Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we dive into the world of Fan Clubs. They are huge marketing tools for celebrities. We’ll track some of the earliest fan clubs, then compare them to the fan clubs in the digital era. We’ll also explore the big shift in power that swung from celebrities over to their fans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we talk about companies and products that turn 50 years old this year. Back in 1971, some of the best-selling products were created that are still best-sellers today. There were also a number of famous advertising campaigns launched that year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we look at televised award shows and how they are very effective marketing for movies, Broadway plays and recording artists. We’ll explore whether Oscar nominations sell more tickets than Oscar wins, how Grammys can make a career and how the Tony awards can rescue a play overnight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we listen to the most creative radio advertising from around the world. It’s the toughest medium to write for - but it’s also the most creatively freeing. We’ll hear commercials for a hair removal product, a fast-food series created for these confusing times and a student audio idea that attracted Taylor Swift. 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, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode. This season, we look at four unique companies. One completely changed a sport forever. One became the best-selling toy of all time. Another has influenced the music business since 1894. And one had a heavenly idea. All achieved something that had never been done before. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at famous animals in advertising. The ad industry has a long history of using animals in commercials. From Spuds MacKenzie the original party animal to the majestic Budweiser Clydesdales to Morris the finicky cat, they all have fascinating stories to tell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at one of the oldest advertising mediums - skywriting. From its beginning back in the early 1920s, skywriting was once the most sensational advertising medium in the country. We’ll look at the most famous skywriting campaigns, the most recent billboards in the sky and some of the most amusing spelling errors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore how the pandemic is affecting the world of marketing. Some products are tanking while others are setting sales records. We’ll tell the story of how one airline has started selling airplane food in grocery stores. And why lipstick sales have tanked but plastic surgery is booming. Who wins and who loses is very surprising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore superheroes in advertising. Superman was the archetype of the modern superhero and he was the archetype for how superheroes were used in ads. From Supe promoting Kellogg’s commercials in the 1950s to Batman hawking savings bonds to Batgirl advocating equal pay for equal work, stoic superheroes became the ultimate spokes-characters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we look at the most famous movie posters of all time. The movie poster is the beginning of the story - often the first piece of marketing created for a new film. We’ll look at how posters are designed and we’ll analyze how the best posters of all time influenced ticket buyers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we learn about famous female brand icons. In a marketing world full of Mr. Cleans, Ronald McDonalds and Mr. Whipples, there are female brand characters that were just as successful - and some even lasted longer. Join us as we draw a direct line from Josephine the Plumber and Madge the Manicurist to Flo from Progressive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore what happens when an established spokesperson switches brands. We’ll tell the story of how the Verizon “Can you hear me now?” guy ended up pitching Sprint, how “The Most Interesting Man in the World” went from Dos Equis to tequila and how a spokesperson for a hamburger chain got fired when she pitched spaghetti sauce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore how this new era of racial reckoning is affecting the world of marketing. Several of the leading brands have their roots in racial stereotypes, like Aunt Jemima - which took its imagery from the slave era. Some brands, like Eskimo Pies, have announced they are now re-naming their products and acknowledging their old names were offensive to indigenous people. We’ll also look at sports teams and their long history of controversy with team names. Hosted on Acast...
We’ve got a fun 2021 season planned for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what's in store... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Well, this week it’s our annual show where we answer listener questions. Like - why the most popular Super Bowl commercial chose to replace their lead actor, why Gatorade’s famous Be Like Mike campaign called Michael Jordan “Mike” when no one ever called him that before and we’ll answer the age-old question - why are there so many bad ads? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week we’re talking about the Mandela Effect. It is defined as “collective false memory.” That means many of us remember things incorrectly and we all remember them incorrectly the same way. From famous movie lines to song lyrics to details of traumatic events and even to famous commercials, we all think our memories are time-stamped videos of our lives. But they are not. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the branding of diseases. Over the course of history, diseases have been named after people and countries with devastating effects. Names have stigmatized entire regions, decimated industries and have even caused diplomatic crises. And countries have weaponized diseases for political purposes. As with all branding, words matter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, it’s our annual Bookmarks episode - where we tell fascinating stories from our research that didn't make it into the regular season. We’ll talk about a book that maintains if you build a better mousetrap, the world will NOT beat a path to your door. And we’ll tell a story from a biography of Bruce Lee that proves sometimes the only way to sell a product is to increase its price. Throw on your reading glasses and join us for Bookmarks 2020. ...
Some people call Under The Influence UTI for short. It’s not a good nickname. But some brand nicknames are positive and extremely valuable - like Coke and Chevy - and some nicknames like “Whole Paycheck” don’t make Whole Foods happy. Join us this week as we explore the implications of brand nicknames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Every episode of Under The Influence begins with an opening story. And after more than 300 episodes, we’ve told over 300 opening stories. This week, we look back at the ones that generated the most listener feedback - from a story about a one-armed martial artist to the unorthodox ways lovers communicated in the Victorian era to the story of the greatest racehorse of all time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
80 to 90% of new product launches fail. So to lower the risk, companies do trial runs. This week, we explore Test Markets - where companies launch new products in small towns to see if shoppers pay attention. We’ll tell the stories of successful product launches as well as a few notable product disasters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore how business can be won or lost with spontaneous off-hand remarks. Not all advertising business is conducted in a boardroom or in commercials. Sometimes somebody says something in an elevator, or in a speech or in a doorway that leads to winning an account - or losing it. Talk ain’t cheap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode, where I tell the stories behind some of the brands I admire. We’ll talk about a romance novel company that was started by a fur trader, an empire created by a cartoonist and a certain cream cheese with its very own spokes-angel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we explore the world of torture tests. Torture test commercials are one of the advertising industry’s most powerful techniques - because when a product can survive a dramatic test, it can convince a lot of people to buy the product. Unless, that is, the torture test goes very wrong… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the world of online reviews. These days, you can leave a review for anything - from a cup of coffee to your dentist. 90% of us read online reviews before buying a product - that’s why those reviews are so influential. Yet how do you tell fake ones from the real thing? Thumbs up or thumbs down, welcome to the world of online reviews. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the quiet world of ASMR marketing. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It’s a new form of marketing that creates a calming feeling often accompanied by a tingling sensation. Marketers create that experience using sound effects and whispers. Everything from beer brands to fast food restaurants are using it - hoping that tingling sensation leads to a cash register. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Dum dum da dum. This week, we explore the lucrative world of Wedding Marketing. Weddings are big, big business. As a result, the wedding industry is a big marketing category. From invitations and flowers to dresses and cakes, weddings are an $80 billion-dollar industry. And planning the perfect wedding day is a lot of pressure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore how airports are now becoming brands. You may not know it, but airports compete against each other for business. That intense rivalry has led to the complete transformation of airports - they now have movie theatres, skating rinks, rooftop pools and top retail stores. These days, airports are destinations unto themselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, we explore the surprising ideas companies use to attract new customers. Like “Finger Lickin’ Good” nail polish from KFC. Or NASCAR’s partnership with Harlequin romance novels. The search for new customers is endless. And the resulting marketing is endlessly fascinating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
