Planning a hot new marketing program for 2002? Sometimes, even
with the help of a qualified agency, what may at first look like
brilliant marketing moves can actually be big mistakes. Here's
how to avoid four marketing blunders that can torpedo your
best-laid plans.
1. The Wrong Message
One of the most imaginative TV commercials of the year ran
during the Super Bowl. Dubbed "Running With the
Squirrels," it was a parody of the running of the bulls
through the streets of Pamplona, Spain, but instead of angry bulls,
hundreds of squirrels chased runners through the ancient city.
Unfortunately, the $6 million spot from EDS did little more than
entertain, because most viewers were left puzzling about what was
being sold.
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You can avoid this problem by making sure customers receive
enough information from your ads to understand what you sell as
well as why and how they should buy it.
2. Forgetting the
Benefits
Just as an obscure message can bury your chances for positive
results, by neglecting to explain how your products are useful, you
run the risk of turning customers off. For instance, suppose an
investment brokerage firm in Seattle creates a direct-mail campaign
targeting entrepreneurs statewide. In an effort to impress
recipients with the company's scope and ability to compete with
national firms, the direct-mail copy lists the range of products
offered-instead of how those products will benefit the ad's
target audience. Big mistake.
Prospects and customers look at your marketing materials with
one question in mind: "What's in it for me?" So make
sure your materials put benefits front and center.
3. Aiming Too Wide
Focus is vital for businesses. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs
try to hit too many targets and thereby increase their marketing
risks. Imagine you own a company that sells handmade hair
accessories to gift shops nationwide. Your marketing program
includes print advertising in trade publications and at trade shows
for gift shop owners, catalog mailings to customers, and direct
mail to prospects followed by phone calls from your sales
staff.
To increase sales, you could either market your current line to
women's clothing boutiques or expand your current target
audience. Both choices involve risk, but taking on a new target
audience would require additional advertising, direct mail and
trade shows that could dilute your budget and drain your staff. On
the other hand, adding a new product line for your current audience
could enhance sales without as much financial outlay or risk.
4. Same Ol', Same
Ol'
If you really want to ensure success in the coming year, climb
out of your marketing rut. If you've simply been mailing a
catalog four times a year or relying purely on trade shows, make
2002 the year you break out and reach customers through additional,
more innovative marketing methods. Figure out where and when your
customers will be receptive to your message, then put tactics in
place to make multiple contacts with them year-round.
Contact marketing expert Kim T. Gordon, author of
Bringing Home the Business, at www.smallbusinessnow.com.