G is for…

My favorite Word Of The Day (use it three times, it’s yours forever.) Not only for the cool hidden “h” sound that pops up out of nowhere, giving it that Sigmund Freud German accent that brings up visions of Weimar Republic beer gardens and Blue Angels, but for the meaning of the word itself.

A well-known writer was so tired of fans asking him “Where do you get your ideas?” that he came up with a pat response; “They come from Schenectady.” This saves him from explaining repeatedly that his ideas come from all over. From the experiences of the day, things he’s reading, comments by family and friends, a host of sources. I’d give the author’s name but frankly, I remember the comment but not who made it. Sorry.

Dear God, turn it off!

“Familiarity breeds comtempt,” goes the age-old axiom.

Howabout constant repeition breeds freaking irritation?

Just listen to a small radio station sometime, or to a cable channel late at night. Actually, any radio station and TV channel for that matter. You hear a commercial. Within fifteen minutes, you hear it again. And then again. And again. And again…

Within a week of listening to your favorite radio station while working, you can lip sync along with the ad. And your finger automatically jabs for the mute button every time you hear it.

But wait, says the marketing MBA, isn’t that a good thing? You remember the ad!

Well, I respond to the overeducated but annoying expert, not if you become so irritated by it that you vow to never touch the product with a ten foot pole sharpened at the tip.

Note to media buyers everywhere. And to the clients who make said media buyers’ lives hell. Repeating an ad over and over and over and over will not sell product. It will irritate people. And become ear wash. Background noise. Something to ridicule, and ignore. And all those media dollars will go to naught but pissing off potential customers.

How much of this is client pressure? And how much is simple laziness on the part of media planners? I wonder.