TRUTH, LIES, AND ADVERTISING Adweek Books is designed to present interesting, insightful books for the general business reader and for professionals in the worlds of media, marketing, and advertising. These are innovative, creative books that address the chal- lenges and opportunities of these industries, written by lead- ers in the business. Some of our writers head their awn companies, others have worked their way up to the top of their field in large multinationals. But they share a knowl- edge of their craft and a desire to enlighten others . We hope readers will find these books as helpful and inspir- ing as Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek magazines. Published Disruption: Overturning Conventions and Shaking up the Market- place, Jean-Marie Dm "Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This!": A Guide to Creating Great Ads), Luke Sullivan Truth, Lies, arid Advertising: The Art of Account Planning, Jon Steel Under the Radar: Talking to Today's Cynical Consumer, Jonathan Bond & Richard Kirshenbaum Forthcoming Eating the Big fish: How "Challenger Brands" Can Compete Against Brand Leaders, Adam Morgan TRUTH, LIES, AND ADVERTISING The Art of Account Planning by Jon Steel John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York • Chichester • Weinheim • Brisbane • Singapore • Toronto Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. In all instances where John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is aware of a claim, the product names appear in initial capital or all capital letters. Readers, however, should contact the appropriate companies for more complete informa- tion regarding trademarks and registration. This book is printed on acid-free paper. © Copyright © 1998 by Jon Steel. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published simultaneously in Canada . No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permis- sion of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per- copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (508) 750-8400, fax (508) 750-4744. Requests to the Publisher for permis- sion should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012, (212) 850-6011, fax (212) 850-6008, E-Mail: [email protected]. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional ser- vices. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a com- petent professional person should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Steel, Jon. Truth, Lies, and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning. Jon Steel. p. cm. — (Adweek books) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-471-18962-6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Advertising campaigns — United States—Planning. 2. Advertising—United States. 3. Advertising agencies—Customer services—United States. I. Title. II. Series. HF5837.S73 1998 659.1'll-dc21 97-40334 CIP Credits for copyrighted material are listed on pages 275-283 . Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 This book is dedicated to Ethel Alice Morris 1904-1993 Contents Introduction ix Firing Blanks 1. No Room for the Mouse 1 The Failure to Involve Consumers in Advertising Communication 2. Silent Partners 31 Account Planning and the New Consumer Alliance 3. The Blind Leading the Bland 59 Advertising Follows Research... in the Wrong Direction 4. Peeling the Onion 103 Uncovering the Truth and Stimulating Creative Ideas through Research 5. The Fisherman's Guide 139 The Importance of Creative Briefing 6. Ten Housewives in Des Moines 189 The Perils of Researching Rough Creative Ideas 7. Serendipity 231 "got milk?" Acknowledgments 271 Bibliography 277 Index 281 Credits 287 About the Author 297 Vll
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