B-. Nothing awful, but nothing iconic either.  Except maybe the last ad I mention below.

Best ad:

Avocados from Mexico.  Funny and easy to remember.  Great branding.  And really strong statement of product benefits (can use them with more than chips).

Runner up:

Doritos and Mountain Dew combo.  I would like pretty much anything Morgan Freeman is in, and, along with Peter Dinklage (had to google his name) I thought they made a great pairing.  Great job by PepsiCo pairing these two brands together.  Offsets the rather mediocre Pepsi lead in to the halftime show (more on that below).

Third place:

Amazon Alexa.  Very memorable, You certainly knew whose ad it was, because somebody said “Alexa: every few minutes.  It also left you wondering what life would be out without it/her.

Fourth place:

M&Ms.  Only because I like Danny DeVito.

Worst ad:

It was not as bad as some ads shown in previous years (pretty much anything GoDaddy ever put out), but I did not like the Wendy’s ad.  When all you can do is bash the competition, it leads one to believe you have nothing good to say about yourself.  Their classic “Where’s the Beef?” ads did go after the competition, but that was very tongue in cheek and ended up stating that “the beef” is at Wendy’s.

Second worst:

SquareSpace.  I just do not get their ads at all.  Never did and probably never will.

Third worst:

Monsterstore.com’s spot was very creative.  I have no idea who they are or what they do.

Fourth worst:

Groupon.  Seriously?  Kicking somebody in the groin?  Is their target market middle school kids?  It completely detracted from a decent message about supporting local businesses.

Car ads:

The best by far was the RAM Viking ad.  We Will Rock You was the perfect song for that spot, and the ad demonstrated the brand’s toughness.  What fun they could have had if the Vikings were actually in the Super Bowl.  Not sure about their Martin Luther King ad.  Certainly inspirational words, but not sure that ad was the right venue.

Phone ads:

Sprint did a nice and clever job taking on Verizon on pricing; for some reason this one did not bother me as much as the Wendy’s ad.  But when compared to the Verizon “All our Thanks” ad and the T-Mobile spot with the babies, Sprint came up a little lacking.

Most ironic:

Tie among Hulu, Amazon and YouTube TV.  Each spent about $5 million essentially touting the benefits of TV without commercials.

This was so ridiculous I can’t even come up with a title:

NBC hyping the halftime show as “music’s biggest moment of the year.”  Hello Grammy’s.  And even though I am a JT fan, the halftime show wasn’t all that good.

Stranger Tides

I didn’t think this year’s Tide commercials were as good as last year’s with Terry Bradshaw and Jeff Tambor.  But they were clever.  They captured your attention and had really strong branding.  I really liked the spot where they spoofed last year’s excellent Mr. Clean ad.  Kudos to Proctor & Gamble for working in two brands for the price of one.  Plus, the ads featured David Harbour from Stranger Things, and anything with a Stranger Things connection will score points with me.  We just needed Millie Bobby Brown to telekinetically put a stain on David’s shirt, have him deny the stain is there, and then have her say FRIENDS…DON’T…LIE.

That’s entertainment

Ignoring all the marketing stuff, the hands down most entertaining ad was Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Manning dancing to “I Had the Time of My Life.”  I have no idea what the NFL was trying to accomplish with that ad, but I loved it.  However, Eli, don’t give up your day job (if you still have one).  And perhaps a new cultural phrase will be launched: “Nobody puts Odell in a corner.”

1. Some will succeed…wildly.  You will not only love the ad, but you’ll remember whose ad it is.  And, importantly, it inspired some sort of positive association with the brand.
2. Some will fail…miserably.  For example, if you say “I loved the ad where the dog jumped out of a plane and his parachute didn’t open but then the dog flapped his paws and flew while barking ‘I Believe I Can Fly’, but I don’t remember whose ad it was” the ad failed miserably.

Kind of hard for a Chicago Booth guy to admit, but a – if not the – leading expert on Super Bowl advertising is Northwestern Kellogg prof Tim Calkins.  Undoubtedly, just as you will see morning after analyses of the game, you will see his analysis of the ads.  Here is his ADPLAN framework for rating Super Bowl ads.  Watch the ads through these lenses:

Attention – did the ad attract and hold your attention (think the classic Apple 1984 ad)?

Distinction – did it stand out (think last year’s Mr. Clean ad)?

Positioning – did the ad communicate benefits and differentiate itself from the competition (think Miller Lite’s “tastes great, less filling” spots)?

Linkage – can you associate the brand with the ad (think pretty much any Anheuser-Busch ad)?

Amplification – how did you react to the ad (I think of last year’s Google Home ad)?

N et equity – is the ad consistent with the brand (again – think any A-B ad)?

Too much for you?  Here is an easier way.  Call it the BBB method, which combines the six attributes into three.

Breakthrough (awareness and distinction) Did the ad wow you?

Benefit (positioning and amplification) Did it resonate positively?

Branding (linkage and net equity) Was it consistent with what you would expect from the brand?

A couple of spoiler alerts.  Absolutely do not miss the Avacados from Mexico ad.  Or the M&M’s spot.  Both really good.  And tune into the Diet Coke spot as an example of an ad that may fail miserably.

Enjoy the ads.  And the game.  And at the risk of angering a lot of you, Go Eagles.

R you ready to be a more effective marketer in 2018?  Here are a few “R” words to think about as you prepare to implement your marketing strategies and tactics.  They are all important, so they are presented in alphabetical order.

Ratings. Ratings are nothing new.  People have been using ratings from Consumer Reports and other sources for decades when considering everything from automobiles to washing machines to insurance.  But now people are going online for ratings.  Make sure you are registered with important sites like Google so customers can rate you.  And don’t be afraid to promote those positive ratings through all your marketing channels.

Rationale thinking. Don’t assume people make rational decisions.  They don’t.  Richard Thaler won the Nobel Prize for economics based upon his work in behavioral economics, which states people do not always make the most rational decisions.  So explore the emotional factors that go into decision making.

Read. People don’t like to read.  Cut to the chase.  Keep direct mail copy to a minimum.  Blogs should not be more than 500 words.  If a Web page contains more than 250 words, that is too many.

Refresh. The key to making sure your Website ranks high in searches is to make sure your Website always has fresh content.  Reviews, articles of interest, blogs, press releases, staff bios and case studies are just a few ways you can keep your Website content fresh.

Relevance. Is your message relevant to your target market?  Talk with your customers to make sure it is, exploring both the rational and emotional attributes that lead to relevance.

Research. Many people view research as an expense.  It is really an investment.  You are spending a little money on research so that when you spend more money implementing tactics you will know you are implementing them correctly.  Use research to do everything from understanding whether customers will buy your products (and what price they will pay) to understanding the most important product attributes, to making sure your creative materials will resonate.

Last year, The Chicago Tribune ran an article asking whether drug ads help patients or lead to expensive treatments.  The article noted that, according to Kantar Media, pharma companies spent $4.5 billion on direct to consumer advertising in 2014.  Let me mention a couple of arguments against advertising raised in the article, and then provide thoughts.

1. Medical decisions should be made by doctors, not uninformed consumers.

Rebuttal:  Obviously medical decisions should be made by doctors.  But at the end of the day, it is the doctor writing the prescription, not the consumer.  I personally cannot recall an ad for a prescription medication that implored: “Tell your doctor to prescribe…”  The ads suggest: “Ask your doctor about…”  The purpose is to both educate the consumer and motivate the consumer to have a conversation, not demand a prescription.

2. Advertising pressures doctors to prescribe particular medications-often drugs that may be less expensive and more risky.

Rebuttal:  While this is probably true in a small number of cases, I would think that the vast majority of doctors realize that they are the expert, would not be pressured by advertising, and would counsel the patient on what is best.

3. The resulting conversations can waste a doctor’s time.

Rebuttal:  I get that doctors are squeezed for time.  But sorry, if I am a patient and I have seen or heard something about a drug that can help me in an ad, on the Internet…wherever, I am going to expect my doctor to take the necessary time and discuss it with me.

4. Advertising contributes to high drug prices.

Rebuttal:  Americans spent $374 billion on prescription drugs in 2014, according to IMS Health.  The $4.5 billion spent on DTC advertising is 1.2% of that.  So it is hard to imagine that advertising had much of an impact, if any, on pricing.

5. Advertising casts doubt on the claim that most pharma costs are related to research and development.

Rebuttal:  It may indeed cast doubt.  But if it does, it is a perception issue that pharma companies will have to address.  The reality is that pharma companies spend exponentially more on R&D than advertising.  The Pharmaceutical Research and Management Association reported that in 2014, its members spent $41.1 billion in R&D in the United States.  Compare that to the $4.5 billion spent on advertising.

6. The ads carry a risk of exposing more patients to the adverse effects of new drugs.

Rebuttal: True if more patients use the drugs more patients will be exposed to the adverse effects.  But they will also be “exposed” to the possibility that the drugs will help them.  That is what the physician-patient conversation is all about.

1. This holiday season, you spend a little less time than planned working and a little more time than planned with friends and family?
2. You get every present you want?
3. More importantly, your eyes light up when you see the joy of your children, grandchildren and other family members opening each of their gifts?
4. You donate a toy or other gift to someone less fortunate than you?
5. Your service (Christmas or Hanukkah) is especially meaningful?
6. Your dinner is especially delicious, whether it is ham, fish (all seven) or latkes and applesauce?
7. You donate some of that food to a food pantry or other organization?
8. (For Christians), the tree is magnificent and you have lots of cool new ornaments?
9. (For Jews), the movie you see on Christmas is a great one, and the Chinese take out is ready on time?
10. (For Christians) you leave out milk and cookies and Santa really does show up?
11. (For Jews), your dreidel always comes up “gimmel,” because “hey”, it’s better than a kick in the “shin” at high “noon”?
12. You have amazing weather the entire duration of your vacation to warmer climates?
13. If you don’t go to a warmer spot, your snow shovel and snow blower at least will be on vacation, and your snow plowing service won’t be?
14. We realize how fortunate we are and contribute to a charity to help those not as fortunate?
15. 2016 turns out to be your best year ever…with nothing but health and happiness for you and your family?
16. 2016 brings peace and happiness to the entire world?

I hope it all comes true.  Have a safe and joyous holiday season and may 2016 be your best year ever.

So…Leftovers.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, there are a few things we can count on.  Holiday shopping.  Lots of parties and food.  Hopefully, looking forward to holiday travel…especially for those of us in colder climates.

And of course, if you have a marketing gig and managed your budget wisely, you have leftover marketing dollars.  Spending those marketing leftovers, like eating your Thanksgiving leftovers, takes planning and strategy.  Here are a few ideas to bake in your marketing oven (apologies for the lousy analogy).

1. If you have excess funds, don’t do anything until you know you have authority to spend them, even if you have budget. Organizational profitability requirements (and those darned shareholders if you work for a public company) may prevent you from spending those dollars
2. Don’t spend just for the sake of spending. Figure out strategically how your money can be best spent. If you can’t think of anything, don’t spend the money.
3. If you can spend your “leftover” money, here are just a few things you can do:

• If you have not made your Website “responsive” (mobile friendly), do it now.  Doing this is even more important than ever, as Google now penalizes sites that are not mobile friendly.  Besides, a recent study by eMarketer reports that mobile devices (phone and tablet) are the tools of choice for more than half the time people spend online.
• Get your other online efforts for next year in line. Finalize your Website. Optimize it. Make it mobile friendly.  Get your social media programs going. Get any videos done.  Yes, videos are searchable.
• Instead of mailing your direct mail campaign just after Jan. 1, mail it just before Jan. 1 to expense the postage. But don’t mail it too soon - you’ll want it to hit after the first of the year.  And yes, direct mail still works with the right offer, list and creative.
• Have any miscellaneous writing projects initiated in December.
• Begin the process of initiating a market research project in December, and see how much of it you can pay for up front.
• Prepay planned 2015 advertising expenditures. You might even be able to get a discount.  Those advertisers like cash up front.
• Talk to other providers about paying them in December with 2014 money, even if your schedule doesn’t permit them to start working on a project until after the first of the year.
• If you are a B2B company, try using this strategy with your clients. Have them commit to spend IT money, buy office supplies, whatever. It works.

Finally, since this is going out before Thanksgiving, have a great holiday.

1. Have a brand strategy and stick to it.  As disclosed during court proceedings, MJ’s strategy was to only seek long-term relationships which would ultimately yield more than $10 million.  He has turned down numerous lucrative sponsorship opportunities, because they did not fit with the strategy.  So whatever your strategy is, stick to it.
2. Don’t chase every last dollar.  If you chase every last dollar, you run the risk of making bad deals, or doing things that are really not core competencies.  For example, if you are an architect specializing in high-end home remodeling, don’t take a little commercial project just for the money.  It dilutes your brand, and you may not have the competence to do a great job.  If you are an investment manager specializing in large cap stocks, don’t tell people you have expertise in selecting small cap stocks.  You don’t.
3. Be vigilant.  If it is your company, whether or not the company name possesses your name, stay on top of what is going on.  Many pro athletes and others get in trouble because they delegate decisions they should not delegate and don’t pay attention to their brand.  MJ has always been very involved in business decisions relating to his brand.  For you, that means being involved in every decision, and carefully monitoring what is being said about you in social media and online reviews.  When you see something you don’t like, don’t be afraid to address it.
4. Follow through on what you say.  People perceived that for MJ, this was just another way to line his pockets.  He said that it was not about the money, and after the verdict he said he would donate the money to charity.  So if you say you are going to do something, do it.  If you don’t follow through, that means your brand cannot be trusted.  And we all know that with social media, everything you say and do is permanent. People do not forget.

We all remember those TV commercials where people sang that they wanted to “be like Mike.”  If you can’t be like him on the basketball court (and who among us can?) you can at least be like him when it comes to guarding your brand.

That, of course, is the concluding line from “Risky Business.”  With that line Joel, played by Tom Cruise, announced the results of his high school entrepreneurial project.

“I deal in human fulfillment.”  Those of you who have seen the movie know what Joel is talking about.  For those of you who haven’t, just think of what your typical rich, suburban, high school boy wants.  That was what Joel delivered; it was his “why.”

That line to us also is one of the best answers ever to the organizational question: “Why do we exist?”  In other words: what’s our why?

What’s your why?  Why do you exist?  If you think you’ve got a great answer,we invite you to enter the L. Stern & Associates “What’s Your Why” contest.  Here is how you participate.  Send an email to les@lsternmktg.com with the following information:

1. The type of organization you work for
2. What your why is (in one sentence)
3. A support statement for your why

Send the email by end of day August 28 to les@lsternmktg.com.  A panel of three esteemed marketers (not me) will judge the entries.  We will then announce the winners.

What’s in it for you, other than the fame and glory you will receive if you win?  A $100 giftcard for the winner, a $50 giftcard for second place, and a $25 giftcard for third place.

You should enter.  After all, as Joel’s father said: “Sometimes you just gotta say: what the heck.”