We love research. By research we mean knowing just about everything we can possibly know about your business, your products, your services, your locations, your customers, their habits, your competition, your market share, your perception in the marketplace, etc…The more we know, the better chance we have of developing a successful strategy for you.

When it comes to gathering information, we offer a few words of wisdom:

• Never underestimate the importance of truly recognizing and understanding the target audience; how to speak to them properly, how to appeal to their minds. Know who your core customer is and who your fringe customers are.

• Never underestimate the importance of knowing the competition. You may quickly discover a golden opportunity if you take the time to break down your competition’s strengths and weaknesses.

• Never underestimate the importance of mapping a geographical footprint; knowing where your core customers are coming from and where the fringe customers are coming from.
  

One of the biggest mistakes companies make when launching a campaign is that they expect too much, too soon. Unless you’re giving away the store, results don’t normally happen overnight. According to marketing firm Yankelovich, individuals are bombarded with up to 5,000 advertising messages each and every day. When you begin a campaign, your message and brand take time to stick. Not only must your message stand out from the clutter, you must be consistent in your efforts. An appropriate analogy would be akin to pushing a car that’s run out of gas. It takes more effort at first to get the car moving, but after awhile, after the car has gained momentum and is rolling along the road, you can walk behind it with just a finger, applying minimal effort to keep the momentum moving forward. Your advertising efforts mirror that philosophy. Start strong, stay consistent, and keep the momentum going, Once you stop, you’ll see that it takes more effort to rebuild the momentum you just had worked so hard to create.

When it comes to advertising, we believe that just about all media can work; it’s simply that some mediums work better than others. Factors such as having a clear understanding of your goal, having an appropriate budget in place to reach that goal, and knowing the target audience are vital when choosing media. That’s where our experience makes a difference.

If you’re thinking about advertising, we can help you navigate through the overabundance of media choices, present to you the strengths and weaknesses of each and offer you unbiased recommendations on what the best options may be. However, regardless of the medium or mediums you choose, your campaign will only be successful if your message is impactful and stands out from the clutter.

CREATIVE IS POWERFUL. IT CAN PERSUADE OR DISSUADE. What makes a message impactful? For starters, it needs to speak the language of its intended audience. Is your medical brochure written in a language that you may understand – but that your audience may not? Is your public service announcement written as a public service message, or as an advertisement? If you’re looking for immediate results, does your ad include a call to action, and is there an offer that will motivate the consumer to respond favorably?

The market is flooded with quickie creative solutions that can be bought for a dime. But will they communicate to your target audience effectively? That’s a big decision; one that can make or break a campaign. We feel it important, pertinent, that you conduct your due diligence before investing your time, your energy and your resources into a campaign that may or may not prove successful.

And speaking of success, success will only be achieved at its highest level when developed in accordance with a thorough knowledge and complete understanding of the audience for which it is intended - all part of the blueprint we like to create for every project we work on.

The look and feel of your brand is extremely important. Every word you say, every picture you show, every graphic you incorporate should be representative of your image. Do you have a logo or tag line that easily explains who you are and what you represent? Is every employee and company representative acting in accordance with your brand? Is your perception of your brand the same as your customers? Have you ever taken a customer or employee survey? You might be amazed at the information that can be derived by asking a few simple questions. As a business owner, YOU are ultimately responsible for how your company is perceived, regardless of whether or not you handle the marketing efforts internally or utilize an outside agency.

Three things are required to achieve results.

1. Reach the right people.
2. Deliver a message that motivates.
3. Remain consistent in the delivery of that message. Frequency rules!

1. Reach the right people.

Every business has customers from A to Z. In marketing, don’t fret over your exceptions (A and Z), focus on your core. How do you determine your core?

• Demographics (age, race, ethnicity)
• Geographics (where are your customers coming from?)
• Psychographics (Wealthy? Yuppy? Educated? Blue Collar?)
• Product/Service (What does your core customer come to you for?)

2. Deliver a message that motivates.

1. Sell what the customer is buying. You aren’t selling a college degree, you’re selling the college graduate lifestyle. You aren’t selling a nicotine patch, you’re selling a longer, healthier, tobacco-free life.
2. Your ad will reach two sets of customers. 1) People who need your product or service now, and 2) People who will need your product or service later. It’s important to build forward equity into this group, and you’ll want to incorporate elements into your ad to help develop that forward equity.

3. Achieve consistency and frequency in your message.

Think Flo from the Progressive Insurance ads. Although Progressive sells many types of insurance policies, they maintain consistency in their use of Flo in all of the creative. And one only needs to turn on the radio or television to appreciate the frequency with which they promote their products. Today, Progressive ranks #4 in market share and has increased that share for four consecutive years since Flo has become the unofficial spokesperson for the insurance company. Consistency and frequency rule.