Comments on: Who Cares

By: Kevin Singarayar

Kevin Singarayar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:55:20 +0000

Granted, that ice cream truck could have worked the slogan a little better, but personally I find nothing wrong with it. I’m with Steve Garfield on this.

Stating the obvious,”fresh ice cream” is actually a copywriting technique when used cleverly, will actually boost sales. If this ice cream company has been selling ice cream since 1934, then they’re definitely doing something right.

I’d only be concerned if their slogan read, “Serving fresh ice cream from 1934″.

By: Lynette Young

Lynette Young — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:36:29 +0000

Good post, as usual. As a woman & mom, I take ice cream *damn* serious. Ranks up with chocolate, coffee and wine.

We have a favorite frozen treat spot near us, and we travel past, oh, six or seven ice cream shops to get there, including one that looks very cute with catchy iconic cows, bright colors, and branding galore. Why? Because the place we go to produces ice cream from their own four-generation, family-owned, local diary farm. But I sure would like a Facebook group for them to know when the dairy tours are or what the latest custom flavors in the shop are. Old needs to mingle with new, even if I crave an old fashioned scoop of ice cream.

So sometimes it matters when a company was formed, etc. It just depends on the niche of product (food being a biggie for local/longevity). Computer / gadgets, no. Please don’t be around since the 1930’s, that just wreaks of outdated. Key is know your market and how they live, what they value, and where they look for information.

By: Monday Reading Roundup Take #8

Monday Reading Roundup Take #8 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:01:32 +0000

[...] you’re a marketer, this is something you really need to read. Chris Brogan points out, again, that the marketing message should be what the customers actually [...]

By: Going Gray

Going Gray — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:54:56 +0000

Hi John-

I was thinking more about the future. As Millenials gain more purchasing power, and us older folks fade away, our marketing will need become much more consumer-focused. And yes, perhaps with a good experience my ten year old could appreciate an old slogan. That is not to say she doesn’t already (I would need to ask her to be honest), but I know she is astutely focused on innovation. We are living in age where the latest and greatest gets all the glory. To be caught with last summer’s iPhone is a crime.

By: jon

jon — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:06:36 +0000

Which audience? What the conversation here says is: 1) thinking in terms of the audience’s perspective matters. 2) different audiences look for different things. I realize that the last statement is a “duh”. However, the 10 year old wants something different from an ice cream experience than her 36 year old father than his 62 year old mother whose father took her to the ice cream store as a child in need of a treat.

And it is possible that a good experience with an old slogan may give that old slogan great connotative meanings for the 10-year-old.

In short: great principle, with an example that proves the challenge.

By: David

David — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:15:51 +0000

Awesome post!

By: Building an Affiliate Marketing Website - Step-by-Step

Building an Affiliate Marketing Website - Step-by-Step — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:13:34 +0000

This is certainly a good test of a marketing message!
Thanks Chris,
JR

By: Going Gray

Going Gray — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:37:12 +0000

Great post. Time in the game doesn’t matter to me and I will venture to say it doesn’t matter much to this up and coming generation. My ten year old daughter and her peers could care less about longevity and more about whether the ice cream man can carry on a conversation about Nanos or how you can build your own Coke at their interactive site or create your own ending to High School Musical. We are just a few years away from this generation being major players in our economy and one of the biggest group of consumers of goods and services. These kids are going to be immersed in a culture that is interactive and caters to their needs. We need to start speaking their language and approach marketing in new and different ways.

By: Webconomist

Webconomist — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:50:18 +0000

Ah, such a poignant point.

I call this type of marketing “Inside/Out” – the marketer is looking out, making a statement from “inside” and not listening to what’s going on “outside”…I think that’s what I take from this.

They’re old memes that we just don’t pay attention to anymore. As a marketer of 15 years, thanks for the reminder!

By: Ashley Howard

Ashley Howard — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:26:41 +0000

This is an interesting post that aligns with my role within city government. Since I’m new to the city, I am trying to change 40+ years of consistently talking at people without having any type of conversational qualities. This is just another example of how changing the focus of the conversation can change the entire context and relationship your customers [or in my case, residents] have with your business. I’m hoping that by following a similar viewpoint for communications, that we can change the relationship we have with our community members.