Everything you've ever learned about marketing and advertising is wrong.
Everything you've ever heard. Everything you've ever tried. Everything you've ever done. It’s all wrong!
What Is The Purpose of Marketing?
- Get your name out in the marketplace
- Build your brand
- Generate sales
- Generate leads
- Generate awareness/remember your name
- Make money
Sure, but none of that will happen unless you understand the real purpose of marketing which is to…
- Capture the attention of your target market
- Give them the hope that reading or listening to your marketing piece will give them enough information to facilitate their making the best decision possible
- Marketing's job is to lower the risk in taking the next step in the buying process
Do you really believe she wants to hear, see or read your ad? She would if you added the marketing equation.
The marketing equation has 4 main components. They are first, interrupt; this simply is the process of getting qualified prospects to pay attention to your marketing, simple enough to say it’s a lot more difficult to pull off.
The second component is engage; once the prospect is interrupted it's critical to give them the promise that information is coming that will help the prospect make the best decision possible or in other words help facilitate their decision-making process.
The third component is educate; once you've interrupted and engaged the prospect you have to give information that allows them to logically understand how and why you solve the problem. This is accomplished by giving detailed, quantifiable, specific “inside reality”* revealing information.
The fourth component of the marketing equation is the offer; now that the prospect has been interrupted based on problems that are important to them, engaged by the promise of a solution that’s real and believable, the last step for you is to give the prospect a low risk way to take the next step in the sales process. This is done by offering a free marketing tool such as a report, brochure, seminar, audio, video or something else to educate them even more to allow the prospect to feel in control of the final decision.
Human nature dictates that people ALWAYS want to make the best buying decision possible
A Confused Mind Always Says No
facilitate the prospect’s decision-making process and allow them to feel like they are in control of the decision. By giving your prospects the information they want and need to make an informed buying decision, you become the fountain from whence all knowledge springs. Knowledge is power. Will you give your prospects the power to buy your products and services? Advertising that is filled with platitudes, cliches and hyperbole does not help prospects in their decision-making because it does not contain any information to help them make an informed buying decision. The only way a prospect is going to know that they have received the most value for their money is to give them the unshakable confidence that they’ve actually made the best decision possible.
The problem is that most businesses come nowhere close to holding up their end of the bargain.
Most companies build their marketing with self-serving, hyperbole, fluff and platitudes, which is really just saying “I want you to give me your money instead of giving it to somebody else.” We are looking for people who can't stomach the thought of a customer doing business with a competitor. If you strive for that kind of excellence, you'll automatically surpass 97% of your competitors. They won't put in that kind of effort. They won't and they don't --it's up to you.
If you want to know why Jane Smith buys what Jane Smith buys you've got to see the world through Jane Smith's eyes.
Your ads will perform better than you ever thought they could.
Here are three tests to determine if your ads are costing you money due to the use of trite and meaningless phrases as if they are significant, original or even true.
I want you to take a look at any claim you have made in your ads and ask yourself if a customer or prospect, could or would automatically respond with the statement, “Well I would hope so.” For example when we look at ads for plumbers we see advertising copy that says “Plumbing Service and Repair.” Well I would hope so, you are a plumber right?
Another ad says, they are “licensed, bonded and insured,” and that they “fix faucets and fixtures, water heaters, tubs and showers, etc.” Well I would hope so. You’re a plumber right? What else would you do? I mean, it’s so painfully obvious that it’s ridiculous. Or how about an ad that says “committed to honest, ethical service.” Well I would hope so! What else would you expect them to say? “Hey we’re lousy, we’ll show up late, make your house dirty, expose our backsides to your kids and wife, and make sure that the problem that we fixed will break again a few weeks after we fix it.” Of course not!
Everybody is going to say great things about themselves if they can get away with it. So what about your ad? How did you do? Do you have any of these painfully obvious statements that would cause someone to say, Well I would hope so? Be honest with yourself and check. Okay, on to the second evaluation.
Pay close attention to this one, because the question is not who else can do what you do, but who else can say what you say. The answer is usually anyone and everyone. We looked at an HVAC company’s ad that says that they’re “Sacramento’s ‘s best.” Who else can say that? Can’t another HVAC company who’s ad we reviewed that says “where integrity and quality meet” also say that he’s Sacramento’s best? Of course they can. Or this solar company who says that “we’ll pay your utility bill until your system goes live” Who else can say that? Again, anybody and everybody can say it. That’s who.
These statements are drearily predictable and commonplace and they lack power to evoke interest. And you know what, they were nevertheless stated as though they were original or significant. Now look at your ad. Read a few lines and then ask yourself this, “who else can say that?” If one of your competitors can say it, you failed this evaluation.
We evaluated an auto repair ad where they offer honest, quality repair and they have the latest technology and diagnostic equipment. Then they have a laundry list of services that they offer and an incredible 24,000 miles or 24 month warranty. Amazing! But we also evaluated a competitor whose ad claims that they’ll “take care of you,” and they include their own laundry list of services that is nearly identical to the first ad we evaluated. But get this—they have a 25 month, 25,000 mile warranty. Do you see the problem? These ads all fail. Even though their warranties differ by 1 month and 1,000 miles, they are still basically the same ad so they don’t pass the cross out write in test.
We're happy to evaluate your ad for you. Click on the button to upload your radio or TV commercial, print ad, script, etc.
We help business owners and marketing directors who are frustrated and fed up with how poorly their advertising performs.
We have been exceeding our customers expectations since 1987 and we do something that is unique to this industry in that we eliminate many of the problems advertisers traditionally face when creating, negotiating, buying, and tracking their advertising.
We Help Clients With
- TV
- Radio
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Signs
- Directories
- Internet
- Tradeshow / Events
Our goal is to exceed yours
Our Process
- Through a series of focused, custom brainstorming sessions, we...
- Study Client’s products or services
- Analyze Client’s present and potential markets
- Create, prepare, and submit to Client for approval, advertising ideas and programs
- Employ on Client’s behalf, Agency’s knowledge of available media and means that can be profitably used to advertise the Client’s products or services
- Prepare and submit to Client for approval, estimates of costs of recommended advertising programs
- Write, design, illustrate, or otherwise prepare Client’s advertisements, including commercials to be broadcast, or other appropriate forms of Client’s message
- Order the space, time, or other means to be used for Client’s advertising, endeavoring to secure the most advantageous rates available
- Properly incorporate the message in mechanical or other form and forward it with proper instructions for the fulfillment of the order
- Check and verify insertions, displays, broadcasts, or other means used, to such degree as is usually performed by advertising agencies
- Audit invoices for space, time, material preparation, and services
Our holy Grail is sales and profits NOT branding and awareness
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Tim Gallagher, Owner,
Gallagher's Heating And Air
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Brian Buckley, Pres.,
Buckley Heating Air & Solar
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Weatherite Windows And Doors
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Halls Window Center
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MBK Homes
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Asher Garage
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CBS Radio
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Carmichael Honda
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Honey's Heating and Air
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Clear Channel Communications
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Halls Window Center
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Boyd Plumbing
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