Advertising by nature is extremely subjective. As a result, what seems to be a great advertising idea can turn out to be a failure. The following are five of the most common reasons we believe advertising campaigns fail.
Stretching Your Budget too Far
Understand your budget and what is realistic. We consistently see clients trying to stretch their budgets to do more than the budget will allow. Try not to spread your media buy or marketing tactics so thin that you can’t afford to repeat them liberally. It’s always better to do fewer things more often.
Got to Have it Now
There always seems to be this need for instant gratification. Effective marketing is about creating mind share. And you don’t earn that instantaneously. It is a process and part of a long-term plan. On average, you need to create anywhere between six and fifteen impressions before your prospect will seriously notice you.
Believing that You Are a Focus Group of One
Many marketers believe that their perception is unbiased and accurate. When you’re on the inside looking out, it is very difficult to be objective about your own company. It is the perception of your customers and prospects that counts. Engage in a non-biased process to discover the truth of what your customers and prospects think and want versus what you think.
Back Up Your Promises
Be wary of using hype and boastful language, such as “we have the lowest prices,” “best service” or “highest quality.” Your promises have to be believable. If you overdo it, your customers will know. And if they don’t believe you, they won’t respond.
Creative-heavy and Strategy-light
We’ve all seen those TV commercials and print ads that are very clever, but we can’t remember the brand name. Remember that your advertising can’t just be creative, it also has to be on strategy. Entertaining your audience is good, but winning their business is better.
Over the years, we have turned many of our clients’ advertising programs from failures to successes simply by watching for and correcting these types of mistakes. As obvious as the above seems, it is very easy for marketers to get caught up in any one of them. Take a few minutes to examine your current advertising to see if you are guilty of any of these common mistakes.
