Season 5

Tuesday August 30, 2011

Season 5: Marketing Pioneers

(Originally aired February 5th/10th, 2011)

This week on the Age of Persuasion, we look at the Marketing Pioneers who created products that created industries. We talk about the first company to link diamond rings to engagements, how alcohol inspired the very first travel agent, how a brainstorm while ice-fishing ignited a $97 billion dollar industry, how a traveling salesman and his date led to the first car rental, and how an embarrassing moment in a restaurant revolutionized the way we shop. Each pioneer was a visionary, each overcame almost insurmountable obstacles, and all of them changed our lives forever.

Listen to this episode as streaming audio (runs 26:30)
Or subscribe to the podcasts by RSS or by iTunes.

All of the TV commercials and print elements we referred to in the episode, as well as some bonus materials, are below. Enjoy.

In 1878, George Eastman was packing his photography equipment to go on a trip. He couldn't believe how cumbersome the camera paraphernalia was, so he swore to himself that he would invent a photography method that would simplify the process.

Six years later, Eastman invented the world's first transparent roll film, revolutionizing photography. But first, Eastman had to invent a camera that could use his new film. In 1888, Eastman unveiled the Kodak hand-held camera, pre-loaded with enough film for 100 exposures.

George Eastman not only invented a product, he created an entire industry.

Here's a classic Kodak commercial from the early 1950s:

Eastman's invention also revolutionized Hollywood by helping set the standards for 35mm film. Soon after, Kodak offered movie cameras to the public:

Tuesday August 23, 2011

Season 5: Caution: Speed Bumps. The Magical Ingredient in Marketing.

(Originally aired January 29th/February 3rd, 2011

This week on the Age of Persuasion, the topic is "Marketing Speed Bumps." We'll look at how smart marketers use perfectly-placed speed bumps to slow the selling process down and generate greater sales. We'll talk about how Clairol made their conditioner successful by making it more inconvenient for women, how Buckley's Cough Medicine used a negative slogan to increase their sales by 500% and how Apple made their products sell by making them harder to unpack. Plus, we reveal why Van Halen wanted all those brown M&Ms taken out of the bowl. You just might be surprised.

Listen to this episode as streaming audio (runs 26:30)
Or subscribe to the podcasts by RSS or by iTunes.

All of the TV commercials and print elements we referred to in the episode, as well as some bonus materials, are below. Enjoy.

Tuesday August 16, 2011

Season 5: Candid Commercials: Real People in Advertising

Airs August 16th and 20th

(Original broadcast January 22nd/27th, 2011)

This week on the Age of Persuasion, the topic is "Candid Commercials: Real People in Advertising." The advertising industry has a long history of using real people in advertising. It may be a testimonial, a hidden camera, a man-on-the-street interview, a prank phone call or a blind taste test. The results are often hilarious and memorable. More importantly, they always deliver that one thing actors cannot - genuine spontaneity. We'll take a fun look at this time-honoured technique in advertising, and why it has been used by advertisers for over 100 years.

Listen to this episode as streaming audio (runs 26:30)
Or subscribe to the podcasts by RSS or by iTunes.

All of the TV commercials and print elements we referred to in the episode, as well as some bonus materials, are below. Enjoy.