“You have to advertise!” an advertising salesperson exclaimed.
“No, I don’t,” my client replied.
She was right.
Businesspeople do not need to advertise. They need to market. If they have not created a marketing plan, advertising is likely not productive. The marketing plan details their objectives, targets their market, and prepares the company for the business advertising is intended to stimulate.
The marketing plan is the foundation and structure of the business’ marketing. Advertising is the paint job. To use another analogy, marketing is the cake while advertising is the sprinkles, chips, nuts, or coconut atop the cake. A paint job or cake toppings are optional. Similarly, a marketing plan may or may not indicate the use of advertising.
The advertising salesperson expressed, “You need to advertise!” in desperation. Sadly, some businesspeople respond to that line by thinking, Yeah, I do, and I don’t know what to buy. Oh, well, maybe this will work.
Then they buy the advertising. They have no plan as to how to use it, what to expect, or what preparations to make in running it. All this leads to a lack of follow through and disappointment. The end result is frustration for the businessperson and the advertising salesperson. The businessperson doesn’t understand why advertising doesn’t work, and the salesperson doesn’t understand why the businessperson doesn’t make the most out of the advertising.
Laying out a marketing plan reveals the opportunities for advertising. It indicates where advertising money is best spent. It sets up the best potential to maximize profitable results.
My client didn’t need that advertising because she knows her objectives, has targeted her market, and knows what business she wants to stimulate. That advertising would not have helped her with any of those.
It wasn’t the paint job or the sprinkles she wanted.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What advertising have you turned down and why? E-mail me your answer.
Check out my book Mistakes I Made Buying Advertising here.
“No, I don’t,” my client replied.
She was right.
Businesspeople do not need to advertise. They need to market. If they have not created a marketing plan, advertising is likely not productive. The marketing plan details their objectives, targets their market, and prepares the company for the business advertising is intended to stimulate.
The marketing plan is the foundation and structure of the business’ marketing. Advertising is the paint job. To use another analogy, marketing is the cake while advertising is the sprinkles, chips, nuts, or coconut atop the cake. A paint job or cake toppings are optional. Similarly, a marketing plan may or may not indicate the use of advertising.
The advertising salesperson expressed, “You need to advertise!” in desperation. Sadly, some businesspeople respond to that line by thinking, Yeah, I do, and I don’t know what to buy. Oh, well, maybe this will work.
Then they buy the advertising. They have no plan as to how to use it, what to expect, or what preparations to make in running it. All this leads to a lack of follow through and disappointment. The end result is frustration for the businessperson and the advertising salesperson. The businessperson doesn’t understand why advertising doesn’t work, and the salesperson doesn’t understand why the businessperson doesn’t make the most out of the advertising.
Laying out a marketing plan reveals the opportunities for advertising. It indicates where advertising money is best spent. It sets up the best potential to maximize profitable results.
My client didn’t need that advertising because she knows her objectives, has targeted her market, and knows what business she wants to stimulate. That advertising would not have helped her with any of those.
It wasn’t the paint job or the sprinkles she wanted.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What advertising have you turned down and why? E-mail me your answer.
Check out my book Mistakes I Made Buying Advertising here.
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