By Bill Cates
I just delivered a full-day referral program to a financial company in Atlanta. Right after lunch, before I was to resume the program, the leader of the firm challenged the 60 people in the room to take referral generation to the next level. She announced the formation of a 15 member Referral Study Group. She told the group that only people who attended my session were eligible to be a part of the group. She told them that while the group was limited to 15 people, she wouldn not necessarily pick 15 people. She stated that she intended to interview each applicant for group - to make sure they belonged.
I think creating this "exclusive group" is a brilliant move on her part. It brings out the competitive nature in her advisors, so they want to prove they belong.
She and I discussed what criteria she would use to decide who could join this elite Referral Study Group. Here are a few of the things we decided:
1. Hungry for new clients - everyone in this group needs to be in a growth mode.
2. Evidence they will implement - if an advisor has signed up for other initiatives in the past, but did not take the action necessary to produce results, she probably wouldn' t let them in this group.
3. Evidence of referability - to take full advantage of this Referral Study Group, the advisors needed to be referable. What's the point of getting them to be more proactive for referrals if they aren't highly referable? One barometer of their referability is that they are getting some referrals without asking for them.
4. Equal level of commitment - she wants to make sure everyone in the group starts with a high level of sustainable energy and commitment to acquiring more clients through referrals.
After my presentation, she told me that she already had enough people to form the group, but still intended on being picky. She only has so much time to devote to such a group and needed to make sure this initiative would be well worth everyone's time.
With this as the backdrop, here are a few thoughts about how to make your Referral Study Groups a success (or study group for any initiative).
Shared Commitment to Results
It is critical that every member of the group have a high- level commitment to producing results. With this, comes a high-level of commitment to stepping out of one's comfort zone. While it's not always easy to measure this, you must do your best. One thing that might help is to tell them that "quitting the group is not an option." Set the group to run about 6 months; meeting attendance is mandatory; and quitting is not an option. These three simple rules may help you separate the wheat from the chaff.
Practice and Coaching
One of the prime activities of a Referral Study Group is practice; role play; drill for skill - whatever you want to call it. I've been teaching my referral system for over 14 years and one of the critical post-training activities necessary to produce results is practice. Advisors need to write out their scripts and practice, practice, practice. Asking for referrals is not rocket science, it's all about confidence. The road to confidence is paved with practice.
Accountability
The other critical element to producing results after training (any training) is accountability. If the notion of acquiring more clients and making more money was enough motivation to ask for referrals, then people would be doing it without anyone's help. I wouldn not have a business. However, because there is a huge emotional component to the referral process (more on that in a second), most advisors need someone to help hold themselves accountable to the behavior necessary to produce sustained results.
The Referral Study Group is a perfect environment for accountability. Upon the formation of the group, each member should state their referral achievement goals. This achievement goal represents how many new clients through referrals they will work to acquire over a stated period of time, like 6 months or 12 months. This achievement goal should be a stretch from what they did the previous year, but also realistic/achievable.
Then, at each Study Group meeting each member will state the behavioral goals they plan on achieving between this meeting and the next. For instance, assuming a goal period of two weeks, an advisor might state his/her intention is to have a value discussion at every meeting, ask for referrals at 80% of the meetings, and have at least one lunch with a current or prospective center of influence.
At the beginning of each new study group meeting, the advisors will report on their accomplishments. This report is very simple. Did they meet their goal or not? You don't need a lot of song and dance here. You did it or you didn't. If the advisor didn't make the goal, the group has the obligation to find out why. Was it logistical or - more likely - fear? Sometimes this is enough accountability to produce results. Sometimes the accountability needs more teeth. (More on that in a few minutes.)
A Safe Place to Eliminate Barriers
I can assure you that the practice time, the goal setting, and the accountability will bring up just about every fear or other barrier an advisor might face related to being proactive for referrals. Any advisor not willing to take a look at his/her fears and blind spots in this area, isn't playing at the highest level of commitment.
Because of the huge emotional component to changing this behavior, you need to create a "safe place." The participants need to trust each other. They need to trust that each participant is willing to play at a high level and willing to bust through their barriers.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Radio drives brand browsing online
Radio listeners exposed to radio advertising for a specific brand, they are 52% more likely to include that brand-name in their internet browsing., claims new findings from the Radio Advertising Bureau.
The impact has an almost immediate effect on browsing . The research highlights that 58% of all browsing that was identified as being stimulated by radio takes place in 24 hours of exposure to advertising.
Other findings from the research showed that on average the brands involved in the study allocated only 10% of their total spend on media to radio.
Creative execution and a straightforward URL also were identified as vital factors in optimising radio's online multiplier effect.
The research is the first study of its kind measuring actual browsing behaviour of respondents that have been exposed to 'live' radio campaigns.
It was conducted by research companies Dollywagon Media Science (working with scientists and academics to exploit recent advances in mathematics and computer science) and research specialists Other Lines of Enquiry.
Twenty three brand campaigns were measured in the research which analysed the detailed internet browsing patterns of people who were exposed to a random sample of ‘live’ radio campaigns and comparing them to a sample of people who were not exposed.
“The internet has become an incredibly important interface for customer marketing but the problem is that it also allows access to all your rival’s brands which means the key challenge is to ensure that customers seek out your brand specifically – marketers are increasingly turning to offline media to direct consumers to their brands online,” said managing director at the Radio Advertising Bureau, Simon Redican.
Planning director at the Radio Advertising Bureau:, Mark Barber, added that the findings were highly significant for brands in markets where the internet provides the crucial final stage of customer buying .
“Radio advertising offers these brands the chance to “turbo charge” this part of the marketing process,” he added.
The impact has an almost immediate effect on browsing . The research highlights that 58% of all browsing that was identified as being stimulated by radio takes place in 24 hours of exposure to advertising.
Other findings from the research showed that on average the brands involved in the study allocated only 10% of their total spend on media to radio.
Creative execution and a straightforward URL also were identified as vital factors in optimising radio's online multiplier effect.
The research is the first study of its kind measuring actual browsing behaviour of respondents that have been exposed to 'live' radio campaigns.
It was conducted by research companies Dollywagon Media Science (working with scientists and academics to exploit recent advances in mathematics and computer science) and research specialists Other Lines of Enquiry.
Twenty three brand campaigns were measured in the research which analysed the detailed internet browsing patterns of people who were exposed to a random sample of ‘live’ radio campaigns and comparing them to a sample of people who were not exposed.
“The internet has become an incredibly important interface for customer marketing but the problem is that it also allows access to all your rival’s brands which means the key challenge is to ensure that customers seek out your brand specifically – marketers are increasingly turning to offline media to direct consumers to their brands online,” said managing director at the Radio Advertising Bureau, Simon Redican.
Planning director at the Radio Advertising Bureau:, Mark Barber, added that the findings were highly significant for brands in markets where the internet provides the crucial final stage of customer buying .
“Radio advertising offers these brands the chance to “turbo charge” this part of the marketing process,” he added.
Radio Advertising Advice – Keep it Simple
Let’s say you spent good money on a brochure. Several pages filled with features, benefits, facts, figures, call to action, contact info…oh yeah, paragraphs about who you are, what you do….the different services you provide, your product offerings…and the list goes on and on. Everything you believe a potential client would need or want to know about your business. Now you are interested in advertising on the radio.
Here’s a great radio advertising tip -
Don’t let your radio commercials end up like your brochure.
Advertising on the radio works best when it is simple and effective.
First…a given. If you are going to advertise on the radio. Make sure you have a product that has demand. In another article we discuss the topic of Direct Response Radio Advertising Mistakes: A Product No One Wants. With that said, lets move on to advertising on the radio assuming there is demand for your product or service.
Simplicity is the key to effective direct response radio advertising. Face it, when you are buying fifteen, thirty, even sixty seconds worth of radio advertising, you don’t have the time to create an audio brochure. Radio advertising is a powerful advertising medium, but can it work for you?
Yes it can. You just need to make sure your direct response radio advertising campaign is just that…DIRECT. When advertising on the radio, get right to the point. What is the problem your potential customers face? What is the solution? (Hopefully this is where you have inserted your company name). What benefit does your company provide that solves the problem? And most important of all…what would make me choose your company? Here is where the irresistible offer comes in. Direct response radio advertising is rooted in a foundation of “what’s in it for me”. Give me reason to call. A free offer…free sample…free estimate…deep discount…money back guarantee…whatever your feel is important to your potential customer. This offer helps “grease the skids” and provides a strong incentive to call or click.
And speaking of calls and clicks – If you are advertising on the radio, you must make your call to action clear, concise and memorable. In other words, if you are driving to a toll free number, make sure you are not advertising some random ten digits that are difficult to remember. Use vanity phone numbers. Vanity phone numbers provide sticking power in the listeners mind. What will you remember more – 1-800-I-ATE-A-BUG or 1-800-428-3228 (plus the extra useless digit)? You can use a combination of vanity numbers or words and number for tracking purposes. If you are directing your radio advertising campaign to a URL. Make sure it’s a simple domain name. No long URL’s with dashes and slashes and long strings of weird variables. Simple works better. And again, you can use a variety of simple domains for tracking. And make sure you mention your number or URL at least a couple of times throughout the radio commercial.
So what have you learned here?
When advertising on the radio, keep it simple. Get directly to the problem, the solution, the benefit, the irresistible offer, and the clear call to action. Keep this simple structure in mind, and your chances of success when advertising on the radio dramatically increase.
Here’s a great radio advertising tip -
Don’t let your radio commercials end up like your brochure.
Advertising on the radio works best when it is simple and effective.
First…a given. If you are going to advertise on the radio. Make sure you have a product that has demand. In another article we discuss the topic of Direct Response Radio Advertising Mistakes: A Product No One Wants. With that said, lets move on to advertising on the radio assuming there is demand for your product or service.
Simplicity is the key to effective direct response radio advertising. Face it, when you are buying fifteen, thirty, even sixty seconds worth of radio advertising, you don’t have the time to create an audio brochure. Radio advertising is a powerful advertising medium, but can it work for you?
Yes it can. You just need to make sure your direct response radio advertising campaign is just that…DIRECT. When advertising on the radio, get right to the point. What is the problem your potential customers face? What is the solution? (Hopefully this is where you have inserted your company name). What benefit does your company provide that solves the problem? And most important of all…what would make me choose your company? Here is where the irresistible offer comes in. Direct response radio advertising is rooted in a foundation of “what’s in it for me”. Give me reason to call. A free offer…free sample…free estimate…deep discount…money back guarantee…whatever your feel is important to your potential customer. This offer helps “grease the skids” and provides a strong incentive to call or click.
And speaking of calls and clicks – If you are advertising on the radio, you must make your call to action clear, concise and memorable. In other words, if you are driving to a toll free number, make sure you are not advertising some random ten digits that are difficult to remember. Use vanity phone numbers. Vanity phone numbers provide sticking power in the listeners mind. What will you remember more – 1-800-I-ATE-A-BUG or 1-800-428-3228 (plus the extra useless digit)? You can use a combination of vanity numbers or words and number for tracking purposes. If you are directing your radio advertising campaign to a URL. Make sure it’s a simple domain name. No long URL’s with dashes and slashes and long strings of weird variables. Simple works better. And again, you can use a variety of simple domains for tracking. And make sure you mention your number or URL at least a couple of times throughout the radio commercial.
So what have you learned here?
When advertising on the radio, keep it simple. Get directly to the problem, the solution, the benefit, the irresistible offer, and the clear call to action. Keep this simple structure in mind, and your chances of success when advertising on the radio dramatically increase.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Are You Paying Your PR Firm To Develop Their “Strategy” For Your Campaign?
Why “Strategy” Is One of The Biggest Boondoggles in PR
Marsha Friedman
Chief Executive Officer - EMSI
1127 Grove Street, Clearwater, FL 33755
www.emsincorporated.com
Good marketing people never do anything without a plan. That’s a given.
So, it stands to reason that good PR people shouldn’t embark on a program without a plan. The question is, how much should a client pay a firm for that plan?
That’s one of the most striking differences between pay-for-performance (PFP) firms and retainer-based firms. The good PFP agencies don’t pad their bills with extra fees for a strategy. The reason is, they get paid for media exposure and “strategy” is a requisite tool for successfully securing media.
Retainer firms set a standard monthly fee, and bill the client’s account by subtracting the hourly fees racked up by their team. Just like a law firm, agencies have different billing rates for different team members. A junior account rep who does the grunt work might bill against a retainer at $100 or $150 per hour, while a VP might bill in the $350 range. Even the administrative assistants get into the act, sometimes billing between $50 and $75 per hour. Because retainer-based firms have to account for each hour spent on the account, sometimes the agency will even bill out for the time it takes the administrative staff to pull together all the information for that report. That means that clients often pay between $100 and $150 just to have their monthly bill and report assembled.
Strategy, however, is the big ticket item, because it involves the senior staff. In many cases, they’ll hold hours-long strategy sessions with the client, utilizing specialists from other departments and at least one VP. If you add up the billable hours, one three-hour strategy session can cost a client upwards of $3,000 against their first month’s retainer.
In the pay-for-performance arena, strategy is a given, and the good firms don’t charge a line-item fee for it. After all, how can an agency book media without a strategy? That’s a key way that PFP firms represent a sizable advantage for their clients over their retainer firm counterparts.
I liken it to taking your car to a mechanic. Most reputable mechanics won’t charge you to look at your car to see what’s wrong. They’ll look at your car, develop a strategy to fix it, and then give you an estimate for the tactics they’ll use to fix it. They don’t hold a big meeting with their owner, manager and two or three top mechanics and then charge you for it. They just tell you what they think you should do, and then give you a price on what it will cost to get it done.
This is why PR agencies sometimes get a bad rap. It’s not just that some of them don’t deliver against their promises—it’s because they charge big money to develop a strategy that in some cases doesn’t even work. That’s one reason why PFP firms are a better bet—they generally don’t mark up the strategy, and they promise results and not just best efforts.
The bottom line is that when engaging a public relations firm you should expect—and insist—on a detailed explanation of exactly what services you will receive for monies spent. Question each item and take the time to ensure you understand everything, including what outcome you can expect at each step of your campaign. If the information doesn’t add up, keep looking for the firm that has the answers that make sense for you!
Marsha Friedman
Chief Executive Officer
1127 Grove Street, Clearwater, FL 33755
www.emsincorporated.com
Marsha Friedman
Chief Executive Officer - EMSI
1127 Grove Street, Clearwater, FL 33755
www.emsincorporated.com
Good marketing people never do anything without a plan. That’s a given.
So, it stands to reason that good PR people shouldn’t embark on a program without a plan. The question is, how much should a client pay a firm for that plan?
That’s one of the most striking differences between pay-for-performance (PFP) firms and retainer-based firms. The good PFP agencies don’t pad their bills with extra fees for a strategy. The reason is, they get paid for media exposure and “strategy” is a requisite tool for successfully securing media.
Retainer firms set a standard monthly fee, and bill the client’s account by subtracting the hourly fees racked up by their team. Just like a law firm, agencies have different billing rates for different team members. A junior account rep who does the grunt work might bill against a retainer at $100 or $150 per hour, while a VP might bill in the $350 range. Even the administrative assistants get into the act, sometimes billing between $50 and $75 per hour. Because retainer-based firms have to account for each hour spent on the account, sometimes the agency will even bill out for the time it takes the administrative staff to pull together all the information for that report. That means that clients often pay between $100 and $150 just to have their monthly bill and report assembled.
Strategy, however, is the big ticket item, because it involves the senior staff. In many cases, they’ll hold hours-long strategy sessions with the client, utilizing specialists from other departments and at least one VP. If you add up the billable hours, one three-hour strategy session can cost a client upwards of $3,000 against their first month’s retainer.
In the pay-for-performance arena, strategy is a given, and the good firms don’t charge a line-item fee for it. After all, how can an agency book media without a strategy? That’s a key way that PFP firms represent a sizable advantage for their clients over their retainer firm counterparts.
I liken it to taking your car to a mechanic. Most reputable mechanics won’t charge you to look at your car to see what’s wrong. They’ll look at your car, develop a strategy to fix it, and then give you an estimate for the tactics they’ll use to fix it. They don’t hold a big meeting with their owner, manager and two or three top mechanics and then charge you for it. They just tell you what they think you should do, and then give you a price on what it will cost to get it done.
This is why PR agencies sometimes get a bad rap. It’s not just that some of them don’t deliver against their promises—it’s because they charge big money to develop a strategy that in some cases doesn’t even work. That’s one reason why PFP firms are a better bet—they generally don’t mark up the strategy, and they promise results and not just best efforts.
The bottom line is that when engaging a public relations firm you should expect—and insist—on a detailed explanation of exactly what services you will receive for monies spent. Question each item and take the time to ensure you understand everything, including what outcome you can expect at each step of your campaign. If the information doesn’t add up, keep looking for the firm that has the answers that make sense for you!
Marsha Friedman
Chief Executive Officer
1127 Grove Street, Clearwater, FL 33755
www.emsincorporated.com
Monday, February 8, 2010
NEEDS ANALYSIS QUESTIONS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL MARKETER
These CNA questions are not meant to be used as a questionnaire with the client, but as samples to prepare your questions in advance of your first meeting with a prospect. Best practices for needs analysis meetings suggest you memorize as many questions as possible to keep your meeting conversational, but occasionally refer to your notes when you need a reminder.
Company:
1. How long have you been in this business?
2. How did you get started?
3. If relatively new, what did you do prior to this?
4. What’s most enjoyable about being in this business?
5. What’s least enjoyable about being in this business?
Products/Services:
1. Do you consider your products to be average quality? High-end? Low-end?
2. What are your best sellers? Worst sellers?
3. Anything you consider your specialty?
4. Anything you like to feature (maybe because of higher profit margin)?
Customers:
1. Who are your current customers?
a. %Male? % Female?
b. Average age?
c. Average income?
d. Typical profession
e. Typical level of education
2. Who would you like them to be?
a. %Male? % Female?
b. Average age?
c. Average income?
d. Typical profession
e. Typical level of education
3. Has your client base changed in the last year?
a. If so, why?
b. Was this a good change? Why or why not?
4. Do you anticipate any changes in your business that would affect your current customer profile?
5. From how far away do your customers typically come to shop?
a. Are you satisfied with this?
6. What is the average amount a typical customers spends each time they shop your store?
7. How much is a customer worth? (Amount they spend + number of referrals)
8. How would a typical customer describe the experience of shopping at your store?
9. What is the single largest misconception non-customers have about shopping with you?
Competition:
1. Who are your biggest competitors?
For each competitor:
2. Why do people shop there?
3. What are their primary competitive advantages?
4. What do they offer customers that you can’t or won’t?
5. Why do customers come to you?
6. What do you offer that your competitors can’t/won’t?
7. What is your single greatest competitive advantage?
8. What is your single greatest competitive disadvantage?
9. Do you anticipate any changes competitively? (New competition/old going out of business/new
product lines, etc)
Objectives:
1. Is your business experiencing the kind of growth you need/want? If not, why?
2. Do you have a positioning statement?
3. What do you feel is your unique selling position?
4. What is your primary business image: low price, large inventory, service, etc.?
5. What would you want your overall image to be, if different from above?
6. Do you feel there are any misconceptions about you/your business that you would like to address?
7. Could you describe you single biggest sales and marketing challenge?
8. How are you actively addressing this challenge?
9. How would you like to see you business change over the next 12 months?
Advertising:
1. What media do you currently use?
2. Which do you use most often?
For each medium:
3. How often do you typically use this medium?
4. What do you like best about this medium?
5. What do you like least about this medium?
6. What would you change about this medium?
7. What is your typical average monthly investment in this medium?
a. What percent of your monthly advertising budget does this represent?
8. Do you utilize co-op?
9. Are you taking advantage of discretionary vendor support?
10. Dates and names of all major sales events
11. Two strongest sales events and why they are the most successful?
Specific questions about Interactive:
12. Are you advertising on the Internet?
13. What is your goal for your website? Branding? Direct response? Providing information? Building your customer database?
14. How pleased are you with your website's results?
15. Are you selling goods or services through your website?
16. What do you like best about your website?
17. What would you change about your Interactive efforts if you could?
18. What are you doing with your database?
19. How are you promoting your website?
20. Who handles your Internet advertising and other new media advertising?
21. What kinds of results have you found with your Internet advertising?
22. What new media are you using for advertising? E-mail marketing? Search? Mobile marketing?
23. Who serves your Internet ads?
24. Are you using rich media? Audio? Video? Flash? Animation?
25. What size ads do you prefer?
26. What kinds of sites get you the best results?
Wrap-up:
1. Are there any other areas we should discuss before I begin to prepare some detailed analysis and
recommendations based on today’s meeting?
2. As I am collecting research on your industry over the next few days are there any areas of special
interest to you that I should research as well?
3. Are there any other individuals involved in making marketing and advertising decisions?
4. Do you have any advertising agency?
Company:
1. How long have you been in this business?
2. How did you get started?
3. If relatively new, what did you do prior to this?
4. What’s most enjoyable about being in this business?
5. What’s least enjoyable about being in this business?
Products/Services:
1. Do you consider your products to be average quality? High-end? Low-end?
2. What are your best sellers? Worst sellers?
3. Anything you consider your specialty?
4. Anything you like to feature (maybe because of higher profit margin)?
Customers:
1. Who are your current customers?
a. %Male? % Female?
b. Average age?
c. Average income?
d. Typical profession
e. Typical level of education
2. Who would you like them to be?
a. %Male? % Female?
b. Average age?
c. Average income?
d. Typical profession
e. Typical level of education
3. Has your client base changed in the last year?
a. If so, why?
b. Was this a good change? Why or why not?
4. Do you anticipate any changes in your business that would affect your current customer profile?
5. From how far away do your customers typically come to shop?
a. Are you satisfied with this?
6. What is the average amount a typical customers spends each time they shop your store?
7. How much is a customer worth? (Amount they spend + number of referrals)
8. How would a typical customer describe the experience of shopping at your store?
9. What is the single largest misconception non-customers have about shopping with you?
Competition:
1. Who are your biggest competitors?
For each competitor:
2. Why do people shop there?
3. What are their primary competitive advantages?
4. What do they offer customers that you can’t or won’t?
5. Why do customers come to you?
6. What do you offer that your competitors can’t/won’t?
7. What is your single greatest competitive advantage?
8. What is your single greatest competitive disadvantage?
9. Do you anticipate any changes competitively? (New competition/old going out of business/new
product lines, etc)
Objectives:
1. Is your business experiencing the kind of growth you need/want? If not, why?
2. Do you have a positioning statement?
3. What do you feel is your unique selling position?
4. What is your primary business image: low price, large inventory, service, etc.?
5. What would you want your overall image to be, if different from above?
6. Do you feel there are any misconceptions about you/your business that you would like to address?
7. Could you describe you single biggest sales and marketing challenge?
8. How are you actively addressing this challenge?
9. How would you like to see you business change over the next 12 months?
Advertising:
1. What media do you currently use?
2. Which do you use most often?
For each medium:
3. How often do you typically use this medium?
4. What do you like best about this medium?
5. What do you like least about this medium?
6. What would you change about this medium?
7. What is your typical average monthly investment in this medium?
a. What percent of your monthly advertising budget does this represent?
8. Do you utilize co-op?
9. Are you taking advantage of discretionary vendor support?
10. Dates and names of all major sales events
11. Two strongest sales events and why they are the most successful?
Specific questions about Interactive:
12. Are you advertising on the Internet?
13. What is your goal for your website? Branding? Direct response? Providing information? Building your customer database?
14. How pleased are you with your website's results?
15. Are you selling goods or services through your website?
16. What do you like best about your website?
17. What would you change about your Interactive efforts if you could?
18. What are you doing with your database?
19. How are you promoting your website?
20. Who handles your Internet advertising and other new media advertising?
21. What kinds of results have you found with your Internet advertising?
22. What new media are you using for advertising? E-mail marketing? Search? Mobile marketing?
23. Who serves your Internet ads?
24. Are you using rich media? Audio? Video? Flash? Animation?
25. What size ads do you prefer?
26. What kinds of sites get you the best results?
Wrap-up:
1. Are there any other areas we should discuss before I begin to prepare some detailed analysis and
recommendations based on today’s meeting?
2. As I am collecting research on your industry over the next few days are there any areas of special
interest to you that I should research as well?
3. Are there any other individuals involved in making marketing and advertising decisions?
4. Do you have any advertising agency?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Traditional Media Not Going Away: Why Radio, TV & Print Will Survive The Rise of the Internet
Posted by Marsha Friedman
President - EMSI Public Relations
With over three decades of experience in marketing and PR, in the last few years I have been awed and excited by the new opportunities afforded by the Internet. The explosion of Internet applications, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, to name a few, has shifted and expanded the world of marketing and PR, and it will never be the same.
But, don’t expect the traditional media—newspapers, radio and TV—to disappear any time soon. Those who predict the death of traditional media could not be more wrong! In truth, the only really successful marketing campaigns must now embrace ALL media avenues, both offline (traditional) and online.
Irish playwright Eugene O’Neil once wrote, “There is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again—now.” That is what is happening with radio and, in fact, with all other traditional media now being thrown into the dead pool because of the rise of the Internet. In fact, the death of radio has been predicted on numerous occasions with the advent of 8-track cartridges, MTV, satellite broadcasting and the Internet…experts have claimed each would make radio obsolete or irrelevant.
We once used radio for everything. Then came television, and it was predicted by “well-informed people” that not only would radio die, but so would the movies!
But radio and movies are still here. Instead of dying, radio evolved and found a new niche. It would never again be the center of our living rooms, where families would gather to be entertained and informed, but it would survive as a music medium. Today, radio is as strong as ever— and even with a huge growth in the talk radio landscape!
And let’s talk about print. When the Seattle Post-Intelligencer scrapped its print edition in favor of an online-only version, people began predicting the same death of the print medium. But, in fact, the traditional print medium is thriving. Just as radio reinvented itself after the dawn of television, so has print in the age of the Internet. The print medium’s primary strength—beat reporters—still exists and their articles are printed in traditional publications AND are also posted on the Internet!
And I suppose that’s my point. As marketing gurus talk up the importance of social media marketing, search engine optimization, strong Web sites, blogging and other Internet-centered activities, we can’t omit traditional media from our marketing and PR strategy. People still listen to radio. People still watch TV. People still read print publications (both offline AND online). They are STILL the media, and they are NOT on life support.
Traditional media should still be the backbone of your efforts, but MUST be combined with online marketing and PR for maximum exposure. If you don’t cover all the bases, you will have missed the terrific cross-marketing opportunities enjoyed by savvy marketers who’ve embraced the synergy of a campaign that combines offline and online strategies!
President - EMSI Public Relations
With over three decades of experience in marketing and PR, in the last few years I have been awed and excited by the new opportunities afforded by the Internet. The explosion of Internet applications, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, to name a few, has shifted and expanded the world of marketing and PR, and it will never be the same.
But, don’t expect the traditional media—newspapers, radio and TV—to disappear any time soon. Those who predict the death of traditional media could not be more wrong! In truth, the only really successful marketing campaigns must now embrace ALL media avenues, both offline (traditional) and online.
Irish playwright Eugene O’Neil once wrote, “There is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again—now.” That is what is happening with radio and, in fact, with all other traditional media now being thrown into the dead pool because of the rise of the Internet. In fact, the death of radio has been predicted on numerous occasions with the advent of 8-track cartridges, MTV, satellite broadcasting and the Internet…experts have claimed each would make radio obsolete or irrelevant.
We once used radio for everything. Then came television, and it was predicted by “well-informed people” that not only would radio die, but so would the movies!
But radio and movies are still here. Instead of dying, radio evolved and found a new niche. It would never again be the center of our living rooms, where families would gather to be entertained and informed, but it would survive as a music medium. Today, radio is as strong as ever— and even with a huge growth in the talk radio landscape!
And let’s talk about print. When the Seattle Post-Intelligencer scrapped its print edition in favor of an online-only version, people began predicting the same death of the print medium. But, in fact, the traditional print medium is thriving. Just as radio reinvented itself after the dawn of television, so has print in the age of the Internet. The print medium’s primary strength—beat reporters—still exists and their articles are printed in traditional publications AND are also posted on the Internet!
And I suppose that’s my point. As marketing gurus talk up the importance of social media marketing, search engine optimization, strong Web sites, blogging and other Internet-centered activities, we can’t omit traditional media from our marketing and PR strategy. People still listen to radio. People still watch TV. People still read print publications (both offline AND online). They are STILL the media, and they are NOT on life support.
Traditional media should still be the backbone of your efforts, but MUST be combined with online marketing and PR for maximum exposure. If you don’t cover all the bases, you will have missed the terrific cross-marketing opportunities enjoyed by savvy marketers who’ve embraced the synergy of a campaign that combines offline and online strategies!
Producing Radio Ads to Promote Your Business
In 30 or 60 seconds, a good radio ad grabs attention, involves a listener, sounds believable, creates a mental picture, spins a story, calls for action, and manages to keep the product on center stage and the customer in the spotlight — all without sounding pushy, screamy, obnoxious, or boring.
Writing to be heard
Great writers tell you to write out loud when you create radio ads. Here's how:
• Use straightforward language that is written exactly how people talk.
• Write to the pace people talk, not to the pace at which they read.
• Cut extra verbiage. You wouldn't say indeed, thus, moreover, or therefore if you were explaining something exciting to a friend, so don't do it in your radio script, either.
• Rewrite elaborately constructed sentences. Don't expect listeners to track through phrases linked together with who, which, and whereas. Instead of The new fashions, which just came off the Paris runways where they made international news, are due to arrive in Chicago tomorrow at noon try The newest Paris runway fashions arrive in Chicago tomorrow at noon. You're invited to a premiere of the world's leading looks.
• Tell listeners what to do next. Prepare them to take down your phone number (Have a pencil handy?), or at least repeat your number for them. Most important, help them remember your name so they can find you in the phone book or online. (Warning: Don't waste radio time telling people to look us up in the Yellow Pages, especially if your competitors overshadow your presence there.)
Do's and Don'ts
Use the following checklist of ideas to employ and landmines to avoid:
• Do stick with a single theme in each ad.
• Do make a simple offer that calls for immediate action.
• Do generate leads by making no-risk offers for free estimates, free brochures, or free information.
• Do use radio as a complement to other advertising: Look for our coupon in Friday's paper.
• Do say your name three times.
• Don't expect the ad to make the sale; use it to make the contact.
• Don't advertise products with a bunch of disclaimers.
• Don't use incomprehensible jingles.
• Don't talk to yourself. ("We've been in business 25 years; We're excited over our new inventory; We're open until 10P)
Turn every statement into a consumer benefit if you want to hold listener attention — and you do!
Writing to be heard
Great writers tell you to write out loud when you create radio ads. Here's how:
• Use straightforward language that is written exactly how people talk.
• Write to the pace people talk, not to the pace at which they read.
• Cut extra verbiage. You wouldn't say indeed, thus, moreover, or therefore if you were explaining something exciting to a friend, so don't do it in your radio script, either.
• Rewrite elaborately constructed sentences. Don't expect listeners to track through phrases linked together with who, which, and whereas. Instead of The new fashions, which just came off the Paris runways where they made international news, are due to arrive in Chicago tomorrow at noon try The newest Paris runway fashions arrive in Chicago tomorrow at noon. You're invited to a premiere of the world's leading looks.
• Tell listeners what to do next. Prepare them to take down your phone number (Have a pencil handy?), or at least repeat your number for them. Most important, help them remember your name so they can find you in the phone book or online. (Warning: Don't waste radio time telling people to look us up in the Yellow Pages, especially if your competitors overshadow your presence there.)
Do's and Don'ts
Use the following checklist of ideas to employ and landmines to avoid:
• Do stick with a single theme in each ad.
• Do make a simple offer that calls for immediate action.
• Do generate leads by making no-risk offers for free estimates, free brochures, or free information.
• Do use radio as a complement to other advertising: Look for our coupon in Friday's paper.
• Do say your name three times.
• Don't expect the ad to make the sale; use it to make the contact.
• Don't advertise products with a bunch of disclaimers.
• Don't use incomprehensible jingles.
• Don't talk to yourself. ("We've been in business 25 years; We're excited over our new inventory; We're open until 10P)
Turn every statement into a consumer benefit if you want to hold listener attention — and you do!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Buying Effective Radio Advertising Schedules
“I hear you on the radio all the time!” That’s when you know you have a good radio schedule.
There are 3 key components to an effective radio schedule:
1. Targeted Reach- you want to reach as many of your prospective customers as possible.
2. Frequency- repetition, repetition, repetition. You want them to hear your message over and over again so they hear it, understand it and take action. Research shows that an average consumer needs to hear your ad at least 3 to 4 times during the course of a week to process the information they hear and respond to it.
3. Duration- don’t expect miracles to happen overnight, within a week, or even a month. It takes a commitment of three to four months for your advertising to reach maximum impact. When you get it there, you want to sustain it. See the Buyers Awareness Cycle for more information on this.
Assuming you’ve found the right radio station that reaches your target customer, here are some tips on achieving a good frequency.
The Ideal Schedule
If you have the budget for it, ask your AE to provide you with a schedule that distributes spots throughout all of the stations dayparts (morning drive, mid-day, afternoon drive, nights and weekends) throughout the week at a Frequency of 4.
This doesn’t mean you’re going to run 4 spots per week. Most stations use a software program with data provided by Arbitron that measures the average length of time their listeners tune in and out of their station. It calculates the amount of spots needed so their average listener will hear your ad 4 times.
The frequency goal used to be 3, but in this modern age of technology, we are so bombarded with messages that we need a frequency of 4 to cut through the clutter and grab someone’s attention.
When you get a proposal back with the cost of this schedule and you haven’t suffered a heart attack from sticker shock, then great. Run that schedule every other week for the rest of the year. If you have money left in your budget, go through the same process and buy your next radio station the same way. You can alternate weeks, unless you’re running a time sensitive promotion, like a sale.
If you’re experiencing chest pains from sticker shock, read on…
Own A Daypart
If you can’t afford to reach every listener on a station, it’s better to achieve frequency by reaching a sub-group. Select a daypart that’s affordable and buy at least 2-3 spots per day, every day.
This method takes a little longer to work and requires a bit of patience on your part, but it does work. Duration is key here.
Own Part of the Week
Radio stations tend to sell most of their inventory with spots that run towards the latter half of the work week- Wednesday through Friday. Because there’s a high demand for those days, they charge higher rates. That leaves the weekend, Monday and Tuesday more open. Negotiate a great deal by requesting those days of the week for your schedule.
Generally, radio listening tends to drop on the weekend so rates tend to be priced accordingly. But radio listening is about the same on Monday and Tuesday as it is Wednesday through Friday. So, if you’re not advertising a fire sale that’s happening over the weekend, you can typically get 25% off spots that run Monday and Tuesday, especially if you commit to a long term contract, which you ought to do to get results.
At the very minimum, you need to run 8 spots per day to make this schedule effective--2 spots per daypart (morning, mid-day, afternoon, and nights). Running 3 spots per daypart, or 12 spots per day is ideal, if you can afford to run this every week for a long duration.
There are 3 key components to an effective radio schedule:
1. Targeted Reach- you want to reach as many of your prospective customers as possible.
2. Frequency- repetition, repetition, repetition. You want them to hear your message over and over again so they hear it, understand it and take action. Research shows that an average consumer needs to hear your ad at least 3 to 4 times during the course of a week to process the information they hear and respond to it.
3. Duration- don’t expect miracles to happen overnight, within a week, or even a month. It takes a commitment of three to four months for your advertising to reach maximum impact. When you get it there, you want to sustain it. See the Buyers Awareness Cycle for more information on this.
Assuming you’ve found the right radio station that reaches your target customer, here are some tips on achieving a good frequency.
The Ideal Schedule
If you have the budget for it, ask your AE to provide you with a schedule that distributes spots throughout all of the stations dayparts (morning drive, mid-day, afternoon drive, nights and weekends) throughout the week at a Frequency of 4.
This doesn’t mean you’re going to run 4 spots per week. Most stations use a software program with data provided by Arbitron that measures the average length of time their listeners tune in and out of their station. It calculates the amount of spots needed so their average listener will hear your ad 4 times.
The frequency goal used to be 3, but in this modern age of technology, we are so bombarded with messages that we need a frequency of 4 to cut through the clutter and grab someone’s attention.
When you get a proposal back with the cost of this schedule and you haven’t suffered a heart attack from sticker shock, then great. Run that schedule every other week for the rest of the year. If you have money left in your budget, go through the same process and buy your next radio station the same way. You can alternate weeks, unless you’re running a time sensitive promotion, like a sale.
If you’re experiencing chest pains from sticker shock, read on…
Own A Daypart
If you can’t afford to reach every listener on a station, it’s better to achieve frequency by reaching a sub-group. Select a daypart that’s affordable and buy at least 2-3 spots per day, every day.
This method takes a little longer to work and requires a bit of patience on your part, but it does work. Duration is key here.
Own Part of the Week
Radio stations tend to sell most of their inventory with spots that run towards the latter half of the work week- Wednesday through Friday. Because there’s a high demand for those days, they charge higher rates. That leaves the weekend, Monday and Tuesday more open. Negotiate a great deal by requesting those days of the week for your schedule.
Generally, radio listening tends to drop on the weekend so rates tend to be priced accordingly. But radio listening is about the same on Monday and Tuesday as it is Wednesday through Friday. So, if you’re not advertising a fire sale that’s happening over the weekend, you can typically get 25% off spots that run Monday and Tuesday, especially if you commit to a long term contract, which you ought to do to get results.
At the very minimum, you need to run 8 spots per day to make this schedule effective--2 spots per daypart (morning, mid-day, afternoon, and nights). Running 3 spots per daypart, or 12 spots per day is ideal, if you can afford to run this every week for a long duration.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
BILLBOARDS AND RADIO - A BEAUTIFUL THING!
The Radio Advertising Bureau has a Competitive Media section, which gives us access to the latest information profiling 10 competitive media. Each profile contains a complete white paper as well as the advantages, disadvantages and “Plus Radio” (working with radio) for each medium.
Outdoor
Billboards have come a long way since the Burma Shave days. From the first advertising mural painted on the side of a building to today's animated "diamond vision" boards, outdoor advertising is an established part of the great American landscape. If it stands or rolls, chances are it has an advertisement on it. Bus sides, transit shelters, sidewalk benches, even privately owned automobiles, all reflect the value the business community sees in making their name visible to the public.
Many of today's billboards are impressive. Vinyl technology provides advertisers with the ability to display images that are photographic in quality. Diamond Vision technology is turning some billboards into giant flat screen televisions. Inflatable and structural attachments make an advertiser's message 3-D. These technologically evolved billboards do more than create visual impressions; they create word-of-mouth message proliferation. As a result of these advancements, the outdoor industry has been able to grow their revenues at an impressive rate.
Still, there are distinct limitations to what outdoor messages can achieve. While outdoor is effective at brand maintenance (assuming an adequate number of boards are bought), it is ineffective at initial branding. Due to the minute amount of time consumers can spend reading them, billboard messages must be brief. Some experts recommend no more than eight words. As a result, comprehensive messages cannot be
conveyed with a billboard. Advertisers regularly must alter the messages they communicate to consumers. Marketing situations such as new locations, new departments, new products or services, and special events all require a new message. However, changing messages on existing billboards is cost-prohibitive and require significant amounts of time to accomplish.
For all these reasons, Radio is the perfect partner for outdoor advertising. Not only can Radio do the things that outdoor cannot, we do them all cost-efficiently. And considering the primary purpose of billboards is to reach consumers in their cars, can you think of a more compatible medium than Radio?
And by the way ... the Burma Shave outdoor campaign was brilliant.
Advantages
Attention Grabbing: The combination of size, color and illumination attracts attention.
Strategic Placement: Billboards can be placed in high-traffic areas or other strategic locations, while transit signs can be affixed to the backs and sides of buses, in bus stops, and in rail stations.
Low Cost: Outdoors’ cost-per-thousand is significantly lower than that of any other advertising medium – in some cases by a factor of 10 or even 20.
Building Word of Mouth: Billboards can generate curiosity in “teaser” campaigns.
Full-Time Audience: Outdoors’ message can appear year-round. For additional fees, outdoor advertisers can purchase evening lighting – or in some cases, even 24-hour illumination.
Directional: Billboards can be used as directionals, guiding consumers to the location of a given business.
Disadvantages
Brevity: The very nature of outdoor advertising demands that the commercial message be brief and relatively simple. Therefore, it is difficult to communicate product details, competitive advantages, and specific consumer benefits. Billboard companies generally recommend no more than seven words on a billboard, or people speeding by will not have time to read the message.
Limited Availability: Prime outdoor locations (in high-traffic areas) often are controlled by large, long-term advertisers. Construction of new billboards is restricted by costs, space availability, and sometimes-rigid municipal codes and environmental regulations.
Lack of Effective Measuring Tools: Unlike other advertising media, outdoor advertising has no truly reliable method to measure its effectiveness. A few studies have been done, but they mostly apply to limited geographical areas and employ widely varying methodologies.
Low Recall: Commuters behind the wheel and other potential customers are exposed very briefly to outdoor messages, minimizing message retention. Such adverse conditions as heavy traffic or bad weather also can limit message impact and recall.
Ugly Image: Because of growing environmental concerns, many communities have eliminated, reduced, or limited the volume and placement of outdoor advertising.
Inflexible: Once a message is up, it generally stays up through the duration of the contract, even if the advertiser’s needs have changed. In addition, printing a new message is expensive, possibly taking weeks to produce and days or weeks to have it displayed.
“Plus Radio”
Power of Sound: To be effective, billboard messages must be brief. That’s where Radio can help. Use Radio to enhance and expand on the message displayed in your billboard showing.
Recall: Radio blankets the market. Your outdoor message can be seen only where it is displayed, but Radio allows your message to travel with your customers wherever they go – at home or at the office as well as in the car. By combining Radio with outdoor, you can build your message’s range and frequency – and reach more of your customers more often building recall.
Personal Connection: The Radio Advertising Effectiveness Laboratory (RAEL) shows that Radio listeners enjoy listening to their station and believe the advertiser’s message is directed toward them.
Flexible: Radio gives you the option to easily make copy changes. Use Outdoor for image, and Radio for timely information. A billboard can grab your customers’ attention; Radio can give them the details. By combining these two complementary marketing forces, Radio can deliver all the information on your products and services your customers need in order to make intelligent purchasing decisions.
Bad weather and adverse traffic conditions: Both are known to decrease outdoor ad exposure, but Radio listening actually increases under these circumstances. American consumers depend on their car Radios for weather and traffic reports, so billboards and Radio make an effective drive-time combination.
Outdoor
Billboards have come a long way since the Burma Shave days. From the first advertising mural painted on the side of a building to today's animated "diamond vision" boards, outdoor advertising is an established part of the great American landscape. If it stands or rolls, chances are it has an advertisement on it. Bus sides, transit shelters, sidewalk benches, even privately owned automobiles, all reflect the value the business community sees in making their name visible to the public.
Many of today's billboards are impressive. Vinyl technology provides advertisers with the ability to display images that are photographic in quality. Diamond Vision technology is turning some billboards into giant flat screen televisions. Inflatable and structural attachments make an advertiser's message 3-D. These technologically evolved billboards do more than create visual impressions; they create word-of-mouth message proliferation. As a result of these advancements, the outdoor industry has been able to grow their revenues at an impressive rate.
Still, there are distinct limitations to what outdoor messages can achieve. While outdoor is effective at brand maintenance (assuming an adequate number of boards are bought), it is ineffective at initial branding. Due to the minute amount of time consumers can spend reading them, billboard messages must be brief. Some experts recommend no more than eight words. As a result, comprehensive messages cannot be
conveyed with a billboard. Advertisers regularly must alter the messages they communicate to consumers. Marketing situations such as new locations, new departments, new products or services, and special events all require a new message. However, changing messages on existing billboards is cost-prohibitive and require significant amounts of time to accomplish.
For all these reasons, Radio is the perfect partner for outdoor advertising. Not only can Radio do the things that outdoor cannot, we do them all cost-efficiently. And considering the primary purpose of billboards is to reach consumers in their cars, can you think of a more compatible medium than Radio?
And by the way ... the Burma Shave outdoor campaign was brilliant.
Advantages
Attention Grabbing: The combination of size, color and illumination attracts attention.
Strategic Placement: Billboards can be placed in high-traffic areas or other strategic locations, while transit signs can be affixed to the backs and sides of buses, in bus stops, and in rail stations.
Low Cost: Outdoors’ cost-per-thousand is significantly lower than that of any other advertising medium – in some cases by a factor of 10 or even 20.
Building Word of Mouth: Billboards can generate curiosity in “teaser” campaigns.
Full-Time Audience: Outdoors’ message can appear year-round. For additional fees, outdoor advertisers can purchase evening lighting – or in some cases, even 24-hour illumination.
Directional: Billboards can be used as directionals, guiding consumers to the location of a given business.
Disadvantages
Brevity: The very nature of outdoor advertising demands that the commercial message be brief and relatively simple. Therefore, it is difficult to communicate product details, competitive advantages, and specific consumer benefits. Billboard companies generally recommend no more than seven words on a billboard, or people speeding by will not have time to read the message.
Limited Availability: Prime outdoor locations (in high-traffic areas) often are controlled by large, long-term advertisers. Construction of new billboards is restricted by costs, space availability, and sometimes-rigid municipal codes and environmental regulations.
Lack of Effective Measuring Tools: Unlike other advertising media, outdoor advertising has no truly reliable method to measure its effectiveness. A few studies have been done, but they mostly apply to limited geographical areas and employ widely varying methodologies.
Low Recall: Commuters behind the wheel and other potential customers are exposed very briefly to outdoor messages, minimizing message retention. Such adverse conditions as heavy traffic or bad weather also can limit message impact and recall.
Ugly Image: Because of growing environmental concerns, many communities have eliminated, reduced, or limited the volume and placement of outdoor advertising.
Inflexible: Once a message is up, it generally stays up through the duration of the contract, even if the advertiser’s needs have changed. In addition, printing a new message is expensive, possibly taking weeks to produce and days or weeks to have it displayed.
“Plus Radio”
Power of Sound: To be effective, billboard messages must be brief. That’s where Radio can help. Use Radio to enhance and expand on the message displayed in your billboard showing.
Recall: Radio blankets the market. Your outdoor message can be seen only where it is displayed, but Radio allows your message to travel with your customers wherever they go – at home or at the office as well as in the car. By combining Radio with outdoor, you can build your message’s range and frequency – and reach more of your customers more often building recall.
Personal Connection: The Radio Advertising Effectiveness Laboratory (RAEL) shows that Radio listeners enjoy listening to their station and believe the advertiser’s message is directed toward them.
Flexible: Radio gives you the option to easily make copy changes. Use Outdoor for image, and Radio for timely information. A billboard can grab your customers’ attention; Radio can give them the details. By combining these two complementary marketing forces, Radio can deliver all the information on your products and services your customers need in order to make intelligent purchasing decisions.
Bad weather and adverse traffic conditions: Both are known to decrease outdoor ad exposure, but Radio listening actually increases under these circumstances. American consumers depend on their car Radios for weather and traffic reports, so billboards and Radio make an effective drive-time combination.
Debug Your Ad Campaign!
Spending all your money on advertising but getting no results? Find out whether you're guilty of committing one of these 12 blunders.....
By Roy H. Williams
Q: I've spent a ton of money advertising in lots of different media, but it doesn't seem like I have much to show for it. Can you tell me plainly and simply how to advertise so it will work?
A: I applaud your honesty. The simple truth is, most advertisers feel just like you do, but their pride won't let them admit it. Unfortunately, I don't have a "success pill" for you to swallow, but I can describe each of the most common mistakes you will need to avoid:
1. The quest for instant gratification: The ad that creates enough urgency to cause people to respond immediately is the ad most likely to be forgotten immediately once the offer expires. It is of little use in establishing the advertiser's identity in the mind of the consumer.
2. Trying to reach more people than the budget will allow: For a media mix to be effective, each element in the mix must have enough repetition to establish retention in the mind of the prospect. Too often, however, the result of a media mix is too much reach and not enough frequency. Will you reach 100 percent of the people and persuade them 10 percent of the way? Or will you reach 10 percent of the people and persuade them 100 percent of the way? The cost is the same.
3. Assuming the business owner knows best: The business owner is uniquely unqualified to see his company or product objectively. Too much product knowledge leads him to answer questions no one is asking. He's on the inside looking out, trying to describe himself to a person on the outside looking in. It's hard to read the label when you're inside the bottle.
4. Unsubstantiated claims: Advertisers often claim to have what the customer wants, such as "highest quality at the lowest price," but fail to offer any evidence. An unsubstantiated claim is nothing more than a cliché the prospect is tired of hearing. You must prove what you say in every ad. Do your ads give the prospect new information? Do they provide a new perspective? If not, prepare to be disappointed with the results.
5. Improper use of passive media: Nonintrusive media, such as newspapers and yellow pages, tend to reach only buyers who are looking for the product. They are poor at reaching prospects before their need arises, so they're not much use for creating a predisposition toward your company. The patient, consistent use of intrusive media, such as radio and TV, will win the hearts of relational customers long before they're in the market for your product.
6. Creating ads instead of campaigns: It is foolish to believe a single ad can ever tell the entire story. The most effective, persuasive and memorable ads are those most like a rhinoceros: They make a single point, powerfully. An advertiser with 17 different things to say should commit to a campaign of at least 17 different ads, repeating each ad enough to stick in the prospect's mind.
7. Obedience to unwritten rules: For some insane reason, advertisers want their ads to look and sound like ads. Why?
8. Late-week schedules: Advertisers justify their obsession with Thursday and Friday advertising by saying "We need to reach the customer just before she goes shopping." Why do these advertisers choose to compete for the customer's attention each Thursday and Friday when they could have a nice, quiet chat all alone with her on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday?
9. Overconfidence in qualitative targeting: Many advertisers and media professionals grossly overestimate the importance of audience quality. In reality, saying the wrong thing has killed far more ad campaigns than reaching the wrong people. It's amazing how many people become "the right people" when you're saying the right thing.
10. Event-driven marketing: A special event should be judged only by its ability to help you more clearly define your market position and substantiate your claims. If 1 percent of the people who hear your ad for a special event choose to come, you will be in desperate need of a traffic cop and a bus to shuttle people from distant parking lots. Yet your real investment will be in the 99 percent who did not come! What did your ad say to them?
11. Great production without great copy: Too many ads today are creative without being persuasive. Slick, clever, funny, creative and different are poor substitutes for informative, believable, memorable and persuasive.
12. Confusing response with results: The goal of advertising is to create a clear awareness of your company and its unique selling proposition. Unfortunately, most advertisers evaluate their ads by the comments they hear from the people around them. The slickest, cleverest, funniest, most creative and most distinctive ads are the ones most likely to generate these comments. See the problem? When we confuse response with results, we create attention-getting ads that say absolutely nothing.
By Roy H. Williams
Q: I've spent a ton of money advertising in lots of different media, but it doesn't seem like I have much to show for it. Can you tell me plainly and simply how to advertise so it will work?
A: I applaud your honesty. The simple truth is, most advertisers feel just like you do, but their pride won't let them admit it. Unfortunately, I don't have a "success pill" for you to swallow, but I can describe each of the most common mistakes you will need to avoid:
1. The quest for instant gratification: The ad that creates enough urgency to cause people to respond immediately is the ad most likely to be forgotten immediately once the offer expires. It is of little use in establishing the advertiser's identity in the mind of the consumer.
2. Trying to reach more people than the budget will allow: For a media mix to be effective, each element in the mix must have enough repetition to establish retention in the mind of the prospect. Too often, however, the result of a media mix is too much reach and not enough frequency. Will you reach 100 percent of the people and persuade them 10 percent of the way? Or will you reach 10 percent of the people and persuade them 100 percent of the way? The cost is the same.
3. Assuming the business owner knows best: The business owner is uniquely unqualified to see his company or product objectively. Too much product knowledge leads him to answer questions no one is asking. He's on the inside looking out, trying to describe himself to a person on the outside looking in. It's hard to read the label when you're inside the bottle.
4. Unsubstantiated claims: Advertisers often claim to have what the customer wants, such as "highest quality at the lowest price," but fail to offer any evidence. An unsubstantiated claim is nothing more than a cliché the prospect is tired of hearing. You must prove what you say in every ad. Do your ads give the prospect new information? Do they provide a new perspective? If not, prepare to be disappointed with the results.
5. Improper use of passive media: Nonintrusive media, such as newspapers and yellow pages, tend to reach only buyers who are looking for the product. They are poor at reaching prospects before their need arises, so they're not much use for creating a predisposition toward your company. The patient, consistent use of intrusive media, such as radio and TV, will win the hearts of relational customers long before they're in the market for your product.
6. Creating ads instead of campaigns: It is foolish to believe a single ad can ever tell the entire story. The most effective, persuasive and memorable ads are those most like a rhinoceros: They make a single point, powerfully. An advertiser with 17 different things to say should commit to a campaign of at least 17 different ads, repeating each ad enough to stick in the prospect's mind.
7. Obedience to unwritten rules: For some insane reason, advertisers want their ads to look and sound like ads. Why?
8. Late-week schedules: Advertisers justify their obsession with Thursday and Friday advertising by saying "We need to reach the customer just before she goes shopping." Why do these advertisers choose to compete for the customer's attention each Thursday and Friday when they could have a nice, quiet chat all alone with her on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday?
9. Overconfidence in qualitative targeting: Many advertisers and media professionals grossly overestimate the importance of audience quality. In reality, saying the wrong thing has killed far more ad campaigns than reaching the wrong people. It's amazing how many people become "the right people" when you're saying the right thing.
10. Event-driven marketing: A special event should be judged only by its ability to help you more clearly define your market position and substantiate your claims. If 1 percent of the people who hear your ad for a special event choose to come, you will be in desperate need of a traffic cop and a bus to shuttle people from distant parking lots. Yet your real investment will be in the 99 percent who did not come! What did your ad say to them?
11. Great production without great copy: Too many ads today are creative without being persuasive. Slick, clever, funny, creative and different are poor substitutes for informative, believable, memorable and persuasive.
12. Confusing response with results: The goal of advertising is to create a clear awareness of your company and its unique selling proposition. Unfortunately, most advertisers evaluate their ads by the comments they hear from the people around them. The slickest, cleverest, funniest, most creative and most distinctive ads are the ones most likely to generate these comments. See the problem? When we confuse response with results, we create attention-getting ads that say absolutely nothing.
WHY RADIO???? If you want your message to be heard, someone has to listen to it!
Radio gets your message out there better than any other medium. Just think about how people use the media. People “watch” television, they “browse” the internet, they “read” newspapers and magazines, but they “listen” to the radio. Arbitron audience measurements reveal that radio has the greatest overall penetration of any medium.
Radio’s reach is unequaled. Despite the undisputed growth of “new media” in recent years, the fact is that nearly everyone still listens to radio. In fact, radio maintains its place as the most effective medium for reaching people. According to Arbitron’s 2009 edition of “Radio Today” radio reaches 94% of the population. As Arbitron notes, “No other medium – electronic or otherwise – can claim as many weekly consumers as radio does.”
Radio delivers great demographics, especially talk and news radio. A recent survey of talk radio listeners by “Talkers Magazine” highlights the desirability of radio as a medium for people who are trying to reach educated, affluent, and active people. The survey found that 70% of talk radio listeners had attended some college, 57% had a household income of more than $50,000 and 74% had voted in the last election.
Radio is ubiquitous. People are listening just about everywhere! And one outgrowth of recent technical innovation is the fact that, radio’s influence continues to grow. The digital age has created fabulous new ways for people to process and receive information. But, one constant in all of this is radio.
And radio connects. Listeners tend to have a special relationship with radio that transcends all other forms of media. A 2006 study entitled “Radio and the Consumer’s Mind: How Radio Works” quantified the unique relationship that listeners have with radio. Among the specific findings:
• radio listeners tend to have an emotional attachment to radio, and,
• they find radio advertising more relevant to their lives than other forms of advertising.
Radio’s reach is unequaled. Despite the undisputed growth of “new media” in recent years, the fact is that nearly everyone still listens to radio. In fact, radio maintains its place as the most effective medium for reaching people. According to Arbitron’s 2009 edition of “Radio Today” radio reaches 94% of the population. As Arbitron notes, “No other medium – electronic or otherwise – can claim as many weekly consumers as radio does.”
Radio delivers great demographics, especially talk and news radio. A recent survey of talk radio listeners by “Talkers Magazine” highlights the desirability of radio as a medium for people who are trying to reach educated, affluent, and active people. The survey found that 70% of talk radio listeners had attended some college, 57% had a household income of more than $50,000 and 74% had voted in the last election.
Radio is ubiquitous. People are listening just about everywhere! And one outgrowth of recent technical innovation is the fact that, radio’s influence continues to grow. The digital age has created fabulous new ways for people to process and receive information. But, one constant in all of this is radio.
And radio connects. Listeners tend to have a special relationship with radio that transcends all other forms of media. A 2006 study entitled “Radio and the Consumer’s Mind: How Radio Works” quantified the unique relationship that listeners have with radio. Among the specific findings:
• radio listeners tend to have an emotional attachment to radio, and,
• they find radio advertising more relevant to their lives than other forms of advertising.
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