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This week, we look at spokesperson disasters. Hiring a celebrity spokesperson is an advertising strategy many brands can only dream of. But famous names don’t come cheap. From Oprah Winfrey, to Gilbert Gottfried and Eric Clapton, celebs attract a lot of attention. But so do their mishaps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, it’s our annual Ask Terry episode - where we answer listener questions on the air. From the inspiration behind our theme song, to why some commercials overstay their welcome, to whether lawn signs really affect elections, this year’s questions were fun and insightful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at how self-driving cars affect the world of marketing. While it may seem like a bit of a novelty these days, the era of the autonomous car is fast approaching. And the implications for business, marketing and everyday life are astounding. Fasten your seatbelts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at how tourism survives a tragedy. When a city experiences a massive crisis, it must find a way to restore its tourism. All cities rely on tourism – it is often one of the top revenue-generating industries and employs one of the biggest workforces. From Toronto’s SARS outbreak to Hurricane Katrina, it all comes down to a crisis plan, speed and smart marketing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at the ad industry’s place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The aim of all advertising is to create selling ideas that are impossible to ignore. From the world’s largest coupon, to the most expensive commercial ever made, to the first ad visible from outer space, breaking a record can be a great marketing strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at products invented by the military. The military has influenced more technology than any government, agency, business or organization in history. From the appliances in your kitchen, to the big screen in your living room, to the car you drive, you’d be surprised how much of your world is military-inspired. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the art of door-to-door sales. From encyclopaedias, to make-up, to vacuum cleaners, many corporations were built on the shoe leather of direct sales. It was a tough way to make a living. But the best salespeople never met a door they couldn't open. We’ll even look at the famous names in Hollywood that started out as door-to-door salespeople. The list may surprise you… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at brands that aren’t afraid to celebrate their weaknesses. As a rule, no company ever wants to point a neon sign at its flaws. But there are a few brave advertisers out there who know there can be incredible power in a negative. Like a brand that advertises the fact that its product tastes awful, or another that boasts being second in its category. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, it’s our annual look at brands I admire. They may not be the hippest, the latest or the coolest, but I envy them for a reason. Like the most iconic studio in rock history, the first casual shoe ever invented or the world’s most timeless sunglasses. Join us for a peek at a few of my favourite things… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, it’s our annual look at brands I admire. They may not be the hippest, the latest or the coolest, but I envy them for a reason. Like the most iconic studio in rock history, the first casual shoe ever invented or the world’s most timeless sunglasses. Join us for a peek at a few of my favourite things… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at commercials that made the unlikely leap…to Hollywood. Some became big hit movies, others inspired popular songs. One even became a TV series that was voted one of the worst sitcoms of all time. But that’s what can happen when an ad hitchhikes to Hollywood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, it’s part two of our Jingles episode. Jingles had a great run until the late ‘80s, then songs overtook them. But a few big jingles have beaten the trend in recent years – one in particular has even made one company billions of dollars… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we explore the use of jingles in advertising. So many brands were built on the backs of jingles. From the Big Mac, to Smarties, to Wheaties cereal. Successful jingles stay lodged in our minds forever. Once you hear them, learn the melody and start singing the lyrics, you become the advertiser. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore famous products named after their inventors. Some products are so cemented in our minds we forget those names once belonged to people. Shrapnel was invented by Henry Shrapnel, nachos were invented by Nachos Anaya and the leotard was invented by a Jules Leotard. We’ll even look at some inventors who wish their names had been forgotten... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at products that went from worthless to priceless. Products someone created out of something everyone else ignored. It might be scraps on the ground that people stepped over, or useless waste destined for the scrap heap. But in each case, the resulting product was a masterpiece of instinct and insight… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the world of celebrities in advertising. We’ll tell the story of a super shy mega star at one of her very first gigs, how Alan Arkin defied all advertising norms and why an afternoon behind the mic makes Alec Baldwin sweat. Celebrities cost big money, have big opinions and make big demands. But if the commercial is good, their presence can be rocket fuel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we debunk urban brand myths. Myths that live on as assumed facts in marketing textbooks, MBA courses, endless business seminars and dinner parties. It's easy to accept rumours as truth because they're usually dramatic and juicy. But many of the myths you’ve heard and maybe even passed along are actually...untrue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the fascinating world of Comic Book Advertising. A world where Sea-Monkeys could be trained, X-Ray Specs saw through clothes, Charles Atlas taught bodybuilding secrets and one-day karate courses could be yours for just a dollar. You probably spent your allowance on one or two in your day... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore how marketers solve difficult problems. We’ll look at how Monty Python stopped piracy by giving away content for free, how a wardrobe change transformed Steve Martin’s career and why the president of Bogota replaced police officers…with mimes. Sometimes the only solution is a wild and crazy idea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore how marketers saved certain foods from oblivion by changing…their names . Many foods you enjoy started out life with very unappetizing names. Some so off-putting, I’m willing to bet you would have never gone near them. But you probably have one or two in your fridge today… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we delve into the emerging world of subscription marketing. Did you know you could have underwear sent to your door every month? How about joining the Salami of the Month club? Or maybe your cat needs a regular toy top-up. You can subscribe to just about anything these days - and some of the items may surprise you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the advertising campaigns that had everything stacked against them and yet went on to become hugely successful. The resistance may have come from clients who hated the idea, focus groups that gave the thumbs-down, apprehension within the agency or even that the initial research declared them failures. But they survived and thrived because someone said...Damn The Torpedoes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we analyze how old school products survive in the 21st century. Many brands can’t keep up with the digital age, but others have found a way to succeed – some doing even better business today. We’ll look at how one company makes money by retiring its products, why another partnered up with its biggest competitors to stay relevant and how an entire profession saved itself by not going digital. From Crayola to Velveeta, it all comes down to smart market...
This week, we explore how some of the craziest fads are marketed. We'll look at how one student's school project changed the way we sleep, why a single toy made Tyco the subject of bomb threats and how a popular piece of jewellery was inspired...by doctors. From the Thighmaster to the Pet Rock, we'll break down what makes fads so absolutely irresistible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week marks the final episode of the 2017 Under The Influence season. And as we do every year, we're turning this show over to you, our listeners. We’ll be answering the marketing and advertising questions you've sent us through social media. From how we come up with new episode topics each week, to why mattress companies don’t use sex to sell mattresses, to which commercials are my all-time favourites - this year’s questions are fun and insightful. Hosted on Acast. See aca...
This week, it’s our annual Bookmarks episode. The research team at Under The Influence does a lot of reading over the year, and finds a lot of great stories - many of which don't fit into our regular season. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be told. We’ll look at why Sting laughs at the beginning of Roxanne, how the U.S. military learned a lesson in branding when it got soldiers to eat their vegetables and the interesting story behind which car was the first ever to feature…a cup holder...
This week, we journey to Cannes, France for the Cannes International Advertising Festival. It’s the most revered advertising competition in the world, with 90 countries submitting over 40,000 ads. We’ll analyze the entries and answer the age-old question: do award-winning commercials really sell product? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore how some of society's biggest taboos were broken by marketers. We’ll look at why toilet paper was a hush-hush product in the 19th century, which publication was the first ever to print an ad on its front page and how Lysol was originally advertised…as contraception. Some taboos were broken years ago, some more recently than you may realize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we analyze how marketing affects the sports world. We’ll look at the massive influence that comes with owning the rights to the Olympic games, how the recent uptick in gambling sponsorships affects athletes and what happens when major advertisers threaten sports leagues. It’s a lucrative, but tricky business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we tell the story of the most interesting adman in the world - Albert Lasker. Lasker had a hand in influencing professional baseball, Planned Parenthood, North American breakfast and not one, but two presidential elections. And he just happened to change the world of advertising in the process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
