 |
|
  |
|
|
|
|
ADVERTISING - February
'98 by Dennis Altman Mighty Midgets
The answer is plenty. And you can see it happening in any newspaper in the Bluegrass. Excellent, effective small ads are sprinkled like tiny jewels throughout the Lexington Herald-Leader every day. We'll look at a few now, but first let's lay down some of the ground rules. The ideal retail ad has four things to tell:
Without some genuine news, a retail ad is mute. The money that newsless ads cost would be much better spent fixing up the restrooms at the store. And the news must be realistic. Claims like "Lost Our Lease" or "Kentucky's #1 Dealer" or "Nobody Beats Us for Quality and Service!" are the stuff that falls from mighty bulls and the customers know it. Obviously, the best news a prospect can hear is that desirable goods are available at a bargain price. That's why most retailers simply limit their advertising to news of sales, markdowns and close-outs. But a few retailers with special stories to tell put really useful information in their ads. How-to-do-it and recipe ads always get good readership and inside information can work wonders. One dry cleaner in Chicago built a terrific reputation for his stores by running a small space series that gave people professional advice on how to remove stubborn stains. They became the local authorities on caring for fine fabrics. In a couple of years, these stores were so well regarded by their customers they were able to charge 20 percent more than their competitors. That's how you can build an image that pays off in the cash drawer.
Great advertising always gives the consumer something he/she can say yes to. This is "The Deal." If you have nothing else to say, the deal can be a simple price-and-item. just don't lose sight of the fact that the prime mission for retail advertising is to promote next-day business. It's really amazing how many local ads miss this point. I saw one that trumpeted, "Come and see why we're NOT your typical furniture store". Imagine! This advertiser actually thinks that people will see his ad and leap into their cars to see why his store isn't usual. Save your money, pal. This is not something that people can say yes to.
Effective retail ads often carry a sense of urgency! "Limited time offer!, " "Sale ends Saturday!," "Midnight Madness," "While They Last!" After all, what's special about something we can get any old time?
Good retail ads make sure they tell you where to go or the number to call. You may have more doors than you think. Store location, toll-free phone numbers, web address, a coupon. The more doors you open, the more sales you'll get. How much does advertising like this cost? Compared to a lot of national stuff I see, it's chump change. But for dollar-for-dollar effectiveness, I'd take these three gems over most of the big ticket blow-offs we're fed on TV any day of the week. And that includes Super-Expensive Sunday.
Dennis Altman is a professor of advertising and public relations at the University of Kentucky.
|
|
|
Copyright 1996-98, by Kentucky Business Online, LLC. All rights reserved. Editorial content is copyright
1998, Lane Communications Group Buzzword and the Buzzword balloon are registered trademarks of Buzzword, Inc. The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
If a one-shot,
30-second spot on the Super Bowl costs $1.3 million, what chance does a small business
have to get its message across?