Welcome to Intel

Posted on December 14, 2006 | Permalink

By Lane Casteix

You have landed in SPAR's Intelligence Section. This is where we post "intel" gathered by our "agents in the field" that will aid you in making informed decisions, concerning your marketing, advertising, and promotions. Intel will present commentary along with articles and links to articles found elsewhere on the web that are timely and contain important information you will find helpful.

Intel will be updated frequently, so bookmark this page and refer back here often for the latest information.

What do you sell?

Are you selling your business or your brand?

Posted on December 15, 2006 | Permalink

By Lane Casteix

One of my favorite web sites is Stealing Share. They have wonderfully insightful commentaries that offer valuable information. In this linked article they ask a very important question: In your advertising, are you selling your business or your brand? Most ads get focused on the USP (unique selling point) and try to differentiate their brands objectively from their competition. While this can work, consumers often buy products for far more subjective reasons. As the article points out, if your are selling soap powders your product needs to do all the things soap powders do – just like your competition. But what is important is how your customers remember you. Click on the link. I think you will find the article interesting. Remember these principles when you are planning your next campaign.

What does the future look like?

YouTube hailed as the advertising medium of the future says Leo Burnett chief.

Posted on December 15, 2006 | Permalink

YouTube is the advertising model of the future, according to one of the world's biggest ad agencies. More

Dress for success….

How your advertising looks can speak volumes.

Posted on December 15, 2006 | Permalink

Linked Article by Bill Fritsch

About a year ago I congratulated the CEO of a major Northwest health-care provider on the launch of a series of well-produced television commercials. This organization had struggled with quality perception issues for years.

I asked how the commercials were doing in terms of generating business. He replied that they no longer looked at television commercials as a way to drive business to particular service categories.

“It almost doesn’t matter what the subject matter is. Whenever we run a television campaign, consumer perception of the quality of our doctors and our medicine goes up dramatically. And this affects the whole system positively.”

Yet the TV commercials said not a word about quality of medicine. More