One of the biggest factors fuelling the sharing economy is the mindset of the Millennial generation. A demographic bigger than the Baby Boomers, Millennials have been conditioned by the Great Recession to shed the responsibility of ownership. They want the movie, but not the DVD. They want the music, but not the CD. They want the ride, but not the car. That attitude is beginning to have an enormous impact on marketers, as the biggest consumer demographic in history would rather share than buy. H...
Mar 08, 2015•27 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast The issue of geography is a subject the marketing world subscribes to. Many companies, and even entire industries, attach their brands to geographical points of origin as a way to differentiate themselves and assert superiority. From German engineering to Russian vodka to Swiss watches, “Geography as branding” is a powerful marketing strategy that often comes with a premium price tag. This week, we explore if that premium price tag is justified... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...
Mar 01, 2015•27 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast The Academy Awards are coming up soon - and the wins and losses on that night change the fortunes of actors, directors and films. But what the public never sees is how movie studios - and some actors - campaign to win those Oscars. The strategies used to influence Academy voters are fascinating, involving millions of dollars, trade advertising, parties, swag, the White House, law suits, and even trips to old age homes to sway elderly voters. Grab a bag of popcorn and tune in. Hosted on Acas...
Feb 22, 2015•28 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Just in time for the Grammy Awards, we look at how hit songs are marketed. With music sales in decline, recording artists are turning to inventive marketing ideas to sell their albums. From the first 24-hour music video, to hiding lyrics in library books, to downloading a new album onto 500 million music libraries to the opposite strategy of issuing one, single copy of a new album, marketing hit songs has never had more interesting notes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Feb 08, 2015•27 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of “Selling The Moon,” we pick up the story with the success of the Gemini program, which leads NASA to believe they might reach the moon faster than anticipated. But then tragedy strikes, and the Apollo project is put on hold for more than a year. But when the improved Apollo program returns, the race to the moon accelerates - as does the remarkable marketing that surrounds it. NASA continues to sell the moon landing as a technological marvel that will benefit Americans, advertisers...
Feb 01, 2015•27 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Across the two episodes, we’ll trace the way NASA marketed the expensive moon landing to both the American public, and to Congress. In this first part, we see how the Russians got to space first, prompting President John F. Kennedy to promise a moon landing - not only as a way to win the space race - but to improve his public relations after the Bay of Pigs fiasco. The journey to the moon will be one of the most expensive endeavours in history, and NASA needed to constantly market the program to...
Jan 25, 2015•27 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Not all products are beautiful. While it’s easy to sell a gorgeous item, the degree of difficulty ratchets up when the item is butt-ugly. Some ugly products need a lot of clever marketing to succeed, while no amount of marketing can save other hideous brands. Then, every once in a while, some ugly products become runaway hits. In this episode, we tell the story of how a big grocery store figured out a way to sell deformed vegetables, how ugly footwear continues to attract millions of customers, ...
Jan 18, 2015•28 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we tackle the topic of Controversy Advertising. The number one job of all advertising is to get attention, and many brands choose to use controversial advertising ideas to break through the clutter. It’s a risky strategy, as controversy always courts trouble. We look at how Kmart used controversy to blow the dust off its staid image, how Kimberly-Clark used an eyebrow-raising idea to sell a discrete product, and we tell the story of how one advertiser tried to sue his advertising agen...
Jan 11, 2015•28 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at some of the strangest brands that exist in the world. Some are the result of odd licensing deals - like WikiLeaks, which is now licensing its brand out to other manufacturers. Others are the result of unusual marketing opportunities - like a Burger King body spray. We kid you not. From Mandela wines to Motörhead Shiraz, we explore how these strange products came about, the thinking behind them, and the resulting sales results. Hey, even the U.S. Marines have their own colog...
Jan 04, 2015•27 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Well, this is the final episode of Under The Influence for the 2014 season. As as we do every year, we turn this show over to our listeners. Terry answers all the marketing and advertising questions listeners have sent in, and this year, the questions are better than ever. Terry will trace the history of how Kool-Aid/Lemon-Aid stands came to be, he’ll give a first-hand report on how the very last swan-song Eaton’s campaign was developed, he’ll discuss why #1 brands still feel compelled to advert...
Jun 22, 2014•28 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Under The Influence, we look at brands that mock other brands. It’s a risky strategy, as one company has to ridicule another brand to make a point - and mocking a rival always fuels retaliation. We’ll talk about how Miller High Life mocked Anheuser-Busch during the Super Bowl, how Jaguar mocked Mercedes, how Samsung mocked Apple, how Apple mocked Samsung, and how Apple kind of perfected mocking when it set its sights on Microsoft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...
Jun 15, 2014•27 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we search for companies that offer 100%, no questions-asked, no fine print lifetime guarantees. They're hard to find, as not many companies are willing to offer that unlimited return policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 08, 2014•27 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at 21st Century Brands. Only 14 years into a new era, and it's astounding to look at all the new brands and categories that have changed our world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 25, 2014•27 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at how companies sell death. While death is usually a forbidden word in advertising, the subject of death is slowly becoming more mainstream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 18, 2014•28 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we discuss what happens when founders are the face of a company. No one can relay the passion of a company like the founder - but while they may be the heart and soul of a company, should they be the face? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 11, 2014•28 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at the subtle art of "nudging." Schools, marketers and even governments are now using small nudges to gently steer people toward making more positive decisions in their lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 27, 2014•27 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Under The Influence, it's Terry O'Reilly's annual episode where he features four brands he admires. It might be because the brand broke new ground, or has managed to stay #1, or just because it has been a part of our lives for so long. With that in mind, he'll celebrate a certain mac & cheese that has been with us since 1937, a TV show that broke ground in 1969, a condiment that has been #1 for over 100 years, and the most successful movie franchise of all time. Hosted on Acast....
Apr 20, 2014•27 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast This week we air our annual book show. The research for Under The Influence requires a lot of reading, and listeners always ask for more information about the books we mention. So we take the opportunity every year to talk about the research books we've read, and tell additional stories from those books. In this year's show, we'll talk about how Bobby Orr met Gordie Howe's elbow, how the Romans turned their weakness in sea battles into a strength, how baggage inspectors at El-Al Airlines put the...
Apr 13, 2014•28 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast The marketing industry is a business of short, concise messages. Be it the confines of 30 seconds, the space in a print ad or the restrictions of twitter or a website. The true test of an idea is whether or not it can be explained in just a few words. An elevator pitch forces that discipline - if an idea can be explained in the time it takes an elevator to go from the first floor to the second floor, it's probably a solid idea. And if it can't be - it probably means the advertising idea is fuzzy...
Apr 06, 2014•27 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore how the weather affects marketing. With 75 years of climate data cross-referenced with reams of shopping research, marketers can now use the weather to predict sales. Sears Automotive knows that 5-year old car batteries die after three consecutive days of sub-zero temperatures, so they advertise on day four. The busiest day of the week at Harley-Davidson dealerships is exactly 22°C and sunny. When spring temperatures hit 21°C, hair removal products surge 1400%, and BBQ sale...
Mar 23, 2014•27 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we look at famous people who began their careers in advertising. Many of the people who have gone on to shape popular culture cut their teeth in the world of marketing. From Dr. Seus, Salman Rushdie and Bob Newhart, to Sir Alec Guinness - yes, Obi-Wan Kenobi himself - they all spent their formative years writing copy. Each learned some valuable skills on their way to the top. And their stories are remarkable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 16, 2014•28 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we look at the wild and crazy world of Viral Videos. Some brands spend big money on videos and nobody watches, meanwhile a cat video is viewed by millions. It’s a world with no rules, fuelled by luck and timing. We’ll look at the most viewed videos ever, including a video a woman made when she quit her job that attracted almost 10 million views, the Evian bottled water video that went into the Guinness Book of World Records, a Nivea viral video that might have gone too far, and ...
Mar 09, 2014•28 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast After a 100 years of Mass Production - where one size fit all - 21st century marketing is moving to Mass Customization - letting you custom-design everything you buy. From cars, to clothes, to shoes – to your own breakfast cereal. This week on Under The Influence, we’ll explore how companies profit from personalized products, how they market those products, how consumers are drawn to companies that offer customization, and how brands use customization to fight competitors. Including how Bur...
Mar 02, 2014•28 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at Ambush Marketing. It's a form of marketing where a brand tried to connect itself with an event like the FIFA World Cup - but WITHOUT paying sponsorship fees. It merely ambushes the festivities. Or one brand intrudes on another brand's advertising to gain attention. Either way, it's uninvited advertising, it's very controversial - plus the stories are riveting. And the Olympics has a long and fascinating history with ambush marketing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...
Feb 16, 2014•28 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Just in time for the Sochi Olympics, we take the opportunity to look at the big-money world of Olympic advertising. From the very first Olympic sponsors in 1896, we'll track the ever increasing presence of advertising in the Games - from the marketing milestones to the resulting controversies - including the year the IOC approved Olympic cigarettes! We'll also analyze how the IOC deals with the tension between keeping the Olympic ideals in place while needing more and more advertisin...
Feb 09, 2014•30 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Unlike public service announcements or corporate philanthropy, Cause Marketing is when a Not-For-Profit organization teams up with a For-Profit company to further a good cause – but the For-Profit partner makes a profit while helping. It’s a contentious strategy – as most people don’t like to hear the word “profit” in the same breath as “charity.” But this new marketing strategy depends on profit to survive. We’ll tell the story of how Cause Marketing began in the...
Jan 19, 2014•28 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we explore how we're all influenced by pricing. Like how the price of a bottle of wine has an enormous affect on how much you enjoy that wine. We’ll analyze how restaurants design menus to steer you toward the most profitable dishes, and how retail stores use psychology to persuade you to spend more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 12, 2014•27 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast In our first episode of Season 3, we explore #1 Brands. We'll look at popular categories and identify the runaway best-selling brands and analyze why they are #1. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 05, 2014•28 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast It's our last episode of the season. And every year, we turn our annual season finale over to listeners and answer their questions about advertising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 22, 2013•26 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast This penultimate show of the season features the various lessons I've learned over the course of my 30-year advertising career. From the fact small brands need big personalities, to the reason why committees aren't creative, to the truism that all marketing is theatre, to six tips for presenting ideas that have never proven me wrong, to a secret my car mechanic taught me about presenting invoices to nervous clients, it's a collection of insights and learning. This I know: All knowledge should be...
Jun 15, 2013•26 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast 
