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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly
S3E12 - Sunny With a Chance of Mousetraps: How Weather Affects Marketing
This week, we explore how the weather affects marketing. With 75 years of climate data cross-referenced with reams of shopping research, marketers can now use the weather to predict sales. Sears Automotive knows that 5-year old car batteries die after three consecutive days of sub-zero temperatures, so they advertise on day four. The busiest day of the week at Harley-Davidson dealerships is exactly 22°C and sunny. When spring temperatures hit 21°C, hair removal products surge 1400%, and BBQ sales jump 200%. And did you know that when the temperature drops just one degree in the Fall – just one degree - mousetrap sales surge 25%? Marketers do.
And while they can’t manage weather, marketers can certainly now manage the financial implications of weather.
It’s a whole new day.
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33. Cars Are The Stars: Automobile Brands In Hollywood
28:53||Season 15, Ep. 33Another favourite from our archives...Almost every movie and television show needs cars, and auto companies are happy to supply them – because it helps sell a lot of cars.We’ll look back at James Bond and Starsky & Hutch, and explore auto partnerships with movie franchises like Transformers and Marvel.We’ll also tell a crazy story of how the most sought-after car from a Steve McQueen movie was finally found – and the cosmic coincidence that led to its discovery. Cars are the stars.
32. Ham on Wry: All About Sandwich Board Advertising
27:03||Season 15, Ep. 32From the Under The Influence Archives, one of our favourites....Take a walk down any busy main street, and you’ll probably see one of the oldest forms of advertising: The sandwich board. They have been around for over 200 years. Cities try and ban them.Storekeepers love them. They can make you smile.They can make you angry.They can attract a lot of attention. They are the pop-up ads of the physical world.
31. Pants are on Fire: When Customers Lie to Marketers
27:08||Season 15, Ep. 31From The Under The Influence Archives...Customers often lie to companies in surveys, polls and focus groups.Yet advertisers rely on that flawed and false feedback to market brands and create advertising campaigns.So what are advertisers to do?One solution is Google.What we type into the Google search window is like a truth serum. We all pour our most intimate, honest questions into that search box.
30. Cheeky Advertising
27:48||Season 15, Ep. 30A favourite episode from our Archives....80% of all advertising is ignored.That’s why some advertisers employ cheeky advertising.It’s usually bold – outrageous – and sometimes even rude – but always with a playful undertone.We’ll talk about a fruit company that printed an open letter to the Pope.An airline campaign that told you to “keep it in your pants.”And a product that claims your grandparents had more sex than you.
29. Billionaire Tourism for the Super Wealthy
27:03||Season 15, Ep. 29An encore episode from the Under The Influence Archives. A very interesting favourite.Most tourism marketing aims at the largest audience possible.This week, we look at a sub-category aimed at the smallest audience possible:Billionaire Tourism. The super wealthy get bored easily.That means luxury tour planners dream up extreme vacation ideas.From outer space, to the bottom of the ocean, to secretly getting the key to the Sistine Chapel, it’s a whole new pricey world.
28. When You're This Big, They Call You Mister
27:35||Season 15, Ep. 28From the Under The Influence Archives. One of our favourites.There are some time-honored honorifics in the world of marketing.“Honorifics” are titles like Mr., Mrs., Doctor, Captain or Colonel. Like Colonel Sanders, Dr. Scholl’s, Mr. Clean and Mrs. Butterworth’s.They’re usually leaders in their category.Is it because those products are the best?Or – is it because those brand names give the products a sense of respect and authority.
27. Seeing Is Believing: The Power of Demonstration Commercials - Part Two
26:45||Season 15, Ep. 27An encore episode of Under The Influence.... one of our favourites.Last week, we talked about the best historic demonstration commercials of all time. This week, we feature some of the most recent.Like an air freshener commercial that tricked blindfolded people into thinking a filthy toilet smelled like flowers.And a stunt where an ad agency put $3 million dollars between the glass in a bus shelter, unguarded on the street - to demonstrate a point.
26. Seeing Is Believing: The Power of Demonstration Commercials
26:55||Season 15, Ep. 26An encore episode of Under The Influence.... one of our favourites.This week, I ask a dozen of the top creative directors in the advertising business to tell me the best “demonstration commercials” they have ever seen.Because there is nothing more powerful than a dramatic product demonstration.We’ll talk about a famous Krazy Glue commercial.And a Volvo ad where the ad writer risked his life to demonstrate a point.
25. Ask Terry 2026
27:45||Season 15, Ep. 25This week, we open the show up to our listeners, and answer your very interesting questions.Ever wonder why gas station prices always include decimal points? Well, we’ll tell you why.We’ll listen to some memorable commercials starring kids, and play “Where are they now.”And we’ll talk about a famous luxury brand that is owned by a charity. And it will surprise you.