Today's customers are very sophisticated in their viewing and listening habits. TV and radio commercials, direct mail, magazine and newspaper ads, billboards, trade shows, and websites all compete, and each medium is trying its best to grab your customers' attention. For this reason, there is no longer a "silver bullet" or one medium that can launch a successful advertising or sales support program.
Convergent Marketing
The more successful companies are using convergent marketing - combining several media into a team that works together to introduce new products and services. Using this approach means you have to select a message that will stand out in each medium and that will project well in both audio and visual materials. Treat each member of the media as a team player that is working together with your staff, your client, and the other media to communicate your message as powerfully and cost effectively as possible.
Once you have developed a strategy plan for what you want to accomplish, contact the various media reps you feel can provide additional ideas to the program. In most cases, media sales reps are more than willing to work with their creative staffs and offer suggestions to maximize the use of their media and to integrate their media efforts with other parts of your program. This can also save time and money in the production of the program by setting guidelines upfront for the type of files that will be passed back and forth among the media. It also helps in setting firm timelines for creative materials and production deadlines that must be met to keep the program on schedule. Upcoming sales events, seminars, trade shows,or other events should be included in the media planning schedule.
Setting Your Product or Service Apart
When you're working on a plan to set your product or service apart from the competition, a unique media approach may get you recognized faster by your potential buyers. It is handy in your planning process to have a list of all possible media available to you for your market. Then select a medium that is not being used by your competitors or use a medium entirely different than your competition. Unusual-sized ads, preprinted inserts, fold-outs, perforated return cards, or other items can improve ad returns in a trade magazine, for example.
Take Advantage of Short-Term Offers
Work closely with your media rep to lower your media costs and get the most out of your trade shows. Some media specials are only available for a very short time. Trade shows, for example, use a vartiey of media to promote their shows. They want to draw as many attendees and exhibitors as possible to each show so they publish special edition magazines that are sent out prior to the show and brochures with floor plans of exhibitors that are distributed at the show. In most cases you can get substantial space in these magazines and brochures for a fraction of the cost of a regular magazine ad in that market. For product or service introductions, this is one way of making a splash without bending your budget.
The trade shows also offer local TV spots that tie into the show, websites dedicated to the show and many freebies that come with the trade show media support package. With a limited budget, you can create a major presence at the show and draw extra buyers to your show booth at the same time. Often you can also get free public relations space in a show follow-up issue that shows your booth and lists your products and services.
Product Introduction Example
The introduction of an innovative new product designed for the metal forming market illustrates how a media team can work. Rather than the advertising agency first developing ad concepts and brochures for the product, an editor and rep from one of the key magazines in the metal forming market were invited to a pre-release presentation on the product.
The editor and rep were selected based on their in-depth knowledge of the market and the pre-condition that their magazine would be given an exclusive for the first introduction of the product. Benefits and test results were presented to them in a very in-depth presentation. Then a brain-storming session was held with the editor, client's sales staff and management, and agency personnel. The goal was to develop as many high-value ideas as possible that would reach and influence the target market - metal forming plant managers and owners of metal forming plants.
An Integrated Media Plan
From this meeting and additional research an integrated sales and marketing program was developed that included technical editorials, press releases, a website presentation, a laptop sales presentation design for sales reps and seminars, and an Ecard (small CD-ROM) developed for use in a personalized direct mail program to key prospects. Ads were designed for the major trade publications and product brochures would be used for sales reps and inquiry follow-up from all media. In addition, the product would be featured at an upcoming trade show.
Find the Media Combination That Works for Your Company
Each product and service has its own special appeal and benefits that set it apart. Discover the media combination that can best present those benefits for your product. Bring the media people together as part of your team to maximizethe use of each meduim.
Jack Forsberg is president of Forsberg Group, Inc., a Lansing-based, full-service advertising agency.