The “10 Year Old” Test

Published
by
Matt
on Jun 17, 2007
in Advertising, Bad Marketing, Marketers and New Marketing
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My guess is that most adults don’t get it either. Sure they might understand that the intent was to go over your head, but does that make you want to get Verizon FiOS? I don’t think so.

Which brings me to my next question:

Can your marketing be explained to a 10 year old? Hopefully it can.

With all the noise in peoples lives today, the last thing they want to deal with is complicated marketing. Ideas that are simple, clear, and actionable - win.

So try it. Ask a 10 year old (hopefully one you know or are related to) what they think of your plan. Kids don’t understand concepts like branding or search engine optimization, they see things on a more fundamental level. Think Got Milk? or Just Do It or any iPod advertising.

When the goal is to get people talking about your product, hopefully you give them more to say than “Nice truck.”

  • michael
    After watching this commercial, I am pretty unsure as to why Verizon is doing ad's like these. When I think of a company tailoring its advertisements to the people of the nation, I think of Comcast. The company uses humor and layman's terms to get their product across rather than have people lost on what is going on. Although I know that Verizon is trying to be original with their service being released recently, it isn't doing a very good job being represented, at least to me.
  • Christina,

    I agree with you that FiOS has a lot to say. I personally have the service and I love it. The thing is, FiOS has a lot of great features like great reliability, excellent picture quality, fast internet speeds and good content choices, but none of them are mentioned in those ads. For most people, and I think Verizon is intending FiOS to be a mass market product, the "tech" commercials just interrupt what that are doing, and don't offer any benefits of the service.

    I think that the one with the Dad booth spoofs their own ad, and supports what I'm saying at the same time. The Dads blank-stare reaction is probably close to what most people feel like when they see that commercial. Which makes me ask: Is Verizon doing this on purpose? and why?
  • christina
    I disagree with your critque. FiOS is a new product with a lot to say. I think this ad hooks the techy community that wants to learn more about those things that seemingly go over the heads of a layman. It also hooks the general consumer audience that is sick of just hearing offer after offer from telecom/cable companies that do not have a differentiated techonolgy from the competition. It puts a face on the Verizon tech who is the front line of the companies customer service portion of the consumer's experience(another area that cable is clearly behind in).

    What does everyone think of the newest tech and kid ad out there that includes the dad?
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