Polk Add

HBombToo · November 2002

The Ads need Bikini Babes!

I think a forum member has a rather large collection...

Oh Sheat... Wheres Micah?:rolleyes:

Micah Cohen · November 2002

Micah's right here, you nutcases, watching you fight over this crap like caffeine-starved advertising account execs. Thank you, Troy.

>> The ad sucks. The speakers are micro. Matt is large. <<

You're wrong. The ad doesn't suck. Here's why: First of all, cause I wrote it. And I used ta win awards for this kind of stuff before I had my brain sucked out and replaced with Polk Audio acoustic speaker filler... Uh sorry. Nix that last part. Second of all, it doesn't suck because of all the ads in whatever mag you noticed this one, which ad DID NOT HAVE A GIANT BEAUTY SHOT OF... SPEAKERS IN IT? Ours. That makes us DIFFERENT. We don't need to show you speakers; every other brainless ad in those mags shows you speakers. After a while, admit it, they all look like wooden boxes to you, don't they? Our ad, well, you stop and look at it and think, "Huh? What's this ad for?" Then you may even read it, or at least notice our name and logo, before thinking, "Gee, this ad has words in it that I may need to read, and that would be too much work for my little mind in the time I have here waiting for the doctor to call my name. Words. Bad. Must see picture. PICTURRRRRRE!" You get the idea.

The ad "cuts through the noise of same-looking speaker ads with a different, attention-getting style of info-mercial sensibility that transmits good will and a free offer for those willing to take the time to get something from it." That's not a real quote from any advertising rating service or anything; I just made that up. But for a second there you might have thought that that was from some serious advertising judgement board or something. Anyway, that's why it's a good ad.

Could it be a better ad? You bet it could. It could have a really ingenius headline. (Altho, this particular ad has a pretty provocative headline -- as Mantis noted, "The first thing I think If I didnt know better is that this insinuates that Polk finally produced a high end speaker. (not so) The add degrades POLK!!" All I have to say to that is: MADEJALOOK!) It could have a really expensive and professional beauty shot of our speakers in a glorious location or a high end home. It could have real impressive third-party testimonials about the speaker, from audio reviewers you know and trust. It could reinforce the brand with a bigger logo, reinforce the good will of knowing that a real human guy is behind our company and our technology... Hmmm. It's doing most of those things. Could it be better? Yep. If we had a Bose-sized media buying budget, you'd see Polk ads everywhere; good ones, too. Different.

>> As much as you hate Bose speakers, Polk really needs to learn how to market their products like Bose. <<

How does Bose market? By making amazing claims, by showing doctored pictures of their products in ideal situations, by putting quotes around statements to make them appear to have been generated by actual audio reviewers (when you and I both know, or would like to think, that no self-respecting audio reviewer would attach his or her name to a lauditory Bose review), and by SATURATING THE MEDIA WITH THEIR BRAND IMAGE ADS. That last bit there, that's the real key to Bose's success: They market like their pants are on fire. Time Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, TV, Direct Mail, The Paul Harvey Show (and I thought he was dead). Bose is EVERYWHERE. What's the first name you think of when you think audio? BOSE.

It's not because they show their speakers in their ads. It's because their ads are EVERYWHERE. Let me cut and paste and repeat that: It's not because they show their speakers in their ads. It's because their ads are EVERYWHERE.

I believe that if we "cram our ad with our whole line of speakers," the pictures would be so small as to be unrecognizable AND the ad would look like every other stupid, chestbeating, look-at-my-wooden-box-speaker ad. You'd blip right over it. Wouldn't you rather understand better why you should buy our speaker (thro some sort of technical explanation)? Wouldn't you rather feel more secure about us, as humans and not a faceless speaker manufacturer, when you purchase our products? Speakers, and speaker ads, are dime a dozen. What makes us different? We're real people and we care about sound, not about showing off. So there.

>>
I'm wondering whether they signed the ad contract
BEFORE or AFTER Stereophile began mentioning
Polk--in positive terms
<<

Huh. I don't know, you might be on to some vast sweeping insight into the commercial machinations of the audio press there, Sherlock.

Micah

shack · November 2002

Micah is right on here! If he is doing his job the add is not selling "a speaker"...it is selling POLK!

BRAND RECOGNITION is the object here. Polk does not care which speaker sells...they just want to make sure that when you are buying speakers you think of POLK! What is the average consumer going to remember when he sees an audio mag...that one speaker really looked great over all the others or that "Guy" with the funny name (sorry Matt but my daughters keep asking why I visit a polka site). I remember a few years ago there were some really innovative, ground breaking ads that everyone raved about. There was just one problem, everyone could remember the ad but nobody could remember what company was advertising...making it a pretty much worthless ad.

Matt Polk = POLK AUDIO = BRAND RECOGNITION

Micah Cohen · November 2002

You're hired!

MC

danger boy · November 2002

Micah raises some great points. and good work on the ad. yeah it's not perfect........ it does not appeal to every reader. but my firm belief is that you have to bombard the public with ads to get your product recognized and sold. McDonalds doesn't have great food. but they advertise so much... people remember the name.. hence huge sales.

bottom line. if Polk is content with sales.. then don't change a thing. in this time of a down economy, i would think people are spending their hard earned money more carefully. I don't know any business that is content with their sales.. everyone always wants more.
that's all i have to say.

danger boy · November 2002

where's the beef? Wendys sold a helluva lotta burgers for years on that ad.

oops, guess i had more to say afterall

shack · November 2002

You're hired!

WILL WORK FOR SPEAKERS:D

TroyD · November 2002

Pretty much though, if you think about it, brand recognition is the whole point of advertising, no? IMO, there are two basic ways of going about it. Pure media saturation (Bose) or 'catchy' ads.

That being the case, I think Polk has always done a stellar job of catchy ads. I think of all the audio gear ads that I've seen, the only ones that stick out are the ones with Matt in his white labcoat. Hey, whatever works, right?

I like the old Marantz ads too.

BDT

phuz · November 2002

I like the ad, and Micah has some good points. It was one of the main ads that stood out amongst all of the other ads. It could be better, but it's better than most of the other ads in the magazine(s). Ya gotta have that 'hook,' that ad has a 'hook.'

How many times can you look at a big group of speakers? Paradigm has had the same ad for ages, and it's all the same stuff that they have on their website.

I noticed def tech had 4 full page ads in that magazine, and they ALL looked the same but with different products. That is some bad marketing if you ask me.

I don't buy the oldskool labcoat bit. Anyone can buy a labcoat.

One thing I noticed is that Polk had the exact same ad in 3 or 4 different magazines. Each magazine has a slightly different market group. If I were in the marketing department at Polk I would try some different things with each magazine. See what demographic is responding, and see what add seems to do better.

.02 and a bag-o-doritos

danger boy · November 2002

what demographic is the Polk ads aimed at? 18- 24 yr olds, or 25- 36, or 35 to 50?

phuz · November 2002

Demographic can be anything from age, sex, income, and maybe even taste in audio gear.

Frank Z · November 2002

Here it is in a nutshell boys and girls

If the ad pays for itself by generating revenue...not opinions, eye rolls, or slack jawed staring...REVENUE!! Money, Cash, Green Backs, George, Ben, Abe, and of course Andrew!

then it's good!

No revenue...BAD!!

This concludes todays class...Thank you for your attention.

Micah Cohen · November 2002

>>
I noticed def tech had 4 full page ads in that magazine, and they ALL looked the same but with different products. That is some bad marketing if you ask me.
<<

Def Tech does great ads. They are bold, big, attention-getting and filled with excellent quotes from good 3rd parties. You know, the guy who runs Def Tech was one of the original partners here at Polk, right? His marketing was a little too extreme for these guys, who are more into "subtle."

>>
I don't buy the oldskool labcoat bit. Anyone can buy a labcoat.
<<

Matt really is a labcoat kind of guy. He's an amazing person, very interesting and strange; he's the closest I've ever come to meeting a sort of "mad scientist" type of guy. He can talk about complex math, physics and audiology, and high opera or MAD Magazine in the same conversation. He is thoughtful and quiet (when I tape him for transcriptions, his voice hardly shows up on the tapes!), and extremely intelligent. And there probably was a time, back in the 70s, when he was wearing a lab coat. It's not that much of a "put on."

>>
One thing I noticed is that Polk had the exact same ad in 3 or 4 different magazines. Each magazine has a slightly different market group. If I were in the marketing department at Polk I would try some different things with each magazine. See what demographic is responding, and see what add seems to do better.
<<

This is one of those things that, as I mentioned above, we could do better. (I believe we should do better, and maybe we will.) It's a dangerous and difficult thing to do on your own, as we are; we have no advertising agency working for or with us here. We are our own creative, media, placement, tracking, analysis and focus company. In my opinion, we are a jack of all trades, a master of none. This is one of our failings, in my opinion.

MC

mantis · November 2002

Micah,
I read all your mad........the add sucks.I own the lsi15's and would love to see a nice full colored pic of the beautiful lsi's.How about a add with them setup in action????I got alot of good/maybe not so good but I thought so.

polkatese · November 2002

Micah,
there is enough example of great work of ad out there, it doesn't even have to cost a bundle, as long as the message, branding, and target audience are defined clearly. I do believe that with the LSi series, Polk has a major advantage in being able to take advantage of the situation. Pricing is right, and performance and quality are definitely on par with the high-end. Why not take the competitors head-to-head full steam? the distribution channel I think need to be improved, brand recognition IMHO need to be addressed in a big way. The status quo is not where Polk should be....I know I might be preaching to the choir, but I think this is a time to reintroduce the brand in a different light.....

burdette · November 2002

Ya know, all of you are looking at that ad from the paradigm of a person who already owns, likes, and would buy again, Polk speakers. You are not the intended audience. Many of you have said you'd like to see the actual speaker pictured larger in the ad.... why? How many of you purchased your speakers based on the looks? How many of you had it narrowed down to two or three pair, and chose the lesser-sounding but better looking pair?? If you actually did that.. are you going to admit it??

Polk's advertising needs to target people *not yet familiar* with Polk loudspeakers. Someone mentioned the plethora of ads in the new (in *any*, in fact) Sound & Vision that shows a lot of speakers in the photo... masses of boxes with cones and domes and ports and grills... and most looking pretty much like the others.

The ad appeared in Stereophile.. correct? Do you think the average guy reading Stereophile just might be concerned with technology and accurate sound reproduction over appearance? At that level (the LSi's and above), build-quality is a given; above-average appearance is a given. If those aren't there, an expensive speaker isn't going to sell. You don't have to advertise those things.. it would be like Porsche advertising their latest turbo by saying "Our cars have an engine that makes it go fast, and four wheels to roll on! Plus, we have seats!!!"

Compare to Cerwin-Vega ads.. in which the company makes no qualms about who they're marketing to.. people who want speakers with BIG drivers that play LOUD. You don't see CV focusing their advertising on their cutting-edge research because there ain't none.

There is coherent thought behind that ad.... moreso, I venture, than the thought put into critiquing it.

madmax · November 2002

I can't even think about it clearly any more but back when I first discovered Polk I was introduced to them by Matt sitting in front of all the SDA's with his lab coat on. At the time I thought that showed someone in tune with what they were producing and it made me feel as if I were getting something personally guaranteed by that person (Matt). I felt as if every one was manufactured to meet his tough standards. Looking through the brochures showed how they were tested and made me feel that if anything were wrong or if it just didn't sound right then it would be fixed by the time I got it. That was great advertising!!!

Later on when I saw Matt wearing his hawaiian shirt (in a crutchfield catalog) I no longer got the same feeling. I felt more like this business owner wanted me to buy speakers made by his company. (A little different, somewhat disconnected from the manufacture process and no guarantees)

I have not seen the most recent one so I cannot comment on it.

madmax

pensacola · November 2002

PLEASE...
Someone with a better scanner help us out here.

nadams · November 2002

In that car ad, is that an AMP down there? POLK MADE CAR AMPS? Or is this just something that they bundled w/ their car speakers, like Bose used to do (or maybe still does) in the Audi's? I didn't know that they ever made amps of any kind. Answers?

Nadams

F1nut · November 2002

Nadams,

It's not a amp, it's a SDA crossover/effect system.

F1nut · November 2002

Thanks for posting the ad. JMHO, but I think that's a very good ad.

MxStYlEpOlKmAn · November 2002

i dont see nothing wrong with the ad..its different but...theres nothing wrong with it..heck from what i have read i was exspecting this little 1/2 inch tall 1/4 inch wide pic of the speaker and a gigantic pic of matt, but it completely gets to the point i think....its like matt is talking to u sorda...

Paul Connor · November 2002

I like this ad.

I admire a person who is proud enough of his company to stand up in front and advertise his product.

Advertising is expensive and when working within a budget, money spent on ads must be saved somewhere else. I admire a company who spends it's money on product and not cheezy advertising.

Good work Micah

shack · November 2002

Micah - If this was your work....congratulations! The post above is the first time I've seen it but to me it does a good job of getting Polk's name out to the "Hi-end" and the "value" audio buyers alike. It is different from the run of the mill ad (which should get it noticed) and it does a good job of fostering Brand Recognition. It is better than I expected from some of the other posts.

Polk Add

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