≡ Advertising and Promotion
"The most effective way to learn what should work in marketing and what should not, is to observe what similar companies are doing and perhaps done; niche out their angle, then focus on a segment in which they have not yet succeeded. Be always mindful of your competition, because you can be sure they are being mindful of you. "
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This answer was given by Lee West in 1995, on the state level competition for Business Services Marketing as part of the DECA competition as a senior in High School, which earned him the highest overall score in Texas.
skills, knowledge and attitudes in business services marketing. Students will be challenged to
perform marketing functions and tasks involved in providing services to businesses on a fee or contract
basis or providing services to consumers. Roles in these events are those of customers, employees,
supervisors, managers and entrepreneurs.
Results that you expect to accomplish with an advertising campaign include:
Bringing in orders for you
Introducing your company and product
Reminding the potential customer of your company and products
Please click here to learn more about the different types of Advertising Media
Advertising is a complex business and an ever-changing science. New ideas and media are being devised all the time, and as the advertising industry switches emphasis, so available methods will become more, or less cost-effective. There has been for some years, a huge trend towards direct mail (junk mail). Even major consumer brands are using it instead of TV. TV on the other hand is increasingly attractive to small local businesses. Spend half a day in a business library learning more about various advertising media. The subject is so broad that advertising agencies now need specialists to handle the creative, production and media-buying processes. Unless you decide to appoint an advertising agency, you’ll have no choice but to do everything yourself, so don’t underestimate the task.
Choose methods according to cost, targeting and response
Any campaign can be broken down in terms of cost per thousand, and if you are seeking a direct response, it should be monitored according to cost per response. Advertising cost per thousand includes cost of origination (design), production (printing if relevant) and media (such as local radio, display advert, list procurement and postal fulfillment). Generally you will pay a higher cost per thousand for better targeted methods, but in return you should expect a higher response rate, so the cost per response can be lower than cheaper methods. Choose advertising and publicity methods that suit your targeting. Organizations selling advertising are able to provide a lot of information about their readership/audience, and you can look at other advertisers repeatedly using various media. Are they targeting the same audience as you? Even very sophisticated advertisers only commit to major programs after accumulating response data from pilots and previous campaigns. They avoid guesswork, and so should you.
Any large scale activity must first be tested and the response measured for quantity and profile.
Design, production and the role of external agencies
Your advertising material helps to form your image, so make sure you are happy with the design, however modest the style and usage. Use typefaces and logos in a consistent way, and if you can get the help of a good designer early this will set the tone and rules for usage later, which will save time and money in the long term. You may already have a perfectly satisfactory corporate identity. If so, don’t feel pressured to change for the sake of it.
The advertising process starts with a brief comprising: The purpose of the advertising, how much you will pay, and what you expect to get, including how you will measure whether it is successful or not. A written brief is critically important if you are using an outside agency. Advertising is notoriously subjective, creative agencies are often difficult to manage, so misunderstandings can easily creep in if your control is not tight enough.
Here are some general rules for working with advertising and design agencies:
Try to appoint people who come recommended and who have experience in your sector.
Approve the project in phases, and be sure to voice any important concerns or other absolutes in the early steps of the phases.
Ask for written progress and new details for each phase, to ensure that communication and understanding continue to stay strong throughout the development process.
Don’t allow the message to get over-complicated.
Agencies usually charge a steep price for correcting text once they’ve started the final artwork, so try to get all the details correct and as you want them before going to the final stage when the designer produces the artwork.
Try to use an agency with the services you need under one roof (apart from printing which is traditionally separate), as they can tend to mark-up bought-in services quite heavily, erg., graphic design, photography. You’ll also find it easier to establish accountability if your agency is responsible for the whole job, rather than just a part of it.
Always get an alternative print quote, and check what mark-up the agency adds on. In the case of list procurement, display advertising, or leaflet distribution through inserts or Door-to-door delivery, check whether the agency is adding a mark-up, and if so that you are happy for them to do so. Ask the same question in the case of any other procured services or products, erg., promotional merchandise, exhibition space.
Advertise to build awareness and to generate response
Within the advertising purpose you should define whether you seek to create awareness or to generate a direct response. Effective marketing generally demands that each is employed, but on a limited budget you may be restricted to concentrating on one or the other, so think carefully about what will help most. Different media and methods are better suited to one or the other. Direct Mail is very good at generating a direct response, as are magazine and newspaper adverts, and inserts. Posters, TV, radio and press editorial are all much better at creating awareness and building credibility.
Use language that your customers understand
In all of your advertising material take care to see and hear things form your customers viewpoint. As a knowledgeable supplier there is always a tendency to write text and present information from a technical and informed standpoint. Remember that your customers are ordinary people without good technical or operational understanding. You need to spell things out, using clear simple language. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that complicated language will help build an image of professionalism and intelligence - people will just be turned off. The mark of true professionalism and intelligence in advertising is the ability to convey complex issues to the audience in a manner that is interesting and easy to digest.
Translate your product/service offer into meaningful customer benefits
Having decided, through the processes described earlier, to focus your message on a few key strengths of your business (your service offer) you must now express these in terms of benefits to your customers. What does it all mean to them? Give them something to relate to, so that you don’t just talk about what you do - talk about what it means to your customers. How will it make their lives easier, better, less stressful, whatever is relevant.
Advertising must be cost effective and attributed to profit a measurable response where possible
Because advertising is such a complex science the only real way to be sure that something will work before you try it is to refer to previous indicators. Start measuring the effectiveness of your advertising from the very beginning. Keep detailed records of what you did, when, to whom, for how much, and what resulted. Admittedly the results of certain advertising are very difficult to measure, particularly where no direct response is sought, when follow-up sample surveys are the only way to gauge performance. However, if you don’t measure and record results you’ll be missing the opportunity to make your task much easier next time around.
Key indicators to be gauged are cost per thousand, cost per response, and percentage response.
PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL MARKETING PROGRAM INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
Identify whether your adoption goals, budget and time line will be best supported by purchasing an existing, customizable marketing campaign or by developing an entirely new campaign.
Secure a budget for marketing efforts.
Target your audience:
How do you reach that group?
Printed receipts with messages and website address very prominently displayed, perhaps with an offer to receive an incentive for filling out a customer satisfaction survey online.
If you have been capturing email addresses of your customers, create an email list. Let them be the first to know that your site is live!
Include your employee training and awareness program for incorporating website services into your marketing program.
A welcome kit should be given to customers who have any type of inquiries that will benefit from a continual customer service relationship. The kits should provide enough detail so your customers can easily and quickly sign-up for online services and understand how to use these products effectively.
Train your front line staff on the features and benefits of your online products so they can assist customers in reviewing their welcome kit information.
Track customer sign-ups resulting from customer service efforts.
Include public relations/publicity in your marketing program.
Develop measurements and tracking for all call-to-action promotions.
Handouts giving product details for familiarization which are to be used by company personnel or representatives
