About Being Specific – Daily News Says Thanks

So how do you make a statement more believable in marketing? One way is by being specific. Generality, besides being boring usually, also lends itself, quite easily exaggeration.

Compare the Herald’s advert which claims that

Pastel Payroll – When NOT to Use A Picture In Advertising

Pastel in Zimbabwe published an advert a few months ago to get you to attend their Payroll & HR Free Seminar. Now Pastel is a great product no doubt, but there was a huge problem with the advert… one we see all to commonly in Zimbabwe advertising…the wrong picture.

Pretty as she is, the picture of the girl makes no sense, whatsoever. Then when you read the caption

Nandos Robert Mugabe Advert: Brilliant or Stupid?

So there was a lot of hoorah over the recently aired advert by Nandos in South Africa (not to be confused with Zimbabwe’s Nandos, owned by Innscor). The advert, ‘The Last Dictator Standing’, features a Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe look-alike, frolicking with the likes of Muammar Gadaffi, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussien and more… as he remembers the good old days. With the demise of all ‘his friends’, the Zimbabwean president is left to dine alone for Christmas. Not what Nandos wants for you this Christmas.

The advert, as would be expected

Zimbabwe News headlines – Building Positive or Negatives Minds?

Whatever the Herald Newspaper is building, I’m not letting it affect my mindset, that’s for sure. Of all the times the Herald ads I’ve seen, this particular headline

The Problem With the Truth In Marketing

The problem with the truth is that in marketing, no one wants to tell it. There’s a good reason for it – the truth is very rarely stranger or as interesting as fiction – Just ask Hollywood which genre makes the most money ‘Crazy could never happen in real life action packed’ or ‘True Stories’.

Most businesses have nothing to say to the market that’s exciting, AND true, so they lie – or tell half truths. Or they settle for really vague promises and statements that can be misleading, but aren’t necessarily true. This creates a real probortunity (Problem + Opportunity) for you if you have something worth saying, and you know how to get it believed. I’ve written about believability before and why women wear mini skirts, why Mujuru’s death story was suspect from day one and The Truth about Black people… read them – but also check out this advert – The Herald advertising it’s own newspaper.

The insinuation in that Analyse/ Compare/ Know…that’s how the Herald does it. They measure the validity of their news sources objectively bringing you ‘the truth’, the Full story.
Do you believe that this is in fact true for the Herald? or do you think it’s a little closer to ‘half true’?

You tell me.

What about you and your business? How believable are your marketing claims for those encountering your brand or products or adverts for the first time? When you claim to be the best, cheapest, fastest, biggest etc…how much of your market really believes it?

Does anyone?

Zimbabwe Newspapers and How To Win The Daily Battle For Attention.

The Herald, Newsday, Daily News, H-Metro and about 10 other Zimbabwean newspapers are in a daily street fight for your attention. They battle not with fists and boots, but with

Why Size Matters – Old Mutual Advertising.

Old Mutual Zimbabwe Advert

Old Mutual recently ran a full page advert in a local newspaper to let you know how long they’ve been in business. 165 years people. they want you to know that as a result of all those years of wisdom, you get to live your greatness everyday.

How? I have no idea.

“Outrageous Marketing Claims” Herald Newspaper

I laughed when I read this advert by the Herald Newspaper, advertising itself – another case of making ridiculous claims that reduce the believability  factor of your marketing. I’ve highlighted the statement in read below