"An economist's guess is liable to be as good as anybody else's."
-Will Rogers
-Will Rogers
Will Rogers, famous for his quips, quotes and humorous anecdotes about our reactions and responses to life, gives an interesting perspective. In his observations, there is always a nugget of truth. The quote from above is lifted and paraphrased from the following. Here is the complete and accurate statement, taken from a radio broadcast in May 26, 1935:
“I would never make an economist in the world. An economist is a man that can tell you anything about – he’ll tell you what can happen under any given conditions, and his guess is liable to be just as good as anybody else’s too.” (To all of you editors and proof readers out there – I know the quote is grammatically incorrect, but it’s a quote).
Unfortunately, when it comes to advertising, the aforementioned quip might well be in play for you. Whose “guess” are you making decisions based on? Each representative from each industry and specific media has a story. Most of them are “rooted” in observational truth. So who are you to believe?
Does TV work? What about direct mail? How can I get radio to make my phone ring? You know, everyone I know is advertising on the Internet…isn’t that where I should be spending my money? The newspaper still gives me the most bang for my buck! I like billboards... everyone sees them... and on and on ad-nauseam!
Observationally, it occurs to me that many people selling advertising are much more interested in how much and how soon they can sell you something than they are interested in how much return it is going to generate for you. In advertising, the “cookie cutter approach” has been taken to an all-new level. Very few representatives have been properly trained in their own medium.
Over the years, I’ve seen and oft times been a part of many different successful programs. Unfortunately, I’ve observed many that failed – outright – or at the very least did not meet the expectations of the client.
You hear people talk about branding and throw the word marketing around like a hot potato. Try this. Next time an advertising person goes down that path with you, ask them to give you a definition of marketing. Be prepared, you may have to perform the Heimlich as they choke on their words.
So where’s the good news? While it is true that advertising is half art and half science, there are some principles that you can apply and follow that will significantly improve the performance of your efforts.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to demystify the advertising game for you and give you some relevant insight and solid information that will help you improve the performance of your marketing and advertising program.
Here is the preview of what is to come. Stay tuned...
5 keys to success in advertising.
1. Valid Product
2. Correct Target
3. An offer
4. Compelling Production
5. Ahhh . . . I’m going to hold out on #5.
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