2. Your creative message
what you say is as important as where you place your ad... Make your message more effective by offering something of value, a cohesive message that makes sense that is to the point and a simple concept to understand works best. Keep this in mind for all your promotional vehicles from print ads to tv commercials.... and yes should be considered also.
3. Marketing Tools
Pick some marketing tools will work best for you... and be sure they include an effective visual image and creative message. Simple, and inexpensive marketing solutions can include colour Business Cards, Postcards, Flyers/Brochures, Stickers, Statement Stuffers, Newsletters. Don’t forget about display marketing such as instore/office,Packaging, Signage, Banners, Point of Sale as well as up and coming off-site marketing avenues such as Trade Show Displays, Bench Ads and Bus Ads. Consider these mediums for advertising your business or service beyond Print ads; newspaper & magazine… Yellow Pages, Vehicle Graphics, Web Sites, Web Search Sites, Trade Shows, Radio, T.V.
BRANDING 101
Have you ever looked at a product and not been inspired to buy it? Why are you not inspired? Not appealing? No confidence in the quality of the product? Why? The psychology of why a product is chosen has been studies for many years. The labeling, including the type face and colour chosen in for the product marketing are very important in getting the correct message across. Where and how the product is displayed is important. A boring, or messy display rarely achieves it’s goal.
The same applies for a company image. Think about the colour, the symbols and style chosen. For example you wouldn’t buy luncheon meat with a baby blue label with an angel on it would you? It just doesn’t make sense and certainly doesn’t inspire you to buy it. A professional approach to the visual appeal of your company or product will go a long way toward credibility.
Branding elements include a logo, picture of product or people enjoying the product, the colours used in connection with the brand. Think of some of the most common brands you know and you can picture them in your mind… if they work. Excellent examples would be Crayola, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Home Depot, McDonalds, Tim Horton’s and the list goes on and on.
Consistency, clear, concise are they keys to good branding.
The days of knowing every customer by name, and being one of the only suppliers in town are gone...
Big box and information technology have change how we have to do business. At one time we could have a great idea for starting a business have little or no marketing to make the product sell. Word of mouth and limited competition worked to keep customer coming. One of the main reasons new businesses fail is the fact that many business owners have no marketing background. This does not have to be a problem providing the entrepreneur looks for the help and knowledge required to make his dream come true.
The reason we hire a dentist to do fix our teeth is that we wouldn’t dream of doing it ourselves, so why do people think they don’t need help with the most important factor in keeping their livelihood, their income source alive? To save money?
How much are they really saving when you consider how much business you will loose when money is wasted on a non-effective marketing strategy. If money is spent buying ad space in a newspaper, the cost for the space is the same even if the ad is run blank. So why not put in an ad that will actually generate business?
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