Advertising
What’s the budget we should allocate? How can I measure results? Where should we advertise? These are the most common questions we hear. So let’s take a look at each.
The answer to the budget question is simply as much as you can spend. This does not mean spend frivolously. Instead, consider it an investment in promoting your company’s message. Perhaps you have heard that 5% of your gross sales should be dedicated to advertising. However, each company is unique and your marketing plan should be too. The 5% advice does not factor in what the competition is spending, the longevity of your company in the marketplace or the product or service you wish to advertise. Like every thing you should do in business, you need a plan – in our case, a marketing plan. Take into consideration what you can realistically dedicate to your advertising initiative. Then, select the medium – TV, radio, print, direct mail – to execute your plan.
We certainly can understand that you expect measurable results. Unless you’re doing direct response advertising – i.e. “Call today and save 50% off steak knives” – it may be difficult to measure tangible results. But that does not mean you cannot acquire an understanding of the effectiveness of your advertising. You can instruct your employees to ask, “How did you hear about us?” when a prospect calls. But, this method is certainly not scientific, nor should you expect prospects to recall whether it was the TV ad, billboard, or their friend that prompted a phone call. You can also consider conducting a market survey to measure your results, which may be costly, unless you consider an email survey campaign. You may be better off taking the money allocated to measure results and put it into the campaign itself.
So, where’s the best place to advertise? That’s the million dollar question. Since JH Communications is an advertising agency, we place our clients’ ads in every medium. Therefore, we are more objective. We work for our clients, not one media company. With this being said, JH Communications recommends different media outlets based on a number of factors: the product or service you’re looking to promote; the budget; the marketplace; and the competition.
JH Communications always recommends broadcast television, when our clients have the budgets. We also have experienced great success with cable television, and consider cable the most affordable option. Radio – especially talk radio – has resulted in considerable success for our clients, and we always recommend “live read” campaigns and sponsorships on major sport broadcasts. In addition, we have seen a renaissance in print media; we especially believe our ads stand out among the clutter of local papers. We also have seen considerable deals available in local dailies, which still allow you to reach an affluent demographic. And we love billboards – you cannot switch the channel or turn the page on a billboard.
photo by goaliej54