The Law of Fascination by Reg Bryson

Me too kind of thinking

The Law of Fascination demands a more positive and proactive attitude
to advertising: People now buy in repertoires.
The advertising industry may have been wrongly convinced of exactly
what advertising is capable of.
The Strong Theory that advertising is indeed persuasive
The Weak Theory that advertisings key role is one of reinforcement
or reminder
More commonly held theory is the weak force rationalists view that
advertisings primary role is that of maintaining or reinforcing a brands
salience among consumers.
We are told that advertising is, at best, a supporter of other, more
direct marketing activities and a reinforcer of existing attitudes, values
and predispositions.
Brand loyalty is most markets is a misnomer.
Consumers are purchasing across a repertoire of brands they perceive
to be more similar than dissimilar.
Brands, the cornerstone concept of modern advertising practice, have
reached a crisis of commodification no differentiation, no loyalty and
no impact.
Too many of todays advertisers seem content to simply follow the
crowd.

CONVERGENCE ADVERTISING

No one is challenging preconceived motions.

Creative advertising is becoming an oxymoron
FACT: Me too strategies rarely work
FACT: Advantage does not come from imitation
The extent and serious effect this commercially crippling convergence
force actually has on a corporation is not widely known.

WHAT HAPPENED TO DIFFERENTIATION?

Consumers see most brands in a category more or less the same

CONSISTENCY AND CREDENTIALS > CREATIVITY
Higher need for recognition and awareness than for consumer interest
and involvement
Differentiation remains a critical aspect of marketing.

CONVERGENCE not DIFFERENTIATION is currently the defining force.

BRAND PARITY HAS BECOME, THROUGH BLAND ADVERTISING,

BLAND PARITY

BRANDS ARE BECOMING GENERIC

Creativity in advertising is now more about processing and packaging
than about uniqueness or creating differentiation.

THE DANGER OF SAFETY

A safe brand idea or advertising is actually dangerous because it can

delude the company buying it into thinking it will work for them.
Brand names or advertising ideas that merely fit are lost in a cluttered
environment.
Agencies must reward the consumer and be different amidst the
cluttered world of advertising instead of merely satisfying the client.
LOT OF RISKS
BE DIFFERENT, BE CREATIVE, BE BOLD!
SAFETY = MORE HARM THAN GOOD!

WHY ADVERTISING IS YOUR MOST POTENT WEAPON

Advertising Situation:

Advertising that significantly disturbs the status quo in a market is

remarkably rare.
Advertising's role is achieved by being creative
Companies, however, would prefer to "fit in" than "be famous"
"Good is the enemy of the great" has lost to "Close enough is good
enough" and "Quick enough is better" (Playing safe!)
There has been little support for advertising's true potential: that of a
potent, powerful, persuasive force capable of transforming a business.

True believers of advertising: "The weak approach in this day and age is
nothing short of commercial stupidity"

Doing the forgettable is unforgivable

It can change attitudes and behavior. It doesn't merely influence sales

but can create them.
It must be an active weapon it must have an effect.
"If a company advertises in a dull, boring, and expected manner, then
the company is perceived as dull, boring, and unexciting".
o A company will be perceived in the same atmosphere they used
to advertise.

When well-used:

Advertising can be the last legal means of gaining an unfair advantage

over competition.
"Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
- Albert Einstein
JP Jones: The most successful campaigns were not hard-selling but
were likeable. They reward the viewer with entertainment and
important statements about the brand.

CONQUEST ADVERTISING
The conquest approach:

The future health of a brand is not about brand competitiveness

o Brand Distancing: Creating a massive space around a brand
Gets talked about
People appreciate cleverness
Similarity and familiarity breed apathy
Clever ad = Clever product by a clever company
Costs much less than dull convergence advertising; FINESSE not
FORCE. KNOCKOUT not BOMBARDMENT. BRAINS not MUSCLE.

Critical Differentiator:

An analysis of 55 US Corporations found that brands that grew

differentiation between 1993 and 1995 also grew operating profits
significantly more.
Differentiation is critical and it works!
o It is no longer enough for a brand to be the symbol of "quality,
value, familiarity, confidence, reassurance and integrity"
o Brand knowledge accumulates as memories and needs to be
refreshed with new content

Affect is more important for decision-making than cognition

Affective memory = feelings and emotions // Cognition = knowledge
and awareness

Key outcome: A relationship developer

o Less about selling and more about building relationships with
customers in a clever, charming, honest, fascinating and likeable
way
o Help the buyers buy rather than simply helping the sellers sell

The starting point of the process of brand building?

BE FASCINATING!