{"id":69,"date":"2012-02-10T19:47:00","date_gmt":"2012-02-11T02:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fishingforcustomers.com\/advertising-observations-from-my-hotel-room\/"},"modified":"2017-06-06T21:05:03","modified_gmt":"2017-06-07T04:05:03","slug":"advertising-observations-from-my-hotel-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop-my-site.com\/fishing2\/advertising-observations-from-my-hotel-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Advertising Observations From My Hotel Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published February 10, 2006<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a>Some people when they visit a new community look for the typical \u201ctouristy\u201d kinds of things. Others wonder if there\u2019s a casino nearby. I study the local ads.<\/p>\n

This week I\u2019ve traveled through four major southern cities. As you might expect, I have some advertising observations to share.<\/p>\n

Example Number One<\/strong>:
\nEarlier this week I dropped in to visit a radio station because I\u2019m a friend of the program director and morning disc jockey.<\/p>\n

While we were catching up, he played an ad for me that had a strong character espousing the client. The character was hammering away the copy points in a way that was nearly impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n

The client wants it re-done with a \u201cregular announcer.\u201d<\/p>\n

I told him that it was too bad that the client was intent on making the ad less attention getting and less memorable.<\/p>\n

Observation<\/strong>:
\nWhen clients insist on making an ad sound like or look like an ad (ie. \u201cprofessional\u201d) they are effectively insisting that their ad be just like all the others.<\/p>\n

Estimates are that Americans ignore nearly 3,500 advertising impressions a day. Shouldn\u2019t we be working to make our ads less like everyone elses?<\/p>\n

And please note that I\u2019m not suggesting being different for the sake of difference. As the great jazz bassist and composer Charlie Mingus said \u201cAnybody can play weird; that\u2019s easy. What\u2019s hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that\u2019s creativity<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Example Number Two<\/strong>:
\nAds that have attorneys screaming, \u201cI\u2019ll FIGHT for YOU. I\u2019ll get you the money you deserve for your pain and suffering<\/em>.\u201d are probably running in most markets across the country. Does the same guy produce them all? They all appear to have the same script.<\/p>\n

Observation<\/strong>:
\nThis is transactional marketing taken to an extreme.<\/p>\n

Sobering thought: these ads must be producing results for the lawyers to keep running them in prime time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Example Number Three<\/strong>:
\nYou can\u2019t build a positive image by piggybacking on someone else\u2019s slogan. In a single community over the last thirty days I\u2019ve witnessed \u201cGot Insurance?\u201d \u201cGot Real Estate?\u201d \u201cGot Teeth?\u201d<\/p>\n

Observation<\/strong>:
\nHonestly, what do you think of these variations on \u201cGot Milk?\u201d<\/p>\n

Are you driven to do business with them?<\/p>\n

Do you get the feeling that these various businesses are able to solve your problems?<\/p>\n

Or do you suspect that they have nothing to offer, and are trying to cash in on someone else\u2019s notoriety?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Example Number Four<\/strong>:
\nWhy do the graphic artists who compose yellow pages ads <\/a>insist on putting the client\u2019s logo as the headline<\/a>? I have the Memphis Bell South yellow pages open in front of me as I write this. I\u2019m looking under landscaping.<\/p>\n

Here are the headlines.<\/p>\n

Bob Hollandsworth Landscape
\nComplete Lawn & Landscaping Service
\nDesignscapes By D
\nGrowth Spurts Landscape And Irrigation
\nLandscape Creations, Inc.
\nNaturescapes
\nParadise Allscapes
\nTee Time Landscape
\nTotal Yards Landscaping<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, I’m aware that these are the names of the businesses. That’s the point.<\/p>\n

Observation<\/strong>:
\nIt appears each of these companies is proud of their name. Unfortunately, as a shopper, I want to know what they can do for me. I\u2019ll fix \u2018em for making me do all the work. I\u2019ll ignore \u2018em.<\/p>\n

Now, among all of these easily-forgettable ads are two that hint<\/em> at the ability to help me.<\/p>\n

When Skies Are Blue, We Rain<\/em> \u2013 Blue Skies Irrigation<\/p>\n

From Concept To Completion, Your One-Source Solution For A Beautiful Landscape<\/em> \u2013 Pugh\u2019s Landscaping.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Better, but I still have to think about them in order to see the advantage to me, the buyer.<\/p>\n

Therefore, the winner is clearly:<\/p>\n

Give Your Yard An Exciting New Look<\/em> – Germantown Landscape Company<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At last, a clear promise of benefit. I now know what’s in it for me.<\/p>\n

Take a peek at your yellow pages ads. If the headline is your company’s name, you’re wasting money.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Final Example And Observation<\/strong>:
\nYou probably shouldn\u2019t assume that everyone knows how to find your store. \u201cThe oldest, ugliest building on Tanner Road<\/em>\u201d doesn\u2019t mean anything to anyone who doesn\u2019t know which section of Tanner Road to look in to find your store.<\/p>\n

Cleverness like this can actually cost you business. If you make shoppers solve a puzzle in order to respond to your ads, they\u2019ll take the easy way out and file you permanently under \u201cignore,\u201d which doesn’t work well when you’re\u00a0fishing for customers.<\/p>\n

Your Guide,
\nChuck McKay<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a>” href=”https:\/\/develop-my-site.com\/fishing2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/01\/Chuck.jpg”>\"MarketingYour Fishing for Customers guide,\u00a0Chuck McKay<\/a>, gets people to buy more of what you sell.<\/p>\n

Got\u00a0questions about making your ads stand out and get noticed? Drop Chuck a note at\u00a0ChuckMcKay@ChuckMcKayOnLine.com<\/a>. Or call him at 304-523-0163.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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