TV Advertising: A Revelation

I've always assumed ad positioning was a simple art - If you're selling a book then show the ad either side of a book review show. Target a show your audience watches and get into the eyes of your new customers.

However, I was ill-informed. Not only do you need to target those shows, but you must bear in mind how your product will be seen in light of actions that happened during the show. Eg, Have a great ad bragging about how good the new BMW M3 is, after a show of Top Gear slate it as the worst M3 ever built? That's wasted effort, and money.

So who checks this stuff? I haven't researched so I don't know. I'm guessing a junior or intern. Or, maybe shows come with notes specifically for advertisers, specifying "Not suitable for vegan products" etc. Maybe the agencies that buy up space check themselves.

If you're any wiser, let me know by leaving a comment.

Marketing: My opening thoughts

My work life is spent marketing products online. It's fun. It's rewarding when things go right and enlightening when they don't. Trial and error and educated guesses ensure that I act on my intuition, which an online personality test tells me I have in abundance. The bargaining with sales partners keeps me entertained and, for the most part, I believe in what we're selling.

As fun as it is I feel I need a bigger challenge. Selling products to a targeted market is easy - Get their attention, wave an attractive product and/or offer in front of them and viola, sale! I want to go bigger. I want to change people's buying habits. I want to get into their minds.

This blog will document my experiences as I build my career in this industry. Well, that's the plan..