Finding Monday

 

Outdoor Advertisement #1

Selected Ad	Adams & Fairway : Tribute to Prince
Objectives of Ad	To honor a late musician
Target Market	Prince Fans
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To take a moment and remember the musician Prince.
Value Proposition	This was a public Service ad to bring awareness to Prince’s death and music

 

Outdoor Advertisement #2

Selected Ad	Adams & Fairway : Teacher Appreciation Week (humor)
Objectives of Ad	To inform that it is Teacher Appreciation week
Target Market	All
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To thank and show any teacher you know appreciation
Value Proposition	If we did not have teachers we would not be educated.

 

Outdoor Advertisement #3

 

Selected Ad	The Colorado Department of Transportation: Beware of the Beltless (Scare Technique)
Objectives of Ad	To inform drivers of the dangers of their passengers not wearing a seat-belt
Target Market	Drivers and passengers
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To use a seat-belt and encourage passengers to wear a seatbelt. By doing so you decrease the risk of being harmed in a crash
Value Proposition	If your passenger does not wear a seat-belt it increases your risk of being hurt or killed by 40%

Outdoor Advertisement #4

Selected Ad	Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: There’s an Easier Way (Humor)
Objectives of Ad	To inform customers about zoo (measurable)
Target Market	Animal Enthusiast  and families
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and  by doing so you will see animals up close
Value Proposition	The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is for those that want to be close to animals and have a real wildlife experience.

 

Outdoor Advertisement #5

Selected Ad	Chicken McNuggets®: One Tasty View
Objectives of Ad	To increase chicken nugget sales
Target Market	Airport goers
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To purchase McDonalds while visiting airport
Value Proposition	Passengers are able to enjoy McDonalds chicken nuggets while flying.

 

Magazine Advertisement #1

Selected Ad	Persil /Omo-Unilver Free the Kids ad uses a Guilt Technique
Objectives of Ad	To inform customers it is okay for kids to play outside and get dirty because Persil Laundry detergent can clean clothing
Target Market	Parents of children
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Allow kids to play outside more and get dirty
Value Proposition	If you buy Persil Laundry detergent your children will be able to spend more time outside

 

Magazine Advertisement #2

 

Selected Ad	Vodafone Between Us Ad
Objectives of Ad	To inform Turkish women that there is phone app to help protect women against domestic abuse
Target Market	To inform Turkish women that there is phone app to help protect women against domestic abuse
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Women who are in domestic violence and abuse situations
Value Proposition	By using this secret app, if a woman is in danger she can shake her phone and it will send her location to 3 people that she trust.

 

Magazine Advertisement #3

Selected Ad	Evolve: Swords ad uses a humor/threat technique
Objectives of Ad	To show how easily it is for children to play with anything they may find
Target Market	Gun owners
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To lock up guns
Value Proposition	By locking up guns you eliminate the possibility of a child finding the gun and getting hurt.

 

Magazine Advertisement #4

Selected Ad	Procter and Gamble : Video Conference (Tide to-go pen)
Objectives of Ad	To inform customers about Tide to-go pens
Target Market	Everyone
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Get rid of noticeable stains right away with product
Value Proposition	By Using Tide-to go pens you are able to get rid of stains during important moments

 

Magazine Advertisement #5

 

Selected Ad	Mars Chocolate North America: Medusa Humor Technique
Objectives of Ad	To sell more Snickers Bars
Target Market	Sports Illustrated Readers
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To eat a snicker bar and if you do you will not get in a bad mood or become “Hangry.”
Value Proposition	Snickers bar is a tasty way to satisfy your hunger.

 

 

Print Advertisement #1 

Selected Ad	Heinz Fries (Pass the Heinz)
Objectives of Ad	Entice customers to buy Heinz ketchup
Target Market	All
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To use Heinz Ketchup on their fries
Value Proposition	Hot fries taste better when you use Heinz Ketchup

 

 

Print Advertisement #2

Selected Ad	Altoids (Esther’s Tin)
Objectives of Ad	To sell Altoids
Target Market	All
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To reuse and repurpose Altoids tin can
Value Proposition	By buying Altoids you get to keep the tin and reuse it for other things.

 

 

Print Advertisement #3

Selected Ad	Burger King Aviano (Burning Stores)
Objectives of Ad	To enforce that Burger King’s burgers are flame grilled
Target Market	All
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To eat at Burger King
Value Proposition	By eating at Burger King you will have a flame grilled patty rather than cooked on a flat top

 

 

Print Advertisement #4

Selected Ad	McDonalds (Loving the night)
Objectives of Ad	To inform customers that McDonalds is open late
Target Market	All
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Eat McDonalds late at night
Value Proposition	You can eat McDonalds when other food places are closed and you are working late

 

 

Print Advertisement #5

Selected Ad	Wink (real Emoji)
Objectives of Ad	awareness of internet predators
Target Market	Parents
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To pay more attention to who their child is talking with online
Value Proposition	By screening who your child is talking to it decreases the chance of a predator corresponding with them

 

 

Television Advertisement #1

 

Selected Ad	Mars Chocolate North America / Snickers Recovery Room used Humor technique
Objectives of Ad	To enforce that you can not focus while hungry (attainable)
Target Market	All
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To buy a Snickers bar
Value Proposition	When you eat a snickers you are no longer hungry and careless

 

Television Advertisement  #2

Selected Ad	Ikea Every Other Week- Ad used an sentimental emotional technique.
Objectives of Ad	to sell kids furniture (Attainable)
Target Market	Families
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Buy furniture for their children
Value Proposition	By buying Ikea furniture your children will feel at home.

 

Television Advertisement #3

Selected Ad	Axe Tommy Hugs used emotional ad
Objectives of Ad	To sell antiperspirant (attainable)
Target Market	Men
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To buy Axe body Spray
Value Proposition	48 hour protection and smelling good while hugging.

 

Televsion Advertisment #4

Selected Ad	Volkswagen AG Laughing Horses used Humorous approach
Objectives of Ad	Inform Customers about the Tiguan’s new trailer assist (attainable)
Target Market	Drivers
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Buy the new Tiguan with Trailer Assist
Value Proposition	By buying the new Tiguan with Trailer assist you no longer embarrass yourself trying to back your vehicle.

 

Television Advertisement #5

Selected Ad	Chick-Fil-A Beethoven used a Humor
Objectives of Ad	Inform Customers about new egg white grill (attainable)
Target Market	Customers looking for low fat breakfast option
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Try the new egg white grill
Value Proposition	By eating the egg white grill you are eating something that is tasty  but still healthy

 

Radio Advertisement  #1

Selected Ad	Motel 6 (Facelift) ad used a humorous technique
Objectives of Ad	To inform customers about new renovations and persuade customers to stay at their motel  (attainable)
Target Market	Travelers needing overnight lodging
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To stay at a motel 6 and experience new bedrooms and bathrooms
Value Proposition	“Saving you more for what you travel for”  Due to the low price of the motel you have more money to enjoy your actual vacation

 

Radio Advertisement #2

Selected Ad	Time With Mum-Out of Options ad used a threat technique
Objectives of Ad	To promote safe driving and encourage drivers not to drink and drive (measurable)
Target Market	Drivers
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To not drive under the influence and you will not have your license revoked
Value Proposition	If you do not drink and drive you will not lose your license and have to depend on others for transportation

 

Radio Advertisement #3

Selected Ad	Toyota 2 ad used Comparison and humor technique
Objectives of Ad	To display the many features of the new product by showing that the competition did not have them (attainable)
Target Market	Drivers
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To chose the Chevy Equinox over Toyota Rav-4 and you will have more features
Value Proposition	4GLTE Wi-Fi/ Apple Car Play/Android Capability/rear-seat reminder/Teen driver Technology

 

Radio Advertisement #4

Selected Ad	Belo Men Deo ad used a threat technique
Objectives of Ad	To sell and emphasize the need for antiperspirant (attainable)
Target Market	Men
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	To buy Belo Men’s Deodorant and you will smell better
Value Proposition	By wearing Belo Men’s deo you will not smell and offend those around you

 

Radio Advertisement #5

Selected Ad	Dawson Garden World -Kill the Romance Ad used a humor technique
Objectives of Ad	inform customers about Multi Guard snail and slug killer (attainable)
Target Market	People that have lawns or tend to lawns
What action does the ad want the viewer to take	Kill slugs and snails with Multi Guard and they will no longer ruin your yard
Value Proposition	By using product slug and snails will no longer reproduce

“We had a change of plans” this statement usually infers that due to unexpected circumstances your plans are ruined or unfavorably altered. I personally am not a big planner but when I do make plans or try to meet a deadline and I have a change of plans, it is not a good feeling. I get very anxious about the uncertainty of not knowing what’s next. However in order to be a “Break-It Thinker” you have to welcome change in plans.

The next theory the author introduces is the “Triple Double”. He proposes that anything new will,

• Take twice as long
• Cost twice as much
• And involve twice as much work as you thought

As I get older and more involved in this thing called “adulting” I couldn’t agree more with the “Triple Double.” It always seems to hit the hardest in the middle of projects. When my husband and I first bought our house the kitchen cabinets were a natural oak color. I was determined to have white cabinets but couldn’t really afford the hefty price tag that came with having them professionally done. I researched and watched countless “do it yourself” videos. I bought all the suggested materials and went to work. Then came the “Triple Double. I was 6 months pregnant and for safety precautions I couldn’t help as much as I thought which made the project twice as long. I also did not take into account work space and supplies, so I had to purchase extra tarps and stands which made the project cost twice as much. The “do it yourself videos” only show a snippet of each step so even with my best estimate of the real effort it would take it still ended up involving twice as much work. I am sure everyone has had their own instances of triple doubles but do not be discouraged, Kriegel provides 3 ways to refuel your project.

• Readjust your goal-If things are not going your way, do not be afraid to refocus and change directions.
• Reaffirm your original commitment and vision– Think about why you started the journey in the first place, think about what you wanted to achieve. Reignite your passion.
• Begin with a Victory– Start by accomplishing something small with-in your set of goals. One success can give you that boost of confidence needed to see your vision to the end.

This concludes my series of reflections on Robert J. Kreigel and Louis Patler’s book If it ain’t broke…Break it! And other unconventional Wisdom for a changing Business World. To be candid I was very skeptical about reading this book, starting with the cover, which dawns Kreigel in a 90s suite further reiterating that this book was written over 25 years ago. As the old saying goes “you can not judge a book by it’s cover,” literally. I was so surprised by how relevant and fresh the information was. I have taken some of the Author’s advice and plan to keep it with me for many years.

Risk and chance, 2 words I had previously thought were synonymous. After reading Kreigel’s unconventional wisdom on taking risk I have a different idea of Risk and chance. The Author suggest that risk are absolutely necessary in order to get what you want, stating, “everything worthwhile carries the risk of failure.” Taking a moment to reflect on all the things that I consider “worthwhile” I realized they were not met without risk involved. I would not have learned anything without taking risk. Risk teach you. I still consider myself a novice cook. Even when I make a dish and receive rave reviews, I like to change it up the next time and add a few different ingredients. Sometimes they work out and sometimes they just don’t but either way I am glad I took a risk and dared to be bold even if it is just at home in my kitchen.

Now let’s take a trip to my office or any business at that. There will always be those employees that are too scared to rock the boat. They do not want to take risk out of fear that they will no longer be a “good” employee. Conventional thinking has ingrained in us this thought that if we go through the motions and do our work then we will be all the better. This notion is just not relevant anymore. Companies know that taking risk leads to successes and they are looking for those employees that are standing out, thinking outside the box, and taking RISK.

So what is considered a risk you may ask?  A risk should not be considered this dangerous, hazardous, thing that involves extreme sports like most of us would naturally think of. That is where risk and chance differ. Risk takers have actually prepared and researched, they know what they are up against and every outcome of any misstep. This leaves nothing to CHANCE. When you make calculated risk it decreases fear and increases your confidence. The author insist “know your limits,” while it is ok to take risk it is not ok to do crazy things that could put your life or others in danger.

I figured there were always 2 kinds of people, the ones that colored inside the lines never daring to venture out and then those creatives that were always trying something new, taking risk.  However we are all born risk takers. I have a 17 month old daughter and every day of her life I can tell she is learning something new and taking risk, from the time she took her first steps to most recently eating with a spoon. Each risk has been met with it’s challenges but if she did not take them she would not grow. My daughter does not think about the end result (becoming an adult) but focuses on what she can learn now. So fellow risk-taker, do your research, don’t do anything crazy, and trust the process.

My last post gave some insight on “Break it Thinking” some of the best “Break it thinkers” are beginners. That’s right the new kid on the block opposed to the seasoned worker are giving some of the best ideas to drive a business to success. That might prompt you to wonder how can a business maintain success when it is not feasible to constantly hire NEW people with new ideas. Well, you do not have to be a beginner to think like a beginner.  There has been many times when I have tried to solve a problem only to have the answer starring me in the face the whole time. Thinking like a beginner challenges you to look at problems with fresh eyes. So where does that leave consultants and experts? Experts and consultants can be of significant use. They are very knowledgeable in their area of expertise, but this same attribute can be a hindrance to a business. Experts know what has worked in the past, so they try to replicate it. There is also a sense of pride and ego that comes with being an expert. An expert knows they have had past successes, so they find it hard to envision that the same technique that proved successful is now outdated or no longer useful or they have a new idea but try to place that new idea in the old system. The author is not suggesting that you recreate the wheel but more so that you find a more efficient option. Below are some ways the author suggests to think like a beginner.

 

• CLEAN THE SLATE -Start new and question everything. An example of cleaning the slate, is Avon. Avon describes themselves as a social selling beauty company and might I add they are a very successful one, estimated to make 5.7 billion annually but a little known fact about Avon is that their founder started off selling books door to door but was not very successful so he started selling perfume.

 

• DON’T OVERTHINK IT- The same experts that I mentioned earlier most times try to look for a complex answer to a problem, so much so that they miss the very simple solution. There have been many times when I am looking for something and instead of searching the obvious places, I start moving furniture looking in the most obscure locations. I then find that what I was looking for was in plain sight the whole time. I am from the rural south and my grandmother would always say “If it would have been a snake it would have bit you” meaning it was right in front of you and you did not even see it.

 

• WELCOME VISITORS- There are two approaches to this technique. Pretend you know nothing about your particular company or situation. Ask very simple and naive questions. The second approach bring actual visitors around. These visitors have fresh eyes. Things that you have been missing are obvious to them.

 

The next time you hit the wall or your ideas have grown stale take a step back, clean the slate, don’t overthink it and welcome new people with new ideas.

I have always heard there is nothing wrong with healthy competition and that competition could increase performance. These ideas fit in with the conventional business world. As an aspiring Entrepreneur, I often think of how I can provide better service or produce a better product than what is already out there. However, Kriegal challenges his reader to NOT compete but instead change the game.

Early in my reading I did not think there was a way to win or even play the game if you were not competing head on, but the author changed my mind. He suggests that you should find your own market and redesign the playing field. He gave many evident examples of companies that have done just that such as Volkswagen introducing the Volkswagen beetle at a time when Ford was pumping out full sized vehicles. Although, the company that is at the forefront of my mind is Chik-fil la. It seems the “burger joints” are always at odds and you can always see they are constantly competing head to head. Chik-fil-A took a different approach, they only offer chicken on their lunch menu and claim to have invented the first fried chicken sandwich in the fast food market. Of course, later the other fast food giants created chicken sandwiches, but what keeps me coming back to the “original” you may ask, the service. Chik-fil-A prides itself on customer service and instead of introducing beef to their menus they found another way to stay competitive.

When you compete head on you make way for conformity. If you see your competitor doing well, Instincts tell us that to succeed we just need to do the same thing but better.  This may be true and you may find yourself in the lead for a short while but conformity does not yield long-term, substantial, results. You have to use “Break-It Thinking.” I found the best example of “Break-It Thinkers” are creatives. Up until March of last year I have always thought of the word creative as an adjective but I attended a dear friend’s documentary viewing at the North Carolina’s Museum of History in Raleigh North Carolina titled CreativeNC. The documentary highlighted different creatives based in North Carolina. Creatives being actual people that think outside of the box, who were not repeating or mimicking anything that I had ever seen. This “Break-It Thinking” meant evaluating themselves rather than the market and making changes some of which even required starting over. It kind of pained me to think that someone would spend their time and effort creating something only to have others recreate it to the point that it caused you to scrap your idea and make something totally different but that is what “Break-It Thinkers” must do. Your ideas must be constantly evolving.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson