Posts Tagged ‘advertising’
by Steve Strauss on July 1st, 2009
Q: I keep hearing that one way to make it though this recession is to advertise more – that is one thing that successful companies did to make it through previous bad economies. Is that an accurate analysis of those companies did right?
Amy
A: Advertising more right now makes intuitive sense to me, but does it make actual real business sense? Maybe, but maybe not.
Intuitively, one thing that is clear right now is that people are looking for a bargain; customer loyalty is a bit of any oxymoron as customers are generally more interested in saving money than... Read more »
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... Read more »
by Danny Brown on August 12th, 2008
If you’re looking to create an advertising campaign for your business, you need to make sure you approach it correctly if you want it to make an impact. This is regardless of what form your advertising will take – online, print, television or radio. After all, you’re probably spending quite a bit on the advertising costs, so you need to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts when developing your campaign:
Keeping it Clean
Do use simple ideas: Focus your campaign on one image, slogan, or concept.
Don’t have 4-5 images vying for... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on July 9th, 2008
One of the biggest problems online marketers face is grabbing the attention of surfers. The second is building instant trust between the surfer and the website. The latter sounds practically impossible but new technology has once again prevailed and brought us one step closer to the goal.
Perhaps you’ve seen it and perhaps you haven’t. Regardless, it’s making a splash in the online advertising/marketing community. What is it? (drum roll please…)
Moving media.
The principle is to place a "live host" on your website that will greet your customers and personally introduce your site and company. The humanized video makes... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on July 1st, 2008
The one thing that enduring companies have in common is that they change. Not only can their products vary but also the image they project as well. Rebranding is common in the business world and quite often vital in order to succeed. Take McDonalds for example. You wouldn’t have thought that this global company would have to work too hard to sell any hamburgers but take a look at this commercial from 1985:
Now check out this one from 2003:
So as you can see, McDonalds has changed their approach from a more childlike appeal in the first commercial to... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on June 12th, 2008
I’m sure you’ve seen those cheesy commercials that crowd your late night television viewing. You know the ones promising extraordinary results and benefits that basically scream in your ear to BUY IT! Well, I suppose those work to some degree because otherwise they would have fizzled out long ago. But the average business owner needs a different approach. A very different approach.
Be conscientious of what your copy sounds like. If it sounds like one of those late night "razzle-dazzle" quick-sell commercials, you’re on the wrong track. Here are some ways to figure out if it falls into that category... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on May 6th, 2008
I was introduced to PlentyofFish.com today. It’s an online dating service that was started by one guy in Canada 5 years ago. It is now the third most popular online dating service and pulls in an annual revenue of 5 million+ from Google advertising. You know how many people run it now?
Just 1.
Yes it’s true, the same guy that started it still runs the site out of his apartment in Vancouver and is sitting quite pretty with his "little" venture. The difference between his site and the others out there? Well, #1 it’s absolutely free (people love free... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 29th, 2008
One of the most successful movies at depicting business life was ‘Wall Street”. Made and set in the property boom and “me too” decade of the 80’s, it was the perfect example of the “hard sell” approach of sales and advertising. Now, however, despite some people still relating selling or advertising a product as normally “hard selling”, many companies are turning to the method of “soft” selling to get their message across.
The difference here is that instead of aggressively “forcing” your advertisement onto consumers and customers, your business should now adopt a softer approach that will actually make them... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on April 17th, 2008
A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive and Dr. Alan F. Westin Professor of Public Law and Government Emeritus at Columbia University showed that the majority (59%) of U.S. adults are uncomfortable with customized ads directed at them based on their web surfing habits. It doesn’t really surprise me either.
After all, have you ever been reading your GMail and glanced over at the ads down the side and noticed that the ads have been determined by scanning the content in your email? I’ll admit that when I first noticed that going on, it weirded me out a bit. It... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on April 7th, 2008
I remember the days when cell phones were exciting because they were cordless AND you could use them past your front porch without it crackling and buzzing you deaf. Then came the ringtones. And the cameras. And the text messages, email, internet, music and video. I can’t afford the latest and greatest (mine simply allows for phone calls and a few texts) but when they add a "Makes You Breakfast in Bed" feature I’ll seriously consider upgrading.
But as is, I, along with countless others, still possess the capability of participating in text shopping, the latest service offered by Amazon.com... Read more »