Thermos Advertising
Ernie Mosteller recently wrote an article entitled Thermos Advertising that recounted a story in which his 4 year-old son was going to use a Thermos to catch spiders. You really need to go to his site to read the full story, but his summary to the anecdote tied back into a phrase he was coining… thermos advertising:
something that makes you or your client feel really safe and smart, but actually accomplishes nothing.
How many of us are guilty of employing the practice of thermos advertising? We’ve all done it at some time I’m sure… some of you out there may engage in thermos advertising more than you may be comfortable to admit to yourself.
It’s one thing to put significant effort and resources into building a client relationship that makes them feel really good about themselves and what you’re doing for them. It’s yet another thing to sacrifice results and effectiveness of message in order to stroke a client’s ego.
“But Jeremy,” you say, “my ability to build up my client’s confidence is the cornerstone of my relationship with them.” If that’s the case, then you are not serving that client the way they deserve to be serviced. And, if all you have in your bag of tricks is the ability to stroke an ego, you probably don’t deserve to have the client.
You have to deliver. You have to innovate. Sometimes… yes, sometimes, you have to say NO. Many account executives and service managers are so scared of that word, but if it’s a request or idea that epitomizes the denotation of thermos advertising, you need to be able to say no to your client, but you better follow that no immediately with an idea that WILL work.