Last week, I missed writing a newsletter. There were too many deadlines, including some things I had to catch up on after a week of dealing with Covid, and I needed to give myself a little room to just breathe.
As I dug out, I wound drafts of writing four different columns, three of which seem irrelevant on a week like this, so I’ll find a way to revisit them later.
There’s one that is more fitting though.
It’s about a film I streamed last weekend for the first time, even though it came out 10 years ago.
It’s about an ad campaign that helped a country move on from years of horrific, senseless violence.
Even if the film may exaggerate the importance of the campaign, it’s exactly the kind of art that can restore hope when all seems lost, and it should be required viewing on any syllabus about the ad industry.
It should be required viewing for all of us. If only to give us a little hope.
It’s the Chilean film No starring Gael García Bernal as the creative lead behind the TV ad campaign that helped unseat Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet after a brutal 15-year reign.
Pedro Peirano adapted the screenplay from an unpublished play by Antonio Skármeta, best known for his work that later become the wonderful picture Il Postino. I own a couple of Pablo Neruda’s anthologies and toured one of Neruda’s homes all thanks to Skármeta.
The film No, available to rent or buy on several streaming platforms, is a testament to the power of advertising, and a look behind the scenes of two rival ad campaigns. For 27 days, each side – “Yes” to keep Pinochet in power, “No” to kick him out – had 15 minutes of national TV airtime to make their case as a way to give international legitimacy to what many expected to be a sham election.
While the film stirred controversy in Chile for giving too much credit to the campaign as opposed to grassroots organizing, nearly a third of the film incorporated documentary footage, and the film’s events did generally take place. Granted, Bernal’s character is fictional, and he called the film a “fable.” Sometimes a fable is what people need, and what people remember.
Having visited Santiago, Chile about a decade ago – one of the more joyful cities I’ve visited — the city shares its scars from the Pinochet regime. In a time when civil rights (voting rights, LGBTQ protections, access to healthcare) are under threat in our own country, this was a welcome reminder of how advertising can be a force for good, and how much courage it can take to speak truth to power.
For those who feel hopeless about the grip the NRA has on our government, look at what happened to Pinochet.
The gun-control movement does have Everytown for Gun Safety, which includes Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Mayors against Illegal Guns. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg and grassroots organizer Shannon Watts are among the those calling out the danger and hypocrisy of the gun lobby. There’s more organizing. And there are people like Beto O’Rourke literally standing up to shout down the voices funded by the NRA. But clearly, we need so much more.
One thing that stands out with No is that sometimes, you need to get weird. You need to have fun. Yes, remind people what the stakes are, but make people want to vote for something, not against something.
It kept hitting me that this was the hardest task of the ad execs working on the “No” campaign, and it’s what Pinochet’s team was trying to exploit.
The “No” camp was going to come off as negative. Pinochet framed the “No” side as saying no to peace, prosperity, and progress. The “Yes” side made it sound like a “No” vote was a vote against Chile. Are you with Chile or against it? Only a traitor could vote ‘No.’
Again, there are parallels. Those in favor of gun control are framed as if they’re voting against safety and security, voting against the Constitution, and voting against liberty. Gun control advocates, in this framing, are coming for your guns – and they’re coming for you. And your liberty.
But those in favor of gun control are pushing back. They say the only way to ensure we get to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is by having the freedom to shop in grocery stores, study in schools, dance at concerts and clubs, and pray at houses of worship without fear of getting killed.
A flashback (and a true story)… when I attended Binghamton University, the University Law Enforcement Department was going to be upgraded to the University Police Department, and with that came upgrades with their weaponry. There was some fraught recent history of clashes between students and the campus police, so the move was widely derided and feared.
Some friends of mine and I staged a lengthy satirical event in the University Union called University Law Aid – ULAID – as a fake telethon to support purchases of increasingly heavy artillery for the UPD.
It was bonkers. It wasn’t that well attended. We couldn’t have had much of an idea of what we were talking about. I have no clue how much of it was any good.
But it was fun. It got some attention. And maybe it got some folks to raise their voices who wouldn’t have otherwise.
It feels like more of that can only help.
Yes to life. Yes to liberty. Yes to art and ads that change the world.
David
|
Run high-value newsletter sponsorships with Swapstack.
Are you a marketer looking for new, high-growth channels to grow
your brand (and diversify away from paid social)? When you sponsor
an email newsletter, you are putting your brand in front of your target
audience from the trusted voice of the writer. Your sponsorship feels
like an endorsement and creates trust (and clicks!).
Swapstack enables advertisers to run direct sponsorships across hundreds
of independent newsletter publishers. There are 700+ independent publishers
on Swapstack across all verticals who speak to 30M readers each week.
Thanks, Swapstack, for supporting the Serial Marketer Weekly.
——————————
WHAT TO READ:
——————————
Recent content shared by Serial Marketers and friends:
- Digital Marketing Agency Envisionit Hires Tiffany Curry as Chief Partnerships Officer and Andra Bradley as Executive Media Director by Tiffany Curry
- Profitero’s Sarah Hofstetter keeps kosher, and the faith, with brands by Garett Sloane
- AAPI Actors Roundtable: Representation in Hollywood — Multicultural TV Talk (Podcast) by Juan Ayala
——————————
HOW TO SHARE
——————————
Thanks to Michael Winter, Richy Glassberg, Scott Monty, Bob Gilbreath, Mat Zucker, Nancy Harhut, E.B. Moss, Praveen Mishra, and Amy Gittelman for spreading the word about the newsletter recently.
Share it with five others who subscribe and receive 10 $CMO coins, along with other rewards. Even one referral will net you a coin (try it out).
Here’s your own personalized link, with more referral rewards for sharing the newsletter. Visit https://referralhub.
Share via: Email | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn——————————
EVENTS
——————————
Please submit any events you’re hosting to our calendar at https://serialmarketers.net/
UPCOMING SERIAL MARKETERS EVENTS
- 6/15: Serial Marketers Speedups on Upstream — connect with fellow marketers 1:1.
- 7/13: Serial Marketers Speedups on Upstream — connect with fellow marketers 1:1.
- 8/10: Serial Marketers Speedups on Upstream — connect with fellow marketers 1:1.
EMAIL FOR LEADERS
MAY 27-28, London, UK
“The 2022 roadshow heads across the pond for our premier marketing and advertising event in 2022. Unspam isn’t just for people who manage marketing messaging; it’s a change in how you approach your entire strategy in communication to reach the best results. With tangible solutions you can implement instantly, Unspam provides the methods, research, network, and inspiration to transform your teams and programs.”
Register
SOCIAL MEDIA & INFLUENCER STRATEGIES SUMMIT
June 7-10, Virtual Conference
“4 Days of Proven Social Media and Influencer Marketing Strategies from 50 Leading Brands. Learn the nuts and bolts of a successful social media strategy to position your brand for success. Assess and audit your current social media initiatives through real-life feedback, discussions and peer-to-peer learning. The best of both worlds: 2 conferences, 4 days, and 50 speakers help you maximize the performance of your social media and influencer marketing programs, and more…”
Register
SPOTLIGHT ON STARTUPS
June 15, Virtual
“100 Pitches. 300 Founders. 200 VCs. 1000’s of Virtual Meetings.One of the top networking events of the year for VCs and founders. -100 seed and Series A founders pitch their company in front of hundreds of investors, -2020 largest gathering of VCs online, -2019 largest gathering of VCs on the east coast, -Seamlessly schedule meetings and 1:1s, Expert panels to help you scale your company, Partnered with top accelerators and VCs in the country”
Register
THE MEDIAOCEAN RETREAT IN CANNES 2022
June 22-23, Villa des Fleurs
“Join us for meetings, conversations, and networking in Cannes at a beautiful hill-top villa just minutes away from La Croisette. The Mediaocean Retreat is hosted by Beet.TV and will include video production of our content sessions and thought leadership interviews with brands, agencies, and partners.”
Register
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES SUMMIT
October 26–27
“Join Your Peers at the #1 Social Media Event for Senior-Level Marketing Professionals. Learn the nuts and bolts of a successful social media strategy to position your brand for success. Assess and audit your current social media initiatives through real-life feedback, discussions and peer-to-peer learning. Revitalize your strategy framework as brand practitioners walk you step-by-step through successful case studies…etc”
Register
——————————
SPRINGBOARD INTO ACTION
——————————
Springboard welcomes community members to
earn their Digital Marketing Professional Certificate.
To enroll directly in the course, visit Springboard
and use code SerialMarketers for $500 off.
Feel free to DM member Scott Chappell for more info.
Thanks, Scott and Springboard, for supporting the
Serial Marketer Weekly.
——————————
JOBS
——————————
Keep checking out the #jobs channel in Serial Marketers for more. Better yet, subscribe to get updates from our job listing board. Here are some great opportunities shared in these places or sent to me directly.
MYSTERY
Product Consultant
Remote
Via Rashi in the community
“As Product Consultant on the sales team, you will be the de facto expert in Mystery’s product offering. You will communicate the features, capabilities, and benefits of Mystery to both new and existing customers. An integral part of the sales team, you will work in pre-sales capacity to help prospects and customers learn about Mystery by designing and delivering regular demos and product sessions. You’ll also be tapped to quickly turn-around demo requests with effective customization that relates the Mystery offering directly to their use case.”
Apply
MATERIAL
Qualitative Director, Gaming and Entertainment
Remote
Via Nicholas in the community
“Material is seeking an experienced Qualitative Director to join the team within our growing gaming and entertainment practice. We’re looking for someone with a passion for finding patterns from different data sources, to interpret the business and marketing applications for our clients and tell compelling stories that have a real impact on our clients’ business.”
Apply
MYWELLBEING
Growth Lead
Remote
Via Alyssa in the community
“MyWellbeing is seeking an ambitious, data-oriented, multi-disciplinary Growth Lead to work directly with MyWellbeing’s Founder/CEO to translate business vision into seamless execution. You must be comfortable in a fast-paced, agile environment (like, really fast) and be able to wear both strategy and execution hats.”
Apply
PHD
Associate Director, Search & Social
New York, United States
Via Hillary in the community
“Paid Media Associate Directors own the Advertising function on their book of clients. This includes developing overall paid media strategy, helping to grow the client’s business through additional advertising channels and ensuring team execution meets and exceeds client expectations.”
Apply
Also, check out the Serial Marketers job board.
Other job resources (see a full list here):
- Beeler.Tech: Job listings for ad operations, programmatic account management, sales operations, and more.
- Braintrust: A freelance platform where you are the owner and where freelance talent keeps 100% of the bill rate.
- Built in NYC: Jobs at a range of levels and functions, as long as you’re okay working in this quaint, backwater hamlet.
- Candidate: Featured marketing and sales jobs
- Creative Women of Color: List yourself in the database and find talent, via Women Who Create
- ExecThread: Senior roles spanning a range of verticals and cities; membership is free but fully vetted (this uses my referral ID to get you in faster)
- Gently Ventures: Helps scale businesses by finding the right talent
- Growth Collective: Apply to join this network of notable freelance marketers
- Hearty: Get recommended by peers and be discovered
- Hue: Amplifying voices of people in color working in marketing
- Lunch Club: Match 1:1 around predetermined goals with accomplished professionals (free)
- NYC Ad Jobs & Networking: A popular Facebook group
- #OpenToWork: There’s a channel in Serial Marketers where you can share what you’re looking for
- Pocit: A platform connecting people of color with jobs in the tech industry
- Questions to Ask for a Marketing Role: What questions should you ask when starting a new marketing role or job?
- Serial Marketers Job Board: Post regular and featured listings and subscribe for updates.
- VC Job Boards: Aleph, Eniac Ventures, Pear, Sequoia, Union Square Ventures
- Venwise: Submit your job interests here and get in front of their roster of hiring leads; select “Serial Marketers” under “How did you find us”
Do you run or enjoy other job listing sites? Let me know, and I’ll share them.
——————————
GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE
——————————
New update: If you have other businesses you’d like to
refer to them, let me know, and I can make an introduction.
Bottom Line is eager to support Serial Marketers who had full-time US staff
last year access Employee Retention Credits. There are no up-front costs.
Bottom Line has helped over 3,500 small businesses receive
over $1.3 billion dollars in refunds from the ERC grant program.
Request more info here:
https://erc.bottomlinesavings.
——————————
OFFERS
——————————
Below are offers extended to the Serial Marketers community. To share your own or access the Premium member discounts, review membership options here.
SURVIVAL: This 90-day transformation program takes consumer-facing brands from nobody to superstar with influencer marketing (or you don’t pay). It’s the most no-brainer way to try creator-driven growth especially if you’re bleeding money on Facebook ads. Premium members get a 10% off their 3-month done-for-you program. Speak with Yash to see if you qualify for the first cohort.
GPO: Generate at least 20% more organic traffic. Doing a strong job in SEO but wonder if more traffic can be had? GPO will custom-build an AWS instance that will become a subdomain of your site, and generate at least 20% more traffic the first year. Contact Cory Cox in the community to redeem.
ContactSmarter: ContactSmarter is an AI tool that generates over 40% call booking rates without requiring human intervention. More details.
Markman Speaker Management: Get 15% off the half-day customized virtual training session “Get Speaking Engagements” for individuals or corporate staff through Dec. 31, 2022. Contact Steve Markman to redeem.
Thece: Get 10% off their Getting Started Kit — just let them know Serial Marketers sent you.
FocusedFounder
Get 5% back on any bookings of the Focus, Growth, and ReFocus plan. To receive your rebate, please contact me after you book the course.
My Software Tutor
My Software Tutor is offering all Excel and PPT courses through December 2021 at 50% off listed price. Learn the practical skills you need to succeed. Use promo code: SERIAL50. This code can be shared with friends and family. Register today on the MST website.
ReverseAds
Get 10% discounts on campaigns. ReverseAds reverses the search ad process, outperforming Google at a fraction of the cost. To redeem, contact Thom Feltz by email.
Northarc Media
Marc Lefton is offering brands a free one-hour consultation on your media mix to show how you can integrate programmatic. For agencies, you can get a free one-hour consultation on how to add programmatic to your service offerings. To redeem, contact Marc by email.
Secret
Sign up and use the promo code SERIALMARKETERS to get 20% off on any membership plan. Membership enables you to access all deals with unlimited usage. One deal should more than pay for itself.
Marpipe
Create an account and start a 7-day free trial for $125 in ad spend credit toward your first experiment with this multivariate testing platform. Redeem here. (Premium members get $175 in credit with a custom code)
Copysmith
Following a 7-day trial of this AI-powered marketing tool to generate ads, product descriptions, and more, use code SERIALMARKETERS for 35% off any plan for 3 months (premium subscribers get 50% off for 4 months).
No Comments
Leave a comment Cancel