Are you familiar with the Jolly Green Giant statue? Get to know the creator behind this advertising icon!

Monday: MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Leo Burnett is a pioneer American executive who founded a worldwide agency that ranks among the giants of the industry. He was a journalism major at the University of Michigan and got his first job as a reporter on the Peoria Journal. This experience enabled Burnett to gain knowledge and expertise in the content writing and advertising world and years later, he became one of the biggest names in the marketing industry. Keep reading to know more about who Burnett is and his contributions in the overall industry of business. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Are you familiar with the Jolly Green Giant statue? Get to know the creator behind this advertising icon! Leo Burnett: A Pioneer American Advertising Executive and Founder of Leo Burnett Worldwide The Jolly Green Giant. The Marlboro Man. Tony the Tiger. Morris the Cat. Pillsbury Dough Boy. These are some of the famous advertising icons created by the legendary Leo Burnett. At the beginning of his career, Burnett wrote advertising copy for two auto manufacturers and for two advertising agencies before starting his own firm in 1935. That firm is Leo Burnett Worldwide, a globally active advertising agency based in Chicago. … and yes, it is still operating up to this day! Burnett was one of the developers of the “Chicago School of Advertising.” The objective of the organization was to build an advertisement around the inherent importance or appeal of a product rather than around clever copy or catchy slogan. The famous copywriter detested “slick” advertising and “opportunistic” copy from the US West Coast. For him, that was typical of New York advertising agencies during that time. Fact: There were times when Burnett would scrap an advertising campaign that had already been accepted by a client simply because he was not satisfied with the campaign’s quality. Talk about commitment and determination to REALLY serve the clients with good quality content and ad campaigns! It was also Burnett’s antagonism towards slickness that moved him to employ commercial models who looked like ordinary people instead of movie stars. This approach resulted in the cowboys in the Marlboro cigarette ads for the Philip Morris Company―a campaign that turned a minor cigarette brand with a feminine image into a major brand with a “macho” male image. So… as an independent professional in the business world, what can you learn from Burnett’s life and experiences as a copywriter and marketer? Below are some lessons and quotes from Burnett that are still relevant in today’s world of digital devices and social media: What helps people, helps business. To build your business, it’s important that you think in terms of fulfilling your customers’ needs. It’s not about you or your firm. It’s about delivering the best products or services so that your customers will have a positive impression about your brand.   Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and beliefs. Burnett believed that advertising is aimed at exciting customers on their terms. Long before there were different digital and social media platforms, he looked for engagement on the part of the consumer. Apply this concept in building your brand in your field of expertise too! Don’t just tell your target market how awesome your business is. Make them believe that you’re genuinely interested in serving them and make them desire your products or services.   Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read. These words represent the meaning behind brands. They make it easy for consumers to identify products and companies. Until now, these qualities are still at the heart of marketing and advertising.   A good ad that is not run, never produces sales. Good advertising drives sales. With your marketing messages or simply how you position yourself or your brand, whether it’s traditional advertising, content marketing, or social media engagement, it’s important that you keep your name in front of your target audience. Publish good ads or copies with good marketing personas. By doing so, you’re letting your target market know that you and your brand exists and it gets them more familiar with your offers.   Plan the sale when you plan the ad. Advertising is not an isolated business activity. It is part of a bigger picture and requires you to consider the entire merchandising process. Ask yourself: Why are you advertising or promoting your brand or business? Just for the sake of putting something online? Because it’s what your competitors do? To increase your customer base? One of the goals of advertising is to make a sale. That means as early as when you’re planning your ad, you also have to make sure that it’s worth your target market’s time and will compel them to interact or transact with your business. This extends beyond the purchase to provide support and customer advocacy. Leo Burnett considered a great ad as “one of the most beautiful things in the world.” To achieve advertising success, it’s important that you turn yourself into your customers to identify and understand their needs and wants. This perspective is at the heart of great marketing and advertising and will remain that way, no matter how the business landscape has changed. Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn.     Stay tuned for next Monday’s MicroBusiness Marvels! See it on next week’s MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels!