Is it Authentic or Does It Hurt The Brand?

I’m amazed by the current state of internet video. While professional video production companies struggle to have their best efforts noticed by the masses, poorly produced and low quality videos made by consumers go “viral” every day and enjoy millions of views.

There are exceptions to this rule of course, but the key lesson here is this:

Internet marketing videos don’t need to be professionally produced in order to be effective or popular. In fact, there’s a mountain of evidence to show that professionally produced internet videos are often at a disadvantage when compared to lower quality consumer generated video.

Why? Authenticity.

What consumer-generated internet videos lack in quality they more than make up for in authenticity. Because today’s consumer has been inundated with slick advertising, they’re much more likely to trust a poor quality video made by a regular person than anything produced by a professional.

While many businesses are tempted to create their own low production quality videos, there is often some concern about these ads effecting a brand’s image. Low quality ads can send the wrong message about a company’s inherent value. Most large corporations wouldn’t dream of airing a low-quality TV ad on network television for fear it would damage the public’s perception of their company. Right or wrong, people often associate good quality advertising with good products and services. Case in point: Would you go to a doctor for a life saving surgery if you saw her in a cheesy infomercial earlier that same day? Exactly.

Clearly, there’s a balancing act that must take place between authenticity and brand image. I would argue that context should be used to find that balance. Let’s take a look at this street sign advertising an Aruban jewelry store.

This street sign has numerous spelling and grammar errors, yet it enjoys prime placement along the main thoroughfare in Aruba’s prime tourist location.

The meaning of the sign is clear, and in that respect it accomplishes it’s basic mission. However, the numerous spelling and grammar errors clearly indicate the sign was written by someone without a solid grasp of the English language. Will consumers see this street sign as an indicator of honesty and authenticity, or will they assume that the sign’s poor grammar is a harbinger of poor communication with the jewelry shop staff?

Looking at the context of the sign, the answer quickly becomes apparent.

1. This is a sign for an inherently expensive item. Most consumers expect excellent service when they purchase expensive items, and this sign indicates communication could be a problem. Why would a consumer risk a bad experience when they have so many other options close by?

2. The sign is placed along a busy street in a tourist area of Aruba. Nearly every other sign in the area is clear and grammatically correct, so this sign draws attention to itself in a negative way.

3. The sign itself is old and worn. If the consumer had any doubts about this shop’s customer service because of the sign’s many grammar errors, those doubts are likely reinforced by the fact this sign hasn’t been replaced for years. Certainly the shop’s owner must have found out by now that their sign has errors – why haven’t they fixed them? What about fixing the scuffs on the sign itself? Are the shop owners cheap? Do they even care? These aren’t questions a potential customer should be asking themselves about this business.

4. The message on the sign doesn’t match the “authenticity” test. The sign raves about “platinum, exclusive, and handscrafted (sic)” items. The emphasis of the text is on premium and exclusive merchandise, yet the condition and message of the sign itself screams “low rent.” Perhaps if the sign emphasized low prices and values, the poor condition and grammar of the sign would seem more appropriate.

The bottom line: The quality of any advertising should meet the same minimum standards as competing ads, it should match the perceived quality of the product or service being promoted, and it should be updated and reviewed regularly. The only thing worse than making an advertising mistake (like this poorly worded sign) is allowing that mistake to go uncorrected for years.

While authenticity is crucial to a great marketing piece, it must be balanced against these tests in order to avoid damage to the brand.

Cartoon Pig Hawks Buffalo Jerky – Creative Advertising Types Cringe

Note: We had NOTHING to do with this ad. This isn’t our work, it’s not even our idea.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvWpOGNmZys[/youtube]

Wow. If you’re anything like me, you couldn’t stop laughing. This ad is terrible! The special effects are definitely “special,” the production quality is awful, and I can’t help but wonder; What’s with the pig?

If you followed the plot in this little ad, you’ll hear the pig say “we stopped giving away hams.” I don’t even want to think about why a cartoon pig was giving hams away, not to mention why the cartoon pig escaped the charging buffalo while the man (who was clearly running in place) was flattened. And what about that stampede – who associates stampeding beasts with savory buffalo jerky?

This ad is a train wreck…right? Yet I took the time to post a copy to Youtube, and everyone I’ve shown the ad to has laughed pretty hard. So, it’s obviously making an impact. While it’s not making me take the Wildcard Casino very seriously, I’m definitely contemplating stopping by the next time I’m in Blackhawk. So the question before us is this:

Q. Is a tragically bad advertisement actually good advertising?

Before we decide, here’s a little background information. I’ve actually met the man shown in the ad. He used to have his vehicle serviced at an auto dealership that I used to work at. His name is Ed. He and his wife own the Wildcard Casino, and they’re some of the nicest people you can know. I’m not much of a gambler, but a couple of people that I worked with always enjoyed visiting the Wildcard and they were always taken care of. In other words, that guy that’s in the ad (his name is Ed), you’ll probably see him when you go to the Wildcard. That’s an important point we’ll emphasize again later.

It’s also important to note that this ad runs on zone cable in the wee hours of the night. If you didn’t know, zone cable is extraordinarily cheap. In Denver, you can buy nearly 500 thirty second commercial spots a month for less than $2,000. These ads will run on popular cable channels (like ESPN, CNN, etc.) between midnight and 4am. Not a great time slot mind you, but inexpensive enough that it really doesn’t matter. I know of a couple of local businesses using this cheap advertising to decent effect.

Here’s what I like about the ad:

It’s definitely memorable. For all the wrong reasons, I’ll probably never forget this ad. The image of a poorly animated cartoon pig talking about hams will always put a smile on my face.

It’s funny. This is a funny ad. It’s just that I’m laughing at the ad instead of with it.

When you go to the casino, you’ll see the man in the ad. Being able to meet the person in the advertisement at the business that’s being advertised is a good thing. I know, I know, it sounds cheesy, but the truth is it’s better to use your own image for your ads instead of a trained, professional actor. It’s more authentic, and it often helps people identify with your product or service. That’s especially true in local advertising.

The casino’s logo, location, and phone number are visible during most of the ad. It’s advertising 101 – get your business name and information as much exposure as possible. Since they’re not displaying a website URL, I have to take some points away. Hopefully, the phone number they’re listing in the commercial is being tracked. If not, I’ll have to take some more points away.

Here’s what I don’t like about the ad:

Low production values often send the wrong message. While clever low budget advertisers emphasize the fact that “we’re saving money on our ads so we can make our product better,” the people that created the ad for the Wildcard Casino probably didn’t consider the negative. Some of their potential customers might be thinking: “If they can’t afford a decent TV ad, why do I want to do business with them?”

I can’t tell if they’re serious. I’m a huge fan of campy, corny humor. Unfortunately, I can’t tell if this ad is trying to be funny or not. If they’re trying, then I’m happy. If they’re not, then I’m a little scared.

The brand is damaged. Because of the low production values and the fact that I can’t tell whether or not they’re trying to be funny, the brand is being damaged. How much damage is a subject of debate, but it’s safe to say that they’re going to loose some people’s respect forever.

Bottom Line: I don’t think this ad is good for the image of the Wildcard Casino, but I bet it’s effective. I didn’t call up them and ask, but I’m going to guess that the ad is working. So, to answer the question, I’ll trot out this old line: There’s no such thing as bad advertising.

Thanks for reading!

Jason