This ad was published by Ford’s Simi Valley dealership two days ago, and reads:

“Well we didn’t catch fire but these deals are smoking hot. Take a look!”

This dealer is in Simi Valley, the community that sits just to the north of the Woolsey Fire Perimeter and northeast of the Hill fire.  In fact, Simi had a few flare ups from the fires in the southern part of their valley.

What were they thinking? They are in the general fire area, and while both fires continue to burn (and neither fully contained), they ran this ad.

It’s just not appropriate promotion! In fact it was just downright dumb. With at least 44 people dead from the awful fires in California, and The 2 Guyz on Marketing personally knowing several people who have lost their homes and all their worldly possessions, we rate this as one of the worst ads ever.

A spokesperson for the dealership apologized, but was it enough?  “Recently, we expressed ourselves in a way that does not reflect our values…We are sorry. Simi Valley is our home and, like all of us who live here, we will continue to assist during these difficult times.”

Think before you promote during a disaster. Don’t take advantage of the situation for personal or business gain. Help those affected. Help first responders. Heck, take pictures of the people you help and post on social media. But don’t capitalize.

The first of what is likely to be many Baddie Awards.

The 2 Guyz on Marketing think “yes.” Why? Multiple reasons.

2 Guyz Larry remembers the on-air radio contest in 1991 on the once famous Ken and Barkley Company radio program. It was back when radio personalities were media stars of the city, and wielded a lot of clout.

Larry decided to go recently  with a former student and have a hamburger from Hamburger Habit at 11223 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. Over the years Londre has always doubted the use of this banner which says “Best Hamburger.”  But more than his quest for the perfect burger, he is a lifelong collector of marketing and advertising stories.

So many things are wrong with the posting of this banner. Is the claim true? Well, it was once judged best by a radio show, so that is true. Were they the best? Maybe. Are they still? Highly unlikely. (Does anything stay “best” that long?)

But most importantly, it’s been too darn long to claim the results from a 1991 radio station promotion!

Both of the 2 Guyz on Marketing teach and work in marketing, advertising and promotion. In our classes, this brings up issues of advertising ethics, honesty in advertising, and sound business practice (or lack of).

Sales promotion includes several communications activities, under Promotion in the nine P’s of Marketing, that attempt to provide added value or incentives to wholesalers, retailers, or consumers to stimulate immediate sales. These efforts or activities attempt to stimulate product interest, trial, or purchase. Sales promotion is the process of persuading a potential customer to buy the product. Sales promotion is designed to be used as a short-term tactic to boost sales.

Why do companies and advertising agencies use sales promotion? To promote an increase in sales, usage or trial of a product or service.

Larry and his former student agreed that it may not be the best hamburger within three blocks of National and Sepulveda.  For many reasons it’s not appropriate to use the banner.  I would bet no one who was part of the “study” even works at KABC anymore. I would also bet they have changed suppliers and employees multiple times, too.

Legally, the FTC gave us the “6 Month Rule”, which basically states a “new product” is new for 6 months. An advertiser cannot promote a new product is new forever. (That’s why a lot of products do smaller innovations more frequently, so that can continually “legally” claim to be new, or “new and improved”).

But simply it’s not good to say you “were”, if you “are not”. And even if you “were” back then, 27 years is just too long.

Yes, the Super Bowl LII is next Sunday…

As college instructors and bloggers, we want to help! The 2 Guyz want you to look smart while you are watching the Super Bowl with friends.

These are some great questions and answers to look as smooth as you can be while watching the Super Bowl TV spots on February 4th on NBC.

• “Really, advertising is not an art form. It’s an expensive, business tool.”
• “Is that spot or ad believable?”
• “Was that clear? Or “Was that a clear execution of their strategy to sell product or services?”
• “Did that give any information to us, the audience? Or say “the intended target audience?”
• “Does that TV spot (better to say spot than an ad) deliver the intended message?”
• To me, meaning you the reader of this blog or viewer, “Is the advertiser trying to shock us?  Are they really selling any product?”
• “Looks like they are generating some awareness of their brand, but are they selling any product?”
• “I wonder who their competition is?”
• “Creative advertising is really advertising that creates sales.”
• “Advertising is only one of eight tools under “Promotion” with the 9P’s of Marketing.” Remember the advertising could have put $5 Million dollars for each spot into more sales people. Better customer service. Could have dropped prices? More store events.
• To whom should they be targeting and promoting? The Super Bowl is more men than women (55% men to 45% women), but it’s a huge audience. What percentage of the audience would be interested in buying that product? Under “People/”Targeting, target market, audience with media falls here.
• Every ad contains two things:
  • What you want to say
  • How you want to say it.
• Another great question is, “What are they really trying to say (or sell)?”
• And finally, from the business point of view when you see a bad spot, “What’s the opportunity cost of that? Probably could have found a more effective way to spend $5.5.”

Enjoy the game…and the spots!

• Promotion:
  • Eight (8) major, strategic components: The communication elements include personal and non-personal communication activities.
  • The activities that communicate the merits of the overall product, which include:
    • Personal Selling/ Sales Force: Sales persons:
      • A special 2 Guyz on marketing tip: “Listen more than you talk. People who listen more, learn more, plus helps you position your service/product/solution or offering.”
    • Advertising: There’s an expression “It is only creative if it sells.” I wanted to add “It is only good media spending if it sells.”
    • Sales Promotion
    • Collateral Materials
    • Direct Marketing (also referred to as Action or Direct Response Advertising)
    • Interactive/Internet/Web, Digital Media, Social Media:
    • Events and Experiences
    • Public Relations/PR

Promotion is the “stuff” that lay people think about when we talk about marketing. There’s lots of creativity, ideas, and brainstorming. But The 2 Guyz teach it’s that and a lot more, too. Promotion is a critical strategic part of any company or brand’s marketing mix.

From The 2 Guyz on Marketing, here are some strategic questions to ask, as a business owner, brand manager or advertising professional, and all fall under Promotion:

• • • Have you noticed that you may watch what you want to watch in TV programing, when you want to watch it and anywhere, any screen? TV is still the largest single advertising media when you measure how many people are touched by a single message at a single time. All of these factors affect media planning.
    • Look at and evaluate the eight different elements under Promotion and your brand’s practices and ask is there a better way? Which of these eight ways works best, or which ones work well together?
    • What are your costs in dollars and manpower or person power, and be sure to ask, “Is there a different or better way or ways to budget to build awareness?”
    • Look at different strategic partners? How might their costs affect yours?
    • To whom should you target and promote? Under People/Targeting, target audience within media falls here.
    • What should you promote? What are strategic copy points.
    • Discounting? Special sales? What economic and discount levels should you offer? Look at revenue versus costs.
    • What form or combination of promotion should you offer? Features?

How frequent? Add media planning here. Great promotion placed in the wrong place is wasted effort. Lousy promotion in the best place is equally flawed. Good marketing and advertising is the blend of creating promotion and media planning that work together strategically. Brian of the 2 Guyz on Marketing preaches to his class that it’s both science and art together in a delicate balance to be successful.

We will do additional posts on media planning and we have a couple of videos out on media planning. Check out our YouTube channel for that.

For more Marketing insights, ideas, concepts and Marketing solutions: Go to Londremarketing.com and look under “Articles and Resources” and the 9P’s/Nine P’s ©2007. Specifically you will find them detailed at 9P’s/Nine P’s or Nine P’s/9P’s of Marketing.

*Created by Larry Steven Londre. Copyright 2007.

Larry Steven Londre offers one unique definition of marketing, and Brian Hemsworth comments on the execution of some :06 commercials.

Are they cut down :10’s, or long brand ID’s? How will they fit in a television show? And why are networks trying this?

Learn more about the new :06 commercials in our this video.

The 2 Guyz On Marketing present a lot of current topics and ideas. This post involves creative and media and about TV spots. Not about :30’s or :15’s or even :60’s, but :06’s.

We’re writing this in August; will this be the summer of six second TV spots? Well, we hate to break the news but we already have them.

Will they make it from YouTube’s format to broadcast TV? The easy answer is, yes. They will be appearing on Fox during the “Teen Choice awards” on August 13.

The tougher question is “Will they work? I thought of Sergio Zyman, he communicated his purpose of Marketing was to sell more stuff to more people more often for more money in order to make more profit.

We’ll have viewers watching six-second spots in 29 second TV pods. The 2 Guyz will record them and discuss them in a future post.

The sixes will have a five second intro, telling kids to stand by, with the commercial back in less than :30 seconds. Not four seconds. So the four :06 spots and the intro will total a :29 second commercial pod.

Viewers may find it tough going to get a snack or take a bathroom break a second shorter. How will you ever schedule you TV breaks?  But think about the TV traffic person scheduling all of these shorter spots?

We like to pose marketing and advertising questions to teachers and faculty as much as the industry. This is a great topic for advertising classes this fall.

Why not :05 second spots? Will they work for marketing managers and brand managers whose responsibilities is to sell stuff?

Definitely a topic for discussion this fall.

Here’s what we know: Smirnoff vodka is Russian but made in America. Is that a positive or a negative or two negatives?

Smirnoff wants to increase sales of their vodka, here in America. Pretty simple, right. Well, maybe not, with all of the competition. And we haven’t got into targeting or craft beers.

To increase awareness and sales, Smirnoff is using multiple promotional strategies right now.

Let’s use your brain?

What are the first couple of things you think about with the word “Smirnoff” or Smirnoff vodka? I bet it’s not America and actor, celebrity, Ted Danson.

As marketing Guyz, we know and teach that celebrities can increase awareness which may increase sales. We’ll see if Danson can stick and increase sales.

With their advertising, Smirnoff wants to entice millennial, multicultural consumers and others (“People” in the nine P’s) to purchase their vodka. Danson says in one of the videos, “We’re award winning, we’ve got great taste, been around since 1864 and we’re both surprisingly cheap.”

Danson is promoting the brand’s American heritage. Really, for a Russian vodka made here in America?

He uses a copy point that Smirnoff vodka has been made in America since the 1930s. Not sure it’s the right strategy, copy concept or will it sell vodka, as in Smirnoff vodka?

On another front, this week Smirnoff is using a line from a story about President Trump. The story was featured in the Washington Examiner with the headline “Smirnoff Vodka trolls Trump’s Russia controversy in new ad campaign.”

Smirnoff is also using politics to sell their liquor. Smirnoff Vodka is getting publicity by mocking President Trump’s favoritism to Russia in a new ad campaign. Is that good? It may or may not be?

The copy includes “But we’d be happy to talk about our ties to Russia under oath.”

It was only la short while back that Trump said that he would “100 percent” be willing to testify under oath about the ongoing Russia investigation.

To us, it’s obviously Smirnoff is doing a lot of PR. We’ve seen it. They are trying to create buzz and increase awareness. But Buzz doesn’t mean its making sales.

With my fellow Marketing Guy, Brian Hemsworth, we find current topics and follow them, teach them and consult about marketing, advertising and promotion

The best thing is that the ads feature the hot new (cold) drink, Moscow Mule. It will be replaced by something else soon.

The 2 Guyz on marketing are full service. Here to help.

So for the sake of teaching, what is a Moscow Mule? And who invented it?

The drink, Moscow Mule, is made with Vodka. You can use any vodka. Is it any more special if Smirnoff invented the drink?

The Moscow Mule is a cocktail made with spicy ginger beer, lime juice, vodka, with a lime wedge or slice.

Restaurants have had to add special copper mugs to serve them in. Some just use highball glasses. Not as cool or as trendy, especially for Millennials.

The ingredients to a Moscow Mule:

• Ice
• Four (4) of Ginger beer
• 1 1/2 oz. of Vodka,
• 1/6 oz. of Lime juice

Pretty easy to make:  Combine ginger beer and the vodka in the copper mug or highball glass. Add lime juice. Add ice and lime wedge.

Like a perfect cocktail, Marketing blends a lot of research, trends, strategy, components, targeting and ad copy.

As 2 Guyz on marketing, we’ll be blending our views and insights on many subjects.

COUNTERPOINT FROM BRIAN: Larry is right, Smirnoff is #1, and they yes, the goal of this campaign is to try to capture new buyers. I’m not so sure it’s targeting millennials, and if it is, I don’t think this is a great effort.

First off, I have a hunch most millennials don’t have the foggiest notion who Ted Danson is, or know a thing about Cheers. Maybe they know he was on CSI. Maybe. But (no offense Ted) he was the old guy

Secondly, while Smirnoff is #1 in sales, their sales are flat. Right now the “craft” vodkas are kicking butt.

Here’s the challenge…millennials like their avocado toast, their craft beer, and their ill fitting hipster clothes that cost too much, but are brands that have cool Instagram accounts.

Is Ted Danson the right guy for this? Now don’t get me wrong, I think Ted Danson is the right guy…for a DIFFERENT target audience. He appeals to Larry and my generation, and we’re not millennials, but a long stretch.

I will say, I really like the bus shelter ad. It’s funny, clever, topic, and makes Smirnoff kind of cool. Ted Danson, not so much.

I also find fault in that there really is little similarity in these ads, and in my class, that would be a big “F” if someone turned in such dissimilar ads in the same campaign.

Ted gets some attention, for baby boomers, but I think Smirnoff misses the mark for millennials.

SMIRNOFF is a trademark of DIAGEO NORTH AMERICA, INC

So we’re going back and forth about whether or not the word “marketing” should be capitalized or not in our blog posts.

Larry said yes. I said no.

Larry likes it that way. Brian lives by the AP Stylebook, and it would say “no”.

Webster’s tells us it’s a noun, “The process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service.”

Larry uses a definition of, where the first letter of the first word is capitalized: Marketing is getting the right product or service to the right people (target market), at the right time, at the right place, at the right price, with the right partners, plus right communication, promotion, passion and presentation.

Yet “to market” is a verb. Dictionary.com defines it as, “to carry or send to market for disposal.”

But does capitalizing it make it more important? Or maybe the better question is, should it?

This blog doesn’t devote tons of space to history, but a little is worthwhile.

Marketing really emerged as a term (and recognized practice) a while back as the promoting, pricing, partnering and distributing and “placing” a product. These became the classic “4 Ps” of the marketing mix.

The original meaning of the term “marketing” or “to market” is to sell and to buy. Sellers sell and potential consumers may purchase. Think of your local Farmer’s markets. That’s true marketing. To buy or to sell in a market, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, may go back to 1561.

The more modern definition goes to pricing, promoting, developing and placing product and services in the marketplace. In Harper’s magazine in 1884 you would find: “The marketing of supplies (product and services) was the beginning … of its prosperity.”

As cavemen evolved, and our hunting societies became agrarian, supply of goods and services began to surpass demand, and society moved to centralized markets. The need to “market” became more necessary, and more urgent to the sellers. We put up signs, shouted out our prices, and did whatever it took to sell our goods and services.

During the last century we saw the rise of the advertising agency giants, with names like Burnett, Bernbach, Ogilvy, and Thompson, command the respect of corporate America. They ushered in an era that demanded marketing objectives, strategies and tactics in modern businesses. The grew first out of the “scientific” era of advertising, then the “creative era”.

By the 1960s and early 1970s, as the “Mad Men” era waned and these names began to recede, marketing efforts began to shift from the agency side to client side, and marketing departments sprang up in corporate American.

Today marketing isn’t just an add-on business. It’s the lifeblood of business. It’s the ammunition of strategy. It’s competitive warfare. It is “what we do” to bring to market and sell products and services.

So, with a little argument, but ultimately agreement, the 2 Guyz On Marketing have placed our flag in the ground. When we speak of “marketing,” the process of everything that happens to get products from producer to consumer or user, the very lifeblood of business, we will capitalize the “M”.

We declare that Marketing is no longer the bastard stepchild of business, strategy, or advertising. It is the master of its own domain. It is the ruler of its own roost.

Long live Marketing.

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We gotta start somewhere, so here goes.

Marketing is huge so when one of us was asked recently “What is Marketing?” Larry said “Marketing is everything.”

And while it’s true, even that doesn’t say it all. So let’s break this up into smaller pieces.

There are several marketing concepts and useful definitions. These concepts and terms with definitions begin to give you a small understanding of what Marketing really is.

In today’s fast paced-business world, a number of important strategic philosophies and practices guide the marketing planning, branding concepts and tools that use everyday, But keep in mind that marketing is full of variables, components, efforts and/or relationships/partnerships/alliances.

Here’s a key concept to understanding marketing: Can your customers, clients or users tell the difference between you and your competition? If not, you need to be plannimg and executing the different parts of marketing. More.

The Nine P’s/9P’s of Marketing, a concept developed by our own Larry Steven Londre, can be used successfully as a strategic framework by product companies, service firms, whether for profit, nonprofit, “selling” directly consumers, indirectly through marketing intermediaries (such as industrial, consumer, retail, wholesale and professional channels of distribution, aka channel marketing), and/or to other businesses (B2B).

What is interesting to us is that educated people, consumers, business owners, attorneys, media and professionals use “marketing” or the term “marketing” to mean advertising or promotion.

It is much more.

The 2 Guyz On Marketing don’t like buzzwords. (Though we are pretty good at them when we need to be!)

We teach and consult that Marketing is a process and has many elements.

“We need marketing” is a poorly phrased request. “We have marketing” is equally lame.

Sharpen your vocabulary and insist that others do the same. Through future posts we will explore the concepts of marketing, pricing, sales promotion, advertising, public relations, distribution, branding, direct response, internet marketing, telemarketing, and many other sub-disciplines of marketing.

As a company or a brand, if you already know what you marketing work you need, good. Marketing can build revenue and save on costs. It can improve your bottom line. It is the energy behind sales.

The right marketing belief or practice is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the minds of each individual employee in trying to satisfy the consumer.

As Management guru Peter F. Drucker once said: “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him (her/it) and sells itself.

Any discussion on marketing is really just a scratch of the surface, but that’s what we’re here to help you do: to begin to learn, to explore, to explain, and to dive deep into the world of today’s marketing. As two college marketing instructors and lifelong advertising and marketing professionals, it’s our hope to bring you high level marketing strategy and wisdom, and have some fun along the way as well.

In part two, we’ll actually tackle the virtually impossible task of finding the right definition. See you then!