Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - S2E25 - Dear Terry

Episode Date: June 22, 2013

It's our last episode of the season. And every year, we turn our annual season finale over to listeners and answer their questions about advertising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...nformation.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly. As you may know, we've been producing a lot of bonus episodes while under the influences on hiatus. They're called the Beatleology Interviews, where I talk to people who knew the Beatles, work with them, love them, and the authors who write about them. Well, the Beatleology Interviews have become a hit, so we are spinning it out to be a standalone podcast series. You've already heard conversations with people like actors Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, and Beatles confidant Astrid Kershaw. But coming up, I talk to May Pang, who dated John Lennon in the mid-70s. I talk to double fantasy guitarist Earl Slick, Apple Records creative director John Kosh. I'll be talking to Jan Hayworth,
Starting point is 00:00:46 who designed the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Very cool. And I'll talk to singer Dion, who is one of only five people still alive who were on the Sgt. Pepper cover. And two of those people were Beatles. The stories they tell are amazing. So thank you for making this series such a success. And please do me a favor, follow the Beatleology interviews on your podcast app. You don't even have to be a huge Beatles fan. You just have to love storytelling. Subscribe now and don't miss a single beat. new year new me season is here and honestly we're already over it enter felix the health care company helping canadians take a different approach to weight loss this year weight loss is more than just diet and exercise it can be about tackling genetics hormones metabolism felix
Starting point is 00:01:43 gets it they connect you with licensed healthcare practitioners online who'll create a personalized treatment plan that pairs your healthy lifestyle with a little help and a little extra support. Start your visit today at felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A. From the Under the Influence digital box set, this episode is from, no, no. You're not you when you're hungry. You're in good hands with us. You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. The ability to ask questions is one of the defining aspects of the human species.
Starting point is 00:03:03 It could be argued that language was developed because of the need to ask questions. Cavemen could always grunt and point and nod, but to ask a question, you needed words. Asking questions has led to some of our greatest discoveries and has solved some of our biggest problems. There is a Japanese philosophy about questions that I subscribe to.
Starting point is 00:03:27 Essentially, it says that if you ask why five times in a row in response to a problem, you will discover the very root of the predicament. And every problem well defined is a problem half solved. I decided to try an interesting experiment. I typed the beginnings of questions into Google I decided to try an interesting experiment. I typed the beginnings of questions into Google to see what the autocomplete function would fill in. In other words, if I typed the words,
Starting point is 00:03:54 why can't I... and let Google complete the sentence, it would tell me what the most asked questions were in the world. So, when I did type why can't I dot dot dot into the search box, the first question that popped up was why can't I own a Canadian? I don't think I was ready for that. Okay, the second question
Starting point is 00:04:17 Google listed to that query was why can't I find a job? Followed by why can't I gain weight? Followed by the inevitable why can't I find a job? Followed by, Why can't I gain weight? Followed by the inevitable, Why can't I lose weight? When I typed, Why is...
Starting point is 00:04:31 The first question that popped up was, Why is the sky blue? Followed by, Why is the ocean salty? Which was then followed by what I suspect is really the most asked question of all time. Why is my internet so slow? When I typed, which was then followed by what I suspect is really the most asked question of all time. Why is my internet so slow?
Starting point is 00:04:52 When I typed how can I dot dot dot into the box, Google's number one question popped up asking, why can't I stop singing? Have I had a nickel for every time Keith has asked that? I can't help myself. The second most asked question appears to be, why can't I grow taller? Or maybe that's just the most asked question
Starting point is 00:05:10 on my computer. When I typed, where is dot dot dot, the first answer that Autocomplete offered up didn't surprise me at all. It was, where is Chuck Norris?
Starting point is 00:05:23 We all want to know. The second most asked where is question was, Where is area code 202? The answer, by the way, is Washington, D.C. Clearly, questions are fascinating and answers are sometimes very surprising. As this is our last episode of the season, it's our annual tradition of dedicating this show to answering questions from our wonderful listeners. While no one asked where Chuck Norris
Starting point is 00:05:52 was, I did receive some insightful questions about the world of advertising and marketing, and a few amusing ones. I've tried to answer them all the best I can, and if I didn't have an answer, I reached out to my colleagues in the marketing world. So, let your cue meet my A. You're under the influence. So let's begin today by dipping into the Under the Influence mailbag. I don't get too many handwritten letters these days, but here's one. It's from Bob Walker, and Bob writes, Every week you seem to have at least one reference to the Beatles in the show. Am I correct?
Starting point is 00:06:46 Um, well, maybe. Sometimes. Okay, yes, it's true. I try to figure out a way to get a Beatles reference into every show. And thank you, Bob, for solving the question about how I was going to do that in this week's episode. Skipping over to Facebook, Adam Kutenkuler asks, Wouldn't it be so much easier to make purchases if the prices didn't always end with 99 cents? We know the everyday consumer reads $4.99 as $5. Does the penny make that much difference?
Starting point is 00:07:17 Well, actually, Adam, the penny works the reverse way psychologically. We all have a tendency to round down, not up. So, a price that says Rolly $19.99 reads as $19 to most, not $20. It's called the left-digit effect. People round to the number on the left. Retailers can tell you that a bin with 99-cent items
Starting point is 00:07:42 beats a bin with $1 items any day of the week. It's human nature. And you'll keep seeing 99-cent prices even though the penny has disappeared. Because 99 cents is persuasive. Ian Wilson of Burnaby posted a question about fine print on our website. He says,
Starting point is 00:08:04 Car commercials with seven lines of fine print shown for three seconds seems pointless, and a beer commercial where a guy gets hit with a wrecking ball in a bar and the fine print says, Dramatization, do not attempt, seems kind of obvious. What are the rules about fine print in TV ads? Well, a very interesting question, Ian. Fine print is called mouse type in, a very interesting question, Ian. Fine print is called mouse type in the ad biz, by the way.
Starting point is 00:08:33 So I asked Janet Feasby at Advertising Standards Canada, and I was told the rules for fine print vary depending on the product being advertised. For example, consumer protection legislation requires the disclosure of detailed cost of credit information if financing terms are mentioned in a car commercial. And the information in the fine print must not contradict the main message of the commercial. In the words of Tom Waits,
Starting point is 00:08:57 the large print giveth, but the fine print must not taketh away. You may be interested to know there is no minimum size requirement for fine print, but it must be, quote, clearly visible or audible. And just because an advertiser has tiny fine print in a TV commercial doesn't necessarily protect the company.
Starting point is 00:09:19 Many consumer complaints have been upheld because the type wasn't legible. Lastly, when you see the line, a dramatization do not attempt, at the bottom of the screen, that is not a legal requirement. But rather, the advertiser is trying to cover its hiney should someone try to replicate the unsafe action. The fine print equivalent in radio, by the way, is this.
Starting point is 00:09:43 Void where prohibited. Must be legal drinking age. Reasonable facsimile accepted. Offer ends June 30th, 2013. Unless we extend it. I'm a lawyer. I think I hurt myself. Todd Gale posted this question on Facebook. I notice a lot of the same actors in different TV ads. Does this help or hinder the brands they represent?
Starting point is 00:10:09 Hmm, interesting question. Advertisers and advertising agencies are always looking for the best actors. So, that often leads to the same actors appearing in multiple commercials. But you will rarely see an actor doing a competitive commercial at the same time. For example, you won't see an actress in a McDonald's commercial at the same time she's doing a Burger King ad. Whenever ad agencies check into the availability of an actor, the first question is, does he or she have any conflicts currently running in the fast food category, for example. And occasionally, a new actor appears on the scene
Starting point is 00:10:47 and he or she is fantastic. An unusual face, a gift for comedic timing, etc. Suddenly, that actor is hired by several companies simply because they are the hot new thing. Does it help or hinder brands? Well, it's a case-by-case answer. I don't think it helps when the public starts to notice the same actor in lots of commercials, but if the performance is terrific, then it doesn't matter.
Starting point is 00:11:13 And it does help the brand. Sandra Lambert asks the perennial question, Why are some ads so dumb? If they want a strong reaction from customers, does repulsiveness count too? Well, the short answer is no. No advertiser wants to look dumb. And no advertiser secretly uses repulsiveness as an advertising strategy.
Starting point is 00:11:38 It all comes down to this. Advertisers get the advertising they deserve. If they insist on super smart creativity from their ad agencies, they get it. If they insist on hindering the creative idea, sanding off all the interesting corners, and insisting there is a low IQ out there in TV land, they get the ads they deserve.
Starting point is 00:12:00 Which is to say, dumb ads. Brian Timms Facebooked us to say, I love your program, but do not get to listen to all the episodes. So my question is, when will you write a book? Actually, Brian, I did co-write a book based on the radio series back in 2009 called The Age of Persuasion, How Marketing Ate Our Culture, which is available online and at finer bookstores everywhere. On the subject of books, Brad Coates says,
Starting point is 00:12:36 Terry, a while back you recommended a book titled Insanely Simple by Ken Siegel. It was fantastic. I'm not asking you to start something like Oprah's Book Club or anything, but would love it if you would share a list of books you recommend. Happy to, Brad. If you're interested in what I think are the best marketing books,
Starting point is 00:12:56 just go to my website, terryoreilly.ca, and you'll find a full list of my favorite books there and a short note about why I like them. Brad also asks, Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck? I have no idea how to answer that question. So I'm going to go with one horse-sized duck.
Starting point is 00:13:24 And we'll be right back. New year, new me. Season is here and honestly, we're already over it. Enter Felix, the healthcare company helping Canadians take a different approach to weight loss this year. Weight loss is more than just diet and exercise. It can be about tackling genetics, hormones, metabolism. Felix gets it. They connect you with licensed healthcare practitioners online who'll create a personalized treatment plan that pairs your healthy lifestyle with a little help and a little extra support.
Starting point is 00:13:56 Start your visit today at felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A. If you're enjoying this episode, why not dip into our archives, available wherever you download your pods. Go to terryoreilly.ca for a master episode list. Sarah Prescott asks, Do those drug advertisements where they don't even mention what the drug does, so they don't have to mention the bad side effects, actually work? Well, Sarah, there's a strange old advertising regulation in Canada.
Starting point is 00:14:41 If the drug being advertised is a prescription drug, the manufacturer cannot say what it does. If it's an over-the-counter drug, they can. So that's why you see a lot of Canadian ads for Viagra or Cialis, for example, but they don't really tell you what they do. They can't. And it's not a weaselly way to avoid listing the side effects. It's actually a law preventing them from talking about what the drug does. I suppose making a claim for a prescribed drug is difficult
Starting point is 00:15:07 because it might have a different effect on different people. And lawmakers want people to ask their doctors about the drugs, not rely on advertising. In the U.S., you can say what the drug does, but you have to give equal time to the side effects. That's how you can tell Canadian drug ads from American ones. Murray Sovereign sent in this question. I'd like to know how many lawyers it takes to write the copy for face cream commercials.
Starting point is 00:15:39 The look of lines visibly reduced is my personal favorite. That means absolutely nothing. The appearance of something appears to be less apparent. What? It all means absolutely nothing. That is the problem with a lot of advertising, Murray, especially products that have varying effects on various people. Because a skin cream's effectiveness is dependent on so many factors, like how old you are, the current state of your skin, degree of skin damage due to the sun, etc., the claims are written to straddle all possible outcomes. The unfortunate thing is that this kind of legalese
Starting point is 00:16:16 casts a shadow on all advertising, making it all seem dubious and littered with loopholes. But the truth is that some products aren't very good, so a vague promise covers their caboose. Others are good, but regulations, like for any product that you ingest or put on your body, prevent them from making any conclusive claims. So the wording has to be vetted.
Starting point is 00:16:40 And that's the job of lawyers. Steven at TD Barbar tweets, Maybe I'm a genius, but why haven't political campaigns used catchy jingles? It works for fast food and furniture shops. Do you mean like this do you want a man for president who's seasoned through and through but that's a doggone season that he won't try something new a man who's old enough to know Or this one. Even President Obama used a jingle to reach Latino voters in his first election. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker used a political jingle back in the day,
Starting point is 00:18:03 but I just couldn't find it. Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman used a jingle in the late 60s when he. Lastman for controller. Lastman was the bad boy. Now Lastman is a good boy. To vote for only the simpler one. Lastman was the bad boy. Now Lastman is a good boy. Love that.
Starting point is 00:18:42 The jingle was written by Terry Bush. He did it for free, hoping to get Lastman's bad boy furniture account. But all he got for his efforts was a cheesy bad boy doll. Welcome to advertising. So Steven at T.D. Barbar, it has
Starting point is 00:18:58 been done. But, jingles are out of favor in Adland these days, and that includes politicians. David Robbins posted this question on Facebook. Aside from maple leaves and winter motifs, do you think there is a Canadian marketing sensibility? Actually, I do, David.
Starting point is 00:19:23 Sometimes it's easy to spot, other times it's not. I think it's most apparent in humorous commercials. I love self-deprecating humor. I think there is something endearing about it when the humor is reflected back on the product. When I wrote commercials for American companies and used self-deprecating humor, my ads were often turned down. Whereas, when I did the same for Canadian companies, they were embraced. I just think gentle, self-deprecating humor is part of the Canadian landscape.
Starting point is 00:19:52 While this isn't a hard and fast rule, I also feel that patriotism is a powerful part of American advertising, but it isn't particularly effective in Canada. Made in the USA is not just a product feature, it is a flag waved by many brands. Here at home, made in Canada is important, but rarely the central marketing thrust per se.
Starting point is 00:20:16 But, as I said earlier, I would change a gear when I was writing commercials for American companies. Elizabeth Sutton and Mike Chapman both asked this question on Facebook. How has the increased use of PVRs and TiVo affected television advertisers? I've touched on this question before, but there's been some interesting research on this lately
Starting point is 00:20:40 that I want to tell you about. The rate of PVR penetration in both the U.S. and Canada is close to 40%. For a long time, advertisers worried about ad avoidance because PVRs offer viewers fast-forward buttons in three speeds. But here's what recent research has shown. In a Harvard Business Review article,
Starting point is 00:21:02 research firm Millward Brown stated that viewers' use of PVRs did not diminish the effectiveness of commercials. In a study of 1,000 U.S. households, of which 400 had a PVR, results showed no decrease in recall or prompted recognition of TV ads among PVR users. One interesting tidbit that came out of the research recognition of TV ads among PVR users.
Starting point is 00:21:29 One interesting tidbit that came out of the research was the fact viewers had to pay close attention to the commercials while fast-forwarding through them in order to stop at the right time to rejoin their program, which, of course, aided in the impact of the ads. Furthermore, when Millward-Brown showed a theater full of volunteers fast-forwarded ads, it found people were easily able to mentally process the messages. Recall was no worse than the overall average recall of television commercials. And, if the viewer had seen the commercial at least once before in regular speed, the recall was even higher. When asked how much they liked the ads, viewers gave fast-forwarded commercials almost the same scores as regular speed ones.
Starting point is 00:22:12 So, PVRs aren't the huge threat everyone thinks they are, at least for now. If you're looking for flexible workouts, Peloton's got you covered. Summer runs or playoff season meditations, whatever your vibe, Peloton has thousands of classes built to push you. We know how life goes. New father, new routines, new locations.
Starting point is 00:22:35 What matters is that you have something there to adapt with you, whether you need a challenge or rest. And Peloton has everything you need, whenever you need it. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. Over to Twitter again. At Prolapsed Brain asks, How can billboards still exist as a method of advertising?
Starting point is 00:23:01 Seems too primitive and inefficient. Well, at Prolapsed Brain, interesting that you say it's primitive, because billboards, or posters, are probably the oldest form of advertising in recorded history. It's a medium that survived thousands of years. Here's the upside to billboards, size and impact. It's one thing to see an ad on your mobile phone or even your TV screen. It's quite another to see a gigantic sign measuring 19 meters by 5 meters, or 62 feet by 16 feet for us pre-metric folks, staring down at you. Billboards can also be highly creative. As a copywriter, I always love the challenge and possibilities of a billboard. They can make use of context quite nicely, too.
Starting point is 00:23:51 For example, a billboard for an electric car had a hole cut in it so a branch from the tree behind it could grow through the hole. A billboard for McDonald's was created using actual lettuce seeds. Over the course of two weeks, the lettuce grew and spelled out fresh salads. Another billboard for Rapala fishing lures just showed a photo of a lure, but had a dozen cats sitting on top of the billboard, just waiting. The downside of billboards is, of course, visual clutter. Some cities have even outlawed billboards, like Sao Paulo, Brazil. So have the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Vermont.
Starting point is 00:24:34 In Toronto, a municipal tax was placed on billboards in 2010, a portion of which helps fund art programs in the city. But I always point to Apple when talking billboards. Steve Jobs consistently chose them as one of his primary mediums. Even in the digital age, selling digital products, Jobs chose to put his money into the world's oldest advertising medium. And he did okay. Troy Birch tweets,
Starting point is 00:25:08 How tough is it working on beer commercials with all the imposed do's and don'ts that the government sets out? Answer, very tough. Here are some of the beer rules. Beer ads cannot show actual consumption. There must be the same amount of beer bottles as there are people in a shot. Beer cannot be shown to be important to the enjoyment of any activity, including business success, social success, athletic prowess,
Starting point is 00:25:37 achieving a goal, or solving a problem. And get this, and I quote, Lifestyle beer ads can't be seen to be important for sexuality or sexual opportunity. Really? Have they watched beer commercials in the last 20 years? Exactly. Characters in beer commercials can't be shown with beer before, in anticipation of, or involving activities demanding care, skill, or attention. Those are just some of the regulations,
Starting point is 00:26:06 and they vary from province to province, which partially answers a question that Thomas Lewis LaForest asked about the difference between provinces when it comes to advertising. So, with all those rules in the beer category, try being creative. It's enough to drive you to drink. I want to take this moment to thank you, our listeners, for a great season. Not only do you send me interesting articles and links, which I always look at,
Starting point is 00:26:44 but you also send me great episode ideas too. We make the show for you, so your input is always welcome and appreciated. The questions we answered today are no exception. But of one thing there is no question, and that is how amazing the people are behind the scenes at Under the Influence. And being that this is our last show of the season, I'd like to tell you who those people are behind the scenes at Under the Influence. And being that this is our last show of the season, I'd like to tell you who those people are. Our incredible sound engineer is Keith Ullman,
Starting point is 00:27:12 who has worked on every single episode since day one, eight years ago. Our theme music was created by the gifted team of Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre. There's quite the O'Reilly contingent behind the scenes of this show. All show coordination, shipping and scheduling is handled
Starting point is 00:27:30 by the mighty Debbie O'Reilly. Website and podcast posting is managed by Sydney O'Reilly. Research cataloging done by Shea O'Reilly and audio editing done by Callie O'Reilly. Our amazing under the influence researchers are
Starting point is 00:27:45 Warren Brown, Lama Balagi, James Gangle, and Shea Cole. All resourceful and wonderful. A big thank you goes out to Chris Straw, Senior Director of Network Talk at CBC, for all his unwavering support. And to Chris Boyce, Executive Director of CBC Radio, who took a chance on this crazy little show eight years ago.
Starting point is 00:28:10 We'll be under the influence again next January. Have a wonderful summer. I'm Terry O'Reilly. Thank you. Hi, you've reached Terry O'Reilly at Under the Influence. There's nobody here to take your message right now, but if you leave your name and number, we'll get back to you in January. By the way, I know you've been dreaming of wearing an Under the Influence T-shirt. Or maybe I was dreaming that. But anyway, we have them for sale on our shop page.
Starting point is 00:29:28 And if you listen to the show while sipping a tea or a coffee, have we got the mug for you. Go to terryoreilly.ca slash shop. See you next week. New year, new me. The season is here, and honestly honestly we're already over it enter felix the health care company helping canadians take a different approach to weight loss this year weight loss is more than just diet and exercise it can be about tackling genetics hormones metabolism
Starting point is 00:29:59 felix gets it they connect you with licensed health care practitioners online who'll create a personalized treatment plan that pairs your healthy lifestyle with a little help and a little extra support. Start your visit today at felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A.

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