I had lunch with a radio sales rep a couple of weeks ago and invariably, as it always does, the conversation turned to reaching “the right people” and how this group of stations could reach exactly the customer my client was after.
Now, honestly, I’ve never seen a business fail due to reaching the wrong people. But if you listen to advertising sales reps, “reaching the right people” will solve all your problems.
And guess who has exactly the right people for you?
The conversation usually goes something like this: the sales rep says, “Tell me, who is your customer?”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
“Really? That’s exactly who we reach! What a fit! It’s like a hand in glove, a marriage made in heaven! We reach your exact customer profile!”
Get the picture?
Here’s an idea. Call every advertising sales office in your city and tell them you want to advertise with them. Let’s see how many of them say, “Sorry, your customer isn’t who we reach.”
The myth of “the right people” is a myth every business owner wants to believe because it keeps them from having to make uncomfortable changes. “Our selection isn’t off-target, we’re just reaching the wrong people.” “Our prices aren’t too high, we’re just reaching the wrong people.” Traffic isn’t down because our ads are flaccid, we’re just reaching the wrong people.”
In truth, “the right people” are easy to find.
They’re everywhere.
And they know each other.
And they talk.
The right message works regardless of which media delivers it.
The wrong message disappoints you and your customer alike.
When I travel and speak publicly, business owners often grab my arm to tell me the demographic profiles of their customers. They say things like, “My customer is an upper-middle income female between 35 and 54.”
This is useful information for an ad writer. But what these business owners hope I’ll be able to tell them is which media will work best for their business. “Is it cable TV? Network TV? Newspaper? Billboards? Huh? What do you think about PR? Is it the internet? Is internet the key? What about radio? Does anyone listen to the radio anymore? Which media should I buy?”
My answer never changes. “They call it mass media for a reason; it reaches the masses. The successful use of mass media requires a message that matters to a large percentage of the public. Tell me your message and I’ll tell you which media is best suited to deliver it for you.”
Is there such a thing as targeted media? Absolutely! In fact, 90% of my clients are “niche” businesses selling into very specific markets. Let’s take a manufacturer of products for the Fire/Emergency markets for example. I would never suggest mass media. There are a variety of ways you can target Fire truck builders:
1. Letters and catalogs mailed to them.
2. Fire industry trade magazines.
3. Salespeople calling specifiers and other salesmen on the phone.
4. Participation in trade shows and other events to which fire market people are invited.
5. Banner ads on fire market releated websites.
6. Keyword purchases of jargon relevant only to the fire market.
7. Search engine optimization of your fire truck market website.
8. Samples of your product shipped to specific companies.
9. Logo-emblazoned gifts that might be used by the staff each day in a typical office.
But if your product is less highly specialized than parts that go on a fire truck, airplane parts or industrial glue, you’ll do well to craft a message for the masses and deliver it through mass media.
I hate to pick on my media sales rep, but media salespeople are mistaken, when they use such terms as “our reader,” “our viewer” and “our listener” since these terms make it seem as though that reader, listener or viewer can be reached through them and them alone. In truth, every reader, listener or viewer is available to you through any of several different media outlets. None of us are reached through only a single media outlet.
As you review your plans for 2011 and which media you may be considering purchasing, think about the messages you need to craft and who needs to be reading them.
Need help? Perhaps you’ve never really had to plan a “campaign” and aren’t sure of the pitfalls and obstacles that may occur. No matter what potential problems face your business, you can be sure that others have faced them before. And overcome them. Let’s talk about your business, your goals and your ambitions. And then let’s build a roadmap of effective marketing to help get you there. Visit our website www.marketingperformance.net for lot’s more information, white papers and help.
Tags: advertising, brand equity, Branding, business barriers, business gains, Catapult Effect, creative marketing strategy, marketing performance, Social Media, starting a business