I do NOT understand marketing.

So I'm over in the Build Threads section looking at the blue SL build, and I follow a link to a thread on a Benz forum about a guy putting an LS engine in his 380SL. As I scroll down, EVERY SINGLE PICTURE in the thread acquires an ad across the bottom from The Lincoln Motor Company. "Luxury on your Wish List? Click to learn more!"

How is this helpful? The correct answer to the question "Luxury on your wish list?" in this case is "No, dude, not really, but thanks for getting in the way of this picture of a subframe out of an old Mercedes. I'll be sure to think of your brand the next time I need a synonym for 'annoying and pointless interference.' "

Are they really so dim over at Lincoln's ad agency that they think that any connection with Mercedes Benz, no matter how old & in pieces on a shop floor in an ancient forum thread, is enough to make a nudge over to Lincoln a good idea?

OTOH, I guess I count as a set of eyeballs, so somebody somewhere is making money and helping the economy. And I cared enough to complain, so that makes me a Qualified Prospect, right?

Like I said, I really don't understand marketing.

Its all about key words on those ads. Marketing is all about casting as many hooks into the water as you can, as cost effectively as you can, and hoping that a few of them take the bait.

The more focused the ads the more time, expense and effort are required. My friend that works in a marketing dept for a dealer network that sells Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, McLaren, etc use way different and more time intensive and costly techniques than more obtainable cars. Less about volume and saturation and selling a product than selling an experience and lifestyle.

In reply to Lancer007; did you say something about Ferrari and focused advertising?

In reply to HappyAndy:

Hey, if it works it works lol

Online banner placement is typically something that ad agencies farm out to a third party, and there is MASSIVE fraud in that industry. Metrics are easy to fake, and sadly, some people just don't care. If the metrics say 10,000 people saw that ad, then that number becomes all that matters. If you really want to know more about the practice, go to adcontrarian.com.

Marketing never makes any sense. I look at the Marketing Caesar's Entertainment does and I shake my head. Somewhere along the line everything in their casinos got a generic name with a "the" in front of it.

The Pool
The Concert Venue
The Pier
The Event Center

It just goes on like that. What happened to clever names that made you wonder what was behind the door?

As for your original question. They are putting an LS engine into those cars. Doesn't Lincoln have an "LS" car?

I have been a Marketing professional for 24 years. I don;t understand it either.

Nice one, mad_machine, but I expect Will is closer to the truth.

pinchvalve wrote: I have been a Marketing professional for 24 years. I don;t understand it either.

I started to think that during the 2014 Kia Rondo campaign.

Wally wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: I have been a Marketing professional for 24 years. I don;t understand it either.

I started to think that during the 2014 Kia Rondo campaign.

I dunno. I just bought three of them. One to drive, one for parts, and one to keep as an engineering standard.

I was thinking of picking up a couple more this weekend so I could circle my wagons so-to-speak.

What is a Kia Rondo praytell?

In reply to TRoglodyte:

Its the new answer now instead of Miata

I want to expand on my last post a bit. There are some people in marketing who know cars well enough to know that people looking at Mercedeseses probably aren't in the market for a Lincoln (and a lot more who aren't that smart). But clients are often delusional. Odds are Lincoln told their agency that their cars are good enough to compete with Mercedes. Eyes may have rolled at the agency, but there are very few people with the stones to openly tell a paying client "You're smoking crack if you think your product is that good. Try advertising on the Hyundai forums."

I'm also willing to bet the agency (or more likely the media placement company) said "Put the ads on a car forum. That's good enough."

Last, click-through rate on most banner ads is unbelievably low--industry wide, it's on the order of 2 clicks per 10,000 impressions. It's easy to fake impressions (just how much of the ad did someone see, and for how long?), and it's easy to fake clicks, too. But if 3 people of 10,000 who "see" the ad click on it by accident, then that ad is beating the industry average by 50%, and the agency will take that 50% figure back to Lincoln.

just remember these are the same people that got people to call the "Mark Z" the "Em Kay Zee"

mad_machine wrote: just remember these are the same people that got people to call the "Mark Z" the "Em Kay Zee"

that was probably some clueless voiceover actor that screwed up and they decided to just run with it, because dammit, luxury cars are named with letters and numbers that are easy to remember and work in 90% of the world instead of cool names that might not translate to other languages.

these are the same voiceover actors that like to tout the "mpg's" and "pound of feet torque" of the cars and trucks they are selling... yes, i've heard both of those used in real ads on tv and/or radio...

Funny story with that. We got the DJ "Dead Mou5' to play at harrahs one year. The commercial we had on the radio for it called him "dead mou five"

In reply to mad_machine:

Lol, like when Fox would broadcast an F1 race instead of speed and the voice over guy would pronounce Felipe Massa as Philip Massa. In addition to butchering other names.

Lancer007 wrote: In reply to mad_machine: Lol, like when Fox would broadcast an F1 race instead of speed and the voice over guy would pronounce Felipe Massa as Philip Massa. In addition to butchering other names.

Fox always used the same announcing squad as Speed. That was good 'ol David Hobbs.

He also had a habit of calling Lewis Hamilton by the name of "Louise". He also would frequently make "Neeeooooww" sounds of the cars driving by.

I freakin' love David Hobbs.

mad_machine wrote: Funny story with that. We got the DJ "Dead Mou5' to play at harrahs one year. The commercial we had on the radio for it called him "dead mou five"

I always ironically call him Dead Mau Five.

Maroon92 wrote:

Lancer007 wrote: In reply to mad_machine: Lol, like when Fox would broadcast an F1 race instead of speed and the voice over guy would pronounce Felipe Massa as Philip Massa. In addition to butchering other names.

Fox always used the same announcing squad as Speed. That was good 'ol David Hobbs. He also had a habit of calling Lewis Hamilton by the name of "Louise". He also would frequently make "Neeeooooww" sounds of the cars driving by. I freakin' love David Hobbs.

No no no, I misspoke. Not the race commentators, the promo guy. The gravely voiced movie trailer wanna be guy on the commercials. David Hobbs is awesome! Between those sound effects, the queen of England impersonations and his amusement with the birds during rain delays in Canada adds the perfect amount of humour to the team.

Maroon92 wrote:

mad_machine wrote: Funny story with that. We got the DJ "Dead Mou5' to play at harrahs one year. The commercial we had on the radio for it called him "dead mou five"

I always ironically call him Dead Mau Five.

just for s**ts and giggles …. how do you pronounce "Dead Mou5" ? … sorry but I've never heard of him/her/it …..

In reply to wbjones:

From someone in the know, Deadmau5 = "Dead Mouse"

He does electronic/house music.......speaking of which, I heard "Ghosts N Stuff" on my way to work this morning.

Or, the digital agency was required to spend a certain amount, couldn't do it in an effective way and instead went broad match to make sure the budget got blown.

Maroon92 wrote:

mad_machine wrote: Funny story with that. We got the DJ "Dead Mou5' to play at harrahs one year. The commercial we had on the radio for it called him "dead mou five"

I always ironically call him Dead Mau Five.

If he can't spell it right why should I say it right?

It's spelled in Leet speak, a subculture slang from the 80s, and 90s of hackers and kids hanging out online. Before aol, myspace and facebook bros.