Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

Editor's note: Here's a graph compiled by Todd Moy that suggests a negligible correlation between the DJI and Google searches for "puppies".

Hooray, political ads have left the airwaves! But rejoice cautiously, friends. Because we’re all in store for a lengthy run of another kind of creatively soulless advertising: the tanking-economy ad.

Times are tough. Which means the Unique Selling Proposition has officially been replaced with the Cheap, Clichéd Proposition (a la “our product is good for you, and for your wallet!” Gag.) Today, brands have tabled their interesting stories to engage instead with price. Personally, over the last 4 months 90% of the ads I’ve written have had to include a value message in some form, usually in really big letters. The same brands that were touting best-in-class flavor or ingredients or service a year ago, are now saying, ‘Hi! We’re cheap.’

Granted, some brands are trying to not be quite so overt. Sara Lee, instead of airing happy people smiling around a ginormous ham sandwich, is now showing the same happy people dancing around PB&J. A subliminal economic message. But really, Sara?

Meanwhile, some brands are coming out of the woodwork, thinking they can take advantage of the country’s abysmal state. New York Life just launched a campaign that suggests the ideal gift for loved ones this holiday season is not jewelry or a vacation, but rather life insurance, which the ads call “the selfless gift.” Seriously?

I hear even Bloomingdale’s is advertising 50 percent off furs.

And I shouldn’t need to mention Toyota.
 
I get it. We’re all hurting right now. But is this the only viable strategy? When the economy turns around, how will people remember your brand?

I think the value message can be done right, but with so many brands rushing to shout price from the hilltops…we all might be wishing Kay Hagan was back on the air instead.

Anyone notice what happened to Google's stock price while the rest of the market got knocked out? It went up. And up. Then down a little and then way up again. 

Why? Because smart companies need to market. And when the economy tanks, smart companies move their marketing budgets to where they are certain they are getting returns.

Whenever the Federal Reserve Chairman decides to break the populus off with a little insight, I try to pay attention. Try. The uncomfortable reality of trying to listen to such dry material, however, is that...well...I just can't. Like a good little citizen intern, I make my cup of tea and sit down on the edge of the couch, with studious posture in effect, mental notebook open and ready to capture every morsel. Fifteen minutes in, and I am invariably tuned out. Last night was no different. By the time I snapped out of my Bernanke hypnosis, I had been maniacally blasting fools in Call of Duty IV for some time. I don't even remember getting up and turning on the XBOX. This morning, when I opened my eyes to the new day, I saw my breath. It was cold. And in this breath, I saw signs of inflation.

Let me back up just a few hours. On the way home to the edge of the couch yesterday evening, I first had to trade 36 dollars for 11.3 gallons of gas. When I got home, my girlfriend greeted me in the living room in full winter gear, complete with gloves, scarf and toboggan. I got the message - noone has ever accused Suzanne of being subtle. I had once again let our home heating oil tank run completely dry. THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHT DOLLARS LATER, I had successfully ordered 100 gallons of oil. So let's run back through the math. In the hour leading up to the Fed's big spiel, I dropped 344 dollars on petroleum-based necessities.

According to the AP, wholesale inflation grew by 6.3% in 2007, the largest jump in 26 years. Rising energy costs of various persuasions contributed a great deal to these numbers. My cold-natured girlfriend notwithstanding, I am bringing this up out of concern for my friends to the north. Here in balmy North Carolina, we've barely had a good frost so far this winter. I cannot imagine the hardships being endured by blue-collar families in the frozen tundra of New England, trying to decide - in some cases, literally - whether to eat or keep their furnace going. With the subject of the economy rapidly overtaking Iraq as the issue of distinction in this year's presidential race, candidates are scrambling to offer solutions and plans to save the day. Unfortunately, with a solid two months of hard winter remaining in the frozen North, any proposed plans to ease our burdens will be leaving these poor folks out in the cold.