Keep Your Talent Real
In recent research by Barkley and Futurecast (January 2017), it was found that a majority of people prefer to keep it real in advertising.
The “real” means real people. A majority of respondents of all ages said they favor ads that “show real people in real situations.” Nearly 80% of millennials and, surprisingly, 72% of baby boomers agreed with the statement.
People also overwhelmingly agreed with the statement, “I like ads that show real people, not just gender stereotypes from the past.” Not surprisingly, a wide majority of younger people liked seeing ads that show “diverse types of families,” while baby boomers lagged behind with only 48% agreeing with that statement.
This research matches the national trends of people placing their faith in reviews rather than hyperbole. Testimonials may be the oldest form of advertising, but now it is the preferred method of receiving a message—so keep it real when you look for your next talent for that TV ad or sales sheet.
Mark Mathis
Mark wrote his first direct-mail fundraising letter in 1981 for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. The effort raised a few million dollars in undiscovered wills and legacy gifts. From that day forward Mark discovered a love of the big idea that moves the needle. After 12 years at KWWL, Mark became a business owner as a co-founder of ME&V — rebranded as AMPERAGE in 2015. After 25 years of leading creative teams in video production, graphic design, PR, writing and web development, Mark transitioned out of ownership in 2021. Today he serves in an employee role as special projects consultant. He is creatively ambidextrous — son of an artist and engineer — and famous for distilling complex ideas down to a few words and a few visuals. Mark is a writer. When he found that many nonprofits struggled with complex branding puzzles, he wrote the book, “NonProfit-NonMarketing .” He also wrote a novel called “Reenactment.” Mark is an active blogger OneMinuteMarketer® with nearly 1,000 readers each week on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. One of his most popular YouTube videos is on “How to Look Good on Zoom.” One of Mark’s fondest business memories was being named to INC 500 two times and attending the INC 500 conference with other winners. Mark is considered by some a Civil War expert (and that explains his novel). Mark also served as an adjunct professor in the business and in the communications departments at Wartburg College. Mark is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is currently vice president of the University of Iowa Journalism and Mass Communications Advisory Board. Mark is married to state Sen. Liz Mathis, and the two love to travel, even when it means being trapped by a volcano in the Czech Republic for three weeks.
