When Atlanta was in the heyday of its Olympic preparations, Mayor Maynard Jackson appointed Joel Babbit, then one of the city’s most controversial admen, as his communications czar. Helping Atlanta market itself to the world fell under Babbit’s jurisdiction.
"One of the first suggestions we heard was regarding the purchase of naming rights to city streets and parks," Babbit says.
At the time, the idea of selling naming rights to public institutions was radical; offensive even, and it died a lingering death. But as the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl sings loud and clear, the times they are a changin’.
Another idea that was never implemented raised even more eyebrows. And not just in Atlanta. The talk around this idea was out of this world.
"That idea was to sell ads in space," Babbit says. "At least 50% of the people who heard about it thought the idea was ridiculous. The other 50% thought it could happen."
Personally, Babbit didn’t think much of the idea. But professionally, he understood the importance of standing out. "As much as I didn’t like it, I knew this was where things were headed."
"This" meaning advertising placement that was as creative as the advertising itself.
David LaMarca knows a little something about standing out in a crowd. He’s the founder and CEO of the RetroTechs, Inc (formerly DemoGraphics), an Atlanta-based company with a 1950s look and a millenium mindset about technology. RetroTech consultants walk the walk of old-fashioned on-site customer service in crisp white dress shirts, pressed slacks, wingtips, and ties. The only thing they lack is a Fedora.
LaMarca had been looking for a way to promote the company’s name change in a way that would generate more word of mouth than print advertising.
"We thought about purchasing billboard space," LaMarca says, "But billboards are so expensive in Atlanta. We would’ve paid about $12,000 a month for a single billboard in Buckhead."
Meanwhile, LaMarca had been nursing an idea in the back of his mind for years. When he realized that for the cost of a year’s outdoor campaign he could probably buy a small fleet of cars, he finally decided the time was right to act. After all, his employees were always on the road getting to and from client offices throughout the metro area. So why not a car that would be seen on the road and in parking lots? But it would have to be the right car — not some flower-bedecked fun car.
"If we were going to buy company cars, they had to be distinctive and cost-effective," he says. "They would also have to be spacious since we cart computers to and from client offices."
LaMarca found what he was looking for in the retro looking PT Cruiser. "It was perfect for us," he says. "We’ve always looked and acted in a sort of retro way. The cars were inexpensive and perfect for making deliveries."
Atlanta designers Scott Banks and Lynn Albers of BAD Studio took over from there, creating a complex, detailed illustration that was turned into the equivalent of a "decal" wrapping the entire car.
And on May 1, The RetroTechs officially launched their new name and look by driving their illustrated cars in team formation up and down I-75 and 85, ultimately stopping for a celebratory lunch at Maggianos.
"While we didn’t get the radio coverage we were hoping for, we did get lots of looks on the highway and lots of folks coming over to talk to us in parking lots," says LaMarca.
Many of those conversations translated into sales.
No less an advertising icon than Al Ries, author of the definitive book, “Positioning: A Battle for Your Mind”, concurs with LaMarca’s decision to explore non-traditional ways to reach out to new customers. However, Ries believes that the real story behind the wrapping of cars or the buying of naming rights is one about growing dissatisfaction with the results of conventional advertising.
Not that Ries doesn’t believe a need still exists for radio, television, or print advertisements. "According to our numbers," Ries says, "we have two to three times the number of ads today as 20 years ago. Traditional advertising is successful. But there’s a relationship between the volume of advertising and the impact of an individual ad."
Which is why Ries sees the sense in wrapping a car or bus. "You can’t be too critical of people using alternative mediums. Using a new medium with less volume [competition] can translate into an ability to reach more people."
But there’s an obvious downside to buying cars to use for advertising. "As more and more people wrap cars," Ries says, "the effectiveness of a single wrapped car decreases.”
One of the key advantages alternative forms of media offer over advertising is the ability to generate publicity—something Ries believes is critical to creating brand awareness.
"Advertising has no credibility," he says. "Everybody says they’re terrific." He also believes that advertising is more a defensive move than an offensive one. "Publicity is one of the things that helps build a brand. Once that brand is developed—move on to advertising. If we had written that positioning book today, we’d be referring to a public relations era."
We all remember the media buyers of old; those mathematicians who toiled over buy after buy, trying to figure out cost per thousands, and which spots made the most sense for their clients. It was often a game of money, not impact.
"The goal in media buying was often to look for the cheapest cost per thousand in making a buy," says Al Ries says. "There’s more creativity in media buying these days. It’s a constant pull and tug between those traditional buyers and those who want to do something with more impact."
Joel Babbit, for one, isn’t impressed with CPM or viewership. Now a principal at 360, an agency that prides itself on non-traditional methodologies, Babbit believes it’s important to look to sales to determine true success. "A media buyer may tell me we’re reaching 5 million people per year," he says "But I want to know how many people I can expect to come in and become buyers." He cites Taco Bell as an ominous example. "They spend some $220 million on advertising, yet their sales kept plummeting. Viewers were entertained, not sold."
When it comes to getting into a target group’s day to see what they see and do, the folks at GTM... It Means A Lot know exactly what to do: The company specializes in "in your face" promotions targeting the urban youth market.
It would be hard enough for a corporation to talk to a hip hop person if all hip hoppers were alike. They aren’t. The fact is that hip hoppers, rappers, and other subculture groups vary from market to market.
"If you’re going to step into the subculture, you have to step correctly," says company founder Kembo Tom. "What we provide our clients is street credibility."
"The people we target don’t like cookie-cutter anything," says GTM’s Shawn Howard. "It’s a fact that they’re watching less television, for example. Sure, traditional media gets impressions. The question is…what’s the impression? Traditional media is missing a customized approach. We go to people on the street and hang out. We infiltrate their scenes."
With brand managers located in over 35 cities across the country, GTM has access to rappers, hip hoppers, graffiti artists, breakdancers and more. "Trend-spotting is the number one thing our brand managers send back to us," Tom explains. He likens not having such information to being the new kid in school, wondering who the cool people are.
"With our brand managers, though,” says Shawn Howard, "we’re already the cool kids on the block."
GTM has taken their cutting edge advantage to assist clients from Adidas to Verizon Wireless. For Adidas, legally vetted graffiti murals were painted on walls in California cities such as Venice Beach and Englewood. "Adidas won because it looked as if they recognized the subculture and were investing in the community," Tom says.
GTM’s advice for marketers today is simple: if you want your promotions to be successful, hit the streets.
"Get a person-on-the-street type of assessment of where your brand is now," says Tom. "Recognize the importance of understanding multiculturalism and current times. You’ve got to pay attention."
When laundry detergent booster Shout decided to help sponsor a local soccer league, they were taking their case not to the streets, but to the playing field. Every player received a Shout iron-on patch to decorate their squeaky clean jerseys. Will this translate into increased sales? If it doesn’t, you can bet your knee socks Shout will sponsor a dirtier sport next time.
Because return on investment makes the world go round. No matter what message you send, no matter what media you choose, there’s only one thing that counts — and that’s bottom line impact.
Traditional advertising isn’t going away. It’s just becoming more difficult. (And lord knows, more expensive.) Internet advertising isn’t going away either, we just haven’t figured out how to make the most of it just yet. (Think television, 1958.)
And selling our children into name-hell hasn’t caught on just yet. But you never know. If the price is right …
Signing off in Atlanta for Oz, this is Doritos Wasserman.
Oz The Journal of Creative Disciplines is published bi-monthly by Oz Publishing, Inc. 3100 Briarcliff Rd, Suite 524, Atlanta, GA 30329. Copyright 2001 by Oz Publishing, Inc. (404) 633-1779. All Rights Reserved. Reproductions in whole or in part without express written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
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