Continuing our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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?
This is a personal pet peeve of mine. I handle a lot of car dealers and they're the worst at this. Not only are they only advertising half of the week...they're advertising along with every other car dealer in town! Don't people buy Chevys on Tuesdays? If you can't afford to outshine (i.e. spend the most) the competition, go where the competition isn't! - Curt
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
What Do Lower Housing Prices Mean?
FIRST DROP SINCE GREAT DEPRESSION
Now it’s getting serious! When an eternally-optimistic group like the National Association of Realtors predicts that there will be a drop in national average housing prices, there are some very real problems in that sector.
As late as February, the Realtors were still holding on to a positive projection that the national median house price would go up a bit, about 1.9%. But earlier this month, its projection was changed to a drop of 0.7%. If that turns out to be correct, it will be the first time since the 1930’s that the national median home price went down in a year.
A lot of retailers live and die by the housing market, obviously furniture, appliances, electronics,
garden stores, and other homerelated items are the most prominent. But it’s not just retail that
is impacted; service businesses like landscapers, contractors, etc., are also caught in the slowdown. And financial institutions, many of which released financial results last week, are starting to feel the pinch on the bottom line as the number of mortgage delinquencies goes up.
It’s likely to get worse before it starts to get better. We’ve started to see some reports that it’s not just “sub-prime” loans that are getting into trouble; some financial institutions are starting to see delinquencies from borrowers who had better than a “sub-prime” ranking. The lenders are being forced to tighten their terms, which makes it harder for new buyers to get into homes. And, rising foreclosures mean more homes coming back onto the market, so the increased supply along with decreased demand portends yet lower prices to come.
This article follows the one referencing the decline in restaurant spending...one industry that can control the life of several others. With the drop in housing prices, you can expect some sort of ripple effect on your business. You can see the rest of this article by clicking the link below. Curt
http://ftp.media.radcity.net/ZSND/issues/april2007/C5714.pdf
Now it’s getting serious! When an eternally-optimistic group like the National Association of Realtors predicts that there will be a drop in national average housing prices, there are some very real problems in that sector.
As late as February, the Realtors were still holding on to a positive projection that the national median house price would go up a bit, about 1.9%. But earlier this month, its projection was changed to a drop of 0.7%. If that turns out to be correct, it will be the first time since the 1930’s that the national median home price went down in a year.
A lot of retailers live and die by the housing market, obviously furniture, appliances, electronics,
garden stores, and other homerelated items are the most prominent. But it’s not just retail that
is impacted; service businesses like landscapers, contractors, etc., are also caught in the slowdown. And financial institutions, many of which released financial results last week, are starting to feel the pinch on the bottom line as the number of mortgage delinquencies goes up.
It’s likely to get worse before it starts to get better. We’ve started to see some reports that it’s not just “sub-prime” loans that are getting into trouble; some financial institutions are starting to see delinquencies from borrowers who had better than a “sub-prime” ranking. The lenders are being forced to tighten their terms, which makes it harder for new buyers to get into homes. And, rising foreclosures mean more homes coming back onto the market, so the increased supply along with decreased demand portends yet lower prices to come.
This article follows the one referencing the decline in restaurant spending...one industry that can control the life of several others. With the drop in housing prices, you can expect some sort of ripple effect on your business. You can see the rest of this article by clicking the link below. Curt
http://ftp.media.radcity.net/ZSND/issues/april2007/C5714.pdf
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Top Advertising Blunders: Part 7
On the backstretch of our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
7. Obedience to unwritten rules: For some insane reason, advertisers want their ads to look and sound like ads. Why?
Wow! Roy nailed it...what else to say? - Curt
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Building Your Brand
Every one of my clients wants a great image or brand. A few have good ones. Even fewer had one before I met them. How’s yours?
Everyone knows of a brand, but you don’t really care about them, unless your loyalty to the brand is fierce. Examples include loyalty to a sports team, to a product you are a personal fan of (like Starbucks), or just as a fan of their message. I have a friend whose daughters are in love with Empire Carpet. They go around singing that stupid jingle all the time!
Sometimes, great brands weaken. Sometimes they die. Pop quiz…do you know what the 57 in ‘Heinz 57’ stands for? Before ketchup and steak sauce, Heinz was known for pickles. They had 57 different types of pickles. They chose to go after the ketchup market and took their focus off of their cash cow, the pickles. It nearly bankrupted the company. At least the ketchup thing worked out.
As a business owner or manager, what you care most about is your brand. Your company’s brand, your product’s brand, and your personal brand. But, you can learn lessons from the big ones that fail.
The answer to building a brand hangs in the balance of all the things you do that are not brand building.
The answer lies within these critical reputation-building areas:
1. Quality of product.
2. Availability of product.
3. Ease of doing business with you.
4. Friendliness and helpfulness of sales and service people.
5. Enjoyment of product.
6. Continuous improvement in each of the five areas listed above.
Many people (especially advertising agencies) believe that the best way to establish your brand is advertise. They are partially right. Reputation is much more powerful than advertising. And word of mouth advertising is much, much more powerful than advertising.
Why don’t companies reinvest a piece of their advertising budget and create reputation-building actions they could take in order to solidify the brand and make any advertising pay real dividends?
The old concept is: Advertising brings brand awareness. The question is: What kind of awareness?
For example, if I see an ad on TV with a guy walking by a row of cars and he is yelling, I see the image, and it creates a thought or a statement. The question is: What do I say or think when I see it? Does it cause me to act? Does it cause me to ignore, mute or change the channel? Will it create a good feeling or a bad one? Will I recall a good story or a negative incident? Or will it be nothing?
When we see any brand or advertising image, we will think or say one of the following five things:
· Something great.
· Something good.
· Nothing.
· Something bad.
· Something real bad.
So the challenge, from the chicken and the egg series, is: which came first, the advertising, the brand, or the reputation?
ANSWER: It doesn’t matter. In the end, without reputation and word of mouth, your advertising message is only words.
Ask yourself where and why you bought your last car? Or where and why you go to the stylist you go to get your hair done (if you have any). Or doctor, or dentist, or mechanic, or, or, or…
What if companies spent as much money delivering great service as they do trying to tell everyone how great they are. Maybe they should cut their advertising budget in half and invest the other half in hiring and retaining employees that provide outstanding service to your customers.
I’m big on branding, and creating a great brand, but I am bigger on reputation. If the reputation is there, the brand will be bigger than the ad.
The best way to build a brand is build a reputation that attracts customers. Take the actions necessary, invest in the people necessary, and invest in the quality necessary to get the brand to build itself through the words and testimony of others.
Everyone knows of a brand, but you don’t really care about them, unless your loyalty to the brand is fierce. Examples include loyalty to a sports team, to a product you are a personal fan of (like Starbucks), or just as a fan of their message. I have a friend whose daughters are in love with Empire Carpet. They go around singing that stupid jingle all the time!
Sometimes, great brands weaken. Sometimes they die. Pop quiz…do you know what the 57 in ‘Heinz 57’ stands for? Before ketchup and steak sauce, Heinz was known for pickles. They had 57 different types of pickles. They chose to go after the ketchup market and took their focus off of their cash cow, the pickles. It nearly bankrupted the company. At least the ketchup thing worked out.
As a business owner or manager, what you care most about is your brand. Your company’s brand, your product’s brand, and your personal brand. But, you can learn lessons from the big ones that fail.
The answer to building a brand hangs in the balance of all the things you do that are not brand building.
The answer lies within these critical reputation-building areas:
1. Quality of product.
2. Availability of product.
3. Ease of doing business with you.
4. Friendliness and helpfulness of sales and service people.
5. Enjoyment of product.
6. Continuous improvement in each of the five areas listed above.
Many people (especially advertising agencies) believe that the best way to establish your brand is advertise. They are partially right. Reputation is much more powerful than advertising. And word of mouth advertising is much, much more powerful than advertising.
Why don’t companies reinvest a piece of their advertising budget and create reputation-building actions they could take in order to solidify the brand and make any advertising pay real dividends?
The old concept is: Advertising brings brand awareness. The question is: What kind of awareness?
For example, if I see an ad on TV with a guy walking by a row of cars and he is yelling, I see the image, and it creates a thought or a statement. The question is: What do I say or think when I see it? Does it cause me to act? Does it cause me to ignore, mute or change the channel? Will it create a good feeling or a bad one? Will I recall a good story or a negative incident? Or will it be nothing?
When we see any brand or advertising image, we will think or say one of the following five things:
· Something great.
· Something good.
· Nothing.
· Something bad.
· Something real bad.
So the challenge, from the chicken and the egg series, is: which came first, the advertising, the brand, or the reputation?
ANSWER: It doesn’t matter. In the end, without reputation and word of mouth, your advertising message is only words.
Ask yourself where and why you bought your last car? Or where and why you go to the stylist you go to get your hair done (if you have any). Or doctor, or dentist, or mechanic, or, or, or…
What if companies spent as much money delivering great service as they do trying to tell everyone how great they are. Maybe they should cut their advertising budget in half and invest the other half in hiring and retaining employees that provide outstanding service to your customers.
I’m big on branding, and creating a great brand, but I am bigger on reputation. If the reputation is there, the brand will be bigger than the ad.
The best way to build a brand is build a reputation that attracts customers. Take the actions necessary, invest in the people necessary, and invest in the quality necessary to get the brand to build itself through the words and testimony of others.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
CONTINUING SLOWDOWN WORRIES RESTAURANTS
CASUAL CHAINS DOWN; QSRs BETTER
One month may be blamed on the weather, but as March numbers for most restaurant chains were equally dismal with February's, restaurant operators started to wonder if deeper factors like weaker consumer confidence may be cutting into their sales.
According to Nation's Restaurant News, many casual dining chains will now miss their first quarter projections, both on the top line and on the bottom line. The news is a little better at most quick service restaurants, where some are still seeing same-store sales increases. In some of the other periods that saw gas prices on the way up, there did appear to be a trend of people saving money by "trading down" in their out-of-home eating expenditures, and that might be happening again.
Among the losers are some of the biggest brands in the restaurant business from a variety of formats, including Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, and P.F. Chang.
For the rest of this article, go to http://ftp.media.radcity.net/ZSND/issues/april2007/C8222.pdf.
A great way to keep pulse on the economy and how it may affect your business is to watch the restaurant sector. This article goes on to state that while sit-down restaurants lost sales, that less-expensive QSRs (Quick Service Restaurants, or fast food if your from Texas) actually saw an increase in same store sales. What this means to you as a business owner is that you should consider promoting less expensive options for consumers while they're nervous about rising gas prices. -Curt
One month may be blamed on the weather, but as March numbers for most restaurant chains were equally dismal with February's, restaurant operators started to wonder if deeper factors like weaker consumer confidence may be cutting into their sales.
According to Nation's Restaurant News, many casual dining chains will now miss their first quarter projections, both on the top line and on the bottom line. The news is a little better at most quick service restaurants, where some are still seeing same-store sales increases. In some of the other periods that saw gas prices on the way up, there did appear to be a trend of people saving money by "trading down" in their out-of-home eating expenditures, and that might be happening again.
Among the losers are some of the biggest brands in the restaurant business from a variety of formats, including Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, and P.F. Chang.
For the rest of this article, go to http://ftp.media.radcity.net/ZSND/issues/april2007/C8222.pdf.
A great way to keep pulse on the economy and how it may affect your business is to watch the restaurant sector. This article goes on to state that while sit-down restaurants lost sales, that less-expensive QSRs (Quick Service Restaurants, or fast food if your from Texas) actually saw an increase in same store sales. What this means to you as a business owner is that you should consider promoting less expensive options for consumers while they're nervous about rising gas prices. -Curt
Top Advertising Blunders: Part 6
Halfway through our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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.
I still see ads today that do this. The consumer is left scratching their head afterwards, not sure what the advertiser is advertising. Do one thing and do it well! - Curt
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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.
I still see ads today that do this. The consumer is left scratching their head afterwards, not sure what the advertiser is advertising. Do one thing and do it well! - Curt
7 Steps to Planning a Productive and Successful Promotional Campaign
I came across this article and thought it a wonderful reminder of marketing basics. Considering we're nearly halfway thru our 12-part series on Roy Williams Top Advertising Blunders, I elected to give you the cliffnotes of the article. Enjoy! -Curt
Seven Steps to Planning a Productive and Successful Promotional Campaign:
Seven Steps to Planning a Productive and Successful Promotional Campaign:
- Assess Marketing Communication Opportunities.
- What Communication Channels Will You Use?
- Determine Your Objectives.
- Determine Your Promotion Mix.
- Develop Your Promotional Message.
- Develop the Promotion Budget.
- Determine Campaign Effectiveness.
Here is the link to the full article: http://marketing.about.com/od/positioning/a/promocampaign.htm
Top Advertising Blunders: Part 5
Originally published April 5, 2007...
Continuing our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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 TV and radio, will win the hearts of relational customers long before they're in the market for your product.
Take a few minutes to go find a newspaper and look for the three big print advertisers; grocery stores, clothing stores and automotive dealers. All three of these advertising categories using print consider themselves commodities and the lowest price wins the buyer. My savvy automotive dealers (and all of my dealers that advertise with me are savvy) have dropped or dramatically cut down their print and are using cable to advertise the differences buyers experience when buying from their store. You cannot portray this experience in fish wrap! - Curt
Continuing our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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 TV and radio, will win the hearts of relational customers long before they're in the market for your product.
Take a few minutes to go find a newspaper and look for the three big print advertisers; grocery stores, clothing stores and automotive dealers. All three of these advertising categories using print consider themselves commodities and the lowest price wins the buyer. My savvy automotive dealers (and all of my dealers that advertise with me are savvy) have dropped or dramatically cut down their print and are using cable to advertise the differences buyers experience when buying from their store. You cannot portray this experience in fish wrap! - Curt
What a World
Below is an article from this week's TV Guide reviewing Discovery Channel's new series, Planet Earth.
"What a World"
Armchair travel has never been so ravishing. Watch in awe as the 11 hours of Planet Earth (Sundays, 8/7c through 4/22, Discovery Channel) reveal their many wonders.
The series takes us from pole to pole (which means baby polar bears and, naturally, penguins), with astonishing aerials of mountain peaks and incredible high-definition images from the ocean depths, revealing rare glimpses of life in deserts and lush forests along the way. It's an ecological and technological marvel.
In narration as crisp, inviting and detailed as the magnificent photography, Sigourney Weaver often remarks on how long it took the film crews to capture these sights, some for the first time. Their patience paid off. I can't remember a more gorgeous spectacle of wildlife and habitats, with exotic slices of life and death, from bizarre mating rituals to the brutal dance of predators and prey.
Planet Earth is truly something to behold.
What a wonderful way to promote your business by branding it with the highest quality programming that is safe for the entire family. Call me to discuss just how affordable sponsoring Planet Earth is. -Curt
Top Advertising Blunders: Part 4
Originally published March 20, 2007...
Continuing our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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 cliche 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.
How can your message stand out when it sounds exactly like your competitors? - Curt
Continuing our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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 cliche 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.
How can your message stand out when it sounds exactly like your competitors? - Curt
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Mavs Win, You Win!!!
Originally published March 13, 2007...
The Mavs won 17 straight games Sunday, by anihalating the Lakers!
The Dallas Mavs vs. L.A. Lakers was the hottest Ad Insertable program over the weekend. This game ranked #1 in all key adults & male demos and aired on ESPN with a 5.9 Household Rating!!!
The Mavericks are RED HOT, and picked by most to return to the finals and win it all this year. Time Warner only has three spots per game available for local clients. Don't get left out on the hottest ticket in town! Call me today and find out just how affordable it is to associate your business with the Mavs on ESPN and TNT
Top Advertising Blunders: Part 3
Originally published March 13, 2007...
Continuing our 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising blunders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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.
Ouch...did that sting a little? Good businessmen understand most aspects of their business. Great businessmen understand how to delegate. - Curt
2007 NBA All Star Game Recap
Thank you to everyone who responded with interest in advertising in this year's NBA All Star Game.
To those that took advantage of our special package, your wise choice paid dividends! This year's game attracted an 11.6 Household Rating!!!
The NBA has never been more popular, and with the NBA Playoffs around the corner, viewership is only getting higher.
The Mavericks are RED HOT, and picked by most to return to the finals and win it all this year. Time Warner only has three spots per game available for local clients. Don't get left out on the hottest ticket in town! Call me today and find out just how affordable it is to associate your business with the Mavs on ESPN and TNT!
To those that took advantage of our special package, your wise choice paid dividends! This year's game attracted an 11.6 Household Rating!!!
The NBA has never been more popular, and with the NBA Playoffs around the corner, viewership is only getting higher.
The Mavericks are RED HOT, and picked by most to return to the finals and win it all this year. Time Warner only has three spots per game available for local clients. Don't get left out on the hottest ticket in town! Call me today and find out just how affordable it is to associate your business with the Mavs on ESPN and TNT!
Top Advertising Blunders: Part 2
Originally published February 28, 2007...
Last issue, I began a 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising bluders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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.
If you have ever sat down with me and talked shop, I can promise you've heard me discuss this concept. - Curt
Last issue, I began a 12-part series of the 12 most common advertising bluders according to Roy Williams, author of The Wizard of Ads.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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.
If you have ever sat down with me and talked shop, I can promise you've heard me discuss this concept. - Curt
Top Advertising Blunders: Part 1
Originally published February 12, 2007.
I started my advertising career eight years ago selling for an AM Newstalk station, KBOI, in Boise, Idaho. I have spent the last six years of my life thankful for the day I left that radio station behind.
OK...I'm teasing (kind of). Despite the experience of selling radio I am still grateful for two things; the opportunity they afforded me by gambling on a kid still enrolled in college, and the training they gave me.
There were several videos I watched (Jason Jennings turning lettuce into salad was a highlight) and a few workshops and seminars. My favorite by far was Roy Williams' The Wizard of Ads. In a world where people seem to make things more than they should be, Roy has such a simple aproach to things. My favorite topic Roy covers in The Wizard of Ads is top advertising blunders. There are twelve listed. Over the next three months I will share these with you.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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.
I started my advertising career eight years ago selling for an AM Newstalk station, KBOI, in Boise, Idaho. I have spent the last six years of my life thankful for the day I left that radio station behind.
OK...I'm teasing (kind of). Despite the experience of selling radio I am still grateful for two things; the opportunity they afforded me by gambling on a kid still enrolled in college, and the training they gave me.
There were several videos I watched (Jason Jennings turning lettuce into salad was a highlight) and a few workshops and seminars. My favorite by far was Roy Williams' The Wizard of Ads. In a world where people seem to make things more than they should be, Roy has such a simple aproach to things. My favorite topic Roy covers in The Wizard of Ads is top advertising blunders. There are twelve listed. Over the next three months I will share these with you.
Spending all your money on ads but getting no results? Perhaps you're making one of these 12 huge mistakes.
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.
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