Because it proved to me that somebody has some brains within the Labour Party! Additionally both the main parties were reporting to be ending their traditional billboard blitzes in the run up to the general election after they were dismissed as a waste of money by a Government-ordered inquiry.
It would appear that both main parties now recognise the fact that all advertising is a complete and utter waste of money. Would somebody please share this knowledge with Moray MacLennan, IPA President who, judging by his inaugural speech, still believes that advertising works…More on that later as it is a subject worthy of an article on its own!
Back to the political scene, I still find it amazing that the Political Parties together with their Advertising Agencies ever were allowed to insult the intelligence of their electorate by claiming that their advertising actually made people vote for them!
If, and it's a big if, if it did anything at all, it worked to solidify existing attitudes among their supporters, so basically that was money well wasted, it worked equally effectively to turn away, and even alienated a lot of "don't knows".
Hasn't anybody read "The wisdom of the crowd"?
Because somebody should write the headline "Advertising isn't working".
It is worth mentioning here that the political parties' notions of their voters are not based on real people but on cardboard cut outs of voters.
Consequently all the messages are one-dimensional, not having any relevance to the populace,
Interestingly enough, the Labour Party is now going to attempt "Permission-based email and Direct Mail Campaigns".
I laugh at the sheer naivety of that little statement. Some second hand agency has now got them to start thinking new media, I bet that they were throwing words like "Digital" and "Clicks" and all the other new fangled garbage they use to day to justify their existence.
I mean to say how do you give voters the opportunity to volunteer to be marketed to? Perhaps you will say that permission marketing gives voters some say, however the process is still managed by the Parties and their Direct Marketing advisors.
So in essence what New Labour are proposing is not a new form of exchange it is still, basically, the very old form of command and control!
However the underlying problems are the negative effects, such as the widespread loss of trust in all our Political Parties. These come about for a variety of reasons, one being the complete inability to understand the true meaning of the word "communication".
And listening is a vital part of communication, but how can you listen if there is no true interaction-taking place?
Political Parties should make informed decisions about the attitudes and demands of their voters, and so act equitably –they must make a real attempt to listen to the needs and wants of the different voting groups, and how can you do all this without true interaction taking place? It cannot be assumed that all members of a common group want the same thing.
Listening carefully to voters is essential for all Political Parties to maintain their reputation.
And that can only be done through the process of Interactive Market Communication using existing media and it is available now!
Social Media – An epic tulipomania in the making!
The Internet is not an advertising medium, people log onto the Internet to go somewhere, not see advertisements!
Have you heard the one about Super-bowl Ads?
How much longer can Clients go on paying $3 million for a 30-second spot that doesn't wotk?
Rethinking Marketing Strategies: A Call to Chinese Entrepreneurs
In an era where the Chinese economy is making remarkable strides, it's crucial for Chinese entrepreneurs to critically evaluate the effectiveness of traditional advertising methods. The Western world's advertising industry, often perceived as superior, is increasingly being challenged by evidence suggesting that advertising may not be as effective as once believed. This article delves into the pitfalls of conventional advertising and explores the need for innovative communication strategies in the 21st century.
