Thursday, May 6, 2010
Recruiters on the radio ?
Looking around some of the social networking sites out there it's easy to see that on line is where it's at for many recruiters. If you're a recruiter have you ever considered taking it one step further by putting you message on radio? You know target a market, call the general sales manager, strike a deal to put the position on the radio. Radio can bring any on line or print ad to life by giving it a voice. You'll reach thousands of passive candidates in seconds. For example, Hometown 1340 WLVL is a news/talk station. Our audience is age 35- 55 primarily male, depending on the day part your message will reach upward of 15,000 listeners for about $20 bucks a spot or less ! It's not for everyone nor every market and out reach for some budgets, but for many it could lead to faster, more profitable placement.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Awareness, traffic, sales...
When it comes to your advertising/marketing plan what's your objective? Is it to create awareness? drive traffic? generate sales? You're correct if you answer all three! While the focus of your advertising efforts may focus on one of these, ultimately you want to move your product or service correct? So what does your message focus on ? Does it call the consumer to action? Is it visible to the right market? Is the message in the right media ? It's good to advertise, it's GREAT(and should be your goal) to achieve the objective.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
10.5 Reasons to Advertise
TEN (and a half!) REASONS TO ADVERTISE
1. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO REACH NEW CUSTOMERS:Your market changes constantly. New families in the area mean new customers.
People earn more money, which means changes in lifestyles and buying habits.
The shopper who wouldn’t consider your business a few month or years ago may
be a prime customer now. Remember: 20% of families will move this year. Five million people will be married. 3.3 million babies will be born.
2. YOU MUST ADVERTISE CONTINUOUSLY:
Shoppers don’t have the store loyalty they once did. Automobiles give shoppers
mobility and freedom. You must advertise to keep pace with your competition.
The National Retail Merchants Association states: “Mobility and non-loyalty are
rampant’. Stores must promote to get former customers to return, and to seek new
ones.
3. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO REMAIN WITH SHOPPERS THROUGH
THE BUYING PROCESS: Many people postpone buying decisions. They
often go from store to store comparing prices, quality, and service. Advertising
must reach them steadily through the entire decision making process. Your name
must be fresh in their minds when they ultimately decide to buy.
4. YOU MUST ADVERTISE BECAUSE YOUR COMPETITION IS
ADVERTISING: There are only so many customers in the market ready to buy
at any one time. You’ve got to advertise to keep regular customers. And to
counter balance the advertising of your competition. You must advertise to keep
your share of customers, or you will lose them to the most aggressive competitors.
5. YOU MUST ADVERTISE BECAUSE IT PAYS OFF OVER A LONG
PERIOD:Advertising gives you a long-term advantage over competitors who cut back or
cancel advertising. A five year survey of more than 3,000 companies found:
Advertisers who maintained or expanded advertising over a five year period saw
their sales increase an average of 100%. Companies, which cut advertising,
averaged sales increases of 45%.
6. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO GENERATE STORE TRAFFIC:Continuous store traffic is the first step toward sales increases and expanding your
base of shoppers. The more people who come into your store, the more
possibilities you have to make sales and sell additional merchandise. For every
100 items that shoppers plan to buy, they make 30 anticipated “in the store”
purchases, a NRMA survey shows.
7. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO MAKE MORE SALES:
Advertising works. Businesses that succeed are usually strong, steady advertisers.
Look around. You’ll find the most aggressive advertisers are almost invariably
the most successful.
8. YOU MUST ADVERTISE BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS BUSINESS TO
GENERATE: Your doors are open. Salespeople are on the payroll. Even the
slowest days produce sales. As long as you’re in business, you’ve got overhead to
meet, and new people to reach. Advertising can generate customers now and in
the future.
9. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO KEEP A HEALTHY POSITIVE IMAGE:In a competitive market, rumors and bad news travel fast. Advertising corrects
misleading gossip, punctures overstated bad news. Advertising that is vigorous
and positive can bring shoppers into the marketplace, regardless of the economy.
10. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO MAINTAIN STORE MORAL:
When advertising and promotion are suddenly cut or cancelled, salespeople may
become alarmed and demoralized. They may start false rumors in an honest belief
that your business is in trouble. Positive advertising boosts moral. It gives your
staff strong additional support.
10.5 TO MAKE MORE MONEY
Isnt that one of the reasons to be in business ?
1. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO REACH NEW CUSTOMERS:Your market changes constantly. New families in the area mean new customers.
People earn more money, which means changes in lifestyles and buying habits.
The shopper who wouldn’t consider your business a few month or years ago may
be a prime customer now. Remember: 20% of families will move this year. Five million people will be married. 3.3 million babies will be born.
2. YOU MUST ADVERTISE CONTINUOUSLY:
Shoppers don’t have the store loyalty they once did. Automobiles give shoppers
mobility and freedom. You must advertise to keep pace with your competition.
The National Retail Merchants Association states: “Mobility and non-loyalty are
rampant’. Stores must promote to get former customers to return, and to seek new
ones.
3. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO REMAIN WITH SHOPPERS THROUGH
THE BUYING PROCESS: Many people postpone buying decisions. They
often go from store to store comparing prices, quality, and service. Advertising
must reach them steadily through the entire decision making process. Your name
must be fresh in their minds when they ultimately decide to buy.
4. YOU MUST ADVERTISE BECAUSE YOUR COMPETITION IS
ADVERTISING: There are only so many customers in the market ready to buy
at any one time. You’ve got to advertise to keep regular customers. And to
counter balance the advertising of your competition. You must advertise to keep
your share of customers, or you will lose them to the most aggressive competitors.
5. YOU MUST ADVERTISE BECAUSE IT PAYS OFF OVER A LONG
PERIOD:Advertising gives you a long-term advantage over competitors who cut back or
cancel advertising. A five year survey of more than 3,000 companies found:
Advertisers who maintained or expanded advertising over a five year period saw
their sales increase an average of 100%. Companies, which cut advertising,
averaged sales increases of 45%.
6. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO GENERATE STORE TRAFFIC:Continuous store traffic is the first step toward sales increases and expanding your
base of shoppers. The more people who come into your store, the more
possibilities you have to make sales and sell additional merchandise. For every
100 items that shoppers plan to buy, they make 30 anticipated “in the store”
purchases, a NRMA survey shows.
7. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO MAKE MORE SALES:
Advertising works. Businesses that succeed are usually strong, steady advertisers.
Look around. You’ll find the most aggressive advertisers are almost invariably
the most successful.
8. YOU MUST ADVERTISE BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS BUSINESS TO
GENERATE: Your doors are open. Salespeople are on the payroll. Even the
slowest days produce sales. As long as you’re in business, you’ve got overhead to
meet, and new people to reach. Advertising can generate customers now and in
the future.
9. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO KEEP A HEALTHY POSITIVE IMAGE:In a competitive market, rumors and bad news travel fast. Advertising corrects
misleading gossip, punctures overstated bad news. Advertising that is vigorous
and positive can bring shoppers into the marketplace, regardless of the economy.
10. YOU MUST ADVERTISE TO MAINTAIN STORE MORAL:
When advertising and promotion are suddenly cut or cancelled, salespeople may
become alarmed and demoralized. They may start false rumors in an honest belief
that your business is in trouble. Positive advertising boosts moral. It gives your
staff strong additional support.
10.5 TO MAKE MORE MONEY
Isnt that one of the reasons to be in business ?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Creating Market Domination
What creates market domination?
In the last post I gave a brief insight into the essential questions I ask of a client before I sell them advertising. Identifying what your objective is so important. It will helps create a message that motivates, calls the consumer to action and ultimately converting them to make the purchase.
I sell radio advertising. WHY RADIO ? What make radio so powerful ?
•Radio is portable. The message travels with the consumer from home to car to beach or destination !
•Radio is memorable. Like television people remember a great radio ad.
•Radio has reach. It can reach across generations of listeners.
So how do I create market domination?
FREQUENCY creates domination. No matter what media mix you choose your message should be out there FREQUENTLY. You have an opportunity to achieve market domination no matter your budget. I’ll outline how in my next post. See you than !
In the last post I gave a brief insight into the essential questions I ask of a client before I sell them advertising. Identifying what your objective is so important. It will helps create a message that motivates, calls the consumer to action and ultimately converting them to make the purchase.
I sell radio advertising. WHY RADIO ? What make radio so powerful ?
•Radio is portable. The message travels with the consumer from home to car to beach or destination !
•Radio is memorable. Like television people remember a great radio ad.
•Radio has reach. It can reach across generations of listeners.
So how do I create market domination?
FREQUENCY creates domination. No matter what media mix you choose your message should be out there FREQUENTLY. You have an opportunity to achieve market domination no matter your budget. I’ll outline how in my next post. See you than !
Essential Questions...
Essential Questions…
Before I sell anyone advertising I ask them “what do you hope to achieve?”
•Are we working to create awareness for your business?
•Are we working to generate sales?
•Do we want to drive traffic to your store or site?
•all of the above
The answers are the heart of the campaign. It’s the why. Why are you advertising? Ads can be cute and creative. Memorable you bet. Brand building yes! but lets not loose site of the purpose. Always begin with the end in mind.
The discussion and answers we come up with will help us create the right message, for the right market in the right media. From your answers we will shape a message to satisfy the campaign objective.
Later I explain what creates domination.
Before I sell anyone advertising I ask them “what do you hope to achieve?”
•Are we working to create awareness for your business?
•Are we working to generate sales?
•Do we want to drive traffic to your store or site?
•all of the above
The answers are the heart of the campaign. It’s the why. Why are you advertising? Ads can be cute and creative. Memorable you bet. Brand building yes! but lets not loose site of the purpose. Always begin with the end in mind.
The discussion and answers we come up with will help us create the right message, for the right market in the right media. From your answers we will shape a message to satisfy the campaign objective.
Later I explain what creates domination.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Your Advertising : Keep it simple. Message , Media, Market !
In this article from "Advertising Age" experts again point to a comeback of the American consumer.While the bottom line of the article points to an increase in advertising efforts, it questions whether it will have an impact or create "noise". The opportunity for business owners here are : 1) Consumers are begining to come back to the store. Is your message meeting them? 2) Contrary to the bottom line of the article, your advertising can be very effective IF it is well thought out to reach the right market, with the right message, in the right media. 3) Although it's work, you can calculate and achieve a good return on your advertising investment. Lastly, even in a down economy work to keep your message out their so when consumers are ready to purchase you are on their mind.
Spring Brings in Rosier Marketing Picture
Despite lingering reasons for gloom, several signs in recent weeks are pointing to springtime in America for consumers, and, by extension, marketers.
Consumers opened their wallets in March, producing the biggest one-month gain since Thomson Reuters began compiling the data a decade ago. U.S. auto sales climbed a whopping 24.3% from a year ago. Consumers have largely stopped trading down in package goods, as private-label shares have stabilized in recent months after a big run-up last year. A nationwide tracking survey by Consumer Edge Research indicates consumers are eating out more, plan to buy more apparel and are less likely to wait for coupons or price promotions to buy cosmetics and toiletries than they were a few months ago.
Some signs point to marketers opening their wallets, too. Zenith Optimedia boosted its global ad-spending forecast last week for the second time in recent months, though it's still calling for a spending decline this year in North America. But one segment, U.S. package-goods marketers who cut spending sharply last year, appears to be following through on vows to spend more this year, according to a new report from Sanford C. Bernstein.
The sudden strength of consumer spending across so many categories is perplexing to some economists who see a false spring in such numbers as March retailer reports. Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein notes that consumer confidence remains at levels typically seen in the depth of recessions, not during recoveries, after hitting its lowest point in 12 postwar recessions. While March confidence numbers rebounded from a big drop in February, they remained lower than in January.
"The question is whether (March retail sales) are a trend or a blip, and my guess is that this is more of a blip," Mr. Goldstein said, citing continued high unemployment and low consumer expectations for job and income growth in the Conference Board survey.
Good news for brands
But a number of other surveys show definite and steady improvement in consumer sentiment. Consumer Edge's survey of 2,500 people, which, while only fielded since last October, has shown continuous improvement in the number of consumers who say they've eaten at quick-service and fine restaurants in the past 30 days and who plan to buy everything from clothes to cars in the next 30 days.
The March edition of the survey had the most optimistic data yet for brands, with the first decline in the percentage of consumers who said they always try to buy private labels or use coupons, along with declines in the percentage of consumers who say they always buy the cheapest brand of electronics and wait to buy cosmetics or toiletries until they're on sale.
Consumer Edge analyst Bill Pecoriello said he felt the survey data was vindicated when scanner data from Nielsen and Symphony IRI came out a few days later showing a decline in private-label market shares in household and personal care products as well as food from the prior month.
RBC Capital Markets, which has its own consumer spending survey that's more detailed than those of the Conference Board or University of Michigan, found the highest level of consumer spending sentiment in its April survey released last week since January of 2008, near the entry point of the current recession. RBC found marked improvement in consumer spending plans on a wide range of areas, including dining out, apparel and automotive spending.
The NPD Group also found cause for hope in the restaurant industry. Its Crest service, which tracks weekly same-store sales at 47 quick-service and mid-level dining chains, finds sales have been positive for five of the past six weeks. "It's the first time we've seen that for 11 months," said NPD restaurant analyst Bonnie Riggs. "We do think things are starting to pick up."
Beating forecasts
It sees, for example, a lift in breakfast sales, which slid 2% last year as unemployed consumers stayed away from drive-thrus in the morning. NPD still expects traffic as a whole to remain negative through the third quarter, but believes it will turn positive by the fourth quarter. And Ms. Riggs doesn't expect the industry to return to pre-recession levels for another 18 months.
For retailers, the data for now is largely on the side of the optimists, though there are caveats. March retail results appeared to borrow both from February, when consumers delayed some purchases because of bad weather, and April, because of an earlier Easter this year. Even so, the numbers beat the forecasts of analysts, who knew both those factors going in.
In all, Kantar Retail found retail same-store sales up 9.2% based on March reports excluding Walmart, which stopped providing monthly sales data last May. That more than made up for a 4.7% decline in the retail numbers excluding Walmart a year ago.
Of course, Walmart, when it was still reporting monthly numbers, turned last year's 4.7% decline into only a 1.9% decline. In recent quarters, however, Walmart's same-store sales have lagged the market. So when the behemoth next releases its quarterly numbers in June, it could pull down industry growth if trends continue.
Package-goods players appear to be following through on vows to spend more on advertising, with household and personal-care players raising spending 6% in January vs. a year ago, when they also had hiked spending before a fairly steep decline for the remainder of the year, according to Kantar Media data from Bernstein. In all, Bernstein analyst Ali Dibadj expects household and personal-care companies he covers to hike ad spending as a share of sales by more than a percentage point this year, undoing last year's decline.
"The question is, as more companies spend more on advertising over the next year or so, does that just create more noise?" he said. "To get the same share of voice, everyone has to spend more, so the ROI just goes down."
(Source: Advertising Age, 04/12/10)
Spring Brings in Rosier Marketing Picture
Despite lingering reasons for gloom, several signs in recent weeks are pointing to springtime in America for consumers, and, by extension, marketers.
Consumers opened their wallets in March, producing the biggest one-month gain since Thomson Reuters began compiling the data a decade ago. U.S. auto sales climbed a whopping 24.3% from a year ago. Consumers have largely stopped trading down in package goods, as private-label shares have stabilized in recent months after a big run-up last year. A nationwide tracking survey by Consumer Edge Research indicates consumers are eating out more, plan to buy more apparel and are less likely to wait for coupons or price promotions to buy cosmetics and toiletries than they were a few months ago.
Some signs point to marketers opening their wallets, too. Zenith Optimedia boosted its global ad-spending forecast last week for the second time in recent months, though it's still calling for a spending decline this year in North America. But one segment, U.S. package-goods marketers who cut spending sharply last year, appears to be following through on vows to spend more this year, according to a new report from Sanford C. Bernstein.
The sudden strength of consumer spending across so many categories is perplexing to some economists who see a false spring in such numbers as March retailer reports. Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein notes that consumer confidence remains at levels typically seen in the depth of recessions, not during recoveries, after hitting its lowest point in 12 postwar recessions. While March confidence numbers rebounded from a big drop in February, they remained lower than in January.
"The question is whether (March retail sales) are a trend or a blip, and my guess is that this is more of a blip," Mr. Goldstein said, citing continued high unemployment and low consumer expectations for job and income growth in the Conference Board survey.
Good news for brands
But a number of other surveys show definite and steady improvement in consumer sentiment. Consumer Edge's survey of 2,500 people, which, while only fielded since last October, has shown continuous improvement in the number of consumers who say they've eaten at quick-service and fine restaurants in the past 30 days and who plan to buy everything from clothes to cars in the next 30 days.
The March edition of the survey had the most optimistic data yet for brands, with the first decline in the percentage of consumers who said they always try to buy private labels or use coupons, along with declines in the percentage of consumers who say they always buy the cheapest brand of electronics and wait to buy cosmetics or toiletries until they're on sale.
Consumer Edge analyst Bill Pecoriello said he felt the survey data was vindicated when scanner data from Nielsen and Symphony IRI came out a few days later showing a decline in private-label market shares in household and personal care products as well as food from the prior month.
RBC Capital Markets, which has its own consumer spending survey that's more detailed than those of the Conference Board or University of Michigan, found the highest level of consumer spending sentiment in its April survey released last week since January of 2008, near the entry point of the current recession. RBC found marked improvement in consumer spending plans on a wide range of areas, including dining out, apparel and automotive spending.
The NPD Group also found cause for hope in the restaurant industry. Its Crest service, which tracks weekly same-store sales at 47 quick-service and mid-level dining chains, finds sales have been positive for five of the past six weeks. "It's the first time we've seen that for 11 months," said NPD restaurant analyst Bonnie Riggs. "We do think things are starting to pick up."
Beating forecasts
It sees, for example, a lift in breakfast sales, which slid 2% last year as unemployed consumers stayed away from drive-thrus in the morning. NPD still expects traffic as a whole to remain negative through the third quarter, but believes it will turn positive by the fourth quarter. And Ms. Riggs doesn't expect the industry to return to pre-recession levels for another 18 months.
For retailers, the data for now is largely on the side of the optimists, though there are caveats. March retail results appeared to borrow both from February, when consumers delayed some purchases because of bad weather, and April, because of an earlier Easter this year. Even so, the numbers beat the forecasts of analysts, who knew both those factors going in.
In all, Kantar Retail found retail same-store sales up 9.2% based on March reports excluding Walmart, which stopped providing monthly sales data last May. That more than made up for a 4.7% decline in the retail numbers excluding Walmart a year ago.
Of course, Walmart, when it was still reporting monthly numbers, turned last year's 4.7% decline into only a 1.9% decline. In recent quarters, however, Walmart's same-store sales have lagged the market. So when the behemoth next releases its quarterly numbers in June, it could pull down industry growth if trends continue.
Package-goods players appear to be following through on vows to spend more on advertising, with household and personal-care players raising spending 6% in January vs. a year ago, when they also had hiked spending before a fairly steep decline for the remainder of the year, according to Kantar Media data from Bernstein. In all, Bernstein analyst Ali Dibadj expects household and personal-care companies he covers to hike ad spending as a share of sales by more than a percentage point this year, undoing last year's decline.
"The question is, as more companies spend more on advertising over the next year or so, does that just create more noise?" he said. "To get the same share of voice, everyone has to spend more, so the ROI just goes down."
(Source: Advertising Age, 04/12/10)
Friday, April 9, 2010
3 Quote Friday
Good afternoon and TGiF !
It's Friday and time for "3 Quote Friday". This week we'll have three quotes from American business legend Henry Ford. Some things are never old. Here is some wisdom from Henry Ford:
"A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large"
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success"
Have a wonderful weekend everyone !
It's Friday and time for "3 Quote Friday". This week we'll have three quotes from American business legend Henry Ford. Some things are never old. Here is some wisdom from Henry Ford:
"A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large"
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success"
Have a wonderful weekend everyone !
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