And now the GOOD news

by Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Do you know the difference between a “recession” and a “depression?”  When all the businesses all around have dropped in sales and have had to lay off employees and cut management salaries to the bone — that’s a “recession.”  When a customer walks out of MY business without buying something — that’s a “depression.”

OK, so we’re in a recession.  I know, you’ve been feeling it.  And yet, some of our clients are going straight out.  One called to say he was so busy, he hadn’t had time to do his office work.  Another said she had 9 inquiries (4 of which became new clients) on the first day she appeared in the newspaper.

Why?  Because they’ve learned a few little tricks to marketing during a recession — we call it “moving up in a down economy.”

If you’re like many small-business execs, you’ve tightened your belt a few notches and figure you’ll ride out the storm.  Just when you need more business, you’ve slashed your advertising budget (maybe eliminated it entirely).  To save money, you’ve dropped out of networking groups and chambers of commerce.  Maybe you’ve even let your best salesperson go because you can’t afford that big draw when, after all, there’s “no business out there.”

That’s like removing the floorboards of your lifeboat to keep it from sinking.

As a marketer, you know that.  So what’s a business-owner to do?

·        First, analyze your market and determine what it is your customers need in an economic downturn, and then adjust your offerings.  For example, if you’re a contractor who does major renovations (room additions, garages, etc.), try promoting smaller, less costly projects (siding, roofing, closet re-making).  When fewer people are buying homes, more of them are remodeling.

·        Cut your advertising budget (what?!?!?) and still get valuable and widespread notice.  We’ve enabled a number of our clients to get articles written about them in major daily newspapers, complete with color photos and contact information, with zero media cost.  One 2-page color spread in the Patriot Ledger was worth over $8,000 and it cost our client nothing more than for our professional services.

·        Check out some of the media rates that are significantly cut —because of the recession, because national advertisers have cut back, and because the heavy-buying political and holiday times are over.  You may be amazed at how inexpensively you can reach your target market, if you buy right.

·        Get in on the new “free” media.  Emails, websites, “viral” marketing, “social” on-line communities — one or more of these may be right for you, and your investment is just the work it takes to get it done.  The benefits go on and on and on, at little or no cost!

·        Finally, do it yourself (what, again?!?!?).  Maybe you’re adept at desktop publishing, or you have a sister-in-law who designs fliers for her PTA.  What you need is a professional marketing analysis and strategies for target marketing, product positioning, media selection, and so on.  We have prepared dozens of these reports, and many of our clients have been able to take the report and produce really convincing advertising and brochures.

Here’s the best news.  If you can keep your business thriving, perhaps even increase your market share and visibility, you’ll come out ahead when the recession is over.  History is full of big-business examples (even dating back to the Great Depression), and it will work for you too.

Don’t just “ride out the storm.”  Use the waves and wind to get you where you want to go.  We’ve seen many economic downturns in over 30 years in business, and we have helped many of our clients “move up in a down economy.”

Don’t just survive…thrive!  Call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.

Advertising for Less Business?

by Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Ask anyone why they advertise and the answer will almost invariably be “to sell stuff.”  But not always.

Obviously, there are many reasons to advertise.  To introduce a new product.  To make people think better of your company.  To counteract bad publicity.  To encourage a specific action (such as writing your Congressman).  Lots of reasons.

But advertise for less business?

I once worked for a booking agency that represented some of the most famous speakers in the world.  Every now and then, one of them would ask me: “Everybody knows who I am.  I have all the speaking engagements I can handle.  Why would I need a brochure?”

The answer was easy: for less business.  By stimulating demand for a product or service with limited supply, the price goes up.  Prices up = less demand.  So, with less business, the speaker — or, perhaps, your company — can make more money.  If you were a speaker, wouldn’t you rather do ten engagements at, say, $10,000 each than twenty at $5,000 each, even though the money was the same?

This is all part of determining your advertising strategy.  This strategy is determining the role of your advertising — the part your advertising will play in your total marketing plan.  OK, maybe you don’t want your advertising to lower your unit sales.  But consider these possibilities:

You want your advertising to produce leads that your sales staff can follow up.

You want your advertising to make prospects aware of your product, so your salespeople will at least encounter a “yeah, I’ve heard of that” when they cold-call.

You want your advertising to generate traffic, so you can parlay a small sale or giveaway into a larger sale.

Determining the role of advertising is just one of many strategies companies skip or don’t even think of.  That’s why our advertising — Strategy-Driven Creative Advertising — is so successful.  Give us 15 minutes of your time, and let us show you how these and other strategies play out — and how we can help you do less business, or as much business as you’d like.  Call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.

Newspaper Advertising for Political Campaigns?

I know.  Conventional wisdom says nobody reads newspapers any more.  TV — that’s the place to be.

And the fact is that newspaper circulation is in decline, according to Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.  An article published by Journalism.org (The Project for Excellence in Journalism) said, “…the problem now appears to be more than fewer people developing the newspaper habit.  People who used to read every day now read less often.  Some people who used to read a newspaper have stopped altogether.  Today, just more than half of Americans (54 percent) read a newspaper during the week, somewhat more (62 percent) on Sundays, and the number is continuing to drop.”

But conventional wisdom isn’t always so wise when it comes to political advertising.  Consider a recent study by the Newspaper Association of America reported in the June issue of Campaigns and Elections.  It found that more than half (57 percent) of voters say they experience some level of indecision in the final week or days before an election.  Of those who say they experience indecision, three out of four say they are regular newspaper readers.

75% of "undecideds" read the paper.  And they rely on the paper to help them make their decisions.

The same study on political advertising discovered newspaper ads were considered the most credible medium for political ads by Republicans and Democrats alike. The survey shows that when asked to rank each medium using a 10-point believability scale, 32 percent of voters said political ads in newspapers were more believable than those found in brochures and mailings (27 percent), on network TV (26 percent), on cable TV (25 percent) and on the radio (22 percent).

Newspaper ads offer several advantages over those on broadcast and cable media.  For example:

• Readers can pick up newspapers whenever and wherever they want, and the ads are always right with the content.  Broadcast programming is either on when it’s on, or delayed by tape or TiVo (which essentially eliminates the ads altogether).
• Newspaper advertising is generally a destination, not an interruption.  An NAA study showed that half the voters go to their papers specifically to look for ads.  Of these, 82% are looking for ads once a week or more.  55% of late-deciders go to their papers specifically to look for ads, 85% more than once a week.
• Production costs for print advertising are far lower than those of broadcast ads.
• Short deadlines, unlimited media inventory and fast production mean that print advertising can be more current and more relevant to late-breaking developments in a campaign.

And of course, newspaper advertising can be bought locally or regionally for maximum efficiency.

We’ve got the experience and track record you need — scores of political campaigns (with a 70% win ratio) and decades of specialization in political print advertising — to help your campaign.  For ads, brochures, mailers, palm cards, stickers, and so on…you should be off to see The Wizard!

Don’t Call Us “Creative”

By Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Pablo Picasso was creative.  He took familiar objects, applied his imagination and vision, and produced images that were nearly unrecognizable.  If there was a message in a Picasso work, it was obscure and probably known only to the artist.

We’re not creative.  What we do is strategically planned and executed.  Our messages are clear and convincing.  There’s a big difference between “creative” and “communications.”

Oh sure, there are advertisements that are truly creative.

• The sock-puppet ads from Pets.com were truly creative.  But Pets.com stock tumbled over 98% from a high of $14 to just 25¢ when the company folded.
• The entertaining Gap ads were truly creative.  But the Gap Stores suffered 30 consecutive months of same-store sales declines when they ran.
• The “It’s Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile” campaign was truly creative.  But Olds’ sales dropped by 50% during the 2½ years of the campaign, and Oldsmobile is history.

When we set out on an advertising campaign, we don’t begin by “getting our creative juices flowing.”  We begin with a logical, systematic approach to determining four factors:

1.       We identify and define the target market for your product or service — the people most likely to initiate or make buying decisions (depending on how you sell), including their demographics, their attitudes, likes and dislikes, etc.

2.       We identify and define the characteristics of your company and/or your product or service that will separate you from your competitors and will most appeal to your target market.

3.       We determine the best media to reach your target market and the best ways to buy those media to fit your budget and marketing timeline.

4.       We craft a motivational strategy that takes into account what specifically will cause your prospect to accept your product or service — to consider making a change or trying what you have to sell — and to act on that attitude change by talking with you or ordering (again, depending on how you sell).

Then — and only then — do we set out to design innovative and eye-catching ways to express the message we have developed through our strategies.

Of course, it’s logical.  Of course it makes sense.  But you’d be amazed how many advertisers — and advertising professionals — judge advertising by how creative it is.  Maybe that’s why so many companies consider the money they allocate for advertising an “expense” — like their telephone bill or rent.  It is an expense if what you’re buying is “creative.”  When you’re buying “strategy,” it becomes an investment.

Don’t call us “creative.”  Call us “strategic.”  Most importantly, if you want to change your advertising “spending” into a sound investment, call us today.  To discuss your strategic approach to marketing your company — without obligation — call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.

Aaaaah-mazing!

by Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

One of our ads worked so well, we had to stop running it.

It’s true.  The ad pulled so many responses, and yielded so much business, the client couldn’t import enough product to satisfy the demand.  We had to pull the ad before it ran again.

As those TV infomercials say: Aaaaah-mazing!  But wait…there’s more.

·        One ad we did in a national professional magazine tripled the client’s usual response, and won us an award for advertising achievement from the publication.

·        A campaign we did for a retirement community worked so well, the units were 70% sold out before construction began — breaking a national sales record.

·        One client — a century-old company — tripled its business volume in the 7 years we did their advertising.

So you’re probably asking yourself, “How can one small advertising service produce results this spectacular, especially for local clients?”

Good question.

I’ll let you in on a little secret.  We didn’t do it alone.  We had help.

All of these companies had one thing in common: they dared to reach for greatness.  They were willing to listen to outside-the-box thinking and follow strategies that defied conventional wisdom.

And while none of these tales are everyday occurrences, they are nonetheless just a few of the many success stories we’ve been a part of because of strategic planning and execution of our clients’ marketing communications.

I could talk about these stories for hours — but there’s one story I’d rather discuss with you: yours.  Are you ready to reach for greatness?  Ready to take the leap from punchy graphics and cute headlines to strategically planned advertising?  Ready to increase your advertising effectiveness without increasing your marketing costs?

Give us 15 minutes of your time, and let us show you how these and other strategies played out — and how we can help you make yours the next Aaaaah-mazing success story.  Call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.

No, you don’t need a brochure

By Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Some time ago, a prospective client came to me and said “I need a brochure.”

“No you don’t,” I replied.

“Huh?”

“You don’t need a brochure,” I repeated.  “You need sales.  Now, let’s discuss what’s the best way to make that happen.”

Too often, people launch into advertising without assessing first how it will fit into their entire marketing plan.  What’s the advertising’s job?  What will it accomplish that will, in turn, lead to the process that brings in sales?

Maybe you’re promoting to re-sellers, to get them to buy and promote your product.  Or maybe you’re advertising to get consumers to demand your product at the store.

Or maybe your customers buy your product directly from you.  If so, maybe what you need to do is get your name out there, so your cold-call telemarketing effort will at least be greeted by some brand recognition.  Maybe your advertising merely needs to establish a positive attitude towards your product or service, so people will be likely to receive your salesperson with a smile.  Or maybe you need to generate increased traffic, or hot leads, or immediate sales via return coupon or call.

And maybe a brochure is right for you — but you won’t know it until you have mapped out your whole marketing strategy.  Instead, you may need a mailer, or a series of ads, or a flight of cable TV spots, or a skywriting plane flying over Fenway Park.

Marketing strategy is one of the Seven Essential Strategies of Advertising that we employ to make sure your advertising does what it is supposed to do.  That’s why our advertising — Strategy-Driven Creative Advertising — is so successful.  Give us 15 minutes of your time, and let us show you how these and other strategies play out — and how we can help you design a marketing strategy that will lead to more sales, not more brochures.  Call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.

Why are you Advertising for your Competitor?

By Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

• An ad in the Boston Globe reads “Give the Gift of Dance!”
• A radio spot for a car dealer sings the praises of the new Ford Five-Hundred.
• A TV spot tells you that aspirin can save your life in the event of a heart attack.

What’s wrong with these ads?  What do they have in common — and why should you avoid doing what they do in your ads?

In each case, the advertisement is selling “primary demand” — that is, demand for the generic product rather than the specific source for that product.  In each case, assuming the message is convincing, the buyer may go to any of several sources to make the purchase.

• Giving the gift of dance may convince you to buy a gift certificate for dance lessons, but will you go to Arthur Murray, Fred Astair or another dance studio.  Will you go to the specific outlet advertised, or to another franchisee?
• The same is true for the car commercial.  You may decide to buy the Ford, but you have loads of Ford dealers from which to choose.
• And even if you decide to buy aspirins to have on hand in case of chest pains, whose will you buy?

The wrong strategy

In most cases — and almost certainly in your case — promoting primary demand is a wrong strategy.  You will probably end up sending more business to your competitors than to you.  If I ran an ad simply convincing people to advertise, there’s a pretty good chance that those folks I convince will end up calling one of the scads of services and/or media to do their graphics.  On the other hand, if I give people a reason to call me — for example citing how we concentrate on developing sound advertising strategies — then those I convince will be more likely to contact my company.

The exception

The exception is when you are far and away the industry leader.  If you’re Bayer, and most of the aspirin sold is your brand, it’s OK to sell the benefits of aspirin.  Most of the folks you convince will, in fact, buy your brand.  If you’re Campbell’s (“Soup is good food”) or Kodak (“A Kodak moment”), you can sell the benefits of your generic product.  But if you’re Lipton’s or Agfa, you’d better tell people about the specific benefits of your brand.

The same holds true of franchises and dealerships.  Hype GE dishwashers or Pampers and you’ll send customers to anyone who carries those brands.  But tell people why your store is the place to buy GE dishwashers or Pampers (benefits like open 24 hours a day, or lowest prices in the area, or most knowledgeable staff) and you’ll win customers.

Bring your strategy into focus

The Wizard of Adz specializes in developing IN-FOCUS ADVERTISING STRATEGIES.  Part of that process is working with you to define the unique aspects of your business — to separate you from your competition — and then to creatively and convincingly convey that message to your specific target audience.  Give us a call at 781-821-1818 to see several examples of how we’ve done this for our clients, and to tell you about the spectacular results they’ve received.