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Articles by John Foust
John Foust: Don’t follow the crowd, follow the idea
When advertisers say, “Make my ads stand out,” they’re usually thinking of big headlines and big logos. There are other ways. During my ad agency days, one of my accounts was a fumigant manufacturer. Their products were developed specifically for commercial pest control companies, not for direct-to-consumer use. For example, grain transportation and silos need protection from rodents and insects. And golf courses need to keep their grounds (especially the greens) safe from moles and voles.
John Foust: Use the billboard effect for better ads
A quick study of billboards can give us a better understanding of what works best in advertising. Because motorists are on the move, billboards have just a few seconds to be seen and read. It’s the same with printed pages and digital screens – readers have only a moment to notice an ad, as they pass. That’s why the best messages have a “billboard effect.” They stand out at a glance. One of the best billboards I’ve seen was on Interstate 95 in South Carolina.
Column: Brand loyalty is a powerful force
My grandmother Martha lived in Wilson, which is in eastern North Carolina. As a widow, she remarried later in life to a widower named Herman. I was in my twenties then, and it was a special privilege to see those sweet lovebirds spend their final years together. A few years after they married, they moved to a retirement community in Durham, about thirty minutes away from Raleigh, where I was living. Being so close, I visited them as often as I could.
Brand loyalty is a powerful force
My grandmother Martha lived in Wilson, which is in eastern North Carolina. As a widow, she remarried later in life to a widower named Herman. I was in my twenties then, and it was a special privilege to see those sweet lovebirds spend their final years together. A few years after they married, they moved to a retirement community in Durham, about thirty minutes away from Raleigh, where I was living. Being so close, I visited them as often as I could.
Column: Coffee, televisions and response advertising
Karine, who once participated in a Zoom meeting with me, told a story about the impact of response advertising. A few days earlier, she had seen a billboard that caught her attention. It featured a large photograph of a tall coffee cup which was obviously a latte. Droplets of condensation were visible on the side of the cup and whipped cream towered over the top.
Ad-Libs: Avoid jumping to conclusions
By John Foust, Greensboro, NC There’s a story going around about a new CEO who was on a tour of one of the company’s facilities. As he was talking to the assembled group, he noticed a young fellow leaning against the wall. The CEO was angry at such disrespect while he was delivering an important speech.
Foust Column: Avoid jumping to conclusions
TITLE There’s a story going around about a new CEO who was on a tour of one of the company’s facilities. As he was talking to the assembled group, he noticed a young fellow leaning against the wall. The CEO was angry at such disrespect while he was delivering an important speech.
Foust Column: Following through is the thing to do
Want to see something funny? Just watch me trying to hit a golf ball out of a sand trap. You’ve never before seen such an ugly, unathletic, uncoordinated golf swing.The Scottish pioneers of the game would be horrified. The biggest of many problems is with my follow-through. Somehow, sand creates a faulty connection between my brain and the club, which results in stopping the swing right as I make contact.
Column: Don't ghost your clients
Eric is an advertiser who has dealt with a number of media salespeople. “In all of my years of placing advertising, I have only one pet peeve,” he told me. “I don’t like it when salespeople ghost me.” Although “ghosting” is most frequently associated with personal relationships, it also occurs in business relationships.
Column: “I don’t know” can be a great answer
I remember talking about sales presentations with Edwin, who is the marketing director of a regional advertiser. “I’ve heard all kinds of presentations from media salespeople and I’ve asked plenty of questions during those conversations,” he said. “One of the best answers I’ve ever heard is, I don’t know.
Ad-libs: Sometimes it’s good to create a stir
By John Foust, Greensboro, NC My wife and I have family friends who told us about their boating experiences in northern Virginia. They had a pontoon boat which was docked at a local lake. During the cold months, they used a device called a dock bubbler to keep the water around the boat from freezing. As they explained it, a bubbler, also known as a de-icer, features a perforated hose connected to an air compressor, which is placed along the bottom of the lake next to the dock.
Column: Sometimes it’s good to create a stir
My wife and I have family friends who told us about their boating experiences in northern Virginia. They had a pontoon boat which was docked at a local lake. During the cold months, they used a device called a dock bubbler to keep the water around the boat from freezing. As they explained it, a bubbler, also known as a de-icer, features a perforated hose connected to an air compressor, which is placed along the bottom of the lake next to the dock.
Column: Solving the puzzle of advertising
We’ve all heard challenges described as puzzles. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a real puzzle and see how it relates to the particular challenges of creating advertising. Jigsaw puzzles, of course, are illustrations, photographs or other graphic representations that are cut into many pieces. The challenge is to fit them together, each piece in its special place in the overall picture. The more pieces in the puzzle, the bigger the challenge.
Ad-libs: Sunshine in the weather forecast
By John Foust, Greensboro, NC I remember attending a graduation ceremony for a class of nursing students. One of the speakers – who was also one of their instructors – said, “You help create the atmosphere in the room – for your patients, their families, your coworkers, and the doctors and technicians with whom you work. Your feelings have an impact, whether those feelings are cheerful or sad, optimistic or fearful.” She referred to a speech she heard at a healthcare convention.
Column: Sunshine in the weather forecast
I remember attending a graduation ceremony for a class of nursing students. One of the speakers – who was also one of their instructors – said, “You help create the atmosphere in the room – for your patients, their families, your coworkers, and the doctors and technicians with whom you work. Your feelings have an impact, whether those feelings are cheerful or sad, optimistic or fearful.” She referred to a speech she heard at a healthcare convention.
Ad-libs: Put a stop to workplace silos
By John Foust, Greensboro, NC Jim, who used to work with a local volunteer fire department, told me about the technique they used to keep everyone on the right roads to arrive at fire sites. “It was in the days before GPS,” he said. “We were in an area with a lot of rural roads – and since we were driving to the fire from different directions – we couldn’t afford for someone to miss a turn.
Column: Every salesperson needs a parachute
Anthony is a veteran ad salesperson with a common sense philosophy. “You’ve got to have a parachute,” he told me. “When you’re in the middle of a presentation, and you hit an unexpected glitch, your prospect throws you a curve or you can’t think of what to say next, that’s when you use your parachute.” He explained that the purpose of his kind of parachute is to pull a salesperson out of trouble and keep the conversation moving in the right direction.
Column: Learn from the ones that get away
When I was a kid, my family took weekend trip to Atlantic Beach on the coast of North Carolina, which is a popular place for fishing in the fall. One night, Dad took me to the Triple-S fishing pier. After not catching anything for a couple of hours, we walked to the end of the pier, where a little crowd was gathering. A fisherman was straining against a large fishing rod, which was bent over in an exaggerated U-shape.
Column: Treasure hunt for ad ideas
Some years ago, I attended an exhibit of treasure from the Atocha shipwreck which treasure hunter Mel Fisher had located off the coast of Florida. The Atocha was the most famous ship in the Spanish fleet that sank in 1622 in a hurricane near the Florida Keys. The exhibit was at a jewelry store that had made special accommodations for the display. All the regular merchandise had been stored away to make room for silver bars, gold coins and jewelry.
Ad-libs: Get more mileage out of testimonials
By John Foust Back in my ad agency days, I worked with a real estate client on a series of customer testimonials. We started with one, then added another and another. The final count was more than a dozen, which kept the campaign fresh and gave us a lot of flexibility. The plan was to run smaller ads with one testimonial, and then to place three small testimonials at the top of weekly, full-page ads which featured descriptions of houses for sale.
John Foust Announces Candidacy for Jasper City Council
[ October 06, 2023 ] Dear Citizens of Jasper, I'm John Foust and announcing my candidacy for Post 5, Jasper City Council. I have had the honor of serving on Jasper City Council since 2008. I am anchored in the community: my lovely wife, Cindy and I have raised two sons in Jasper, we have an awesome grandson with wonderful support from my family and friends. This is the reason I chose to make Jasper my home.
Column: Get more mileage out of testimonials
Back in my ad agency days, I worked with a real estate client on a series of customer testimonials. We started with one, then added another and another. The final count was more than a dozen, which kept the campaign fresh and gave us a lot of flexibility. The plan was to run smaller ads with one testimonial, and then to place three small testimonials at the top of weekly, full-page ads which featured descriptions of houses for sale.
Ad-libs: Ad lessons from a wall poster
By John Foust I remember going to the opthalmologist a few years ago for my regular eye checkup. In the exam room, there was a large poster on the wall which featured a number of photographs of the same view of New York City from the water. The top left photo showed the unenhanced view, and after that, each one demonstrated what the view would look like with various eye disorders – nearsightness, farsightedness, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.
Column: Ad lessons from a wall poster
I remember going to the ophthalmologist a few years ago for my regular eye checkup. In the exam room, there was a large poster on the wall which featured a number of photographs of the same view of New York City from the water. The top left photo showed the unenhanced view, and after that, each one demonstrated what the view would look like with various eye disorders – nearsightedness, farsightedness, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.
Don't sell your clients short
By John Foust, Greensboro, NC Gene told me about an experience he had when he was fundraising for the Boy Scouts. “I was young and completely sold on the value of scouting because some years earlier I had earned the designations of Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow,” he said. “My boss asked me to visit a Mr. Jones, who had been a big contributor to scouting for a long time. I knocked on his door, and he welcomed me with a big smile.
Column: Don’t sell your clients short
Gene told me about an experience he had when he was fundraising for the Boy Scouts. “I was young and completely sold on the value of scouting because some years earlier I had earned the designations of Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow,” he said. “My boss asked me to visit a Mr. Jones, who had been a big contributor to scouting for a long time. I knocked on his door, and he welcomed me with a big smile.
Don’t sell your clients short
By John Foust Greensboro, NC Gene told me about an experience he had when he was fundraising for the Boy Scouts. “I was young and completely sold on the value of scouting because some years earlier I had earned the designations of Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow,” he said. “My boss asked me to visit a Mr. Jones, who had been a big contributor to scouting for a long time. I knocked on his door, and he welcomed me with a big smile.
What makes an ad campaign
By John Foust John Foust Amanda told me about taking over the advertising account of a business which had been placing ads in her paper for a long time. “In our first meeting, the owner said he had been running what he called a ‘campaign’ for over a year. I pulled a few recent issues out of my briefcase and placed them on his desk. “As we looked at his ad in each issue, I asked a few simple questions – how they were working, how he got the idea to run the same thing without any changes, and so on.
What makes an ad campaign?
Amanda told me about taking over the advertising account of a business which had been placing ads in her paper for a long time. “In our first meeting, the owner said he had been running what he called a ‘campaign’ for over a year. I pulled a few recent issues out of my briefcase and placed them on his desk. “As we looked at his ad in each issue, I asked a few simple questions – how they were working, how he got the idea to run the same thing without any changes, and so on.
Do you know where your fire extinguishers are?
By John Foust Greensboro, NC John Foust We all want to take care of our advertisers and coworkers. Well, there’s no better way to do that than to help them stay safe in the workplace. There are some simple things we can do to accomplish this. Some years ago, I attended a series of meetings at a large company which had a number of offices in the area. In each of the meetings – whether attended by 10 people or 50 people – someone opened the meeting with a brief safety announcement.
Column: Do you know where your fire extinguishers are?
We all want to take care of our advertisers and coworkers. Well, there’s no better way to do that than to help them stay safe in the workplace. There are some simple things we can do to accomplish this. Some years ago, I attended a series of meetings at a large company which had a number of offices in the area. In each of the meetings – whether attended by 10 people or 50 people – someone opened the meeting with a brief safety announcement.
If it's 10:08, it must be a watch ad
By: John Foust John Foust Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” That’s certainly true in advertising. Consider the nuances of photography. For example, the next time you run across an analogue watch ad in a newspaper, magazine or store poster, check out the photo. Whether it’s Rolex or Timex or another brand, there’s a good chance that the time is 10:08. Or in rarer cases, 1:52.
Column: If it’s 10:08, it must be a watch ad
Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” That’s certainly true in advertising. Consider the nuances of photography. For example, the next time you run across an analogue watch ad in a newspaper, magazine or store poster, check out the photo. Whether it’s Rolex or Timex or another brand, there’s a good chance that the time is 10:08. Or in rarer cases, 1:52.
What are they selling?
My wife and I once visited with Rick and Karen, a couple who had served as missionaries overseas. As part of their work to get involved in the community, Rick was assigned to teach a class at a local school. “For some reason,” he said, “they wanted me to teach advertising. I had absolutely no experience in advertising, but they requested that subject, because they wanted their students to learn something about business.” John Foust How in the world did he deal with such a big challenge?
Column- What are they selling?
My wife and I once visited with Rick and Karen, a couple who had served as missionaries overseas. As part of their work to get involved in the community, Rick was assigned to teach a class at a local school. “For some reason,” he said, “they wanted me to teach advertising. I had absolutely no experience in advertising, but they requested that subject, because they wanted their students to learn something about business.” How in the world did he deal with such a big challenge?
Ad-libs: The power of enthusiasm
By John Foust John Foust There’s a story about a professor of literature at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. As he approached retirement, someone from the newspaper interviewed him. During the course of their conversation, the reporter asked the wise old professor about the most beautiful words he had ever read. He paused for a second or two and said, “Walk with light.” “That truly is beautiful,” the reporter said. “Who wrote those magnificent words? Shakespeare? Milton?
The power of enthusiasm
There’s a story about a professor of literature at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. As he approached retirement, someone from the newspaper interviewed him. During the course of their conversation, the reporter asked the wise old professor about the most beautiful words he had ever read. He paused for a second or two and said, “Walk with light.” “That truly is beautiful,” the reporter said. “Who wrote those magnificent words? Shakespeare? Milton? Keats?”“No,” he replied.
We’ve got some explaining to do
People usually say “no” to things they don’t understand. It’s a salesperson’s job to help prospects understand what he or she is selling. What makes media choice A better than choice B? What’s all this talk about target audiences being better than general audiences? Doesn’t that mean fewer buyers? If a business has been successful for a long time, why spend money on advertising? You’re probably not worried about these things, but more than a few of your prospects are.
Advertising's Bill of Rights
John Foust In the advertising business, there are things which must be done in order to create an effective campaign. Think of it as Advertising’s Bill of Rights: Send the right message…to the right audience…in the right medium…at the right time…about the right product (or service)…which sells for the right price…in the right environment. Although some other rights might be added to the list, this covers the basics. Here’s a closer look: 1.
Advertising’s Bill of Rights
In the advertising business, there are things which must be done in order to create an effective campaign. Think of it as Advertising’s Bill of Rights: Send the right message…to the right audience…in the right medium…at the right time…about the right product (or service)…which sells for the right price…in the right environment. Although some other rights might be added to the list, this covers the basics. Here’s a closer look: 1. Send the right message: In other words, watch your language.
Oboes and leadership
If you’ve been to a symphony concert, you’ve witnessed the cacophony of sound before the concert begins. Every instrument seems to be in its own world, independently running through the musical scale. John Foust Actually, this is a traditional and deliberate process to tune all of the instruments. First, a single instrument plays the note of A, then the other musicians tune their instruments to that note at the same time.
Your Right to Know: Group Sues As Prehn Won’t Comply With Records Request
More than a year and a half after the expiration of his term, Dr. Frederick Prehn continues to occupy a seat on the Natural Resources Board, which sets policy for the state Department of Natural Resources. His refusal to step down has allowed him to cast the deciding vote in key decisions related to wildlife management, PFAS water quality standards, and land acquisition, with other important issues on the horizon. On Nov.
Oboes and Leadership
If you’ve been to a symphony concert, you’ve witnessed the cacophony of sound before the concert begins. Every instrument seems to be in its own world, independently running through the musical scale. Actually, this is a traditional and deliberate process to tune all of the instruments. First, a single instrument plays the note of A, then the other musicians tune their instruments to that note at the same time. Once an instrument is in tune, the musician often warms up by going through the scale.
Say it and do it, or renegotiate
John Foust Joanne is an ad manager with a common-sense approach to managing her team and their goals. She believes in communication – not micro-management – but real communication on how things are going. “For years,” she told me, “I often found out at the eleventh hour that something wasn’t going as planned. A crucial email wasn’t sent in time, a proposal was held up by research delays, or an ad deadline wasn’t met.
Column: Say it and do it, or renegotiate
Joanne is an ad manager with a common-sense approach to managing her team and their goals. She believes in communication – not micro-management – but real communication on how things are going. “For years,” she told me, “I often found out at the eleventh hour that something wasn’t going as planned. A crucial email wasn’t sent in time, a proposal was held up by research delays, or an ad deadline wasn’t met.
The power of being specific
John Foust Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar used to ask, “Are you a meaningful specific or a wandering generality?” He related his comment to a number of areas: long and short-term goal setting, day-to-day activities, and dealings with family members, coworkers and customers. On closer examination, it’s easy to see that his words could apply to just about any area of life or profession. Even advertising.
Your Right to Know: AG Candidates Agree on Transparency Funding, But Not Related Legal Decisions
Josh Kaul and Eric Toney are miles apart on many issues, but when it comes to open government, the candidates vying for Wisconsin attorney general in the Nov. 8 election agree: more money is needed to handle enforcement of the state’s transparency laws. The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council sent questionnaires to Kaul, the Democratic incumbent, and his Republican challenger, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Toney.
Column: The power of being specific
396 (500) TITLE The power of being specific BYLINE By John Foust Greensboro, NC Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar used to ask, “Are you a meaningful specific or a wandering generality?” He related his comment to a number of areas: long and short-term goal setting, day-to-day activities, and dealings with family members, coworkers and customers. On closer examination, it’s easy to see that his words could apply to just about any area of life or profession. Even advertising.
Ad-Libs: Tell them why - and sell more
John Foust Like some other kids, I learned how to drive before taking the drivers’ education class in high school. My father took me to the school’s football stadium on weekends when the expansive parking lot was empty. The car was an old station wagon with a manual shift on the steering column. “Once you learn how to drive a manual shift, an automatic transmission will be a piece of cake,” he said. Dad was a great teacher.
September: Outsiders can’t block records access
Wisconsin’s open records law is most often used by requesters seeking to obtain records from a government agency. But occasionally it works in reverse, allowing someone to block the release of records to a requester. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has recently affirmed important limits on such efforts. Ironically, it was the court that created the opportunity in the first place.
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