GEN Z CONTRADICTIONS THAT WILL SHAPE OUR FUTURE

16. 5. 2023 | 5 min read It is human nature to live in contradiction. It's part of what has always drawn us to the strategy and insights field. It's my secret joy to zoom in on these paradoxes – to really hear and understand where the tension lies and what it might mean for someone's behaviors and perceptions of the world around them.

LES BINET’S FIVE KEYS TO MAXIMISING PROFIT IN TOUGH TIMES

15. 5. 2023 | 3 min read Despite the threat of recession, marketers are not powerless to drive growth, as a new video series from the renowned effectiveness expert explains.

THE LEGENDARY MASCOT AND THE FEAR OF EXCESS CONSUMER GOODS OR TV ADVERTISING IN SOCIALIST CZECHOSLOVAKIA

12. 5. 2023 | 14 min read Czech TV broadcasting celebrated its 70th anniversary in early May. In the days when television was still “czechoslovak”, its role was very specific - at all times, it had to balance between national political interests and its important role as a follower and promoter of modern trends - at least to the extent allowed by the then political establishment. For advertising, this balancing was absolutely crucial. Without this constant conflict and contradictory results, it might never have succeeded in establishing itself in Czechoslovakia. And if that had not happened, there would have been nothing to build on after the Velvet revolution. How did this complicated situation affect advertising? And how does “mr. Egg”, the most famous egg-shaped ad character of the socialist era, fit into the whole mosaic? Forcibly halted advertising boom The roots of real television advertising in Czechoslovakia can be seen in the tradition of so-called advertising films. These began to appear especially in the cinema at the end of the 1930s, during the First Republic. The dawn of advertising films was preceded by the establishment of the Prague Advertising Club, REKLUB, in 1927, which gradually elevated the whole discipline of advertising marketing to a modern business standard. Thus, an expert community began to form, within which other platforms and projects were gradually created. One of them was the magazine for successful businesses called TYP, which had become an essential item for all manufacturers, tradesmen and entrepreneurs. As such, the breeding ground for the emergence of audiovisual advertising formats was sufficiently nourished.

THE NEXT ERA OF DATA-DRIVEN ADVERTISING IN TV IS HERE. HOW CAN MARKETERS MAKE THE MOST OF IT?

11. 5. 2023 | 6 min read Addressable TV helps brands increase ROI with data-driven capabilities, including a new opportunity to reach audiences in market for their products.

NOSTALGIA MARKETING AND THE CORONATION

8. 5. 2023 | 3 min read Brands jumping on the King Charles III coronation bandwagon are often tapping into a sense of nostalgia around the institution of monarchy, but they should be aware that not everyone shares that feeling and they could alienate consumers as much as engage them. The power of nostalgia Research* from insights agency Hall & Partners finds that 81% of Brits and 83% of Americans say they enjoy things that remind them of the past. And 65% responded in the affirmative when asked if they were more likely to buy from brands that they remember from their childhood. Younger generations, aged 16 to 34 years, were even more likely to do this (74% in the UK and 70% in the US) – a huge commercial opportunity for brands.

JAKUB KOHÁK – CONNOISSEUR OF THE CZECH AUDIENCE

5. 5. 2023 | 6 min read You may know Jakub Kohák as an actor but what you may not know is that he has created many TV ads that you must have seen on the screen. Being a controversial man, he is easy to remember. While some people are his fans, others would say that he is not their cup of tea. But to be objective, he has made very successful campaigns, which we will describe in more detail. He has created ads for big brands such as Kofola and T-mobile.

HOW MANY ADS DO WE REALLY SEE IN A DAY? SPOILER: IT’S NOT 10,000

3. 5. 2023 | 11 min read Hundreds of articles and blogs will tell you that we see up to 10,000 ads a day. The problem? No one – from Harvard professors to Market Research Council hall-of-famers – believes it’s true. Can we bust the myth once and for all? It's time for an experiment.

COMMERCIALS ARE A SECOND HOME TO CZECH CELEBRITIES. POPULAR ACTORS, RENOWNED ATHLETES AND EVEN KAREL GOTT HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THEM

3. 5. 2023 | 19 min read We can hardly imagine today’s advertising without the involvement of public figures. The so called celebritisation has taken over the marketing world and many brands can’t do their campaigns without their ambassadors, influencers and mascots. The Czech Republic is no exception and the world of advertising is no attribute simply to the fact that it works. But it is interesting to note how many people have not resisted these temptations. I’m sure we could put together a long list of famous actors, singers, models, doctors and athletes. Some spots, of course, resonate more than others in the crowded media space, so it is not out of place to focus on those that can be described as memorable, given the popularity of the actors and the presentation itself. Even so, it seems that to list just ten of them is pitifully inadequate. How the nation got its dream president With the introduction of the direct election of the president, a virtually endless debate opened up in the Czech Republic on the topic of who citizens would imagine as the ideal inhabitant of Prague Castle. The names of popular personalities are more frequently mentioned than those of experienced politicians - Marek Eben, Jaromír Jágr or, at least until his death, Karel Gott, the father of Czech popular music. The company Karlovarské minerální vody (Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters) served people a taste of how the multiple winner of Zlatý slavík (Golden Nightingale) would have fared in the role of president back in 2011. The company joined forces with him in an advertising campaign promoting the new Aquila Team flavoured iced teas, which happen to be the new president's favourite drink. He even stands by their quality so much that he refuses to remove the bottle from the lectern where he is to deliver his speech to the nation. To the objection that the whole thing might be an advertisement, the Master replies, "Advertisement? I hope not." This is an allusion to the rather stubborn attitude with which Gott refused to participate in television commercials for many years. With a few specific exceptions, he only appeared in front of the cameras in this role after he turned 70. The company's costly investment (the fee is estimated to be in excess of CZK 10 million) reportedly paid off, and not long after the campaign was launched, Karlovarské minerální vody praised the improvement in sales. And what did the Master himself say? "I have tasted the tea and believe me, it is delicious cold. I also had the space to play a bit. You know, when I don't get any roles in films, I just have to take the ads." This is evidenced by the fact that he then appeared in several commercials before his death in 2019 - for example, in campaigns for ŠKODA AUTO or the Austrian rail carrier ÖBB.

THE ‘GREEN HALO’ OF SUSTAINABILITY ADVERTISING

29. 4. 2023 | 2 min read Three in five people say sustainability messaging in advertising influences their brand choice, according to research from Sky Media.

WHAT THE EFFECTIVE 100 CAN TELL US ABOUT COMMERCIAL SUCCESS

26. 4. 2023 | 2 min read Commitment to brand purpose, tech innovation and breaking category norms lead to commercial success, a new report from WARC Creative finds.

TV ADS PRODUCE GREATER EFFECTS ON ADDRESSABLE AUDIENCES

25. 4. 2023 | 2 min read TV ads elicit more positive reactions and greater short- and long-term business impact among addressable audiences, new research claims.

SUSTAINABILITY ISN’T FRONT OF MIND FOR BRAND MESSAGING

24. 4. 2023 | 2 min read Most brands have made some sort of commitment to becoming more sustainable but just 4% of ads contain any such messaging, according to analysis that finds brands are prioritising price messaging over sustainability.

DAN WIEDEN – THE CREATIVE MIND BEHIND THE BIGGEST BRANDS

21. 4. 2023 | 8 min read What comes to mind when you hear the slogan “Just do it”? Or “The man your man could smell like”? Nike and Old Spice - the brands that are inherently associated with them certainly spring to mind. But what was the path to their creation and who is behind the unique identity of these brands? We’re introducing Dan Wieden, the creative mind behind them.

8 ANALYST PREDICTIONS ON THE FUTURE OF CHATGPT AND GENERATIVE AI IN MARKETING AND RETAIL

21. 4. 2023 | 6 min read “[AI] really does raise the bar in terms of what people are going to expect from you,” our analyst Jeremy Goldman said on our recent “ChatGPT and Generative AI” panel.

FARM ŽIVINA ENTERS THE TV WORLD

20. 4. 2023 | 2 min read Farm Živina has launched its first TV campaign, in which it has bet on sponsor messages.

ADVERTISING AS A DREAM FACTORY: CLAUDE C. HOPKINS, FOUNDER OF MODERN ADVERTISING

9. 4. 2023 | 9 min read Claude C. Hopkins is known as the man who laid the foundations of modern advertising. And quite literally - the book with the same title is probably his most important work. He worked as an advertising creator and copywriter in the first half of the 20th century, when television was still in its infancy. The boom in TV spots came in the 1950s and the 1960s, after the death of Hopkins, who lived from 1866 to 1932. So he did not experience the world of television advertising, but his ideas and techniques, based on scientific methods, testing and measurement of effectiveness, gave advertising a completely new direction and generally provided the theoretical basis for successful advertising. He is also regarded as one of the professionals who have made the greatest contribution to the field of copywriting. "ADVERTISING MUST BE DONE SCIENTIFICALLY" Claude C. Hopkins, during his time in advertising, applied advanced methods such as tracking the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and testing. In this article, we'll introduce the key methods and techniques described in his books, and show specific examples of campaigns he created - so what was the strategy behind the most successful campaigns for Schlitz Beer, for example, and others? We will reveal the ways in which he has enriched the rules of successful copywriting. In the conclusion of the article, we will also summarize what important takes we can apply to current advertising and marketing practice and how to use his ideas effectively for successful sales. HE COULD HAVE BEEN A LAWYER, BUT HIS PASSION WAS THE BUSINESS WORLD Claude C. Hopkins was a prominent American advertising creative, marketer and copywriter who was born in 1866 in Hillsdale, Michigan. After studying law, he decided to pursue advertising and entered the world of agencies. He worked his way up to a senior position at Lord & Thomas advertising and his talents helped the company to considerable success. During his career, Hopkins has created successful advertising campaigns for many companies including Bissell Carpet Sweeper, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and Pepsodent Toothpaste. He is considered one of the pioneers in modern advertising, who sought to combine creative elements with scientific methods and data to create effective advertising campaigns. His approach to advertising has become the basis for many of today's marketing techniques and strategies. HOW TO MAKE A GOOD COPY? TEST AND CALL TO ACTION! Hopkins is rightly considered one of the most influential copywriters in history. His writing is the subject of his work My Life in Advertising. Many of the copywriting techniques described here are timeless and effective to this day. One of his key methods was the use of facts and evidence. Hopkins believed that if you provide customers with enough persuasive arguments, relevant facts and statistics, they are more likely to eventually make a buying decision. Let's look at some specific examples of practices that have influenced the way marketing strategies are shaped today:

THE FATHER OF ADVERTISING DAVID OGILVY

30. 3. 2023 | 11 min read There’s probably no one in the advertising world who hasn’t heard of David Ogilvy. How did he make commercial communications history? And what is his contribution to the world of advertising?

WHY TV ADVERTISING NEEDS TO INSPIRE IF IT’S TO RESONATE

27. 3. 2023 | 5 min read If brands want to cut through the noise of an ever-busier media landscape, their content needs to make an emotional connection with the audience Why TV advertising needs to inspire if it’s to resonate “Emotion in ads is more important than it's ever been,” said Vicky Handley, brand and communications lead at Lloyd Banking Group. Handley was taking part in a fireside chat at Campaign’s recent TV advertising summit discussing whether creativity in TV ads has taken a hit in recent years and whether the pursuit of inspiration in ads needs to increase.