I think this is a lesson Apple is learning the hard way….

But tell us what you think.

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Holiday Inn Express and Assurance Advertising
are throwing a Tweetup! Don’t forget to RSVP as space is limited!

June 30th at The Holiday Inn Express in Henderson

Holiday Inn Express and Assurance Advertising would like to warmly invite you to their first ever social media/business networking event.

Grow your social media community and rub elbows with other local businesses.
Enjoy the BBQ, guest speakers, wall of tweets and amazing giveaways from a taste of MGM Grand and UNLV Tickets.

Guest Speakers:
Margit Macchia, speaking on importance of networking
Reza Zargari, speaking on generating creative advertising

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO RSVP CLICK HERE