Many writers dream of penning the next, great American novel and have reams of notes and half written chapters to prove it. There's another form of writing that can be very lucrative, if money's your motivation. It can raise your name to rock star status, if fame's your prod.
Placed prominently, what you write and the graphics shown with it will bring people through the doors of your store (sales); have customers clicking through the internet to find you (there's an app for that); and honestly? it's just plain fun to do. It's called advertising.I chose food as the vehicle for this post because there's such a stream of history to show the sensibilities and absurdities of a habit we follow every day throughout our lives. We've come a long way since the kitchen was an independent structure set away from the main house because it was such a dangerous place! In the mid 1800s, women wore floor-length dresses (with layers of petticoats) as they cooked over open hearths . . . a recipe for catastrophe. Many died or were severely burned because of it.
In the late 1800s when enclosed ranges fueled by wood, coal, or oil were introduced to the common kitchen, cooks still used their hands to measure ingredients. Family recipes were closely guarded secrets shared only with blood relatives and if coerced into sharing, often times, a key ingredient or spice was omitted. Ovens had no temperature gauge, a thermometer on the door (when tapped and holding steady) would tell it was time to start the cooking process.
A woman by the name of Fannie Merritt Farmer from the Boston Cooking School recognized a need to create a system of uniformity for measuring ingredients found in recipes. The first step in advertising: Find a need and offer a solution. Who knew for Farmer it would be measuring cups and spoons? It was an unconventional idea that met with great resistance, at first. She organized in-home parties to demonstrate this new way of cooking and sold her books on the subject. It caught on.
In the '20s, '30s, and '40s signage dotted the roadways and diners across our country. People began to recognize their favorite products by color and shape. Coke comes to mind.
In the 1950s, with the advent of home television sets and the predominance of radio and print ads, "branding" became popular. Who remembers mama hanging from the window yelling it was dinner time . . . on Wednesday? Who remembers refrigerators sold by Westinghouse? Advertising found a need and a solution and we wanted whatever was being sold.
By the '60s music rocked the world, literally. Advertising was edgy and raw for the younger consumer and filled with questions, such as: 'huh?' from the over-thirty group. But everyone could agree on T-H-E Golden Arches . . . even if they didn't understand some guy named Andy painting soup cans. However, both became household words, McDonalds and Andy Warhol. They found their niche and marketed it.
From the '70s until now, things once again changed in cooking. The microwave oven, convection cooking, processors, and juicers were introduced and all made our lives easier and healthier. Graphics, logos, and one word messages ruled the advertising world for these products.
Now . . . we have you.tube, the internet, facebook, pinterest and a host of other outlets that not only show beautiful examples of prepared food but how to make it. Someone coined the phrase "food porn." Not quite my image of food but I bet this phrase will have a long shelf-life.
If you have a talent for turning a phrase; writing an impactful message in 60 seconds or less; or taking photographs or video that speaks volumes; you may be a jingle writer at heart. Something to think about.
To learn more about award-winning author, Jo Ann V. Glim:
VISIT: www.BEGOTTENtheBook.com
AVAILABLE ON: Amazon.com/author/joannglim
