These are not your father’s marketing fails

mlns='> Alienating, sexist, silly, or simply irrelevant – we can do better than this [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( [Content Marketing Institute]( Daily News and Alert 8.21.23 Connect with CMI Hi there, How often have you read or used some variation of the phrase “This is not your [family member’s] [gizmo, gadget, brand, or concept].” Though that construct lives on, many viewed the ad campaign it sprang from as laughable (and they didn’t mean funny) at the time – and the beginning of the end for a once heralded brand. This article on brand [“rises, falls, and comebacks”]( from StudioID (owned, like CMI, by Informa) gives a bit of the backstory of the now infamous late-1980s “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” campaign. MotorTrends shared [even more backstory]( if you’re interested. (Did you know that phrase was part of a jingle?) Two rather obvious lessons from that failure include: - Don’t insult your existing audience to pursue a new audience. - Don’t assume you know what your desired audience wants. I found [this version]( rather charming (forgive the image quality) – mainly because it plays against the assumption built into the slogan. It features a mother (Priscilla Presley) and daughter (Lisa Marie Presley, RIP). Have marketers learned these lessons in the decades since? [An interesting discussion]( sprang up in the CMWorld Slack group about how (and why) marketers still miss the mark with audiences. ([Join here,]( then click on the August 16 post from @JeremyBednarski.) In that thread, @HannahSzabo shares her five-step process for perceiving audience signals and using them to adjust your messaging. Here’s the nutshell (you’ll get more context from the Slack thread): - Pick a channel (email, social, etc.). - Ask “doorknob” questions that lead your audience to a “door” without shoving them through it. - Engage them in conversation if they answer (walk through the door). - Capture their input in your tool of choice. - Analyze the data to decide what works, doesn’t, and what you want to change. [What do you do to prevent messaging fails?](mailto:kim.moutsos@informa.com?subject=What's%20Olds%20is%20new%20again) I’d love to learn from (and share) your process.  Kim Moutsos Vice President of Editorial Content Marketing Institute [Share your feedback](mailto:kim.moutsos@informa.com?subject=Feedback)  ICYMI: [How a ‘Purple Audience’ Approach Leads to a Better Long-Term Content Strategy]( Popularity (red ocean) isn’t always the right goal. Sometimes a blue ocean with a contrarian view of a trending subject makes sense. But a third way (purple) might work even better. Robert Rose explains why (and how).  Today: [Sink or Swim? AI’s Unstoppable Impact of AI on Marketing Careers]( | 12 p.m. ET Confusion, anxiety, fear. AI brings up all those feelings (and more) for content marketers. That's just one of the insights from CMI’s survey of 1,000 marketers about how AI will impact their careers – and how they plan to fight back. CMI host Amanda Subler will lead a discussion of how AI already affects marketers’ jobs and what you can do to stay relevant. Join live to ask questions of CMI’s Robert Rose and AI marketing community leaders [David Berkowitz]( and [Cathy McPhillips]( or watch on-demand when you can.  Five Weeks From Now: [Content Marketing World]( | September 26-28 in Washington, D.C Here’s an easy way to future-proof your career against machine and human competitors – immerse yourself in the nonstop flow of ideas, insights, and inspiration that makes up Content Marketing World. In just a few days, you’ll build new connections, unlock opportunities, and find the resources and information to rejuvenate your career. [Register with code KIMCMI to save $200](. And hurry, September’s coming up!  A Word From One of Our Sponsors [Partner Webinar] Unlock the Power of TikTok for Business Learn how the most successful brands on TikTok achieve success by telling their authentic brand story. [Register today! »](  To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [subscription center.]( Copyright © 2023 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]