Age of Persuasion – CBC Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Terry O'Reilly CBC
Terry O’Reilly has posted the links to the official Age of Persuasion podcast and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve enjoyed making the shows available to the 1200 subscribers to the unofficial podcast and hearing Terry acknowledge its existence on The Sound of Young America, but also I’m glad licensing has been arranged to make it an official podcast available. Unless I am asked […]
The Emmy-winning TV series “Mad Men” is all the rage right now. The writing is remarkable, the Madison Avenue characters riveting, and it has been praised as being true to the early 60s period it depicts. As with any show that begins to work its way into pop culture, it is slowly becoming regarded as […]
Brands aren’t just products on shelves. Brands are people, and places, and events, and moments in time: anything that leaves a distinct emotional impression. This week, Terry checks under the hood of a handful of fascinating brands, to see what makes them tick. One is the only ‘A’ list celebrity to survive the entire television […]
Terry O’Reilly is fond of noting, “there’s an opportunity hiding in everything.” This week he explores the way advertisers seize opportunities. He’ll explain why Nike chose to launch its latest Tiger Woods ad just as the golfer was drawing worldwide headlines during his return to the Masters; how a car brand turned a viral video […]
Attack ads have become the staple of political campaigns. Now negative advertising is gaining in popularity throughout the ad business. But do negative ads work? This week, Terry O’Reilly explores the attraction- and danger- of ads that take shots at rivals. He’ll show how some great campaigns are negative without seeming negative. And he’ll recall […]
It’s not the sort of courage that makes headlines or history books: this week Terry O’Reilly tells stories of those in marketing who take risks- or make daring counter-intuitive decisions, despite immense pressure to take an easier route. He’ll tell the story of brands that swam against the prevailing current, including some who used their […]
It’s a popular myth among some consumers that advertisers hold some mysterious, hypnotic sway over them: manipulating their beliefs and spending decisions. Many advertisers, on the other hand, believe the power lies entirely with consumers, who can hobble the mightiest of brands with a rumour, or a single, viral video. This week, Terry O’Reilly follows […]
It looks like the Age of Persuasion site has changed flash players and obscured the source MP3 file. Does anyone have ideas? Solved
Advertising is only meaningful if it’s pitching something you’re interested in. But advertisers can’t know what you’re interested in without learning something about you. That means information gathering- and that touches on the sticky issue of privacy. This week Terry explains why your personal information is so important to marketers, and how the new generation […]
Just as there are oddballs in sports, the arts, and certainly in politics- there is no shortage of oddball campaigns in advertising. This week, Terry explains why oddball campaigns are so important to his trade. Not all rank among the all-time greats; not all scoop major awards. What they do was change the way people […]
A great ad can become a bad one when it’s out of context. Witness the billboard raising awareness of childhood obesity placed beside another for a fast-food giant. This week, Terry explores the importance of context in the craft of persuasion. He’ll show how great ad writers play with context to create memorable messages. He’ll […]
Suppose you’re a marketer trying to sell a product with few or no discernible differences from rival brands. In advertising, that’s where the rubber hits the road. This week Terry explores “parity” products: “low-interest” products such as razors, detergents and toothpastes which, without marketing help, all seem alike. You’ll meet the ad pioneer who perfected […]
When is an airline not an airline? Or a bottle of pop more than a packaged good on a shelf? When it’s an experience. This week Terry O’Reilly examines the new trend towards ‘experiential’ marketing- where consumers do more than buy a brand- they engage it. And he traces “modern” retail experiences (Starbucks, for instance- […]
Ad giant David Ogilvy once wrote “the consumer is not a moron: she is your wife!” A few years earlier, Journalist H.L. Menchen wrote: “No one in this world, so far as I know, has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.” Who’s right? This week, Terry […]
All ads are not alike. Not when you consider the ad ‘categories’ they come from. This week, Terry O’Reilly tours major ad categories- from automotive to confections, from fast food to banking: each with its own personality, rules and language. He’ll show how vastly different the tourism category is from, say, no-for-profit or sports marketing. […]
The word slogan- (which by the way, is a word ad people never, ever use) derives from the Gaelic “slaugh gairn”, meaning “cry of the host,” or “battle cry.” Slogans were once an advertising staple- the brief, pithy line that embodies a brand and its promise- from “A Little Dab’ll Do Ya” to “Trust your […]
Search the words “Commercial Fail” on YouTube, and you quickly learn that advertising mishaps are funny, bizarre, and prolific. This week, Terry O’Reilly takes a break from his customary celebration of great advertising, and offers a tour of some of the great train wrecks of his industry. From Burger King’s disastrous “Where’s Herb”, to a […]
Just as Lex Luthor makes Superman more heroic, and Moriarty makes Holmes more brilliant, heroes are defined by the villains they face. In marketing- a brand is often defined by the problem it solves- or the rival brand it’s up against. This week Terry O’Reilly shows how strong villains, problems, obstacles and rivals play a […]
Maybe it’s the DNA. Or too much caffeine at a young age. What is that special gift that enables great pitchmen to part us from our money? And what is that part of us that wants to be pitched? Hold on to your wallet: this week Terry O’Reilly looks at the natural born pitchmen- from […]
Just as positive buzz can launch a brand into the stratosphere – negative buzz can sink it lower than whale doo-doo. This week Terry explores the ways buzz shapes popular sentiment, while making- and breaking- major brands. He’ll chronicle the rise and fall of TV as a source of buzz, and how it has given […]
They are the ads that make everyone squirm- consumers, media, and especially ad copywriters; ads for the funeral industry, laxatives, incontinence pads, and the queen mother of unpleasant ad briefs- feminine hygiene products. Terry O’Reilly kicks off the 4th season of The Age of Persuasion with an insider’s look at marketing the unpleasant, from the […]
The ‘ol Age of Persuasion mailbag has been packed a little too full lately. So this week- in the season finale- Terry O’Reilly dedicates an entire show to answering your questions about advertising and marketing. How do you pitch your great ad idea to a major brand? Will product placement replace conventional advertising? What’s an […]
When the telephone was first invented, a debate arose: not over the invention itself, but over what to say when answering it. In time, the word “hello” prevailed. As Terry O’Reilly observes, the creation of each new medium brings with it a learning curve, as its strengths are discovered, and its ‘language invented. Terry explores […]
Bulletin… bulletin… bulletin… this just in… the actor who played “Mikey” in the Life Cereal Ads did not die as result of consuming pop rocks and cola (or from any other cause). Just as not-dead is Jared Fogel, spokesman for Subway restaurants. A tooth will not dissolve when left in Coca Cola overnight. And Pepsi […]
It’s no secret that entertaining messages attract audiences. But today, as advertisers, government agencies, business and educators are learning- entertainment is fast becoming the only way to reach an audience. Terry O’Reilly explains how all kinds of modern messages are being wrapped in entertainment, or are tied to engaging ideas. He’ll explain how that is […]
I think this podcast was mentioned by Terry O’Reilly on the great program, The Sound of Young America. Be sure to check out the entire interview.
In a society whose only real knowledge of the ad business ranges from Darren Stephens in Bewitched to Don Draper in Mad Men, a few misconceptions are bound to crop up. This week, Terry O’Reilly tackles some common myths surrounding the ad business, including the Myth that advertising steers behaviours and trends, the myth that […]
The secret to Tiger Woods’ success as a golfer is that he can make a golf ball soar, spin, curve- heck, he can make it deal cards if he wants to. But what’s the secret to Tiger Woods as a brand? It’s authenticity. This week Terry O’Reilly explains the importance of a brand living up […]
For more than a century, advertisers have fallen to the lure of hyperbole: over-inflating the importance of their brand. They made cheap currency of claims such as bigger, faster, stronger, better-tasting, harder-working, brighter, softer, newer, more-economical and longer-lasting. As Terry O’Reilly points out, some very small help is on the way. A newer, better, smarter […]
Brand loyalty is the greatest prize a marketer can earn. Yet nowadays, it’s increasingly rare. This week, Terry O’Reilly explains the tangible- and intangible process of forming loyalties between brands and customers: and what goes into that ‘gut’ feeling that makes people reach for one brand over another, when all else is equal. He’ll explain […]
This week Terry O’Reilly marches you boldly where the angels of marketing fear to tread: he looks at the delicate, always-controversial relationship between faith and advertising. He’ll look into the controversy surrounding recent bus ads, which read “There Probably Is No God. So Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life.” And he’ll explain why not all […]
What does modern advertising and marketing have to do with a 25 hundred-year-old military theorist? Terry O’Reilly is so glad you asked. This week he examines the ancient bamboo scrolls of Sun Tzu- author of The Art of War, and shows how modern marketers- including an upstart vodka and a revolutionary hair colouring brand- have […]
Is advertising advertising advertising all about repetition repetition repetition? This week, Terry O’Reilly examines the role ‘frequency’ plays in ad messages. He’ll explain how many times you are meant to see or hear an ad in a given week, and why some campaigns seem to bombard you more than others. He’ll also explain how the […]
There’s no “Made in Canada” label on ad campaigns: but Terry O’Reilly often wishes there were. This week he proudly tells the story of some Made-in-Canada success stories. They’re ad campaigns with maple syrup in their veins; how an idea resurrected from a wastebasket put one retail chain on the map; how a campaign that […]
Is the meaning of major holidays- from Easter and Passover to Christmas and Ramadan- becoming lost in a sea of holiday marketing? This week Terry O’Reilly explains why advertisers don’t dare ignore the opportunities presented by holidays. Just as marketing has come to dominate major Christian holidays, Terry explains how, in a sense, the baton […]
Monday, 16 February 2009 11:30 am and Saturday 21 February 2009 4:30 pm (Originally aired October 19, 2006) When Advertisers take our time and attention, shouldn’t they give something back? Terry O’Reilly thinks so. This week Terry examines the unwritten “contract” forged between Advertisers and audiences more than 80 years ago. He’ll tell the story […]
Originally aired November, 2006 Hooda thunkit: for all their flow charts and profit projections, Marketers are re-discovering the true “secret weapon” of persuasion: people. In this episode from Season One of the Age of Persuasion, Terry explains the value of putting a “human face” to a brand: from the fictional Aunt Jemima to the very […]
Are there “rules” for creating great ads? This week, Terry O’Reilly dusts off the Great Rulebook of Creative Advertising and shares some of its immutable laws, and plays successful ads that… well… mute them. He’s show how ‘rules’ and conventions in ad creative change with time. And he’ll share a few ideas he’s scribbled in […]
There’s an old marketing axiom: “never try to change people’s minds”. Yet massive changes in public attitudes happen constantly: attitudes about the role of women, about racial equality, about smoking, using seatbelts, and attitudes about gay/lesbian/bi & transsexual lifestyles. This week Terry O’Reilly examines the role advertising plays when society’s attitudes change- how it can […]
Is it just us, or has the tone of advertising gotten colder, nastier, more rude? This week Terry O’Reilly shows how the tone of advertising is taking on a new meanness. The humour of some campaigns is taking on a decidedly sharp edge. Broadcast ads are becoming more heavily laden with violence and bodily functions. […]
Strange things happen in the Age of Persuasion during an economic downturn. As Terry O’Reilly observes, many advertisers abandon their sense of humour, and often- mistakenly- turn to aggressive, desperate hard sell. Meanwhile, some brands, such as Wal-Mart, McDonald’s and SPAM, actually thrive. And a few, courageous marketers know that in tough times, great marketing […]
There’s a lot more to Direct Marketing than “ShamWow”, and Ginsu knives, and Veg-O-Matics. On the season premiere of The Age of Persuasion, Terry O’Reilly looks at the changing craft of Direct Marketing- and explains why ad giant David Ogilvy called it his “first love and secret weapon”. Terry will track the history of Direct […]
We are very pleased to announce that the new season of The Age of Persuasion debuts on Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. Monday episodes will be repeated Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. We are, in effect, sharing this season with our friends at White Coat, Black Art, and will adopt their current time slots. […]
First aired: 19 October 2006 Early in our first season, Terry posed a question: when Advertisers take our time and attention, shouldn’t they give something back? In “Breaking the Contract” Terry examines the unwritten agreement forged between Advertisers and audiences more than 80 years ago. He’ll tell the story of “contact” pioneer Albert Lasker, and […]
All the things that capture your eye- and you imagination- in the world around you have one thing in common: they’re all brands. In the Age of Persuasion season finale, Terry O’Reilly examines six remarkable brands- and not just ‘brands’ in the consumer sense. Among them: a media icon, an athlete, a rock & roll […]
Times ‘wuz that the goal of any marketer was to sell “big” brands to the widest possible audience. This week, Terry O’Reilly explains how the days of “one size fits all” brands are vanishing; replaced by specifically targeted “niche” brands. He’ll trace this trend to the growth of “specialty” media; Gay/Lesbian/Bi radio stations, for instance, […]
When money runs short- more and more people are turning to advertising to pay the bills. Charities, artists, athletes, even governments and school boards are turning to “corporate partners” – offering advertising exposure in exchange for much-needed money. This week Terry O’Reilly explains how Advertisers became the “sugar daddies” of the 21st Century- and traces […]
Broadcast Date: May 31, 2008 (Originally aired in April of 2007 It’s no surprise that a lot of today’s Ads would never have aired in our parent’s time. But guess what? Many Ads from the past would never be tolerated today. This week Terry O’Reilly explains how Advertising is a kind of time capsule: reflecting […]
A century ago, when a nation called, men came running. Today, men and women need a reason why they should wage war. This week, Terry examines the complex, changing, relationship between persuasion and war. He’ll look at ways advertisers mobilized to help Canada in two World Wars, how the impromptu “Christmas truce” of 1914 endangered […]
It was ad giant Fairfax Cone who said “there is no such thing as a Mass Mind. The Mass Audience is made up of individuals, and good advertising is written always from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone.” “Mass Marketing” allows advertisers to reach millions of consumers […]
Take two baseball Hall-of-Famers- Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Baseball insiders lean towards Cobb as the superior all-round player, yet Ruth towers above Cobb in popular culture. Why? For the same reason brands win and lose marketing wars: victory goes to those who forge the strongest emotional connection with consumers. This week Terry O’Reilly explains […]
Broadcast Date: Saturday May 3, 2008. (Originally Broadcast in April, 2007) Bill Clinton’s electoral victory of 1992 owed much to a four word phrase created by advisor James Carville: “It’s the economy, stupid”. It wasn’t an idea, or a slogan, but an insight. Join Terry O’Reilly as shows why an insight is at the heart […]
Broadcast date: Saturday April 26, 2008 After thirty years of hearing “I hate advertising”, Terry’s springing to the defense of his industry. Will he argue that all advertising is great? No. But he will make a case that maybe, just maybe, it doesn’t suck as much as some people like to think. This week, Terry […]
How did General Isaac Brock and the great chief Tecumseh capture Fort Detroit in 1812- though outnumbered nearly two-to-one? The same way today’s brands nestle themselves in your brain: strategy. This week, Terry O’Reilly examines one of the most vital- and least understood- facets of the world’s $600 billion marketing industry. He’ll explain the strategy […]
This week, Terry O’Reilly explores the evolving relationship between marketers and audiences, and how modern media have made audiences the product, and advertisers the buyer. While all art craves an audience: in the age of persuasion, ad-driven media exist for the purpose of procuring an audience, and delivering it to advertisers. Terry examines the business […]
(Originally aired April 26, 2007) Try Googling the phrase “Award-Winning”. Go on; we’ll wait. See? 71 million hits. Join Terry O’Reilly – wait- the “award winning” Terry O’Reilly – as he explores the persuasive power of those two little words in our culture. He’ll play- yes- award-winning ads, and examine the self-congratulatory side of our […]
According to author C. Edwin Baker, “Advertisers, not governments, are the primary censors of media content… today.” Terry O’Reilly respectfully disagrees – and this week he’ll explain why. He’ll review the long relationship between sponsorship and censorship – from early Radio, to Hitchcock’s Psycho, through the more recent woes of radio jock Don Imus. Do […]
In the Age of Persuasion, as in all things, some are more equal than others. This week, Terry O’Reilly looks at a handful of gifted individuals- and singular ad agencies- who have done more than change advertising- they’ve changed popular culture. They are the savants, the gifted, the elect- those with ‘royal jelly’. And they […]
In our grandparent’s time, “big” was a good thing. “Biggest” was what every brand wanted to be when it grew up; the biggest corporations were benevolent captains of industry. Today, “big” is a curse. The biggest brands become the targets of critical books and documentaries, anti-globalization protests and YouTube ridicule. This week, Terry O’Reilly examines […]
Broadcast Date: March 8, 2008 (Originally aired April 14, 2007) This week Terry O’Reilly explores ways marketers breathe new life into dying brands. He’ll show you how brands such as Special ‘K’ have hiked sales- not by changing their product, but by changing the ‘idea’ of their product. Then he’ll show you how Hollywood celebrities […]
This week, on The Age of Persuasion, Terry O’Reilly shares 23- ‘count ‘em- things he’s like to change about advertising. Maybe his new shoes are too tight. Or he needs a little more fibre in his diet. Perhaps a switch to decaf would do the trick. Whatever the reason, Terry shares a few long-harboured gripes […]
Broadcast Date February 23, 2008 (Originally aired February 15, 2007) The Prime Minister has one. So do Microsoft, the CBC, and the Pope. They’ve all got a form of logo: a visual symbol, trademark or emblem that distinguishes who they are. Join Terry as he tells the stories behind some of the great logos and […]
It’s among the greatest, most inspired, most creative, most spectacular work done in marketing… yet few ever see it. Every year, Ad agencies pull out all the stops to ‘pitch’ their services to prospective clients. This week, Terry O’Reilly takes you inside the boardrooms to share some of the Ad industry’s best, most remarkable, and […]
Broadcast Date: February 9, 2008 (Originally aired 29 March, 2007) Not long ago, the city of Boston was paralysed by a guerrilla marketing stunt: the placement of electronic signs with countdown clocks. Even more surprising was that the stunt was staged by a multi-billion dollar media empire. This week Terry O’Reilly examines why today’s biggest […]
News is big business. This week, Terry O’Reilly traces the origins of today’s news packaging. Here’s a headline you’ll never, ever see in your daily paper: “Nothing Happened”. Terry O’Reilly describes the ugly circle that drives modern newsgathering: how reporting takes money, how the need from money means attracting advertisers, how pleasing advertisers requires a […]
Terry O’Reilly tracks a seismic shift in the marketing world: the fall of Television as the “flagship” ad medium, and the rise of a radical new trend: marketing through ideas. Instead of using advertising to reach teenage males, Burger King created its own series of Xbox 360 games, featuring its “King” character. After two million […]
Believe it or not, there was once a time when sports and marketing slept in separate beds. Enter C.C. “Cash & Carry” Pyle, the first modern sports agent. This week, Terry O’Reilly explains how Pyle changed sports forever, and why marketers so eagerly assume the expense, and the risk, of putting their product in the […]
In our season premiere, Terry explores the long history of “attack ads” and political dirty tricks, and shows how changing media have changed the nature of election campaigns, from a discussion of issues to an assessment of personalities. Major campaign ads are assembled by hand-picked “dream teams” comprised of many of the greatest creative minds […]