Advertising Everywhere Doesn't Work

There's a fascinating article  in The New York Times on 1/15 which illustrates how companies are drowning consumers in advertising. The story mentions a recent Yankelovich study which estimates that a person living in a city 30 years ago saw up to 2,000 ad messages a day, compared with 5,000 today. About half the 4,110 people surveyed last spring by Yankelovich said that they marketing and advertising today was out out control.

In spite of consumer being over saturated with advertising, the article focuses on the dogged efforts of marketers to push their way into consumer consciousness. Tylenol advertised its children cold medicine on the paper liners of examination tables in pediatrician offices.  Supermarket eggs have been stamped with the names of CBS television shows. Subway turnstiles bear messages from Geico auto insurance. Chinese food cartons promote Continental Airways.  Perry Ellis provides boxes for dry cleaners to pack clothes. And, a a sushi restaurant tried to capture tourists' attention in the airport by placing giant pieces of fake sushi on the baggage carousels (see picture).

While these campaigns surely stir up a lot of creative juices in the offices of advertising agencies, do they really drive consumer purchases? Think about your own buying habits. Do ads in unconventional places get you to purchase? Or, do they just make you laugh and shake your head?

Companies would be much wiser to concentrate on delivering a quality product or service that stands apart from the competition giving consumers a reason to buzz about it.