Okay, I took a little time out from blogging, but watching commercials during the Olympics has me wondering what's up with the creative strategy behind the Nationwide Insurance commercials.

First of all since one has to assume that the commercials are aimed at the insurance buying audience, is it really a benefit to tell the audience that Nationwide is seeking the WORLD'S BEST SALESPERSON IN THE WORLD to sell them insurance? Does any customer want to be sold anything and be told that a company will go to any lengths to unleash these people on them?

Next,  one can only wonder why, if this person were so great, have they dropped out to become a loner? One gets the fact that he is way beyond eccentric and who wants that person in their livingroom selling them insurance?

If the BEST SALESPERSON IN THE WORLD had a blue cellphone that played "nationwide is on your side repeatedly" that would have been annoying, but would have at least communicated something of value about the brand. The fact that the Nationwide salesperson acts dumb and confident at the same time is just plain annoying and that  is not the ultimate takeway that one would want for an insurance company.

1. Many local newspapers have cut staff and have less time to cover feature types of stories.
2. Many newspapers have fewer ads therefore fewer pages. The result is less space for news and features.
3. A growing number of people get their news from online sources such as Google.
4. A growing number of people do most of their shopping for products and services online.
5. Online press releases may well be one of the most cost-effective ways to bring new customers to your website.

I challenged myself to a fast recall of car commercials and other product/service categories that seem to be running a lot. This is what came to mind.

- Chevy because they are putting forth a message and repeating it enough to stick.
- Chrylser 300 because I think of the Mazda commercial zig zag road that  
  accompanies their Zoom, Zoom, Zoom...so Chrysler makes me think of two 
  brands. 
 - Cadillac because rocket staging performance on the salt flats is an interesting 
  departure from their other recent ones.  
- Nissan "Love Hurts" because it proves how powerful music and lyrics can be for
  recall.
- There's also a nice Infinity commercial which simply states its strong points.
- I remember, but still don't "get" a Lexus commercial that has a guy in some sort
  of chase scene where he jumps into a car and slows down for a girl.
- Toyata's commercial with the father and son taking car through car wash.

For beer commercials my instant recall is for Bud's "too light, too heavy" campaign.
In fact, no other beer commercial even comes to mind except a Samuel Adams spot.

For household products you have to give a nod to Orkin and Swiffer for being kind of creepy but memorable. And to Electrolux for a memorable salute to amazing moms with Kelly Ripa.  

In the insurance category Progressive is doing a good job of branding against Geico and Allstate, while State Farm and Nationwide are both less memorable and probably less frequent.

In the soft drink category, currently 7-Up and Coke are the only brands that I've seen more than twice in one week. And every Coke commercial I've seen in the past two or three years seems to be different from the previous one.  

I believe that the Chevy commercials with Maggie "I'm a Big girl" and Howie Long are creating memorable messages for recreating this brand. In fact, all of the commercials with Howie are memorable not just for the recognizable spokesman but also for what is being said and the manner in which it is delivered. These commercials relate and they need to because at this point who's sitting around dreaming of owning a new Chevy car or SUV.

I watched a commercial a couple of nights ago for Subway in which the actor faces the camera and "interacts" with the screen in the method I now automatically think of as the HP technique. Immediately, I'm wondering if this is a good idea that I am watching one commercial and thinking of another brand entirely.

Plus the message being put forth in the commercial is that Subway has better value compared to other value type meals. The disconnect for me is that I have never received one of these picture perfect subs with layers and layers of deli meat so the value aspect doesn't really resonate with me in terms of comparing their product to other offers on the market which may be smaller and cost less. 

After all with the money left over from some other value menu burgers, you can also add a fry and still not go over the Subway value price. So for my money, you need to keep selling me on healthy eating and with a visual that keeps my mind on the sub and not the visual technique of the message.

In a recent plug for a white paper on what to expect from the 2010 census, Ad Age says that the census will reveal the demise of the average America.

It quotes the paper's author, demographics expert Peter Francese, as saying that "The average American has been replaced by a complex, multidimensional society that defies simplistic labeling." 

Let's hope that to anyone in marketing that will come as no great relevation.

Do you ever get bloggers block? Unlike writers block, the results of bloggers block can be more obvious, because the posts are not there. With writers block the novel or article can always be coming along without actually revealing that it is stalled out.

The interesting thing is that writing is actually like talking. But writing for a blog is like talking under pressure in a deadline driven kind of way like writing a column. 

As a professional writer and PR consultant I spend a great deal of time writing for clients, which places me at the bottom of my own list. That's just the way it is. My infrequency is less a matter of actual "block" than it is lack of time.

You and anyone else who blogs and finds yourself with a similar problem can solve it by hiring someone to blog for you or by creating a backlog of blogs, which you can then schedule. [Yes, I should take my own advice.]

The information age keeps growing with blogs and tweets contributing to the overload. Will some companies soon need Directors of Information in addition to Directors of Information Technology? It would appear so.

Okay another head of another corporation is starring in their company's TV commercials. This time its the new head of General Motors. It's good to hear from the top and he did come across as down to earth, direct and sincere in delivering his message: "Buy a new Chevy, Buick GMC or Cadillac and if you're not 100% happy, return it. We'll take it back."

However, when he's walking through the corporate spread there could have been something else going on that connected that message to some vehicle logos or car images. Other than the message I just recall a lot of walking and brief recall of a rather sterile looking design area.

At least this commercial had a message. I'm still trying to figure out why money was spent on the last Buick commercial that I saw.

As ad budgets shrink and more clients turn to PR, what are the expectations? Are they realistic? Do clients still value a PR plan or are they content for the most part to string some projects together and hope for the best? Aside from human interest angles can the small company only hope for online coverage? These and dozens of other questions are pertinent in today's economy as daily newspapers have less space to allot to national and local news and due to shrinking staffs, more content is likely to be picked up from the wire, especially feature content.

Where are the best opportunities for PR coverage? In the local paper consider the profileration of blogs by newspaper reporters and don't overlook the power of local columns and op ed opportunities. Follow any developing national or local stories that have any real relationship to your business sector and look for relevant ways to become part of that bigger continuing story.

Look to regional and local magazines, special interest and trade magazines that cover your type of business. In the latter, start to build a relationship with them even before you launch your business.

Opportunities can usually be found, but as they old saying goes "Rome wasn't built in a day." Aside from print, a company's products or services can also get TV coverage if they are interesting visually or relate to a breaking or big story.

But what advertisers should not expect from PR is for PR to build the brand. While it can certainly help take up the slack from a trimmed ad budget, your story will rarely be showcased as you could with the impact and frequency of a paid ad campaign.

I just read about the L.A. Times running an advertorial on its front page. And I'm not sure how I feel about it. It will cause controversy.

As someone with a journalism degree, I would have to say, 'no way'...maybe the front page of the Living Section or Feature Section, but not the front page. This is a major newspaper and the front page is for news,not ads.

As someone with a career spent in advertising, I would have to say if the newspaper would sell it to me, I would buy it. the value of an ad on the front page would not only make my client stand-out-from-the-crowd, but the buzz created by my ground-breaking move will reap invaluable added value for by ad dollars. Besides, can't I also feel good about helping print media stay in business?

And as a PR practitioner, I'm very iffy about this. News is news and advertising is advertising, but PR campaigns can always run in purchased ad space whether that space is an ad or ad advertorial, but I'm not sure about the front page. I'm out to lunch on this one, although there will be as much buzz for the LATimes as for the client. It won't be all good.