Direct Marketing, Or That Piece of Paper You Just Threw Away

The public and advertisers alike shun what we traditionally think of direct marketing. You know, those flimsy slips of paper you receive in the mail, bundled inside of your newspaper (yes, people still receive those) and plastered to the bottom of your greasy paper bag from McBurgerland. While most of us casually toss these miscreants into the trash like some offensive piece of excrement, some of us actually hold on to these denizens of the deal.

The general purpose of these coupons/vouchers/cries for attention is to generate foot traffic. By seeing that Joe Shmoe is having a 20% off all men's ties sale or that Jane Doe is giving away free lattes between 6 and 9 a.m. on Tuesday, they hope to pique your interest just enough for you to show up. Unfortunately, most consumers have already made up their minds well before receiving this illicit contraband (their words, not mine. Ok, they're my words.).

It doesn't have to be this way. I was told in one of my Creative Circus advertising classes that one of the best and easiest ways to gain a consumer's trust is by giving them a gift. The other day, as I made a hurried lunch run to Krystals, I stumbled upon a coupon promoting a new meal called The Touchdown Combo. As I was about to crumple this into a ball, I noticed on the corner a call to turn the paper over. On the opposite side were dotted lines that, when followed correctly, turned this ordinary coupon into a paper football. This is precisely what I mean by giving the consumer a gift: don't bludgeon them with starbursts and loud type crying out New! Limited Time! Now with more soylent green!* Rather, reward their attention with a simple gesture of fun. When done well, direct marketing shows that you are not simply a shill machine and can actually connect with your commercial constituents on a human level. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a new game to play...

*Soylent Green is people.

NFL Lockout Aftermath: More Than Just Statistics

With the NFL lockout finally lifted and sanity restored, it's time to assess the changes that have occurred with the new collective bargaining agreement. In terms of numerical and fiscal battles, both sides gained what they wanted to a certain extent. For NFL owners, the ability to opt out of the new CBA in 2015 and 60% of all team-generated revenue are major conquests. The players have even more to smile about with a trimmed down Offseason Training Activities (OTAs) schedule, better retired player benefits and the sigh of relief that the proposed 18 game schedule is more or less off the table for the foreseeable future.

However one glaring note that is lost in all of this profiteering is the narrowing down of padded practices from 17 to 14 a season. In any normal league year, this wouldn't be a huge deal. Unfortunately, when you consider that practically 3/4 of the 2011 offseason is gone, you are left with fewer opportunities for improvement. Consider that free agency begins tomorrow (about 5 months later than usual) and that an entire rookie class has yet to have a regulated NFL practice with coaches and it's obvious that many aspects of football will suffer in 2011. While grueling and torturous as they may be, training camps are where most teams gain the knowledge, strength and endurance necessary to navigate a 16 game season. Here's what I predict (begrudgingly) will happen this year because of the lockout and the fallout surrounding it:

-Many of the playoff teams and teams on the cusp of the playoffs (Buccaneers and Raiders, to name a few) will lose momentum due to lack of coaching, causing key younger players like Josh Freeman to experience a sharp drop in performance.

-Any rookie player placed in a crucial role like Cam Newton, Jake Locker or Von Miller will have their learning curve accelerated exponentially, causing some of them to develop permanent shell shock or what I like to call 'David Carr Syndrome'.

-Passing teams with established quarterbacks like the Patriots, Colts, Chargers and Saints will have a leg-up on more smashmouth teams like the Dolphins, Jets or Jaguars because their offenses can be replicated in 7-on-7 drills, even without coaching staffs present.

-Quarterbacks will be at a premium in free agency, even more than expected. Yes, Kevin Kolb and Vince Young are sure to be traded. But don't be surprised to see some acquisitions that don't initially make sense to the average fan. One quarterback to keep an eye on is Shaun Hill, the current backup to Matthew Stafford in Detroit. Due to Drew Stanton's above average play last season, Hill is now a luxury rather than a necessity. He's played well in spots in both San Francisco and Detroit and would work well in a West coast offense. I'd look for the Seahawks and Vikings to trade for him.

-Lastly, there will be a glut of top-tier runningbacks with pedestrian seasons. Look for teams with a stable of runningbacks like the Saints and Cowboys to prosper this season due to the football equivalent of a change-up pitcher.

That's enough doom and gloom for now. All semantics aside, no football is much worse than mediocre football and I think everyone can agree on that.

Playing in the sandbox.

Anyone who has ever met me has equated my enthusiasm and outlook on life to that of a child. I've often been called 'a big kid' and not just because of my weight. I am indeed a child at heart and this outlook is often reflected in my writing. Part of my infatuation with advertising is the inherent playfulness hidden in the creative. Once you peel back the layers of product attributes and fine print, you can find some damn funny and cool stuff. As you can tell by past blog posts, I am a huge pro football fan. This extends to their advertising as well. I'm a sucker for low-brow, misogynistic humor often found in beer commercials for brands like Budweiser and Coors. But as a red-blooded southern football fiend, these ads resonate with me and therefore with the target. They are intended to be crass and flippant. I try to put that same colorful and playful humor in my radio spots. What I can't accomplish with pictures, I recapitulate with language, tonality, sound effects and music. The other day, I broke out into a dance session as I laid down background music for ads about lasagna. Advertising, writing, and yes radio aren't about seriousness and work to me. It's about tapping into that inner child. What's your sandbox?