by Don Hermann
Follow these two people. One real. One make believe.
The real person is no longer with us. But his impact is.
And will be for decades.
The Make Believe person is a Lady. Cinderella.
Advertising Age the industry’s most important publication selected William Bernbach as the “most influential creative force of the 20th century in the advertising industry.”
He never wrote a book but was quoted repeatedly. His wisdom goes way beyond advertising and includes all form of communicating.
I never met the man but am a devoted follower of the “Bernbach School of Advertising.” We’d be a lot better off if more people followed in his footsteps.
As time goes by I’ll share some of his thinking in this and in future articles.
Cinderella, our fantasy Lady represents a real life example of how important it is for “The Shoe to Fit”.
On the other hand, the Democrats offered an array of styles and sizes which seemed to fit the needs of buyers, but by in large, they didn’t buy.
What’s the solution? Could it be the messaging? Maybe it wasn’t pressing the right emotional buttons?
It’s painful to say this, but Trump was the Prince and he sold his Fake Stuff to millions of Cinderellas. They were willing buyers.
Back to Bill Bernbach and his messaging:
“An important idea not communicated persuasively is like having no idea at all.”
“You can’t sell a man who isn’t listening.”
“Just because you ad looks good is no insurance that it will get looked at. How many people do you know who are impeccably groomed…but dull”?
“We are so busy measuring public opinion that we forget we can mold it. We are so busy listening to statistics we forget we can create them.”
There are a lot of Cinderellas out there. Show them you have the shoe that fits.
You can start by exciting them. By showing them your shoes are specifically designed to satisfy each of their tastes. And needs.
You have a brand that ties all their issues together. From Voting to Black Lives Matter to Gun Control to Control of Your Own Body.
I have not been crowned a Prince, but I have been able to fill the needs of many Cinderellas.
America. The world is in desperate need of something that will measure up to the designs of the various tastes of these prospective buyers. Hopefully, they’ll realize that Make Believe is what it really is. Make Believe.
Photo 56936998 | Advertising © Ganna Todica | Dreamstime.com
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.