This week, we look at the use of profanity in marketing and the resulting upsurge in Vulgar Trademarks. Four-letter words aren’t just sought out by small, feisty companies looking for attention anymore, but by some of the largest advertisers in the world. Is it obscene, or is it free speech? These days, I swear it’s hard to tell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 16, 2019•27 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at the fine art of selling the dream. The world of Real Estate Marketing has its own rules, its own techniques and its own unique breed of sales people. We'll tell the story of how the word "Realtor" was reluctantly blessed by Merriam-Webster, why so many real estate agents use photos of themselves as a marketing tactic and what happens when the real estate business tries enticing buyers using... humour. It's a form of marketing that touches all of us and it usually involves t...
May 09, 2019•28 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast This week, I’ll be sharing some of the major influences in my life that helped inform my thinking and shape my career. Including a snowplow ad from my childhood, the sound effects from one very specific cartoon, hilarious actors I worked with and seeing the corner of a billboard flapping in the wind. It’s a little lesson in who’s had me under the influence... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 02, 2019•35 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at celebrities with their own brands. From a small town general store owned by a comedian to a cosmetics empire started by an 18-year-old to a winery that was funded by the Godfather movies - a few of them are even billion-dollar enterprises. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 25, 2019•27 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore Word of Mouth Advertising. Most businesses hope good products and excellent service are enough to encourage positive recommendations. But the smartest companies actually have strategies to ignite word-of-mouth chatter. It’s the oldest form of advertising, but it’s the most effective by far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 18, 2019•27 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore roadside attractions as marketing. Interesting and often quirky landmarks that put small towns on the map. We’ll look at one town that leveraged its name to bring in thousands of TV fans, one that built a giant animal statue to get highway drivers to take a detour and another that built a monument to attract both human and non-human visitors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 11, 2019•27 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Do you know which mascot is the most recognized but least liked on TV? This week, we look at disgusting but effective advertising mascots. Fun, cuddly characters that personify our bodily functions the way human actors never could. But they all have one thing in common: they’re disgustingly lucrative. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 04, 2019•28 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore the world of law firm advertising. Some of it good, some of it bad, but a handful of it highly creative. We’ll break down the lawyer advertising laws that get some firms in trouble, we’ll look at the controversial billboard that got one lawyer death threats and the YouTube campaign that went viral - earning a divorce firm over 90M impressions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 21, 2019•27 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we listen to the innovative ways marketers are using sound around the world. We’ll explore how the words of an anthem in South Africa were altered to send a powerful message about abuse, why Romanian radio stations switched over to mono to save lives and why some journalists are using music as a censorship loophole. Join us as we assess the current air quality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 14, 2019•27 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore the world of distress purchases. Distress purchases are the things we need in life, but quietly resent having to pay for like insurance, car tires, laundry appliances and batteries. But the psychology marketers employ to steer you toward those purchases is fascinating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 07, 2019•27 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore the world of unwitting endorsers. Sometimes a celebrity is featured in an advertising campaign without his or her knowledge or permission. There’s no denying the pull of celebrity, but a brand is a legal property. And if you trespass, you risk trouble. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 28, 2019•28 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast This week, just in time for the Oscars, we look at some of the most innovative movie marketing. From advertising an R-rated superhero to marketing a silent horror film with virtually no dialogue, today’s movies aren’t just breaking records - they’re breaking all the rules. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 21, 2019•27 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Feb 14, 2019•28 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at the use of brand names in songs. Sometimes lyrical mentions lead to major brand success. Other times, to lawsuits and bans. But the stories behind each are fascinating. And our list may even include some of your favourite songs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 07, 2019•27 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at products made by monks. Monks create a myriad of merchandise that is sold to the public. Some sing and sell CDs of their chants. Others brew their own beer. A few even deal in cannabis . But in almost all cases, the products sell well and sell fast . And the reasons why…are fascinating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 31, 2019•27 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we explore the fascinating world of vending machines . Vending machines aren’t just soft drink dispensers, they’re marketing machines. They’re portable, branded on all sides and are becoming smarter and smarter. The list of wacky items you can find in vending machines around the world may surprise you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 24, 2019•28 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at the history of commercial lengths. From the very first 10-minute radio commercial in 1922, to five-second commercials today, the length of ads has changed dramatically over the decades. But it’s not the changing length s of commercials that’s so fascinating. It’s the reasons why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 18, 2019•27 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Under The Influence, we look at unusual and unexpected advertising placements. As the world of marketing gets more and more cluttered every day, it’s forcing advertisers to get creative . From urinals and sheep to foreheads and armpits, welcome to the world of wacky ad spaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 10, 2019•27 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Jan 03, 2019•27 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Jun 21, 2018•28 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Jun 14, 2018•27 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Jun 07, 2018•28 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
May 31, 2018•28 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
May 24, 2018•28 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
May 18, 2018•28 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
May 03, 2018•28 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Apr 26, 2018•27 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Apr 19, 2018•27 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Apr 12, 2018•27 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast 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.
Mar 29, 2018•27 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast 
