How strategy kills a brand like the New York Times
If a premium brand or product all of a sudden starts advertising with 'intent'—it never really works out very well. (When I say intent, I mean an advertisement that simply says, 'Do this'. 'Buy now!')
"Become a digital subscriber."
That's how The New York Times is advertising itself these days. It's a real shame to see such meaningless advertising from such an influential company in American media. The New York Times is the 'thought-leader', the superior brand—there's only one. That's the perceived reality of their brand.
Their advertising should be as intelligent as their content. It's a shame it isn't (and it's someones fault it's the way it is). I hope that someone comes across this note some day.
Meaningless, noise-making work like this simply ruins my perception of who they really are. Are they a newspaper comprised of brilliant writers? Or are they just another news source who's asking me to pay for content I can get anywhere else?
Well at least I know what their advertising is telling me—and I'm not buying it.
Sure they have a strategy to sell digital subscriptions, but today there's more than 2-billion ways to skin a cat. Maybe they should let their writers run the advertising department. Who knows, maybe that will help them get their voice back.
