Thomas J. Barratt: the father of modern advertising. If you’re familiar with marketing and advertising, you’ve seen this name many times. He was the chairman of the A&F Pears soap manufacturing company, introducing a variety of new techniques and strategies to the marketing world at the turn of the 20th century. He used a combination of catchy phrases, slogans, and images successfully branding Pears soap as a cultural trend. Barratt was also known to use testimonials by scientists, physicians, and high ranking social figures to support his advertising claims.These are all techniques we’re more than accustomed to by now, but at the time, they were unlike anything anyone had seen before.
Of course advertising has come a long way since the early 20th century. It has expanded from domestic, niche markets to a global audience. People have more access to global content than ever before and an unbelievable reach, making it difficult for ad agencies to execute effective strategies across the board. Agencies need to assess who the target audience is, what outcome they expect, and the best way to reach the largest number of people. Television advertising was the biggest breakthrough prior to the complex online and digital marketing system we have now. However, even though most consumers spend more time online than in front of their TVs, commercials continue to play a large role in how advertisements are distributed.
But what happens when a commercial reaches an the wrong set of eyes? More so, what happens when someone from the United States watches a commercial intended for the UK?
Ads like this can be very “hit or miss” depending on who’s watching and what type of message is ultimately being sent. There are more similarities between the United States and the United Kingdom but that may not be the case with countries like Japan. Many are familiar with the “weirdness” associated with Japanese commercials. Popular YouTube duo, The Fine Brothers, hosted an entire segment dedicated to other YouTubers reacting to Japanese commercials.
As you can see, taken out of context, advertisements can make very little sense. This surely works in the reverse as well. In other words, American commercials would equally fail in another country. Advertisements have to not only align the the product values, but also align with the social and cultural norms of the intended audience.
Check out the Japanese commercial compilation below. What do you think?
from Carl Nelson France http://ift.tt/1OikiQR
Carl Nelson France 