The local barbershop used to be an oasis for men and boys. There was always a football or baseball game on TV, the bottles of pop in the coke machine were ice cold and you could look through two or three years-worth of Sports Illustrated magazines — including the famous …
“Should advertising be abolished?” That’s the title of the final chapter of Confessions of an Advertising Man — a book by advertising genius David Ogilvy and published in 1963. At one time, Ogilvy wondered if consumers seeing advertising had almost no other choice but to “obey” and buy the product …
Have you ever played “branding baseball?” I sometimes initiate a game with attendees at my branding workshops to warm them up and get them involved. Volunteers get three swings at the correct answer to “What is your brand?” The first inning typically goes something like this… “Our company name is …
Stop reading if you know this joke…. A man goes to the doctor with a carrot in his nose, cabbage in his ears and ham over his eyes. “What’s wrong with me doc?” He asks. The doctor replies “Well, it looks like you’re not eating right.” Did you stop reading? …
What products come to mind when you hear the word “innovation?” Computers? Cell phones? Cars? How about non-dairy milk, fish, and bottled water? Done laughing? Good, because as the following stories illustrate, several stagnate brands in these categories made billions of dollars in new sales and with innovation in their …
I was filled with the fire of righteous indignation. “How DARE they charge me for a Starz Network subscription?” I said to my computer screen. “I never signed up for that!” Even though I somehow justify $200-400 worth of purchases from Amazon each month, when I spotted a $9.95 charge …
“I knew I was in trouble when I opened the box,” said Jimmy Franklin. Jimmy is a friend and marketing consultant. During the week, his day is filled with words, meetings and computer screens. On weekends, he likes to balance that “invisible” work with something he can do with his …
“Your Toe Fungus Could Fester with the Wrong Product” reads the headline of an ad in Parade magazine. It was for a product called Fungicure. My first thoughts were, “Who wrote that headline? Whom did they interview? What research did they conduct?” I’ve developed my share of embarrassing product marketing, …
What does the future look like for your brand, your company or organization? Rapid change in many markets is the new normal in the last ten years. It’s time to look around, look ahead and prepare. Over a decade ago, the Apple iPhone didn’t exist. But thanks in part to …
Do you think the 2016 presidential election campaign was divisive and brutal? Believe it or not, nothing stated in the 2016 debates or tweets was as harsh as a 60-second TV commercial that was broadcast September 7, 1964 — by the campaign of President Johnson. Just two years after the …
Do you remember looking forward to going into the “toy aisles” when you were a kid? The toy aisles were always an oasis of relief from the boredom of shopping with your mother in a department store. As soon as you were inside Kmart, Sears or other department store, you started …
The King Air Turboprop used up every bit of the airstrip as it landed at tiny Elkton Airport in North Lima, Ohio. I could see the nose of the aircraft dipping as the pilot pumped the brakes. The powerful beast wanted a few hundred more yards to shed its angry …
This wasn’t an ordinary basketball game. The Rockets and Cavs were both undefeated and playing for the lead in the league standings. The fans were excited and vocal as they watched their favorite players jog onto the court. Each player wore the uniform, colors and logos of their respective team. …
Have you ever tried to cancel satellite TV or radio? I canceled my satellite TV service recently and I can tell you… it’s a real challenge. If you try to end your service, you’re in for a long conversation during which you have to alternately defend your position and turn …
Tim Frank enjoyed a good life as the chief financial officer of Axo Manufacturing. Fifteen years earlier, he and Adeline Lane were assistant controllers when the previous CFO decided to retire. Tim and Adeline competed for the post and, by most accounts, Adeline was far more capable than Tim. But …
Shake n’ Bake TV commercial script— “Grandma, can I help you make your special fried chicken?” says 8-year old Sally. “If you can keep a secret…I use Shake ’n Bake now,” says her sneaky grandmother. Sally is shocked: “You DO?” “Sure. I’ll show you,” says Grandma. “First we shake,” as …
Most people would describe Jerry Cortez as a pretty tough guy. Now a successful entrepreneur, he paid for part of his college tuition by fighting in “smokers” — non-sanctioned boxing matches. Jerry is not scared by much. Yet, halfway through my presentation, Jerry started sweating, his pulse increased and his …
There’s a house in Boardman, Ohio with a dual personality. Most of the time, it’s a family home. The family includes Colleen Thomas, her husband William, and their six children: Katie, age 16; William Jr., 7; Brooklyn, 6; Savannah, 4; Alexandria, 2; and one-year old Madison. Oh… they also have …
God says to me with a kind of smile, “Hey how would you like to be God awhile And steer the world?” “Okay,” says I, “I’ll give it a try. Where do I set? How much do I get? What time is lunch? When can I quit?” “Gimme back that wheel,” says …
Oct 20, 2017 — Ms. Ramun named Account Manager/Social Media Director Tracey Ramun of Canfield has joined Farris Marketing as Account Manager and Social Media Director. An experienced marketing professional, Ms. Ramun started her career at WFMJ-TV and most recently ran her own branding firm. “We are thrilled to have Tracey,” …
Barbers Jump From A Good Idea To A Better Idea Luigi and Francisco were entrepreneurs living in a small village in Europe during the Middle Ages. One day in the spring of 1163 AD, they were sitting in the castle courtyard trying to come up with a small business idea. …
Ok marketers, try this little one-question survey on your friends and their children: What kind of person traveled from town-to-town, usually riding in railroad box cars, working for short periods of time, but always moving on, because he loves adventure and the journey? (Correct Answer: “A hobo.”) For bonus points, …
With the notable exception of Double Stuf Oreos, the middle is the worst part of most things. Consider the middle of your body — your waist — which acts like a billboard advertising “This person has not done a sit-up since high school.” How about the middle seat on an …
They say a story has no real beginning or end — only points at which you start and stop watching. If you began watching on March 30, 1981 at 3:34 pm, you’d see President Ronald Reagan being wheeled into an operating room at George Washington University Hospital. The 40th president …
I drank my first six cans of Red Bull over the course of one very long night in Las Vegas in 2001. The Red Bull slogan was “It gives you wings.” In retrospect, “It gives you horns” might be more apropos. Prior to trying Red Bull, I had never heard …
George Farris, CEO and Senior Brand Coach of Farris Marketing, reads at least one marketing or business book a week. He’ll be the first to tell you there are a lot of duds out there, and a lot of books that have very little useful or practical advice or insights …
It’s 8:30 p.m. and many of the tourists in this southwest Florida resort town are just starting their evening. But Andres Colin, singer, songwriter and one-man band, is already two and a half hours into his gig on the open-air patio of The Hub Baja Grille. Even though the sun …
I’m a Liar That’s right. I admit it. I lie all the time. I lie so much, they wrote “Liar, liar, pants on fire” about me. As a matter of fact, my pants are smoking right now — and it’s not because I had chili for lunch. Well, maybe the …
The temperature is a perfect 73 degrees on this early summer evening in northeast Ohio. A gentle wind meanders across the bright green turf of the youth baseball fields in Boardman’s Field of Dreams facility. Seven or eight games are being played simultaneously, and hundreds of parents and siblings of the …
It’s hard to be smart. It stretches the brain — and that hurts. Sometimes, it’s best to use someone else’s brain and just look smart. (I’m good at that.) Luckily, I’ve discovered that pretty much all marketing knowledge can be found in just 30 quotes— which I have provided here …
It was Google’s giggle that got to me. Siri’s snicker actually started it, but it was Google’s giggle that made me snap. It happened while I was driving to work last week (although technically, my car was driving and I was riding). I was having a group discussion with my co-workers …
George Farris (far left) and Larry Moliterno (far right) posed with actors during a break in taping new TV commercials Farris Marketing developed for Meridian. Larry Moliterno, CEO of Meridian HealthCare, has long been the public face of Meridian and was featured in the spots. George Farris of Farris Marketing wrote and …
Mike McKay and Joe Kuzma of Farris Marketing planning social media strategy with Dean Soroka, HR Director and head of social media at Western Reserve Transit Authority. Farris Marketing provides content and technique training for clients as part of website and social media site development. …
Ask the next guy you see what color underwear he’s wearing. You’d better make that the next guy who you actually know — so it’s a little less awkward. Don’t let the guy check, just tell him to make his best guess. Even ten years ago, assuming you got past …
I’m a rat — a big, fat rat. My whiskers are twitching, my beady black eyes are focused and my leathery gray tail is curled up under me. Right now, I’m excited because I smell something. I think it’s cheese. Oh, I want that cheese so bad. I wish I …
The Marriott in downtown Tampa seemed to be mocking me. “Really? You’re wearing a suit and tie in August? In the land of shorts and flip-flops?” Ignoring the implied insult, I walked toward the front door, heat waves coming up from the paved parking lot. It was so humid that …
