Permission Power vs. the Super Bowl
During Super Bowl weekend, while so much hype is on a bunch of $3 million
30-second TV spots, let’s step back and look at how advertising works for
the rest of us.
The big daddies who buy those Super Bowl spots splash their names in front
of millions (billions?) of viewers, unconcerned with direct returns via
sales. Most advertisers — especially local businesses — cannot afford
that luxury, even on a more modest scale. In fact, Super Bowl spots are
simply the most expensive and dramatic form of “interruption marketing,” a
costly and aging strategy that rarely works.
Almost ten years ago, Seth Godin wrote Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers. He foretold the demise of traditional mass (”interruption”) advertising:
You’re not paying attention. Nobody is. It’s not your fault. [p.24]
The clutter has only gotten worse. Try counting how many marketing messages you encounter today. Don’t forget giant brand names on t-shirts, the Miscrosoft start-up banner on your monitor, radio ads, tv ads, billboards, airport ads, bumper stickers and even the ads in your local paper. [p.25]
Almost no one goes home eagerly anticipating junk mail in their mailbox. Almost no one reads People magazine for the ads. Almost no one looks forward to a three-minute commercial interruption on must-see tv. [p.26]
Super Bowl advertisers spend mightily for a special “interruption” opportunity, buying name recognition, and hoping that the “buzz” will extend the impact beyond the game-day broadcast. (But think about this: how many Super Bowl commercials of the past do you recall? Perhaps the famed 1984 Apple Macintosh ad, a brilliant combination of creativity and strategy. Or the heart-rending Mean Joe Greene Coca-Cola ad of the late 1970’s? Those were decades ago! How many advertisers from this century’s Super Bowls can you name?)
For the rest of us — businesses and consumers alike — it is Godin’s “Permission Marketing” that can do the work that it is paid to do. These are messages that break through consumer resistance, create trust, build brand awareness, and greatly improve the chances of a sale.
Tomorrow’s marketer will first try to gain the customer’s consent to participate in the selling process. [p.10]
No doubt you see that Lucyslist is a direct disciple of the church of Permission Marketing. Our favorite excerpt:
E-mail is the main reason people use the Internet. And e-mail delivers frequency for free.
Time and again, marketing surveys demonstrate that people are likely to patronize businesses they trust. Where does trust come from? Trust comes from frequency. But before frequency turns into sales, it turns into permission. Permission to communicate, permission to customize, permission to teach. And permission is just a step away from trust. [p.96]
A brilliant marketer, Seth Godin continues to teach and preach the wisdom of Permission Marketing. Click here to read his latest take.
(Email Lucyslist for “Permission Marketing” solutions for your business.) marsha (at) lucyslist (dot) net
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