JC Marketing beats imageBy Joseph Cekauskas
Marketing Strategist & Consultant
JC Marketing Communications

The tough economy is hitting all market segments hard on a financial and emotional level. Rather than trim marketing budgets, many businesses know they need to grab market share immediately. The time to “ramp” up advertising efforts using proven, affordable methodologies is NOW.

Recently, prospects are “cold-calling” us to inquire about our services. Their first “wish” is the need to implement marketing strategies that can deliver an immediate return on investment (ROI). They require solutions that deliver the most “BANG for their buck.”

Buyer beware—there are a plethora of ad agencies, designers, boutiques, consultants, web developers…even printers out there who say “they will help grow your company.” Do any of them SHOW you—or better yet PROVE how? Good question.

With good intentions, these service providers offer pleasantly crafted portfolios of work, as well as a few high profile client names. Absent from many of their presentations are key success components, along with quantifiable statistics and the follow-up data necessary to prove if their strategies and tactics work.

Some of these “solution providers” are looking to sell you products or services such as research, printing, mailing lists, etc. Few offer capabilities which include consulting and strategy through concept, execution and final deliverables that factor significantly in your return on investment (ROI). These collective components are essential to getting the most effective message in front of your target market quickly and efficiently. I dare to say, even fewer of these advisors provide affordable services that help your business become more attractive to your target market.

There is “NO magic wand,” yet, JC Marketing Communications (JCMC) offers an proven solution to deliver your message much more effectively…and it’s called “direct response marketing.”

Why “direct response advertising”
beats “image advertising”
Imagine investing your hard earned money with the assistance of a financial advisor who couldn’t promise any measurable return on investment (ROI) and wouldn’t be held accountable for his/her advice.

Now picture yourself gladly paying him/her a commission for his/her services and continuing to do so for an extended period of time with the hope that his/her advice might eventually pay off.

Would you ever do this?
I hope not.

Many companies utilize a general or “image advertising” approach when it comes to promoting their business. Why? Because as members of the TV generation, this “image advertising” methodology is what many of us have grown up seeing. It’s biggest sampling is at Super Bowl ad time.

There is a large demographic of business people and corporations who believe they simply need to come up with a catchy slogan and “cool” visual. Do this and immediately the world will be buying their product or service faster than they can deliver. Is that really how it works? Is it really that easy?

Advertising agency professionals or design agencies who use “image advertising” as their primary methodology, are steadfast in their belief that this approach influences the reader and makes them feel better about a product or service. They believe that ultimately, bombarding the consumer with “clever” creates “brand” awareness. But at what cost?

Many advertising agencies who provide media buying capabilities steer clients to the “image advertising” approach because this type of ad campaign is normally lengthy and guarantees the ad agency consistent media placement commissions that average 15%. 15 PERCENT! Advertising agencies inform their client that these campaigns (image) take an extended period of time to work—so, you, the client, must have patience.

While YOU, the advertiser, are being patient and taking all the risk—the advertising agency is still getting a healthy commission check each month from the publication or media outlet that is running the ad. And in many cases, this is above the advertising agency’s “creative and production” fees.

If you need to increase market share quickly and you don’t want to play the “waiting game” for your advertising dollars to work—there is a better and much more affordable advertising approach. It’s called “direct response advertising.” One call to us, JC Marketing Communications (JCMC) 860.621.8866, is the fastest way to get better results for your advertising investment.

What specifically is considered an “image” ad?
Besides the parade of annual Super Bowl ads, a recent example of “image” advertising is the “GOT MILK” magazine and TV ad campaign. It’s one of the most parodied slogans. Even the Yankees have a “GOT MELKY?” tee shirt. In these “GOT MILK” ads, one central character is seen brandishing a thin white milk mustache. Various incarnations include all your favorite celebrities, models, athletes, actors…and heck, even Batman made a cameo. Add up the photography, design, ad placement, celebrity endorsement fees—you’ll find millions upon millions of dollars has been spent to convince viewers to buy milk. Yikes…that’s a lot of money invested! Shockingly, did you know that the sales of milk and dairy products have actually declined since this campaign has been in operation?

And even more recently, Microsoft pulled the plug on a disastrous $300m “image” campaign featuring Jerry Seinfeld (he got $10m fee) because the spots didn’t get results as quickly as they desired. In the ads, Bill Gates and Seinfeld exchanged nonsensical banter amongst an ambiguous message that was supposed to advertise “Windows Vista.” The ad agency who created the campaign claimed the TV spots were intended to speak to consumers in a tongue-in-cheek manner—without the pressure of talking specifics about the product. The strategy backfired primarily because the spots were too offbeat and the benefits of the product were never clear.

What makes “direct response advertising”
so effective…and powerful?
A direct response message doesn’t merely influence the reader or build awareness—instead it entices—promises things the buyer desires and gives them a compelling reason to act now and take your “most desired action” or MDA. Among other attributes, an MDA may be a specific call-to-action that “gives-to-get.” In all instances, “direct response marketing” provides a result you can actually measure…and track. It is proven to get you a quicker and faster result for your investment.

With “measurable” results, your advertising agency or marketing firm WILL be held accountable for the success or failure of the advertising. Advertising agencies aren’t big fans of this short term accountability inherent in direct response. If the results aren’t good, they risk losing the account and missing out on profitable media commissions that would have been guaranteed with a longer general or “image advertising” campaign.

If the ad or direct mail piece is getting acceptable results, with “direct response advertising” you can begin to implement testing strategies and tweak one element at a time in an effort to increase the response rate even further. This tactic will increase your return on investment (ROI) and save you money because you won’t have to run the ad as often, or mail as many pieces to get the return you need. Here at JCMC—we refer to a key component of our strategy as “low cost…no cost” method.

Visit the CASE STUDIES/TESTIMONIALS section of our JC Marketing website: www.jcmcom.com/studies.html

Refer to CASE STUDY #2 (WTHB) and you will learn how we delivered a 300 PERCENT return on investment (ROI) for our client using our “direct response marketing” methodology in conjunction with a dynamic “unique selling proposition” (USP).

One last bit of advice when selecting a firm to help you with your advertising. A good marketing firm isn’t afraid to be held accountable. They have confidence in their ability and utilize “direct response marketing” methods and testing strategies that are proven to work.

Would “direct response advertising”
be a good marketing strategy for your company?
If you need to increase market share quickly and you don’t want to play the “waiting game” for your advertising dollars to work—there is a much more effective and affordable advertising approach. If you would like to learn more about our “direct response marketing” methodology—specifically how JC Marketing can help you add profit to your bottom line—please call us today at 860.621.8866.