The running joke in advertising has always been I know half my advertising spend is wasted I just don’t know which half.
In fact Dave Trott tells us 89% of advertising isn’t remembered at all.
So the wasted money is actually much higher than many people think.
I don’t see it is a joke. I see it as a chronic problem that needs urgent treatment.
After all you wouldn’t take 89% of the money in your wallet and burn it. Would you?
As advertisers our only hope is to deepen our understanding of clients. Know them better than they know themselves.
Then take an objective look at all the advertising we are competing against. And it’s all advertising because it all wants the attention of the person we want to buy our thing.
Then we need to have the courage to be brave. Create something that interrupts the trance most people go through life in.
But the hard part isn’t coming up with an effective creative idea. That’s the fun part if you do it right.
The hard part is being brave enough to put in in the market without watering it down.
Only if we do this can we join the 11% of advertising that gets remembered.
Only when we’re remembered do we stand a chance of getting a client.
And isn’t that the true purpose of investing in advertising?