For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By PaulB
#1613869
Interesting piece in “The New Yorker” about how the giants of Madison Avenue (the so called “Mad Men” of TV series fame) are being eclipsed by maths and aglorithm gurus of the likes of Facebook and Google.


https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-o ... he-mad-men


The power of Math Men is awesome. Google and Facebook each has a market value exceeding the combined value of the six largest advertising and marketing holding companies. Together, they claim six out of every ten dollars spent on digital advertising, and nine out of ten new digital ad dollars. They have become more dominant in what is estimated to be an up to two-trillion-dollar annual global advertising and marketing business. Facebook alone generates more ad dollars than all of America’s newspapers, and Google has twice the ad revenues of Facebook.


We’re probably all caught up in this world to a greater or lesser extent, but almost certainly more than we think. Short of becoming a hermit, what can we reasonably do, or do we have to rely on government regulation to help us?

Who is stronger? The government or Google?
#1614053
Thinking of the humongous amounts being paid by companies for advertising, I cannot help wondering about the RoI that it achieves. EG recently Standard Chartered paid £160m to sponsor a premier league football club. I cannot imagine that any major corporation is going to put business their way because its Directors are interested in some UK football team. Where's the payback? Likewise with digital ad revenues, do they really make so many sales for click-throughs? I virtually never click on online ads (except on rare occasions on this site)
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By Flintstone
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1614092
Lindsayp wrote:Thinking of the humongous amounts being paid by companies for advertising, I cannot help wondering about the RoI that it achieves. EG recently Standard Chartered paid £160m to sponsor a premier league football club. I cannot imagine that any major corporation is going to put business their way because its Directors are interested in some UK football team. Where's the payback?




Corporate boxes, free seats with which to schmooze clients.
#1614100
But do big businesses make multi-million pound decisions on suppliers or products based on freebies/schmoozing? It would be cheaper to just buy a box in the racecourse/football club/etc for company use. Or maybe thats the difference between being an employee (albeit a very senior highly paid one) vs a business owner, looking for value?

Twas always thus, I know, but so often, things are done because it is always done, rather than questioning the benefit.
#1614106
Lindsayp wrote:But do big businesses make multi-million pound decisions on suppliers or products based on freebies/schmoozing?


All business is based on relationships. Whether chatting to a window cleaner/shop owner or a connection you personally have with a brand's ads that keeps that brand your choice or an invitation to a footie game between CEOs to build trust. So yes!
#1614122
I guess that's why my "business" is just li'l ole me, and not a plc. On the other hand, my reputation and client relationships have kept me employed for 30 years with only a 2 week break between contracts in all that time...with no freebies (even sightseeing flights) to purchasing managers or agents.
I still wouldn't buy products from a company that uses sports sponsorship as an advertising medium, and I have even less regard for companies spending a fortune on digital advertising via FB/Google. There are, in my view, better ways of getting brand awareness, and I'm sure more cost effective ways.
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1614128
Advertising and sales wonks think.....
" Let's show the punters that we're feeding money into entertainment /aid / worthy causes and show how warm and cuddly we are "[/b]

The Punter (me! ) Think....R-souls are ripping me off to indulge in their vanity-projects at myexpense. Get your bloody house in order, concentrate on your core business, give the highest quality of customer- service and product......then you can waste any surplus on pruning the prices.

I consciously avoid any product i've seen advertised , unless I'm already in the market to buy in that sector.
Then I check that i'm getting real VFM.
Never bought a Yorky bar, no crisps , no branded colas or "pop"

On a slightly different note, own -labels are often made on the same lines, to the same spec. as the "brand"

Derbyshire is home to several brands of automotive brake pads and linings same product, different branding stencilled on them, different box....OK the Premium brand "may" include a fitting-kit, but that doesn't account for even half of the price differential.[/b]
#1614183
Lindsayp wrote:I guess that's why my "business" is just li'l ole me, and not a plc. On the other hand, my reputation and client relationships have kept me employed for 30 years with only a 2 week break between contracts in all that time...with no freebies (even sightseeing flights) to purchasing managers or agents.


Have you never bought a client a pint, shared a meal or talked about non work stuff? Sponsorship and hospitality are just the same but on a strategic scale.
#1614195
Funnily enough, no, because most clients have rules about the acceptance of inducements! And I’ve been perhaps a bit Puritan about wanting to earn my place rather than buy it.
However I’ve received unsolicited gifts from other companies in the past, openly to encourage me to place business with them. I’ve taken the gifts in some cases, but never placed businesss with those companies on principle.
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By Highland Park
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1614197
PaulB wrote:Interesting piece in “The New Yorker” about how the giants of Madison Avenue (the so called “Mad Men” of TV series fame) are being eclipsed by maths and aglorithm gurus of the likes of Facebook and Google.

As long as they don’t replace the likes of Christina Hendricks, I’ll be happy :wink:
#1614417
cockney steve wrote:
Never bought a Yorky bar



I bought Yorkie bars for all my flatmates when I passed my HGV test (they didn't even know I was sitting it), which shows the power of advertising. (Younger forumites need feel no shame in googling to get the allusion) Hadn't bought the stuff before, haven't bought since.

Bill H
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