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"How To
Increase Your Return On Advertising Investment"
In marketing and advertising, synergy is a real
thing. The total effect of all of your marketing and advertising activities combined
should be larger than the individual parts.
This page offers some suggestions for creating
synergy with your marketing and advertising.
Is Synergy Really Real In Marketing and Advertising?
Absolutely. Consider the percentage of people in
your target audience you reach when you advertise in the newspaper. Here
is a good example of what is going on in the real world:
With a newspaper advertisement you reach 25% of your target
group.
Add a yellow page ad, and you reach an
additional 16% of the people.
Add a direct mail piece, and you reach an
additional 18% of the people.
Add a television ad, and you reach an additional
12% of the people.
Add a radio ad, and your reach an additional 7%
of the people.
By using multiple media outlets you have reached
more of your target audience with your marketing and advertising. You have also reached them multiple times
because they get messages from different places.
Your messages reinforce each other. The result is an
overall higher response at a lower cost. You have created synergy with
your marketing and advertising. That’s why large companies spend money on print, mail,
radio, and television, all at the same time.
It works because different people pay more
attention to [and have more faith in] different types of media. When
seriously reviewing ads for a product, about 25% of people review and
trust the newspaper. 18% consider direct mail, 21% the yellow pages, 8%
television, 4% radio, and 4% magazines. A coupon will influence about 9%
of people making a purchase decision.
The numbers in our examples are only an
approximation of what really happens in the marketplace, and they change
according to product category. But it is clear that by using different
kinds media [like the yellow pages and direct mail together], or even
different media outlets [like multiple newspapers] you can and will
reach more potential customers more effectively with your marketing and
advertising.
Since different groups of people use and trust
different types of media, it is important to know where your target
market is looking for information. Ask your customers what they read,
what media they like, and what media they trust. Read
Targeting
Customers for more
information.
Build More Marketing And Advertising Synergy For Your Business
The #1
rule in marketing and advertising is stay in front of your customers.
Marketing and advertising have a cumulative
effect. Consistent Advertising = Familiarity = Trust = Customers.
Long-term consistency in marketing and advertising creates synergy.
All of
your marketing and advertising materials should have a consistent look. They should
match. Your logo, style, colors, catch phrase, attitude, benefits
package, and contact information should be on every document you print.
That includes invoices, business cards, press releases, register
receipts, shopping bags, brochures, pamphlets, letter head, and to the
extent possible, your printed advertisements.
Every printed
advertisement should have the same look and feel. There should be no
question in the clients’ mind about which company is running the ad
[so don’t copy your competitor's ad]. You want the customer to see the
consistent, unique look of your company.
If
you change the overall look of your ads, you may break rule #1 -
consistency. You didn’t stop running your ad, but you changed it so
much that your clients don’t recognize it.
This
is a particularly important point. Everyone you know [including
yourself] will get really bored with your marketing and advertising. But only your customers
count. And until your customers are serious about making a purchase,
they won’t pay close attention to your ad. Your company will feel
familiar to them because they have seen your ad 100 times, but only when
they are ready will they really read it.
You
will not bore your customers. Do not change the overall look and feel of
your ads unless you don’t get the sales you expect or need.
To the
greatest extent possible, your marketing materials should cross-reference each other. If you have a great brochure, then advertise your
brochure in your other ads. Offer it everywhere possible.
Your
newsletter should advertise your brochure and your web site. Your
brochure should advertise your newsletter and your catalog. If you have
a really commanding position in the yellow pages, reference people
there. Cross-link everything, and if you have the space, do actual
advertisements promoting the availability of your other marketing and
advertising materials.
Your
fundamental company philosophy [your mission statement] should be
communicated clearly and consistently to customers, employees, the
public, investors, and partners and suppliers at every point of contact.
Your mission statement should go forth loud and clear to everyone, every
time. Make it a prominent part of doing business.
Remember
to list all of your points of contact [addresses, phone numbers, fax,
e-mail, web site] on all of your marketing and advertising materials.
Your
store or place of business should also integrate with and reinforce your
marketing and advertising materials. Prominently display your slogan or company
philosophy. Display reproductions of your advertisements, and
prominently offer all of your other marketing materials.
Use
matching uniforms and point-of-purchase displays. Use posters, signage,
imprinted pens, sales receipts, and even your floor mat to reproduce
your consistent, unique company look and feel. To the extent possible,
your place of business and the quality of your service should look and
feel like your marketing and advertising materials. After all, that is what the client
expects from reading your ads.
Nothing
will strengthen your marketing and advertising more than delivering on your service
promises.
What you are doing in some respects is creating
a company brand. [Please read
Branding
Strategy to better understand the branding process and the advantages of
turning your entire business into it’s own brand.] But what you are
really doing is using every communication outlet at your disposal to
reinforce every other communication outlet that you have.
By taking every opportunity to direct your
customer’s attention back into your marketing and advertising message, you create
synergy with your marketing. Your advertising effectiveness goes up, and
your marketing costs go down. You make more money – and that is what Professional
Advertising is all about.
Ask
For Help
As always, we
strongly recommend that you hire a quality graphic design firm to create
your ads. And ask a marketing professional to review your current
advertising and your advertising strategy.
Understanding
how to create synergy with your marketing and advertising to get you a higher return on
your advertising investment is what Professional
Advertising is all about. Please contact
Professional Advertising for more
information.
Professional
Advertising
Print
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& Marketing Consulting Services
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Please see Working
with Professional Advertising
for more information.
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