Q: My father and I purchased a 40-year-old kitchen and
dining furniture store from someone who only used newspaper
advertising. We'd like to start using TV ads, but we don't
know how risky it would be to redistribute our ad budget. We're
also concerned about uncontrolled growth that may occur from using
this form of mass media.
A: The use of newspaper as a company's primary form
of advertising was, and in some cases still is, a mindset passed
down from generation to generation from the time when print was the
only kind of advertising around. It's a built-in perk for
newspaper reps. People like print ads because they provide tangible
proof of where the ad budget went. You can touch them, reread them,
cut them out, hang them on a wall, and show them to your
grandchildren 30 years after they run, while radio and TV ads
vanish into thin air in just 30 or 60 seconds. Paying for
advertising you can't touch makes some people nervous, but it
shouldn't. These intangible mediums are all very powerful when
used correctly.
You said you were leaning toward television, but you don't
want a stampede. Bite your tongue! Stampedes are what people pray
for. Put more salespeople on the floor if you're really
concerned, but don't hope for a mediocre response. Test the new
medium by running a campaign using TV programs that target the
upscale customers you're looking for (your reps can give you
that information). Spotlight popular items in your ads rather than
featuring products you're looking to unload. And don't
skimp on frequency. Give your audience an opportunity to see the
commercial. If you're going to test television, give it a
chance to show you what it can do. Here are a few things to keep in
mind:
- Broadbased shows (like news) are expensive to advertise
during, but they hit informed consumers. Buying the same news slots
on all network stations, on the same night, is called roadblocking
and pretty much guarantees you'll hit almost everyone watching
the news that night.
- Specific programs (like Martha Stewart Living)
hit women, for the most part, who are interested in improving their
homes, and they are less expensive to advertise during than news
shows so you can place more ads during any given week. Similar
programs for men and every other conceivable audience are also
available.
- Cable television not only has specific shows but whole
channels where the programming hits the same interest group all day
long, and it's less expensive than the standard networks so you
won't have to take an enormous bite out of your newspaper
budget. See my previous column, "30
Seconds of Fame," for information on TV commercial
production.
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Keep your newspaper advertising, but make slight changes to free
up money:
- Reduce the size of your newspaper ads.
- Run them fewer days per week.
- Re-evaluate your current newspaper contract and see where you
can save.
Play your TV and print ads off one another to make them both
work harder. For example, end your TV ads by saying, "See
tomorrow's paper for details." If you show five separate
specialty items in your TV commercial, run five print ads and
feature one of those specialty items in each ad.
A few years ago, I did a joint promotion with a company like
yours and a neighboring seafood restaurant, and the two businesses
shared the advertising costs. Everyone who purchased a dining set
received a gift certificate for a takeout dinner for two from the
seafood restaurant to enjoy on their new table.
By following these tips, you'll be able to find out
what's best for you and your business. Good luck!
Kathy Kobliski is the founder and president of Silent Partner
Advertising, where she oversees multimedia advertising budgets for
retail and service clients. Her book, Advertising Without an Agency, was written
for businesses owners who are working with small advertising
budgets and can't afford professional help. You can reach Kathy
via her website at http://www.silentpartneradvertising.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are
those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are
intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific
geographical areas or circumstances, and should only be relied upon
after consulting an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.