This week, we explore the world of torture tests. Torture test commercials are one of the advertising industry’s most powerful techniques - because when a product can survive a dramatic test, it can convince a lot of people to buy the product. Unless, that is, the torture test goes very wrong… 
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S9E15 - Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking: Advertising Torture Tests

Under the Influence gives listeners a rare backstage pass into the hallways, boardrooms and recording studios of the ad industry.Join host and adman Terry O’Reilly for fascinating (and humorous) stories that connect the dots between pop culture, marketing and human nature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Customers often lie to companies in surveys, polls and focus groups.   Yet advertisers rely on that flawed and false feedback to market brands and create advertising campaigns.   So what are advertisers to do?   One solution is Google.   What we type into the Google search window is like a truth serum. We all pour our most intimate, honest questions into that search box. 
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Pants on Fire: When Customers Lie to Marketers

80% of all advertising is ignored.   That’s why some advertisers employ cheeky advertising.   It’s usually bold – outrageous – and sometimes even rude – but always with a playful undertone.   We’ll talk about a fruit company that printed an open letter to the Pope.   An airline campaign that told you to “keep it in your pants.”   And a product that claims your grandparents had more sex than you.  

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Cheeky Advertising

Most tourism marketing aims at the largest audience possible.   This week, we look at a sub-category aimed at the smallest audience possible:   Billionaire Tourism.   The super wealthy get bored easily.   That means luxury tour planners dream up extreme vacation ideas.   From outer space, to the bottom of the ocean, to secretly getting the key to the Sistine Chapel, it’s a whole new pricey world. 
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Billionaire Tourism

There are some time-honored honorifics in the world of marketing.   “Honorifics” are titles like Mr., Mrs., Doctor, Captain or Colonel.    Like Colonel Sanders, Dr. Scholl’s, Mr. Clean and Mrs. Butterworth’s.   They’re usually leaders in their category.   Is it because those products are the best?   Or – is it because those brand names give the products a sense of respect and authority? 
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When You're This Big, They Call you Mister

Arkells is a band that likes to have fun.They are also a very smart band that understands the critical mix of artistry and marketing in a competitive industry. 
Frontman Max Kerman tells Terry the inventive ways they market their music, the creative ideas Arkells use to launch new material, and what marketing from other bands they admire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S9E15 - Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking: Advertising Torture Tests

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