BARQ & A

Posted By: BNY

Does anyone use subliminal marketing tactics any more? I understand political advertising campaigns do - one case was the opposition to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Also, using music in retail environment to enhance buying mood.

BARQ’s response:

BNY,

The famous examples of Coke and popcorn photos being flashed imperceptibly on movie screens to cause viewers to buy more concessions were never proven to be effective, because they could not be replicated.

In the broader sense of subliminal advertising, most good advertising has a subliminal element to it, because it is designed to appeal to an emotion — the baby in the Michelin tire (protect your family), glamorous dates in a Lexus (pride, status), and Viagra’s famous “quarterback” throwing a football through a tire swing… you don’t have to be Fellini to get that one.

The spoken or written word is the conscious message — the setting, timing, colors, music, etc. are designed for subconscious, or subliminal effect.

When an advertiser says “limited quantity” it doesn’t just mean “hurry, there are only 5 to sell,” they’re appealing to the potential buyer’s emotional desire to obtain something that is rare and exclusive.

When the Moonies gave you a flower at the airport, they were not just offering a gift and asking for a donation, They knew that subliminally, most cultures feel obligated to reciprocate, and this influences your actions by handing them cash with which you would not otherwise part. Same thing with the charities that send you free greeting cards in the mail.

When a charity calls you and asks “how are you?” they don’t particularly care, but they do want you to say “good” or “fine” so that when they hit you up for a donation, your subliminal desire to be consistent causes you to demonstrate how good your feel by making that donation.

These subliminal methods have been used for decades, and have been documented to work consistently and effectively.

BARQ
SELMARQ Brands’ Best Friend

Posted By: TRI

My boss and I have identified articles that are very close to our industry and written by journalists in the past month or so. Would it be a good icebreaker to contact them with positive feedback and comments on the article (my boss wants me to)? Is that common practice? How can I use one such e-mail to initiate a positive relationship with the writer? Can I routinely send feedback to these writers as a means of fostering our relationship with them?

P.S. The journalists in question are people I’d like to establish positive relationships with and pitch article ideas to.

Thanks

BARQ’s response:

TRI,

It is not uncommon for good, reliable sources of information to contact writers. HOWEVER, you and your company should be committed to maintaining that flow of information. Unless your company is a leader in the industry, building credibility is a long, tedious process. This is where a managed PR program helps.

Writers and editors are always looking for regular, accurate and reliable sources for particular disciplines of interest to their readers. But as the Godfather said, one day you may be called upon to do them a favor — you should be as ready and willing to assist them as you are in asking their help getting press for your company. If you let them down, you will lose the trust that you spent so much effort building. (You may even wake up staring at a horse’s head!)

BARQ
SELMARQ Brands’ Best Friend

Posted By: AGH

I am looking for some insight on what should go into the “footer” of a press release? It was my understanding that the footer is a generic description of the company and its products. But I haven’t been able to confirm this.

Our current company footer sounds like advertising rather than an objective description of our company. I have written plenty of press releases and have developed guidelines on writing good press releases, so I know that the body copy should not sound like advertising. But does the same concept apply to the footer? Are there standard guidelines for how to write the footer?

Would appreciate any thoughts or insight you have!

AGH

BARQ’s response:

AGH,

The ideal press release is crafted in such a way that any editor or reporter with integrity could lift the entire content of your PR and make a good article of it. The purpose of the “footer” (“boilerplate” in PR terms) is to give credibility to what has been said in the PR. If you shamelessly promote your company with superlatives and hyperbole, it does NOT sound credible, and would be excised by all but the most corrupt of editors. If it makes your company seem to be an expert regarding the subject of the PR, it is a good boilerplate.

Remember that the ultimate objective of any publication is to be a trusted and credible source of timely, relevant industry information for their target audience. That gives them stature in the industry — a powerful tool for generating revenue.

Also remember that, like a good reporter, you should put the information most pertinent to the publication’s audience first, and the least important last. That enables quick editing… they can cut from the bottom up. You might think this puts your boilerplate in jeopardy, but PR is a LONG TERM game. If you build a reputation for trust and integrity (brand) with the editor, eventually you boilerplate info will be included.

BARQ
SELMARQ Brands’ Best Friend