Once upon a time in the land of radio

Some 15 years ago RWA started working with a small retailer. With just one location, the company had no plans to expand. Rather the owner was quite content to simply grow the business that was currently coming into his shop, servicing as many customers as possible in his 9 to 5 (or sometimes 9 to 3) workday.

The company wasn’t the typical agency client, but we were impressed by the owner’s commitment to a consistent advertising effort so we took him on. Year after year, month after month, during season and during off season, we ran advertising for this one store. You know what? That old adage – the one about how consistent advertising works – well, it actually works!

For the past 15 years, we have consistently run advertisements for our retailer on local radio stations. Today, not a week goes by when a new customer doesn’t wander into this one shop and speak those glorious words “I heard your ad on the radio.”

Much ado has been made over radio and about the impact of new developments such as satellite radio on the effectiveness of local radio advertising. Granted radio listeners today have more options, much as they do in television, in print and online. So making an impact on radio is more challenging than it has been in the past.

The success our one-shop retailer has had on radio is largely due to the entertaining nature of its radio spots. Since the company has only one location which is manned only by the owner, the radio advertisements capitalize on the unique experience of shopping local and dealing directly with the guy who owns the shop. The offbeat, obviously locally produced radio ads feature the owner chatting with listeners, much in the way he does when they come into his shop. His topics cover everything from recent events, to childhood memories, to rants about life’s little annoyances. In between, he throws in a little info about his shop and invites people to come visit. Listeners come in as much to meet him as to shop at the store.

Radio has often been described as “theatre of the mind,” the one medium where an advertiser could build an image in its customers’ minds by telling them a really good story. Tell it enough and people start to listen. Then, pretty soon, they start to respond. After all, who doesn’t love a really good story?

Sure, it's your ad, but what's in it for me?

A good friend of mine who recently got Tivo was expounding to me on the fantastic benefits of this new technology.

“I can Tivo all the best shows like Real Housewives and Dancing with the Stars,” she gushed. “I get to watch them when I want to watch them and the best part is, I don’t have to watch the commercials!”

Say what?

“But, the commercials are the best part of watching TV,” I responded, tactfully omitting the added rebuttal of “especially considering the kinds of TV you’re watching.”

She shook her head sadly, a comment to my obvious disillusionment surrounding my profession. “Commercials suck,” she said.

As much as I hate to admit it, she has a point. And, considering that she represents a large audience of consumers that enjoy today’s scintillating TV menu of battling housewives and tangoing celebrities, her opinion counts… a lot. She thinks your message sucks.

Advertisers (and, yes, even their agencies) can sometimes lose perspective when telling their story through advertising. Common ad phrases like “We’re available 24/7 to serve you.” and “The number one choice for (insert product or service here)!” are intended to tell consumers why they should “call now.” When you break it down, though, all they’re really telling consumers is how full of ourselves we are.

It’s all about us. There’s nothing in it for them.

Engaging potential customers through advertising requires a reversed point of view. You have see things from their perspective, not yours. Marketing Consultant, Simon Sinek, illustrates how to do this effectively through his concept of “The Golden Circle.” As Sinek explains, consumers can be inspired to support (buy) a product if you stop talking about what you do and start talking about why you do it. Suddenly consumers believe in you because you talk about what's important to them.

Just think of it from the Real Housewife perspective. “What’s in it for me?”

It’s not nice to call people names. (Copycat!)

Your new ad campaign is a masterpiece. The headlines are engaging and provocative. The visuals are hand-selected for a perfect fit. The call-to-action is different from anyone else’s, a strong offer guaranteed to get the phone ringing.

The campaign hits and, for the first few weeks, you’re basking in the glow of newfound results. Calls are coming in. Appointments are being made. New customers are noticing you for the first time. Someone else is noticing you too - your competitor. He thinks your campaign is pretty darn good. So, like any good morally ambiguous business owner, he decides to run a new campaign too. And, remarkably, it looks just like yours.

Perhaps you should be flattered. After all, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But, you’re probably not feeling so flattered if your phone isn’t ringing as much as it was before the copycat prowled his way into your marketing ideas. Perhaps it’s time to sharpen your claws and get ready for a good old fashioned catfight.

In the advertising world, these feline wars are more conservatively dubbed “comparative advertising.” Comparative advertising can be quite successful in battling copycats when used in certain ways.

1. Hammer the one key selling point that makes you better than your competitor. Verizon has used this strategy very successfully in its battle against AT&T. Pick your best selling point, something your competitor cannot offer, and ask customers to compare.
2. Invite consumers to try you both. The Pepsi Challenge is a classic example of this strategy. Whether consumers really preferred Coke or Pepsi, we’ll never know. We do know that consumers remembered Pepsi best because they had the confidence to challenge us. If you know your product is better, invite consumers to compare it.
3. Poke fun at your competition. Apple is a master of poking fun at its PC competitors. The key to this strategy is to poke fun in a good natured way. Getting nasty can easily backfire on you.

You were creative enough to get one up on the competition before so you’ve obviously got what it takes to beat him again. After all, there’s more than one way to skin a copycat.

Promotional value… priceless or just pricey?

The player sprinted full out as the ball arced high into the sky, flirting with the outfield wall. Fans sprang to their feet, a hush of silence sweeping over the stadium as all eyes watched the contest between ball and man. The ball’s course was high, seemingly well beyond the reach of any mortal man. It seemed destined for the oblivion of the open pasture behind the stadium. As it soared to freedom, the player launched himself into the air. Stretching his arm to an impossible height, he reached his glove skyward to capture the ball safely in its leather cocoon.

Then, he slammed backward into a Jon Smith Subs outfield board.

The front page of the Sports section carried the story and the picture of the winning play with “World’s Best Marinated Steak Subs” shouting loudly from the background. Not a bad return on that baseball sponsorship.

Unlike a TV commercial or print ad, sponsorships and promotions are more difficult to put a value on. Promoters love to pitch you splashy presentations promising hundreds of thousands of impressions for substantially less than they are really worth. But, unless they can make your cash register ring, they’re just a bunch of pretty pictures with no story behind them. And, as my grandmother liked to say, “paper holds still.”

The value you place on a sponsorship or promotion depends on the value you expect to get out of it. You must define your expectations going in so you know how to determine the success when the fans have all gone home. A sponsor message on an outfield board is a great way to promote your brand, but unless you advertise “Free Subs,” you probably won’t be inundated by customers saying they saw you at the ballgame. If that’s your expectation, look for another kind of promotion or sponsorship.

Promoters and media often try to fit you into pre-packaged sponsorships. The Platinum Package includes on-air mentions, your logo on promotional materials, exposure on the website (ten zillion hits a week) and inclusion in weekly on air giveaways (supplied by yours truly). Sometimes a pre-packaged plan fits right within your expectations. More often, you’ll want to ask for a customized version.

Recently a client asked for a traffic driving promotion and the promoter presented a register-to-win opportunity for a prize provided by – guess who? – the client. Other than the “traffic driving on-air mentions,” the client could have conducted the promotion on his own. Instead, we negotiated for a gift with purchase provided by – guess who? – the promoter for the same price tag as the original promotion. The client posted record sales for the day.

So the next time you’re considering a promotion or sponsorship, make them pitch it just the way you like it… straight across home plate. Chances are, you’ll get a home run.

Building a lasting relationship in the fickle web world

I confess. I was as fickle as the next girl. I went for the ones who were dark, handsome and mysterious. Those plain, clean cut, honest ones bored me to tears. I wanted a challenge. I craved the thrill. I was obsessed with finding the next best thing www could offer.

Like so many surfers, I eventually became disillusioned. Sure, the websites looked good on the surface – damn good – but they had no substance. Get past the pretty face and there was nothing to build a relationship on. We broke up. I never saw them again.

In the flash of the web world, it’s easy to dismiss sites that deliver interesting content, relevant information and an engaging user experience. Hey, if they don’t have a pretty face, why bother looking beneath the surface?

As in the real world, though, pretty will only get you so far. Websites that deliver a lasting experience that the user finds valuable will stand a better chance at building a long-term relationship with your customer.

Creating these online relationships is not much different that creating relationships in the real world.

1. Provide interesting, relevant content. Users want to hang out with sites that interest them and provide them with information they can use. Update your content on a regular basis. Keep it fresh and new.
2. Engage your users. Users want to feel important, like their thoughts, feelings and opinions count. Build avenues for them to express themselves. Blogs, forums, surveys and polls allow users to be heard and feel valued.
3. Become a resource. Users want to be with you, but there are a lot of other websites competing for their attention. Rather than fight it, welcome their curiosity by providing interesting links, articles, and viral content for them to visit. They'll keep coming bakc to you.
4. Make users feel special. Users want to feel valued so provide them with special discounts, give them VIP access to news, web casts or other relevant information, and allow them to customize their web experience. Remind them that you love them all the time.

Take a good, hard look at your website. Is it relationship material?

Mind your manners, Miss Twitterer.

Don’t eat with your elbows on the table.

Use your napkin!

What do you say to Mrs. Johnson for the lovely gift, Joey? Joey!

Hey, no cutting in line!

Most kids are beat over the head with reminders about their manners on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis. Yet, with age does not always come courtesy. Case in point, the car that refused to get in the long line waiting to turn right and chose, instead, to scoot up the left side and demand to be let in at the front of the line.

Hey! No cutting in line!

Most business professionals maintain a modicum of manners in their normal business dealings. Receptionists ask you to “hold please” or politely request “may I take a message?” Salespeople know to show up on time for business appointments. Bosses can usually expect employees not to whisper or pass notes in meetings… usually.

Yes, Miss Manners is still a powerful force in the business world except, it seems, in the world of social media. Business professionals who wouldn’t dream of sharing their opinions about Obama, Roe v. Wade or the war in Afghanistan over lunch with a client have no qualms about blogging or Twittering those same opinions to the world. Social Media can be a powerful way to build your business, but not if potential customers are turned off at their first experience with you.

Minding your manners when interacting in the social media world is not much different than in the real world, as Rohit Bhargava points out in his article “10 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Kharma.” Maximizing your social media impact just requires remembering a few things mom taught you.

Always tell the truth.

Make sure to say “thank you.”

Don’t talk behind people’s backs.

And for heaven’s sake, no blogging at the dinner table! Were you raised in a barn?

Calling Bullsh*t on Black Friday

Leather jackets for $25!

Complete drill set for $14.99!

Two for one hoodies!

599 doorbusters storewide!

The TV has been screaming deals out for two weeks now. At this point, who can keep track? Old Navy has the 3 for 1 turtlenecks, right? Or were they opening at three? Or was it one? I have to get to Sears by 4:00am for $5.00 cardigans. Or was it 5:00am for $4.00 neckties?

In the blur of Black Friday doorbuster deals, any good marketer has to wonder if the message is getting through. After all, there are only so many crazy consumers willing to forsake sleeping in on a day off from work for the fabulous Black Friday savings at the mall. Diamond necklaces for $49.99 just might not be worthy of a 5:00am wake up call. Exactly what type of diamonds are those anyway?

There’s a fair amount of bull… um, baloney… in Black Friday advertising. Sure, some doorbusters are worthy of their name, but others… well, you have to wonder what a $25 leather jacket is really made of.

The marketers at Jetson, a Florida-based electronics and appliance retailer, seem to be wondering the same thing. So, they decided to call out some of this year’s questionable doorbuster deals in a TV campaign that calls Bullsh*t on Black Friday.

Launched last week, the original spots got pulled because the use of an announcer saying “Bull” with a “bleep” after it was a little too risqué for wholesome, Floridian audiences. The revised version is just as good.

Enjoy watching (unless you are already out there checking out those Whatchamacallit TV deals).