Scanning radio stations while driving an automobile is one of my favorite past and present times. Recently, I heard a pharmaceutical commercial on one of the stations. The creative is well done, especially on TV, but the subconscious effect is real. At some point, we feel beat up by the pharmaceutical barrage. “Do I have those symptoms?” “What if I take this drug and then I grow hair in my ears?” “Why do I feel old when I hear or see these commercials?” “How do Hulu and Paramount+ know I suffer from this?” Oh, right. They know everything.
What if all brands were regulated like pharmaceutical advertising? What if we told the audience the risks associated with our brands? Every time we promoted the benefits of the brand, we would be forced to follow up with the side effects of the brand.
The radio station playing Today’s Best Hits would have to say “Research shows that some of these hits are good, and some barely made the cut. If you find yourself not enjoying the content, please consult the Program Director.” Or, an auto dealer who claims Nobody beats our deals! Nobody!, would have to say “When you buy this car, you’ll likely have it recalled 2-5 times over the car’s lifetime.”
A Diamond is Forever is one of the greatest slogans of the past century. In the advertising-regulated world, De Beers would have to tag the spot with “But your marriage may not be.” Burger King’s Have It Your Way is one of my favorite promote-the-difference branding strategies. If fast food advertising were treated like pharmaceutical advertising, the commercial would include “Sometimes you will order it your way, but it will come out our way because we didn’t believe you when you said you didn’t want tomato.”
you’d walk a mile?
Let’s go back 52 years when President Nixon signed legislation banning cigarette advertising on radio and TV. The modern-day pharmaceutical advertising approach would add this line to the I’d Walk a Mile for a Camel slogan: “But not for long because you won’t be able to breathe after that walk.”
Here’s the exercise. Write down everything violating the promoted expectation. It goes deeper than the SWOT analysis. Let’s say your radio brand is The City’s Most Listened-To Radio Station. What would it sound like if the rules made you say “The City’s Most Listened To Radio Station, except between 1p and 4p, and sometimes on Sunday mornings, and occasionally between 8p and 10p?”
You know your brand’s strengths and weaknesses. How would it change the process if you had to tell the world your weaknesses every time you promoted your product’s benefits? It will help you discover areas needing attention, but like the Viagra or Jardiance commercials, there are side effects you can’t change right now. The real benefit is a more creative or focused message about the benefits of your brand.
Have fun making your list! It’s a great team exercise if you have a self-deprecating personality. Plus, you may come up with some fun content for your annual work Christmas party.
(This post originally appeared on LinkedIn on August 15, 2023. https://bit.ly/3sImxsd )
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