273
Kit Kat advertisements in the UK
like this one from the 1960s have used
the slogan “Have a break—have a Kit
Kat” for almost 60 years. The phrase is
now synonymous with the brand.See also: Stand out in the market 28–31 ■ The AIDA model 242–43 ■ Focus on the future market 244–49 ■
Creating a brand 258–63 ■ Make your customers love you 264–67 ■ Generating buzz 274–75
SUCCESSFUL SELLING
through the 1940s, believed that
cutting advertising spend was
foolhardy. Instead he pointed out the
advantages of a continual presence
in the market through constant
advertising. To survive commercial
ups and downs, a business needs
to maintain a constant presence in
the mind of the consumer.
Barton believed that it is a false
economy to advertise only when
the market is booming and the
company has the budget for it, and
then to cut back when profit
margins are reduced. If a company
withdraws from advertising, the
consumer may forget about them,
making it a tough job to win them
back later when the economy is
buoyant again.
Building a brand
Barton was not the first to prize the
value of advertising in developing
an indelible image for a company or
product. Thomas Barratt (1841–1914),
sometimes dubbed the “father of
modern advertising,” created a
number of campaigns for the UK
soap maker Pears in the late 19th
century. These advertisements
helped make the brand synonymous
with soap. While owner Francis
Pears was extremely wary about
spending money on advertising,
Barratt, his son-in-law, was more of
a risk taker. He understood the
importance of staying in the public
arena and of constantly evaluating
changing tastes in the market.
An outstanding example of
image building through long-term
advertising is Nestlé’s Kit Kat. Most
people in the countries where this
slogan was used will probably be
able to finish the product’s tagline,
“Have a break—have a Kit Kat.” One
reason the slogan is so well known
in the UK is that it has been in use
since 1957, forming an important
part of the brand’s advertising and
marketing ever since.Staying power
It could be argued that the company
that stops advertising risks
disappearing from the public
consciousness, perhaps even more
so today when most people arebombarded with information and
images on a daily basis. Research
into viewer reactions to television
commercials has shown that even
when consumers have been
overloaded with information, and
are ostensibly uninterested in, or
immune to, advertising messages,
they are still likely to register positive
feelings toward advertisements that
reinforce previous brand preferences.
This would seem to support Barton’s
view that effective advertising
requires an enduring commitment. ■Edward Bernays
Remembered as a pioneer of
public relations, Edward Bernays
(1891–1995) was able to link
special events, press releases,
and the influence of third parties
to promote his client’s products.
A nephew of Sigmund Freud,
Edward Bernays was fascinated
by psychology, often employing
psychoanalysts to provide
evidence for his campaigns.
He famously conducted a
successful campaign for the
American Tobacco Company in
the 1920s, which radicallyaltered opinion, lifting the taboo
on women smoking in public.
Bernays loved competitions
and to promote soap for Procter
& Gamble he created a soap-
sculpting contest for children.
He set up surveys, gathered
expert opinions, and arranged
business luncheons to change
public opinion. Other clients
included car manufacturer
General Motors and Philco,
an early pioneer of television.
Bernays also sought to raise
the profile of public relations
and establish it as a serious
profession in its own right.Early to bed,
early to rise. Work like hell
and advertise.
Ted Turner
US media mogul (1938 –)