Through the Looking Glass pt. 3

The time has finally come. The chapter we have all been waiting for; or at least I have been waiting for. I would first like to discuss what I have seen as three different eras in advertising.

1. The Product Era: Back in the fifties, all you needed was the "better mousetrap" and money to promote it. Advertising focused on product features and customer benefits. This was when the idea of a "unique selling proposition" came to be. By the late 1950's technology began to take off. Competition became fierce and when you came out with the "better mousetrap," two more just like it quickly followed. Advertising was no so honest. Many times you could hear a product manager saying "Wouldn't you know it. Last year we had nothing to say, so we put 'new and improved' on the package. This year the research people came up with a real improvement, and we don't know what to say."

2. The Image Era: Successful companies found that a reputation or image was more important than selling a product than product benefits. David Ogilvy was the architect of the image era. He saw every advertisement as a long-term investment for a brand. But as the me-too products killed the product era, me-too companies killed the image era. Every company tried to establish a reputation for itself; the noise level became so high that many companies didn't succeed.

3. The Positioning Era: Now companies are trying to establish a position in the consumers mind not only about the strengths and weaknesses about the company but also its competitors. The idea is to become the first brand a consumer thinks about when purchasing a product. Remember, IBM did not invent the computer, Sperry-Rand did, but IBM was the first to establish a computer position in the mind's of consumers.

I like the idea that companies are not always selling a product or service, but are selling a lifestyle. This began during the image era and continues today. Apple represents a certain lifestyle. So does Coca Cola. Coke is about family; its nostalgic. Pepsi sells a different type of lifestyle; for Pepsi it is about youthfulness.