Marketing Doesn’t Work…
Marketing doesn’t work, except of course, in those instances in which it does. And, there are many instances in which marketing not only works, but in which it works exceptionally well.
Still, there are always those people who will tell you that some form of marketing is dead, that it doesn’t work, or even that it has never worked. I disagree. I think at all forms of marketing have the ability to work, and that factors outside of the medium affect the efficacy of the ad. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that cause an ad to fail, regardless of the medium.
1. Your ad sucks. This is probably the biggest reason that ads don’t work. The design is no good, the copy sucks, and you don’t engage your audience. No matter the medium, you fail.
2. Your product sucks. This is common too. Millions in development don’t negate the fact that nobody wants what you are selling. Millions in advertising won’t hide the fact that your product doesn’t work.
3. Your product is too expensive. There is a price point that customers are willing to pay for any object; go above that, and nobody will buy.
4. Lack of targeting. Sometimes the obvious target audience isn’t the right audience. Of the three vehicles in my house, two of them are Ford vehicles. I love the brand, and will be looking for a larger family car in the next year. Some would assume (Google) that flooding me with Ford ads would be a good ad spend. However, I’m a Mustang enthusiast and a Ford Truck fan. When it comes to family cars though, I want something that is sporty, rear-wheel drive, and preferably has a manual transmission. Since Ford discontinued the Mercury Marauder (the closest match they offered, minus the manual transmission), they don’t have a vehicle that suits my needs. Would I buy a new Mustang? Absolutely, they are incredible vehicles. Would I buy a new F150? Yes! They are awesome trucks. Will I click on the new Ford Fusion ad? No. They are great cars, but not what I’m looking for.
In order to effectively market your product, you need to understand the people that the product appeals to, as well as the people who consume certain types of media. Radio ads work very well and make a big impact on the people who listen to the radio on a regular basis. Who does that? Well, farmers are often in their tractors for long periods of time, and they often listen to the radio while they are working. Salespeople also spend a lot of time in cars, and many of them listen to local radio as they drive. Do you know who isn’t likely to listen to the radio? A young adult who is listening to her iPod when she is in a car. Does internet advertising work? Absolutely, but only for the people who are online. I suspect that marketing a seniors business via Foursquare is going to be a lesson in futility.
It is true that many products are not ideally suited for certain types of media. However, what isn’t right for you might be just perfect for somebody else. The trick is in finding what does work for you, creating compelling content, and then getting it in front of people who care.
This all speaks to strategy, Ryan. Without knowing what your story is, and who will care to hear it, it really doesn’t matter how you’ll go about telling it.
Random thought this morning. Thanks for the post.
You’re right Aaron. Having a strategy in place before you begin advertising will solve a lot of advertising problems. It is sad that so many businesses don’t invest some time and money into developing a strategy for their ad spends or their business as a whole.