THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AS A MARKETING OPPORTUNITY? 2023 DOESN’T HAVE TO CRIPPLE COMPANIES, BRAND LOYALTY AND A TOUCH OF EMPATHY ARE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS

5. 1. 2023 | 12 min read Analysts around the world predict a challenging year for business. According to them, the past year was essentially a warm-up and the cost of living crisis will only become fully apparent in the coming months. This will undoubtedly be a challenge for marketers in all sectors, but there are also words of comfort and encouragement that we can add - while the world faced an unprecedented situation during the pandemic, the cost of living crisis is not something we have no historical experience of. There was a similar situation in 2008, and it provided a lot of lesson that we can apply now. Marketing and advertising experts even claim that the crisis is an opportunity to make an established brand even stronger. The key to this is strategies that do not abandon marketing in favor of a short-term performance boost.

BABY JESUS OR SANTA CLAUS? HOW CZECH CHRISTMAS ADS DIFFER FROM FOREIGN ADVERTISING

23. 12. 2022 | 7 min read Advent marks the beginning of a period when advertisers’ budgets are releasing larger sums of money into TV marketing. This is driven not only by the desire to thank their customers and wish them a prosperous new year, but also by the motivation to catch up with sales targets in the fourth quarter. According to statistics, investment in Christmas advertising rose by a billion in 2021 compared to the previous year. In recent years, many online retailers have joined traditional brand advertisers. TV advertising is valued by consumers as a great source of inspiration for Christmas shopping and also tops the charts in terms of relevance of recommendations and trust in the quality and value of products. In recent years, Christmas campaigns have also often been an unofficial competition to see who can film the spot that captures the audience’s heart, sticks best in their mind or (even) goes viral. TV ADVERTISING IS THE MOST CRUCIAL IN INFLUENCING CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BEHAVIOUR According to RTU, Christmas advertising has a big influence on what gifts people buy for their loved ones. According to research by Nielsen Admosphere, almost two-thirds of Czechs are influenced by Christmas advertising and the percentage of women is higher than men. Of course, with the popularity of social networks, customers are also inspired by other platforms, but they are only third on the scale. In the second place there’s the good old fashioned 'word of mouth', i.e. a recommendation from someone we know. But TV spots are still the best advisor when deciding on a gift for our loved ones. CZECH CHRISTMAS ADVERTISING HAS ITS SPECIFICS Most of the Czech commercials have one factor in common - fun. In the past, brands were often afraid to go down this route, but this tendency has been visibly modified in the Czech environment in recent years, and the domestic scene is gravitating towards funny ads. Czech creatives are not too keen on theatrical film environments and deeply moving advertising. Maybe it is due to a different culture or a limited budget, but as the creators of the 2006 spot for Vodafone with Petr Čtvrtníček proved, even with a small budget, Czechs can make funny and functional advertising that then goes viral on the Internet. NARRATIVE COMMERCIALS LIKE THE BRITISH ARE RARELY SEEN IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC Although Czech advertising (not only Christmas advertising) is to some extent influenced by foreign countries, it still keeps the Czech distinctive mentality at the forefront. Unlike the Czechs, British marketers try to create mostly touching and emotional content for Christmas. The preparation, execution and processing of advertising, which relies primarily on the story and the overall atmosphere, requires precise execution as well as a high budget. To make commercials such as those created by John Lewis, a legend of Christmas advertising, is a very high standard in terms of Czech budgets. Although it is not impossible, domestic filmmakers more often bet on easier (cheaper) forms of the concept.

TYPICALLY CZECH CHRISTMAS. IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, HOLIDAY ADVERTISING IS HANDLED DIFFERENTLY, THE CREATORS ARE NOT AFRAID OF CONTROVERSIAL HUMOUR OR SERIOUS MESSAGES

8. 12. 2022 | 16 min read Czech Christmas ads are a category in themselves. It’s quite possible that abroad they would look in disbelief and awe at, for example, a Kofola pig, while for us the ad is the epitome of Christmas spirit. Of course, Czechs are no strangers to classically emotional and serious spots, and even excel at them. But the big domestic specificity is the fact that the most memorable advertising achievements are largely humorous pieces. Even so, they combine what we always look forward to at Christmas. The two categories then complement each other beautifully on the screen, creating a commercial mix that suggests that Christmas really is just around the corner! THE UNDYING LEGEND: KOFOLA - THE GOLDEN PIGGY Even Czechs have their own advertising that de facto heralds Christmas. Just as the UK has their John Lewis, we have our wild boar, but it lacks something to the golden one. The legendary Christmas advert doesn't seem to have aged at all since 2003, when it first appeared on TV screens. Unlike John Lewis, who year after year comes up with new original spots exquisitely rich in narrative, this domestic gem has made do with a few basic remasters and adaptations over nearly twenty years. The spot brilliantly combines honoring popular Christmas traditions with typical Czech situational humor. The main role here is played by the superstition of the golden pig that appears to those who fast on Christmas Eve. The popular catchphrase "No, I don't have to, I can see it already." is proof that this superstition can take on a whole new dimension when you go into the woods. This year, however, the re-launch of the ad will have a sad touch - on 1 November, its author Robert Peňažka died after a long illness. But for this achievement alone he will certainly never be forgotten, even though he himself admitted that no one expected the ad to become such a success. "With Kofola, the intention was not to create a legendary campaign at all, but to come up with a good Christmas campaign. That's the main ingredient. If you do it right, it will pay off and it has a chance to become a legend," he recalled in 2020. Well, in this case, he succeeded brilliantly.

CHALLENGE EVEN FOR THE BEST MARKETERS. WHY DOES A GOOD TV AD NEED TO GRAB THE VIEWER’S ATTENTION?

14. 11. 2022 | 19 min read Does it ever happen to you that while watching a commercial break on TV, an ad sticks in your mind so much that you have to think about it the next day? Or that you completely forget the “skip-ad” button when watching an ad before an online video? That is exactly the kind of situation where the real marketing experts rub their hands with satisfaction. They have just managed to grab your attention, which is an extremely difficult discipline that challenges even the most renowned brands. Is there any manual on how to tackle it with honour and create an ad that will become a viral hit?

THE MYTH OF “UNNECESSARY” MARKETING. WHY DOES IT PAY FOR COMPANIES TO INVEST IN PROMOTION IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC RECESSION?

27. 10. 2022 | 17 min read When the harsh reality of an economic recession hits companies, most of them tend to respond somewhat schematically according to the established rules of business logic. However, the more statistical data we have, the more clearly we see that these rules may not be as logical as they may appear at first sight. While in a worsening economic climate CEOs are cutting what they consider “unnecessary” costs - with advertising and marketing traditionally being the first to be cut - marketing experts advise exactly the opposite approach. Experts agree that you can advertise your services and products happily during a boom, but you absolutely must advertise during a recession. Why don’t companies realise this? INFLATION DOES NOT HAVE TO BURY MARKETING COMPLETELY We can draw useful data from an examination of the market response to the economic recession of the early 1980s. Just like today, it was triggered by the global energy crisis - at that time it was caused by the Iranian Revolution. As a result of that geopolitical upheaval, the price of oil began to soar. Later, this period became known in history as the ‘oil shocks’ that drove already high inflation in the Western world into double digits. Historians agree that this was the biggest economic crisis since the Second World War.

HOW TO DO ‘GREEN’ ADVERTISING? AUTHENTICITY AND A PROACTIVE APPROACH WIN WITH CONSUMERS, HYPOCRITES ARE PUNISHED

3. 10. 2022 | 19 min read We are living in a time of climate crisis and there is no point in turning a blind eye to it any longer. This is how one could sum up the efforts of many global companies that are giving more and more space to the environmental protection and sustainability in their advertising and marketing campaigns. It is clear that specific actions remain the responsibility of each of us, but these authorities can contribute to a complicated and heated public debate with their attitude and opinion. However, marketers should keep one thing in mind - the “preach water and drink wine”approach is becoming even more fatal in this peculiar discipline. Examples of good practice from abroad will give you a clue as to how to master this difficult task. ADVERTISING REVOLUTION IN the shades of GREEN At the turn of October and November last year, Glasgow, Scotland, hosted the 26th annual UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. It is traditionally considered one of the world's most important forums for discussion on climate, nature and landscape issues. To mark the occasion, the British media company Sky Media has decided to adjust its broadcasting schedule, including its commercial breaks. The reason was to sufficiently emphasise the course of the forum and the importance of the issues discussed for the TV audience. Viewers had the opportunity to watch the first ever ‘green’commercial break in British television history on Sky Media portfolio stations.

POPULAR HIT SONGS ARE A SAFE BET IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC. TEN EXAMPLES OF HOW FAMOUS TV COMMERCIALS HAVE WORKED WITH SONGS

22. 9. 2022 | 14 min read Even in the Czech Republic, we have no shortage of TV commercials that have given birth to new musical hits or helped revive forgotten ones. It may therefore seem like quite a superhuman task to choose just ten of them, but we tried anyway. In our selection, you will find ads that rely on the interconnectedness of the musical background with classic Czech humour, but also those that put pride and Czech national and cultural heritage at the forefront. In short, there is a lot to choose from. Please note, however, that many of these examples have the unfortunate trait that will inevitably get stuck in your head for a while. HERA - PEČENÍ JE RADOST, HERA JE PEČENÍ / BAKING IS A JOY, HERA IS BAKING (1998) Baking is a joy, Hera is baking! A slogan that has become so domesticated in the Czech Republic that no one will ever take it away from this baking product. The food company's advertising is largely traditional - it relies on classic scenes of family togetherness, where individual family members come together for the noble goal of creating a bakery masterpiece, which they then sit together over, full of joy. The visuals of the commercial look as if they have come straight out of Slováček's humorous novel Bylo nás pět (There Were Five of Us). This look is supported by both the vintage filter and the choice of the musical motif. Hera reached into the golden fund of Czech classical music and chose Humoreska by the internationally renowned composer Antonín Dvořák. All the compositions in the result form their own audiovisual symphony, during which you can't help feeling that you, too, could brush up on your baking skills and thus delight yourself and your loved ones.

WHEN MUSIC IS THE LAST STEP TO PERFECTION: THE WORLD’S TOP 10 ADS THAT BET ON THE POWER MUSIC

6. 9. 2022 | 12 min read Although it may seem at first glance that visual play the primary role in TV advertising, this is not so true. By the very nature of television as an audiovisual medium, it is obvious that the audio component has a firm and irreplaceable place in advertising. Music is one of the essential ingredients for success. This is something that many advertisements constantly convince us of, and which we are unable to put out of our minds for a long time afterwards. Sometimes commercials even even herald new music trends, sometimes they are the birth of global superstars. The following ten examples show the creative possibilities of working with music in advertising. All of them are united by the fact that they have an unquestionable place in the golden fund of television advertising. UNITED AIRLINES - RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1995; 2013) Opinions on air travel vary - some love planes, others have an unimaginable horror of them. But whichever one of these two groups you belong to, you can't deny this mode of transport a certain poetry and harmony that takes hold of you when you look out of the boarding window. Since the 1990s, United Airlines has been relying on this aspect of travel, urging its customers to „fly towards the friendly skies”. The campaign, which first drew attention to the fact that flying is actually a matter of customer comfort, has to some extent set the course for the airline industry. It's no wonder that United Airlines revived it a few years ago to the same success, banking mainly on the nostalgia of those who remember the original iteration. But time-tested things are not to be changed, which is why the original musical identity has been retained. Indeed, United Airlines is already so closely associated with American composer George Gershwin's symphony Rhapsody In Blue that it can hardly be claimed by anyone else - despite the fact that since the composer's death, the time limit for retaining the original copyright has passed. For it is hard to argue that the combination of Gershwin and planes criss-crossing the blue sky is not a visual symphony in itself.

BACK 2 SCHOOL! HOW DOES THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR START IN THE WORLD OF (NOT ONLY) TV ADVERTISING?

1. 8. 2022 | 16 min read The summer holidays have once again swung into their second half practically in the blink of an eye. With their inevitable end, it’s time to once again take charge of the responsibilities that many will find unavoidable in September. This is a reality for school children and students in particular, but for the younger ones it also affects their parents. All of this is a signal to advertising campaigners, for whom the Back 2 school season is one of the most exposed times of the year. Not participating is essentially a sin that shall be punished. Nor is participating poorly an entirely profitable strategy. What do the successful television commercials that have helped shape the phenomenon tell us about Back 2 school marketing?

PEOPLE METERS CELEBRATE A QUARTER OF A CENTURY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC. THEY ARE STILL AN INDISPENSABLE TOOL FOR BROADCASTERS AND MARKETERS.

13. 7. 2022 | 9 min read THIS YEAR MARKS 25 YEARS SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THE FIRST PROJECT OF ELECTRONIC tv AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC. hOW HAS THE PRACTICE IN THIS AREA CHANGEd OVER MORE THAN TWO DECADES? AND HOW COULD THE NEAR FUTURE LOOK LIKE CONSIDERING IT WILL UNDOUTEDLY BE AFFECTED PRIMARILY BY THE PHENOMENON OF CROSS-PLATFORM MEASUREMENT?

THE WORLD BEHIND THE RED BUTTON: WE CAN HARDLY IMAGINE TELEVISION WITHOUT HBBTV TODAY

1. 6. 2022 | 15 min read Czechs are not the only ones discovering the TV world behind the red button. HbbTV has come a long way since its launch in 2011 and has rightfully become one of the most dynamically evolving global TV technologies of today. It is popular with TV stations, viewers and advertisers all over the world - demand from all parties is rising and the already wide range of options is expanding accordingly. It is because HbbTV combines the biggest advantages of TV and the internet: a wealth of quality content intended for the big screen and unlimited access in terms of space and time. What are the opportunities hidden behind the red button?

CREATIVITY IN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS: AN INDISPENSABLE INGREDIENT IN THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS AND IMMORTALITY

8. 5. 2022 | 17 min read Try asking yourself how many advertising campaigns you can easily recall. Then think again and ask yourself why these particular examples come to your mind. You will probably find that the unifying element in a lot of them is that they are original and evoke a particular emotion in you. Joy, emotion, horror, outrage - it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is that they stick in your mind so much that you remember them even years after you no longer see them on screen or elsewhere. Creative advertising campaigns are simply the most reliable tool available to marketers, which is why it’s a shame that today’s examples are outnumbered by those that don’t have much originality. Does this mean that creativity is dead? Not in the slightest - in fact, it’s quite the opposite. UNDER THE DOMINATION OF THE LEFT HEMISPHERE According to the American marketing theorist Orlando Wood, advertising in general is experiencing a crisis in the 21st century that is characterised by a departure from the values and trends of the last century. He explains this shift using the neuropsychological theory of the left and right brain. In very simplified terms, the two brain hemispheres perform different tasks. While the left one tends to be more schematic and categorizing, the right one is more alert and basically perceives reality in context. Of course, the two hemispheres cooperate to some extent, but some perceptions and impulses stimulate the activity of only one part of the brain. And, according to Orlando Wood, since about 2006 we have been living in the era of so-called left-brain advertising.

TV ADVERTISING IN THE DIGITAL AGE: STILL AN EFFECTIVE MEDIUM THAT IS OPEN TO NEW INFLUENCES

9. 4. 2022 | 11 min read In 1990s, TV advertising had to deal with the arrival of new video formats. It is no coincidence that new ads began to appear at the same time, building primarily on the growing popularity of digital technology. Unsurprisingly, they were dominated by the internet that was increasingly popular among users. Although the position of the internet was growing dynamically the impact of TV as a medium was not decreasing. Today, we are living in a streaming era which is again significantly changing the rules. However, it would be too simplified to say that linear TV and advertising have nothing to offer. First, it is not true. Second, TV has adjusted to the rapidly changing environment. So what is the position of classic TV advertising in the changing environment?

HOW DID THE WAR IN UKRAINE REWRITE THE RULES OF MARKETING NOT ONLY ON TV SCREENS? SOLIDARITY AND HELPING OUR NEIGHBOURS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT

24. 3. 2022 | 12 min read The military conflict in Ukraine has struck the whole world like a bolt from the blue and has significantly affected the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people. Firms across nearly all business areas have responded to the crisis through both small gestures and great deeds. Let us take a closer look at some of them. Time to rethink Russia started its invasion of Ukraine early in the morning on 24 February 2022. The region became in the spotlight of the global media practically in the blink of an eye, starting a marathon of news coverage that has unfortunately not ended until now. American CNN is certainly no exception, which is logical given its position of a news giant. However, on the very first day of the conflict, the broadcaster came in for criticism that did not relate to the coverage itself but to the fact that the broadcaster had not sufficiently revised its complementary activities. What was it all about?

TV ADVERTISING IN THE DAYS OF LONELINESS: HOW HAS THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC CHANGED OUR VIEW OF THE PRESENTATION OF OUR FAVOURITE BRANDS IN TWO YEARS?

1. 3. 2022 | 15 min read In March, we will celebrate a rather unpleasant anniversary. It has been two years since the first case of Covid-19 was identified in the Czech Republic and the pandemic broke out in full. Since then, many aspects of our lives have changed beyond recognition, which was reflected in the form of TV advertising. Its producers started absorbing new topics and brands wished to come up with more up-to-date messages. However, many of them paid dearly for it. But let us focus on those who have coped well with the challenging reality. Even in a time of pandemic, we have found out that that there is still room for creativity.

THE LOVERS’ HOLIDAY IN THE THRALL OF COMMERCE AND CLICHÉS? THE TV ADS THAT CONVINCED US THAT ST. VALENTINE’S DAY IS NOT LOST YET

8. 2. 2022 | 13 min read It is a tradition that 14 February of each year is dedicated to those in love. On the day when we commemorate St. Valentine, we also try to pay tribute to love - ideally, not only in the context of partner relationships. A frequent objection against St. Valentine’s Day celebrations is the excessive commercialisation of the holiday and more or less consumer character it has had for several decades. Ironically, marketers are often the ones demonstrating that it does not have to be that way. How do they succeed in passing on the messages of love and hope within the narratives of TV advertising? Everywhere you look St. Valentine’s Day is not only a holiday of lovers but also a mega-important item that should not be missing in the schedule of any proficient marketer. On that day, consumers are ready and willing to spend their savings. We may even say that after Christmas, it is the first opportunity of such a calibre. And the current pandemic-affected time changes nothing on this fact.

ADVERTISING FORMATS THAT CAN CREATIVELY FILL IN A (SOMEWHAT) FORGOTTEN SEASON

10. 1. 2022 | 11 min read What do we mentally associate with the end of one year and the arrival of a new one? A question that all those who are preparing a truly effective new year advertising campaign must seek to answer. This is not an easy task at all, as the new year quite commonly follows a bit behind Christmas. Is there any way to differentiate effectively? There certainly is - just look at the phenomenon of new year's resolutions or the trend for massive discount promotions. But the new year in general has so much more to offer… How to get away from Christmas? New Year's ads have one specific problem, namely that they are largely overshadowed by Christmas, to which popular brands and consumers attach more relevance. Large retail chains, such as Walmart in the US, even combine Christmas and New Year's in their strategies - overall, these are marketing campaigns for the so-called holiday season. This simply means that the Christmas ethos is largely reflected in the period immediately following Christmas.

TV ADVERTS THAT HAVE SHAPED CHRISTMAS. RANGING FROM CHOCOLATE BELLS TO ELTON JOHN’S RETROSPECTIVE, THEY HAVE CHANGED THE VIEW OF THE HOLIDAYS OF GENEROSITY AND MUTUALITY

10. 12. 2021 | 13 min read What ingredients must an iconic Christmas ad contain? Why is Christmas such a significant event in the TV world to basically form an advertising category per se? Europeans have a clear idea – they want to spend their Christmas holidays in mutual proximity. Ad makers have been aware of that for decades. Some spots have even gained such a high reputation that they have become the triggers of Christmas spirit. Do you know the most ground-breaking ads? For hints, refer to an Anglo-American cookery book.