Fred Rogers, star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, connected to viewers unlike any other program had before. While he specialized in children’s television, his thoughts on people and practices in content creation translate well into some spectacular advertising tips. Here are a few things we can learn from his neighborhood.   

Won’t you be my neighbor? 

"Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors." -Fred Rogers 

Mister Rogers is known for the phrase, “won’t you be my neighbor?” In advertising efforts, invite consumers to be your neighbors: to collaborate, to join the conversation, to become a part of something they care about. 

Wendy’s invites consumers to be their neighbors through social media conversation. Their persona isn't sentimental like Google. Wendy’s has a quippy and sarcastic voice on twitter and other platforms. They understand humor is the way to their consumer’s heart, so that’s the kind of neighborhood feel they’ve set up. When you advertise, add a call to conversation and prepare to be responsive. 

See Wendy’s Twitter feed here. 

Honesty is the Best Policy 

"The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self." -Fred Rogers 

Mister Rogers was known for honesty and transparency with his viewers. Advertising gets a bad rap for being perceived as a manipulative way to sell. Manipulation and persuasion are two very different things. Hiding information and making disingenuous claims is manipulative. Presenting true benefits with a consumer focus is persuasive. When you advertise, sell your core competency but always be honest. Transparency with consumers denotes trustworthiness, a valuable characteristic to own. 

KFC is an interesting case of honesty. Following a supply chain error that left restaurants without any chicken, KFC released an ad that surprised us all. Instead of covering up the incident, they owned it. KFC’s honesty made up for their shortcomings in consumers’ minds. Always be honest. 

See KFC’s ad here. 

Don’t Just Entertain, Create Value 

"Our society is much more interested in information than wonder, in noise rather than silence...And I feel that we need a lot more wonder and a lot more silence in our lives" -Fred Rogers 

In a market saturated with loud, slapstick shows, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood provided a completely different experience. The show focused on creating authentic value for the viewer, not just entertainment. It won audience attention and immense liking.  

Google’s 2020 superbowl ad wasn’t young, edgy, loud, or humorous like most of its co-stars. It was memorable. The ad interjected a unique quiet in the noise of this year’s superbowl advertising showcase, differentiating it from others and landing the brand a front row seat in the minds of viewers. Fun ideas catch attention, but ideas that connect to core needs of consumers have lasting impact. Go for the heart, not just the senses. 

Watch Google’s ad here. 

We hope you enjoy this blog as we showcase several client cases we’ve worked on, analyze different marketing topics, and hear from Marketing Lab alumni on how the Lab has helped their career. If you have suggestions for our blog content, feel free to send suggestions to byumarketinglab@gmail.com.