I like the Online Spin blog, where you’ll find Controversy Served Fresh Daily. Written by several top online advertising pros, you can count on getting an earful. And, of course, you have the chance to chime in.

I receive several e-newsletters every day from a variety of sources that cover online media, advertising and marketing. There’s a lot of hype, hope and hysteria going on now, and I find myself spinning out from all the differing opinions and reports.

It boils down to this: No one has a crystal ball. No one is omniscient. Nothing and everything is new under the sun. Guard your time, attention and wallet carefully

Taking advantage of the power of video technology and one-on-one communication, Page Gravy is an innovative way to introduce products and services on a Web site — video ads using professional actors.

A video actor will “pop” into a company’s website to talk about whatever a client wants. And, it’s memorable. Studies indicate that people have better recall and retention if they see and hear about a product.

“We have good concepts with reasonable costs to help you sell your product,” said Hank Kozub co-founder of Page Gravy. “We represent value and innovation.”

A 30-second video costs $399, while a 60-second video costs $499. And the client is in the driver’s seat.

Go to the website, click on How to Order, and you’re on your way. The client can choose from dozens of Page Gravy actors, ranging in all ages, and can specify what they say, do, and wear. The client makes the choice, sends in the script or uses the company’s scriptwriting service, and then sits back and relaxes. Page Gravy films and edits the video, and provides the client with instructions on how to put the ad up.

One-on-one communication is the most effective way for a business to make a true connection with their clientele and maintain that relationship in the long-term.

Jerry Bader of MRPwebmedia in his article “Ten Stories That Can Sell Anything” reminds us that effective advertising is about telling stories about universal truths and primal needs.

There are only so many stories you can tell and the art of advertising, or corporate storytelling, is the ability to present that story in fresh new ways. … There are some disagreements as to what these seven stories are, and if there are really only seven. This magic number seven is interesting as it coincides with noted psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Maslow identified seven basic human motivations that guide peoples’ conduct: physical needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, and self-actualization needs. Develop a marketing campaign consisting of stories that satisfy one of these motivational triggers and you have a campaign that your audience will respond to and consider relevant. …

Not everyone limits the number of prime stories to seven, Blake Snyder, professional screenwriter and author of “Save The Cat,” says there are ten. Snyder approaches the problem with a more flamboyant flair than Maslow, but still based on fundamental emotional and psychological criteria.

Snyder’s ten basic story scenarios are: Monster In the House, Dude With a Problem, Fool Triumphant, Superhero, Buddy Love, Out Of a Bottle, Institution, Golden Fleece, Rights-of-Passage, and Whydunit. This is all very interesting but does it help you develop an advertising campaign that delivers your marketing message?

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