Why Advertising Doesn't Work

A number of clients in recent years have tried to convince us that the strategy of using advertising (print, broadcast, outdoor or direct-mail) is imperative when trying to reach out to prospects and current customers. And it's true that advertising can sometimes get someone's attention-especially someone who's actively looking for a specific product or service.

But those who insist on sinking significant dollars (despite the frequency discounts) on ads should consider this: A single placement in a single issue of even a targeted magazine or newspaper or radio program or billboard carries no guarantee that the intended target will see your message. A series of quarter-page ads in a weekly editorial special section may well be missed simply because it fades into the patchwork of all of the other ads within the section.

In other words, reaching out to a demographic that contains non-active shoppers as well as motivated ones is like shooting fish in the ocean with very expensive ammunition in your weapon. There's no benchmark for how effective this type of tactic alone will be in reaching out to the targeted audience and generating real interest and real sales.

We don't actively discourage clients from investing in advertising programs. But we do try to help them understand that such investments may not produce the desired ROI for a very simple reason: most people these days aren't paying attention to much of anything, let alone a print ad, radio spot or a billboard that they pass during the morning commute. In a world of iPods, MTV-paced action movies, jump-cut commercials and an overall waning interest in reading newspapers or magazines, an 'ad' has little chance of attracting the desired attention from the targeted audience.

One approach we have found to work effectively, though, is combining limited forms of advertising to back up the other marketing communications programs established from the outset. For example, one client needed to reach out to a specific population sector and used direct mail, marketing collateral distributed from strategic locations and an ad in local newspapers to spread the word. When polled, new customers cited all three elements when asked what brought them in.

Our philosophy is to use PR and marketing to build a brand and then use advertising to maintain it. This way, the client can get the best of both worlds while still being able to measure how the various parts of the program are affecting the brand image or the bottom line.

And wouldn't that be easier 'and smarter' than spending $10,000 a month for a highway billboard that can only fit your logo and website address?

Tidbits

The busy winter that turned into a busy spring has now morphed into a very busy summer.

After months of navigational challenges, tinkering and testing, we launched our revamped website ' www.hodgecommunciations.com ' in early May. The new site gives visitors a better idea of the types of customized services we provide as an integrated communications agency. It also offers insights from articles we've written for a variety of media through our Hodge Learning Center. It's a dynamic library of pieces that demonstrate our thought leadership when it comes to PR, marketing, website strategies, advertising and a host of other topics. As with any website, we view our home on the Internet as a constantly evolving presence, so be sure to come back often for updated stories, perspectives, case studies and service offerings.

We launched several initiatives with Fruitful Yield, a retailer of organic foods and nutritional supplements, designed to expand its brand messages as well as sales. We completed a focus group and in-store customer survey to gain insights into what drives customers to the 10 stores. We also helped design a new logo that better represents the Fruitful Yield's mission to help people lead healthier lives through better food choices. Finally, we began helping them create a new website that we believe will boost the store's Internet presence and web-based sales. We also garnered prominent placements with The Chicago Tribune and on WBBM-AM NewsRadio 780.

For USG Corp., we created and are now executing an internal communications plan designed to support a productivity initiative at all the company's manufacturing plants. The effort has involved collecting tips from plant workers to be shared with and help motivate others throughout the system, using them as a basis for tip sheets and posters. We're also working on in-plant contests, a feedback tool, and a performance scorecard. The ongoing effort is expected to help create buy-in across all plants to the initiative.

We also began work with the Heinz Group, Inc., developer of a luxury condominium project in Park Ridge that's expected to open in late 2007. Hodge is managing the marketing and sales collateral program as well as generating coverage for this multi-million-dollar project as it moves closer to reality. In addition to a mini-website and advertising in Pioneer Press special section, we expect the efforts to expand dramatically now that the City of Park Ridge approved an increase in the size of the completed project.

Finally, we welcomed Helena Bouchez as a new account executive. She is a business veteran with nearly 20 years of experience in more than a half dozen industries including advertising, architecture, automotive, public relations, information technology and interior design. Bouchez offers business experience that will help a wide variety of our clients as Hodge moves deeper into new spaces, such as B2C and retail clients.