Getting Started: Advertising Through Mass Media
by Steve Strauss on May 8th, 2009
Q: My manager tasked me with analyzing our using mass media – radio and TV – for our business (5 stores.) Any insights you could give me to get started would be appreciated.
Linda
A: There’s an old maxim about advertising and dogs which that is pretty true, and I once I had the dog to prove it. Her name was Gert. Like most dogs, Gert hated it when she had to swallow a pill. She would spit that pill out as fast as she could.
I learned that the only way to get Gert to swallow a pill was to wrap it in something she loved. I usually stuck it in a hunk of cheese. She would gobble the cheese up, pill and all.
Well, your mass media advertising is not unlike that pill. Customers don’t really like ads. They try and to avoid them and figuratively spit them out by turning the page or changing the station or zapping through them.
So what do you do?
You need to wrap your ads in some tasty metaphorical cheese of course. Your cheese may be a great benefit, or humor, a giveaway, or maybe a catchy jingle.
Whatever it is, the first lesson of mass media advertising is that creativity works.
But let’s drill down a bit more.
Radio: If you want to succeed in your radio campaign, here are three rules to follow:
Rule # 1. Pick the right station: It does not matter how great your ad is or how clever it is, if you pick the wrong station, the ad is a waste of money. The people who need to hear it, who might buy what it is you are selling, will never hear it. So be sure to pick the station with the right demographic.
Rule # 2:. Have a creative ad: Right, the cheese. First, make sure you have a “headline” that catch’s their attention! After that, the key is to be engaging and creative. Radio is a medium that takes place between the ears; people must use their imaginations to make it work. Whether that means telling a story or using wacky sound effects is up to you.
Rule # 3:. Buy as much frequency as you can afford: Radio requires frequency. It is said people have to hear an ad six times before they really hear it. In addition, listeners change stations, tune out ads out, and talk on the phone while listening, so you have to repeat the same message again and again to get it heard. How many ads do you need to buy? As a general rule of thumb, on any given station, no less fewer than 15 is preferable for during a week, and 25 or more is desirable.
And remember, no matter how clever it is, you ad must answer one basic question the listener is asking: “What’s in it for me?”
Television: TV is the 800- pound gorilla of traditional advertising because it works. That said, it most certainly is not for everyone.
The challenge and opportunity of television has to do with its reach. Because you will be reaching a large audience, you will pay accordingly.
How much? One 30-second spot in the afternoon may cost $250 (depending on the station and city, of course.). That same ad during the evening news may cost $750 or more. During prime time, it may be double that. Overnight, it could drop to $50.
So the first thing to consider is whether you even need to reach that many people. Ask yourself:
· Do I have a business that has regional appeal?
· Can I afford to advertise often enough to get people to notice, remember, and act on my ad?
· Is there a better, more cost-effective, use of for my advertising dollar?
· If my ad works, can I handle the increased traffic that will result?
Like radio, frequency is one an important element to of successful television advertising. You simply must air your ad a lot to get people to act on it. This is even more difficult in this age of the DVR, where when people zap ads.
Another option is cable television, where the rates are far less expensive because the audience is much smaller. If you decide to advertise on cable, the same rules apply (creativity, etc.) but be sure that you specifically choose what which stations and shows you will be on. Ending up on the “broad rotator” schedule, though cheaper, means that your ads will be placed anywhere, anytime.
Also consider also overnight and weekend ads.
Mass media advertising can indeed work, if you make it “cheesy.”
Today’s tip: One key to a successful TV or radio ad is to repeat vital information: “Head On: Apply Directly to the Forehead! Head On: Apply Directly to the Forehead! Head On: Apply Directly to the Forehead!” Annoying, yes, but memorable, too.
More importantly: Be sure to repeatedly repeat your phone number and URL.
