15 Apr 09 Who do you think you’re talking to?
I saw it again last night- a Sonic burger commercial on local NYC broadcast TV. This is a perfectly fine chain (I guess- I won’t pretend to know). Now what I find amazing about this is that I get the NYC ABC broadcast channel, which costs, well, A LOT per prime time commercial. Here’s the kicker- There MIGHT be 2 Sonic burger stands within the broadcast range of NYC- I think there’s only one in range near Allentown PA.. So even though they might have a great special on a super-taste-a-rific burger, I know I’m definitely not driving almost two hours each way for a hamburger, no matter how good/cheap/cool it is. Are you?
But here’s the thing- Are you making the same mistake as Sonic by advertising to people who can’t buy from you, or aren’t in the mood to shop for you at the time you catch them? Are you advertising in areas you don’t want to provide service to, or that few people would drive to you to receive your service? If you are, are you very sure that your advertising still makes sense? Most advertising is sold on the basis of cost per thousands of eyes/ears/interactions. Can you afford to waste your advertising budget?
The second part of this is: Are you hitting customers when you want them to be thinking of you? WB Mason promotes very heavily with the Yankees and when I think Yankees I do think WB Mason (Even though they ALSO support the hated Phillies and Red Sox- go figure). Here’s the problem however: The human mind works via connections- so while WB Mason certainly is connected with the Yankees to me, I certainly know that when I’m watching baseball, I’m usually trying specifically not to think about business. No, instead I’m trying to think of relaxing. So when I need supplies I usually don’t call WB Mason, I usually make a run to Office Depot or Staples, even though WB Mason might be more convenient.
So is advertising with the Yankees the best marketing move for WB Mason? Or would they be better off advertising when people are thinking of business & work?
Are you advertising to your ideal clients, and only your ideal clients, when they are most likely to be wanting your service? If not, why not?
Tags: Effective Branding, Practical Marketing, Wasted Advertising