Upon Request: The Psychology behind your marketing strategy:

[cbscreative]

Looks like only 3 of us are dominating this discussion. Anyone else want to join in?

Anyway, I couldn't help but comment on this again. It may be true that sex sells, but it doesn't require any creativity. I'm sure someone is bound to disagree, but using sex is a copout for a lack of creativity. Some of the most memorable ads had nothing to do with sex. Got milk? Where's the beef?

I like the cell phone ad where 3 teenagers in a convertible are stuck to the back of a semi being dragged with sparks flying everywhere, and no one wants to use their cell phone to call for help because of the expensive charges.

[Tomtell]

I'll join in-actually I have read this thread when it first started and again last night. I was tired and it is a very personnal approach to life that I would want to follow in my marketing efforts.

I look at advertising different now than say even 5 years ago.

First it does depend on what your marketing. When talking about Go Daddy and the women the used...or Liz Taylor....I think these fall more under Branding. I think it takes like seven times for someone to see a product or name of a product/company to make a memberable impression. So Go Daddy use the women to get it's branding..good or bad taste? It worked I guess and didn't really effect me one way or the other.

On policing the industry....well seems to me there is little if any policing by the government of claims made by most products. People have to do their own research and even then it can be difficult to get a striaght answer. IMO people and companies sell out to make money..I guess it has always been that way..buyer beware. In todays fast paced world easy solutions abound or at least are promoted to solve problems that people will try.

I wrote in the thread about WHAT MAKES A GOOD INTERNET COMPANY about what I bought on the internet.....I stated that I like to feel, touch a product before buying it. Professional copy writers/sales writers can make a frog sound like it's something to buy..it will kill the bugs in your yard...and people will buy one or two.

Take out a large magnifying glass and read the back of an internation calling card or any telecom contract. Lot's of fees/taxes not advertised. Take a look at business opportunities that show yachts, tennis courts and hundred dollar bills. There are a least 20 companies promoting gas saving pill/liquids etc that can not prove any claims yet have 1,000 of people trying to sell this junk....

Yes I think most Advertising/Marketing focuses on peoples weaknesses/desires and fails to deliver products or services that solve these problems. This past week was the anniversary of the POP TART I think 40 years...yah a fast food that is junk and I ate a lot of them growing up.

[lav]

The term "sex sells" I dont believe it is ALL true. Not all marketers who use sex to sell their products have success with it. Looking to the future I think consumers will become bored with the same ads showing off a bit of flesh to sell something. YES sex will still sell but only those who use it creatively will have success from it.
More and more advertising guru's are seeing success with humour and uniqueness which i believe is a step in the right direction.

As for things like "the pill to lose weight" I think we are going to have to look beyond the marketing to solve that sort of problem.