DO you make these mistakes in marketing? Part 14 [ ] Wallpaper advertising – This kind is invisible because it’s too bland. Safe advertising, that makes you feel comfortable, won’t even be noticed. It will, as David Ogilvy put it, be like a ship passing in the night. Your advertising should make you sweat with fear if it has any chance at all. DO also said the purpose of your copy was to demoralise the copywriters working for your competitors' agencies. By the way, being noticed is only its first task. Being consumed and understood and finally acted upon (conveniently forgotten by many agencies) are equally essential.

[ ] Me-too offers – If the competition is doing it, we should too. Wrong! When they are zigging you should be zagging. Me-too offerings give the customer the opportunity to price shop you down to the ground. They reveal a lack of imagination. And they are boring for the staff involved. Inspire your people with originality and passion generated by the new - by innovation. You cannot bore people into buying.

[ ] Failure to brief frontline staff (or involve them in planning and brainstorming) – Often you can be met with blank stares when you ask serving staff about advertised offers, especially in channels that aren’t well managed. Frontline staff are where the rubber meets the road – they are a useful source of ideas and they simply must feel part of the team for implementation. All your investment of time and money goes down the drain if they aren’t 100% behind the idea.  ¶ 3:11 PM