When people discover my background in advertising, the questions flow. One of the most frequent questions is "Should I advertise on TV?"

I can’t answer that questions until I ask a number of questions first.

Do you have an advertising plan?

Are you working on a firm budget?

What are you trying to accomplish with your advertising?

Where are you spending your money now?

Usually by the 4th question the happy face is one of disappointment.

Contractors don’t build a building without a plan, and you shouldn’t advertise without a plan. The first action is to determine what your advertising is to do. Most small and medium businesses do not have the bucks for long term image, so we focus on a call to action or proclaiming benefits (not features)

Can TV do that? Probably. Can you afford it? Probably not. Local TV ads even in the smallest of television markets are expensive. You can buy cheap ads, but the cost is factored to the number of viewers. The cheaper the ads, the fewer the viewers. How many folks do you know glued to the tube at 545 AM?

You can get on TV with a package of Cable Ads, but beware the number of viewers and the shoddy production. Get my article "Cable Ads 5 Bucks" by sending a blank eMail to MailTo:CableAds@BigIdeasGroup.com

Some people in business beleive you haven’t "arrived" until your business is on TV and billboards. Funny, I know of hundreds of businesses making big bucks that don’t use either.

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to "BIG Mike’s BIG Ideas" Newsletter MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

From meager beginnings in 1920, radio has grown with us to be a major player in advertising. The radio industry says they get about 8 percent of all advertising bucks. Not bad when you consider the many ways to hawk your service or product

They get their fair share because radio works. With over twelve THOUSAND radio stations in the country, the music and news they broadcast is everywhere.

Radio is the mobile medium. Few cars have TV’s up front, and few drivers can read the New York Times while driving (safely). The advertising on radio targets you passively. You don’t have to be looking at it or reading it to get the message.

Radio’s strength is drive time. The times of the day when most people are in their cars driving to and from work. You can sound like a pro when you call ‘em AMD and PMD.

AMD is morning (AM) drive time, typically 6 to 10am. AMD is traditionally the most expensive radio time because that’s when more people listen.

PMD is afternoon (PM) drive and is considered to be 4 to 7pm.

Other radio slots are DAY which represents 10a to 4p period and EVE, 7 to midnight.

Most radio stations offer two ways to buy ads. Specific placement (I want to be in the Roscoe Billy Bob Show) and ROS (Run of Station) a formula that spreads your announcments into all dayparts, including late night and overnight. Of course there are specials and sponsorships, too.

Here are my tips for buying radio ads

+ Always use 30 second ads. If you can say the whole Lord’s Prayer in 20 seconds, 30 is enough for your business (no matter what the media person says)

+ Buy advertising on the stations that reach your target customers, not the ones you like. Just because you listen doesn’t mean everyone does (especially if you like Classical Music)

+ Buy ads on two or more stations if possible. Few markets have one radio station so dominant that it reaches all the listeners.

+ Buy one week on one station, the next week on the other, back and fourth. Limit your buy to 4 weeks in any month, two on each station. 48 weeks per year gets thew same impact of 52 and saves 4.

+ Buy at least 12 ads a week (18 on each if you can afford it) and advertise every other month.

+ Insist on no overnight or evening ads. Ask for a package that puts you in AMD and PMD at a discount. Like the newspaper inches committment, you are talking about over 400 ads per year per station.

For more about radio get my article "Do Your Radio Ads Work?" Send a blank eMail to MailTo:RadioAds@BigIdeasGroup.com

Remember the media salesperson is interested in selling ads, not improving your business. It is up to you to be the expert and make the informed decisions.

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to "BIG Mike’s BIG Ideas" Newsletter MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”

Advertising is life made to look larger than life, through images and words that promise a wish fulfilled, a dream come true, a problem solved. Even Viagra follows Mark Twain’s keen observation about advertising. The worst kind of advertising exaggerates to get your attention, the best, gets your attention without exaggeration. It simply states a fact or reveals an emotional need, then lets you make the leap from “small to large.” Examples of the worst: before-and-after photos for weight loss products and cosmetic surgery—both descend to almost comic disbelief. The best: Apple’s "silhouette" campaign for iPod and the breakthrough ads featuring Eminem—both catapult iPod to “instant cool” status.

“When in doubt, tell the truth.”

Today’s advertising is full of gimmicks. They relentlessly hang on to a product like a ball and chain, keeping it from moving swiftly ahead of the competition, preventing any real communication of benefits or impetus to buy. The thinking is, if the gimmick is outrageous or silly enough, it’s got to at least get their attention. Local car dealer ads are probably the worst offenders–using zoo animals, sledgehammers, clowns, bikini-clad models, anything unrelated to the product’s real benefit. If the people who thought up these outrageous gimmicks spent half their energy just sticking to the product’s real benefits and buying motivators, they’d have a great ad. What they don’t realize is, they already have a lot to work with without resorting to gimmicks. There’s the product with all its benefits, the brand, which undoubtedly they’ve spent money to promote, the competition and its weaknesses, and two powerful buying motivators—fear of loss and promise of gain. In other words, all you really have to do is tell the truth about your product and be honest about your customers’ wants and needs. Of course, sometimes that’s not so easy. You have to do some digging to find out what you customers really want, what your competition has to offer them, and why your product is better.

“Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.”

In advertising, you have to be very careful how you use facts. As any politician will tell you, facts are scary things. They have no stretch, no pliability, no room for misinterpretation. They’re indisputable. And used correctly, very powerful. But statistics, now there’s something advertisers and politicians love. “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Preparation J.” Who can dispute that? Or “Five out of six dentists recommend Sunshine Gum.” Makes me want to run out and buy a pack of Sunshine right now. Hold it. Rewind.

“Whenever you find you’re on the side of the majority, it is time to reform.”

Let’s take a look at how these stats—this apparent majority—might have come to be. First off, how many doctors did they ask before they found nine out of ten to agree that Preparation J did the job? 1,000? 10,000? And how many dentists hated the idea of their patients chewing gum but relented, saying, “Most chewing gum has sugar and other ingredients, that rot out your teeth, but if the guy’s gotta chew the darn stuff, it may as well be Sunshine, which has less sugar in it.” The point is, stats can be manipulated to say almost anything. And yes, the devil’s in the details. The fact is, there’s usually a 5% chance you can get any kind of result simply by accident. And because many statistical studies are biased and not “double blind” (both subject and doctor don’t know who was given the test product and who got the placebo). Worst of all, statistics usually need the endless buttressing of legal disclaimers. If you don’t believe me, try to read the full-page of legally mandated warnings for that weight- loss pill you’ve been taking. Bottom line: stick to facts. Then back them up with sound selling arguments that address the needs of your customer.

“The difference between the right word and almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

To write really effective ad copy means choosing exactly the right word at the right time. You want to lead your customer to every benefit your product has to offer, and you want to shed the best light on every benefit. It also means you don’t want to give them any reason or opportunity to wander away from your argument. If they wander, you’re history. They’re off to the next page, another TV channel or a new website. So make every word say exactly what you mean it to say, no more, no less. Example: if a product is new, don’t be afraid to say “new” (a product is only new once in its life, so exploit the fact).

“Great people make us feel we can become great.”

And so do great ads. While they can’t convince us we’ll become millionaires, be as famous as Madonna, or as likeable as Tom Cruise, they make us feel we might be as attractive, famous, wealthy, or admired as we’d like to think we can be. Because there’s a “Little Engine That Could” in all of us that says, under the right conditions, we could beat the odds and catch the brass ring, win the lottery, or sell that book we’ve been working on. Great advertising taps into that belief without going overboard. An effective ad promoting the lottery once used pictures of people sitting on an exotic beach with little beach umbrellas in their cocktails (a perfectly realistic image for the average person) with the line: Somebody’s has to win, may as well be you.”

“The universal brotherhood of man is our most precious possession.”

We’re all part of the same family of creatures called homo sapiens. We each want to be admired, respected and loved. We want to feel secure in our lives and our jobs. So create ads that touch the soul. Use an emotional appeal in your visual, headline and copy. Even humor, used correctly, can be a powerful tool that connects you to your potential customer. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling shoes or software, people will always respond to what you have to sell them on an emotional level. Once they’ve made the decision to buy, the justification process kicks in to confirm the decision. To put it another way, once they’re convinced you’re a mensche with real feelings for their hopes and wants as well as their problems, they’ll go from prospect to customer.

“A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs.”

Ain’t it the truth. More money, more clothes, fancier car, bigger house. It’s what advertising feeds on. “You need this. And you need more of it every day.” It’s the universal mantra that drives consumption to the limits of our charge cards. So, how to tap into this insatiable appetite for more stuff? Convince buyers that more is better. Colgate offers 20% more toothpaste in the giant economy size. You get 60 more sheets with the big Charmin roll of toilet paper. GE light bulbs are 15% brighter. Raisin Brain now has 25% more raisins. When Detroit found it couldn’t sell more cars per household to an already saturated U.S. market, they started selling more car per car—SUVs and trucks got bigger and more powerful. They’re still selling giant 3-ton SUVs that get 15 miles per gallon.

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

Who gets the girl? Who attracts the sharpest guy? Who lands the big promotion? Neiman Marcus knows. So does Abercrombie & Fitch. And Saks Fifth Avenue. Why else would you fork over $900 for a power suit? Or $600 for a pair of shoes? Observers from Aristotle to the twentieth century have consistently maintained that character is immanent in appearance, asserting that clothes reveal a rich palette of interior qualities as well as a brand mark of social identity. Here’s where the right advertising pays for itself big time. Where you must have the perfect model (not necessarily the most attractive) and really creative photographers and directors who know how to tell a story, create a mood, convince you that you’re not buying the “emperor’s clothes.” Example of good fashion advertising: the Levis black-and- white spot featuring a teenager driving through the side streets and alleys of the Czech Republic. Stopping to pick up friends, he gets out of the car wearing just a shirt as the voiceover cheekily exclaims, "Reason 007: In Prague, you can trade them for a car."

About the Author

Alex Kecskes is a former ad agency Copy Chief who has created effective copy and concepts for a wide range of ad agencies, Fortune 500 companies and startups. As owner of ak creativeworks, Alex provides brand names, as well as strategic copy for brochures, mailers, multimedia, articles, newsletters, PR and web content. He has published articles in a variety of publications about health, business and technology–this includes copy for over 130 different products and services. He has won such national awards as the Andy, Belding and One Show. For more information and samples, please visit: http://www.akcreativeworks.com

My wife and I were cruising around the antique shops in Twin Falls when I came upon a book published in 1912 by the A.W. Shaw Company, Chicago, New York. The title is How to Write Advertisements that Sell.

The book is part of a series of “how to” books and the author or authors are not revealed.

The First Chapter of the book has a clever little table that all of you experts probably already know about. I hadn’t seen it before so I was impressed.

I’m not allowed to put illustrations in my articles. I’ve put the table on the Internet and you can see it at http://www.secret-cash.com/chart.html.

According to the text, the question that must be answered for any advertising campaign is 4-fold:

1. What does the buyer want?

2. How does your product fit that want?

3. What tone should dominate your advertisement?

4. What should be its chief appeals for trade?

In the answers to these questions you have the “center and heart” of the message your campaign should carry. Knowing your product is not enough; you must know it “in relation to its prospective purchaser.”

An example given is that in the days of the introduction of the farm tractor, explaining how a tractor works to a farmer was talking to thin air. The farmer had no background in mechanics. He knew about horses. The farmer had to learn about tractors from his basis of knowing horses. The farmer knew how many acres he could plow in a day with a horse. The tractor salesman had to tell him how many acres he could plow in a day with a tractor. You feed the horse hay. You feed the tractor gasoline. You put the horse in the barn at night. You can leave the tractor in the field if you want to. Just bring it in from the weather in the fall. The horse needs shoes. The tractor needs tires. Oh, you’ve got it!

Living in Idaho and having a horse, even I understand the above.

The point is made that studying successful advertising campaigns is not the best way to develop your own successful campaign. It is better to study campaign failures. Trying to imitate a successful campaign with your product can bring failure.

The point is made that the success of the campaign you are studying and plan to copy may not depend on what you think. Your competitor “may have special skills” that you do not have. His copy may have “elements of strength” that you don’t recognize. He may be succeeding “despite his advertising mistakes.”

The authors say that when you make the addition of one appeal to your campaign that turns a failure into a success, the “lesson becomes plain.” You experts will know what that means.

The chart at http://www.secret-cash.com/chart.html was not produced by the authors. It is the result of a study made by one marketer over many years. Note the two questions at the top of the chart. Does the potential customer have to increase his spending or just direct it your way? Now look at the appeal factors. Note how they change your copy. Now look at the basic motives you are appealing to.

Problems come in the misdiagnosis of problems. IF you picked "B" when you should have picked "D" you will be appealing to the wrong motives.

I suggest you study the chart in relation to your past campaigns and to what you are doing now. You might be surprised at the results.

If this turns your bummer into a gold mine, send money.

One last note: Your competitor may be unethical. He may be offering “product group” deals. He might be absorbing tooling cost. He may be bribing the buyer by taking him to Alaska fishing. He might be selling below cost. You just can’t trust anybody these days, can you? Let the advertiser be aware as much as the buyer.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself "Taylor Jones, the hack writer."

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.aaaflagpoles.com

According to the product life-cycle theory, almost any product passes five stages during its existence regardless the desire of manufactures and customers. These stages are birth, growth, maturity, decay and atrophy. To prevent the last two stages marketologists suggest improving the product in the early stages of its development.

The results of the expert statistics show that 90% of the world innovations are nothing more product developments. And only the remaining 10% mean launch of new products and technologies. The Japanese are considered to have achieved the remarkable results in constant product development. An outstanding expert Masaaki Imai has generated the concept of constant product development “Kaizen”. Though there is a great number of products that have not gone through significant changes over many years and nevertheless they hold stable inviolable positions in the world market. First of all it holds true for food: cereals, vodka, wines, most of the confectionery, cigars, etc. However the milk we drink today is not the same as it was say, 50 years ago. In the second half of the twentieth century we saw the milk in Tetra Pak packages with improved consumer qualities allowing us to keep it for months.

Nowadays when the products of different competition trademarks are becoming more and more similar it is extremely difficult to attain real improvement of their functional features. That is why the changes are more likely to be in design than in functioning. Besides the experts from Brand Lab stress that at present consumers regard product design as important as its functions. Here we have a great deal of examples: any successful design change is considered to be an improvement or development, rebranding and so on. Probably the most illustrative example of design change is computer mouth. Unlike the computer itself, which is constantly being improved and mostly in its functions the mouth has not practically modified since its birth in 1980s. But its design has been transforming cardinally all the time. It greatly rouses the customers’ interest in the product. Marketing managers are inclined to think that only marketing research can show the objective answer what particularly should be improved in the product.

A classic example of a successful survey - Kit Kat chocolate from Nestle. In 1990s this chocolate was positioned as the product for pleasure. It enjoyed good sales rates throughout the world. In 2000s in the west the consumers began to perceive the small bars of chocolate not as the product for pleasure, but as a means to appease hunger. Taking this fact into account Nestle launched Kit Kat in the form of a bar (and аt the same time began to produce Kit Kat of a standard size). It started a n advertising campaign with a slogan “Have a break. Have a Kit Kat". The sales rates of the chocolate again were moving upwards. So as we see from the above examples we must be aware of the fact that any product will become obsolete sooner or later.

Do not wait until it actually happens, and the sales rates dramatically are going down. Start your work on the product improvement when you are developing the product. Otherwise all the attempts to improve it later will turn into a waste of time, effort and money losses. Secondly, though it may in some way contradict the first postulate miracles do happen. That is why when the market is getting narrowed it does not mean that everything is lost and you have to let the product just die. Not so often but nevertheless there are cases when there are ways to improve this product, the market revives and even increases several times as much.

Tyler Benson is a senior writer of BestEssays.com - Custom Term Paper writing service. For more than five years, Tyler Benson has written the number of projects on History, History of Migration, Ancient and Asian History. He has 17 years of experience as the professor of several universities. Currently he is working on creating his writing guide for university students. It will cover all the details of the essay (e.g. choosing the correct process essay topic) and explaining the peculiarities of writing every type of essay (e.g. writing persuasive essay).

Newspapers are considered the PRIMARY advertising medium by 99.4% of all retailers. Newspapers have been there in every step of the typical store owner’s life from the very beginning. Newspapers covered his birth, his high school graduation, his engagement, his marriage, the death of his parents and everything else.

Despite declining circulation figures and increasing ad rates, newspapers still reach large audiences, daily.

Many, if not most, retailers, lay out their own ads. It is said that over the years, merchants have come to believe the only way to get it right is to do it themselves. This thinking has given rise to the new breed of newspaper salesperson. No training, just a list of customers and the daily question "Gotchyur ad ready yet?"

You should understand the newspaper’s weaknesses and learn to avoid them whenever possible. The Skinny for and against newspapers.

There is no proof full page or double-truck ads are more effective than half page ads. The savings can be spent on a concurrent radio campaign or billboards.

The same with color. It looks great, but the increased cost many times does not justify the small increase in readership. Forget the color and go with more frequency.

The paper is delivered daily, but there is no need for an ad every day as the paper reaches the same readers. 3 times a week works just fine. Spend the difference in the shopper or on a supporting radio campaign.

Newspaper coupons will have a better rate of redemption with a radio chaser. Especially if the coupons are NOT in a Sunday paper competing with 85% of all coupons weekly. Think about a coupons on Tuesday with siupportiung radio to drive them to it.

What the newspaper ad person won’t tell you: Less than half of newspaper readers read the entire paper. Most are skimmers. How many times through the paper does it take for you to find your own ad?

Over half of every paper is ads. Almost as bad as TV. More than two-thirds of the Sunday brick is ads.

Newspaper rates are climbing faster than the space shuttle. The smallest of ads in the smallest papers can cost over $100. One time, one shot and POW!, its at the bottom of the bird cage.

Newsstand and subscriptions prices are rising, too. 75 cents an issue is rapidly losing to 4 quarters.

Most papers offer no competitive protection. Your ad can be placed side-by-side with the competition. Get the salesperson to guarantee you separation.

Daily newspaper numbers are dwindling. There are only a few more than 1000 daily papers. Smaller communities must rely on weeklies or papers from another area with a "local" section.

Newspapers are still a formidable advertising force. Find ways to continue to use the paper to increase store traffic, but do it with other advertising so the media mix is efficient. Don’t let anyone tell you NOT to advertise in the paper.

For more about advertising, get my article "Do Your Radio Ads Work?" MailTo:RadioAds@BigIdeasGroup.com

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to "BIG Mike’s BIG Ideas" Newsletter MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

(Or Any Other Print Ad)

If you think that advertising in the Yellow Pages is not right for you, you may be right. But before you write off the Yellow Pages, you should do a bit of research into how many responses your heading receives every year. You might be surprised. You might find a great opportunity that a lot of your competitors are missing out on.

If you DO advertise in the Yellow Pages, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, you should understand the nature of the beast, which may come as a surprise.

The Yellow Pages directories are a “marketing orphan”. They are unloved, unglamorous, unsexy. Most marketing experts know next to nothing about how to use them. But I’ve seen many very profitable businesses derive virtually all their business from one good ad run in many directories.

But, and this is extremely important, less than 1% of Yellow Pages advertisers know what an effective ad is. The bad rap the Yellow Pages has is not earned. If you know how to use them, the Yellow Pages can be incredible!

Most advertisers have the vague notion that they want a response. That’s logical. “We want the phone to ring!” they say. But the way they go about it leaves a lot to be desired.

Exposed: The #1 Cardinal Sin of Print Advertising

The biggest mistake neophyte advertisers make is to assume that the theme of their ad should be: “Who we are, what we do, and how to reach us”. The second biggest error is not having a great headline. Here’s a clue: Your name and logo are not a headline. They are the least important things in your ad—until a person wants to call you and knows exactly why. At that moment, and not before, your company name and number become important.

The “name, rank and serial number” approach is wrong for any print ad, but especially the Yellow Pages, which is a “magic moment” medium. There is no other medium where people in need go to find an instant solution, ready to take buying action right away. If you could but understand the mindset of your prospect in their moment of need, you would dominate your heading year after year.

The Ultimate Secret To Acing The Yellow Pages

Now let me share with you a powerful secret that very few people in the marketing business understand. You may not believe it at first, but if you take it to heart, this secret could revolutionize your Yellow Pages response forever—and the rest of your direct response print ads too!

Here’s the secret: the Yellow Pages Is NOT A Visual Medium! (Huh?) Yes, really, no kidding.

But how can that be? Aren’t all ads supposed to look great and employ a lot of “white space”? Sorry to break it to you, but those are two of the big lies that agencies and graphic artists have been perpetuating for years, which have been consistently disproved by measuring response.

The Yellow Pages may be full of colour and pictures and maps and words. And yes, you have to LOOK at the page to read it, but it is not a visual medium. Let me offer you an analogy to explain:

Imagine going to a fancy restaurant and ordering supper. The waiter brings your order along with a picture of a beautiful meal, which looks even better than the one, you ordered. Which one would you want to eat?

The incorrect assumption everyone makes is that appearance counts for more than substance in the Yellow Pages. Anybody who tells you this does not understand the state of mind of your Yellow Pages prospect in need. The only time a prospect looks at your ad is when they are in dire need and ready to take action. They are not looking for pretty pictures.

With nothing but pretty pictures to choose from, your prospect will have to pick one. But, when there’s one good information ad, and several pretty pictures, the information ad will win, hands down, every time.

You will double your response — EASILY — if you turn your ad into an information piece, or “advertorial”. Why? Because the person who is in distress wants information—all the credible information they can get their hands on. And, even more than that, you will stick out like a sore thumb. Your ad will jump off the page and it will look like an information piece, not a sales pitch. Everyone else is saying, “I’m the best!” and you are giving them precisely the information they crave. Who do you think they’ll want to talk to?

I have seen information ads multiply the response of image ads in the Yellow Pages on numerous occasions. In every case, the directory rep tried to talk my client out of running the ad. Don’t listen to them! Your directory sales rep is in the space selling business, not in the direct response business.

And one more thing: once you run your ad, try to resist the temptation to plaster the little “Let Your Fingers Do The Walking Stickers” on your vehicles and in your store window. Did you ever stop to think how foolish it is to invite your prospects and customers to go where your competitors are advertising?

Tom St. Louis is a marketing strategist, copywriter and president of Zerald Communications of Toronto. For a free critique of your Yellow Pages or print ad, go to WWW.UltimateYellowPagesAd.com

Ultimate yellow pages ad - Increase your yellow pages response by up 600%, glancing your yellow pages ad and provide you Free report for your ad on yellow pages or yellow pages directory.

"Culture is a like dropping an Alka-seltzer into a glass – you don’t see it, but somehow it does something," Hans Magnus Enzensberger.

Culture affects everything we do. This applies to all areas of human life from personal relationships to conducting business abroad. When interacting within our native cultures, culture acts as a framework of understanding. However, when interacting with different cultures this framework no longer applies due to cross cultural differences.

Cross cultural communication aims to help minimise the negative impact of cross cultural differences through building common frameworks for people of different cultures to interact within. In business, cross cultural solutions are applied in areas such as HR, team building, foreign trade, negotiations and website design.

Cross cultural communication solutions are also critical to effective cross cultural advertising. Services and products are usually designed and marketed at a domestic audience. When a product is then marketed at an international audience the same domestic advertising campaign abroad will in most cases be ineffective.

The essence of advertising is convincing people that a product is meant for them. By purchasing it, they will receive some benefit, whether it be lifestyle, status, convenience or financial. However, when an advertising campaign is taken abroad different values and perceptions as to what enhances status or gives convenience exist. These differences make the original advertising campaign defunct.

It is therefore critical to any cross cultural advertising campaign that an understanding of a particular culture is acquired. By way of highlighting areas of cross cultural differences in advertising a few examples shall be examined.

Language in Cross Cultural Advertising

It may seem somewhat obvious to state that language is key to effective cross cultural advertising. However, the fact that companies persistently fail to check linguistic implications of company or product names and slogans demonstrates that such issues are not being properly addressed.

The advertising world is littered with examples of linguistic cross cultural blunders. Of the more comical was Ford’s introduction of the ‘Pinto’ in Brazil. After seeing sales fail, they soon realised that this was due to the fact that Brazilians did not want to be seen driving a car meaning ‘tiny male genitals’.

Language must also be analysed for its cultural suitability. For example, the slogan employed by the computer games manufacturer, EA Sports, “Challenge Everything” raises grumbles of disapproval in religious or hierarchical societies where harmonious relationships are maintained through the values of respect and non-confrontation.

It is imperative therefore that language be examined carefully in any cross cultural advertising campaign

Communication Style in Cross Cultural Advertising

Understanding the way in which other cultures communicate allows the advertising campaign to speak to the potential customer in a way they understand and appreciate. For example, communication styles can be explicit or implicit. An explicit communicator (e.g. USA) assumes the listener is unaware of background information or related issues to the topic of discussion and therefore provides it themselves. Implicit communicators (e.g. Japan) assume the listener is well informed on the subject and minimises information relayed on the premise that the listener will understand from implication. An explicit communicator would find an implicit communication style vague, whereas an implicit communicator would find an explicit communication style exaggerated.

Colours, Numbers and Images in Cross Cultural Advertising

Even the simplest and most taken for granted aspects of advertising need to be inspected under a cross cultural microscope. Colours, numbers, symbols and images do not all translate well across cultures.

In some cultures there are lucky colours, such as red in China and unlucky colours, such as black in Japan. Some colours have certain significance; green is considered a special colour in Islam and some colours have tribal associations in parts of Africa.

Many hotels in the USA or UK do not have a room 13 or a 13th floor. Similarly, Nippon Airways in Japan do not have the seat numbers 4 or 9. If there are numbers with negative connotations abroad, presenting or packaging products in those numbers when advertising should be avoided.

Images are also culturally sensitive. Whereas it is common to see pictures of women in bikinis on advertising posters on the streets of London, such images would cause outrage in the Middle East.

Cultural Values in Cross Cultural Advertising

When advertising abroad, the cultural values underpinning the society must be analysed carefully. Is there a religion that is practised by the majority of the people? Is the society collectivist or individualist? Is it family orientated? Is it hierarchical? Is there a dominant political or economic ideology? All of these will impact an advertising campaign if left unexamined.

For example, advertising that focuses on individual success, independence and stressing the word “I” would be received negatively in countries where teamwork is considered a positive quality. Rebelliousness or lack of respect for authority should always be avoided in family orientated or hierarchical societies.

By way of conclusion, we can see that the principles of advertising run through to cross cultural advertising too. That is – know your market, what is attractive to them and what their aspirations are. Cross cultural advertising is simply about using common sense and analysing how the different elements of an advertising campaign are impacted by culture and modifying them to best speak to the target audience.

Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential. Visit their site at: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cross-cultural/cross-cultural-awareness.html

Response rates to Yellow Page advertising are declining

There’s no getting around it, traditional Yellow Pages are in trouble. Fewer people use them every year. Even the best- pulling ad in the section isn’t getting the number of callers or sales it used to. At the same time, the monthly cost to maintain your same-size directory ad keeps going up.

Simply tinkering with ad size (or options like color) can’t compensate for the adverse developments. Declining usage impacts each directory category differently. Some (like contractors and lawyers) are declining more steeply than others. Emergency service providers (tow trucks, plumbers) are holding their own. While categories like cell phones and lawn furniture are growing rapidly, with increased consumer demand.

Advertising only in the Yellow Pages is no longer a safe bet

- Over half of all customers go to the Internet first to find product information and sources - even if they intend to spend their money locally

- People increasingly trust the Internet as a source of information about major purchases (and has overtaken the newspaper for used car sales)

- Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) are kept up to date (unlike print directories) and can be searched from anywhere - their usage is growing 25% a year

- Local Search lets search engines (like Google) include small, local businesses in their search results (even without them having a website) - over 25% of all search queries request Local Search results

- A large percentage of young adults or business buyers never consult the Yellow Page directory at all - and they control an expanding chunk of dollars spent

Rethink the role Yellow Page advertising plays for your enterprise

Take a serious look at how much you rely on the Yellow Page directory to bring new business. Are most or all of your promotional dollars spent there? Do your expectations match the number and kinds of customers your ad actually brings you?

Your strategy needs to consider all the ways you attract new customers. Recognize changed customer preferences and buying habits for your specific type of operation. The issue isn’t whether or not to advertise in the Yellow Pages. If you’ve been there you should continue. But switch some of those dollars into marketing methods that connect with buyers who won’t look for you there.

Follow these steps, with them all sending a clear, consistent message

1. Get listed in Internet Yellow Pages (IYP); there are many of them; some are free

2. Make sure your website provides the information search engines require for Local Search. Learn how to do that at http:www.yellowpagesage.com/localsearch.html

3. Beef up your website with the information customers look for (or join a portal of local businesses)

4. Submit articles about your enterprise online; find extensive assistance at http://www.promotewitharticles.com

Keep track of what’s delivering new business. Commit to asking every new customer and caller how they found you. That’s the only way to know which method is winning; or where to shift emphasis and money for the next year.

Pursue ways to increase business from your existing customers

The value of Yellow Page advertising is mainly to attract new customers. People who know you already are more likely to find your number in the business white (alphabetical) listings. Start working harder to strengthen those relationships so they stay loyal. Efforts spent to serve them better (or to get referrals from them) does more for profits than constantly chasing new customers can.

Get started well BEFORE the directory deadline

Some day soon it’s time to renew your directory listing for another year. Let this be the year that you’ve figured out your strategy well in advance. Make your new strategy a front-burner, squeeky-wheel priority. Yellow Page Smarts, http://www.yellowpagesage.com/smarts.html explains how to make your Yellow Page ad and Internet marketing support each together effectively.

If your next directory deadline hasn’t come yet, there’s still time to change your ad for next year (like add your website address address - a study found 60% of directory users only call Yellow Page ads with a website!). If you’re already committed, spend the next year getting the rest of your strategy in place. Your timely efforts can compensate for the decline in Yellow Page advertising’s effectiveness. And you won’t be caught off guard.

© 2004, Lynella Grant

–Dr. Lynella Grant Author, Yellow Page Smarts, Make more money from your Directory ad in tandem with your Web site. Get a YP ad critique. 719-395-9450 grant@yellowpagesage.com

Free YP resources at http://www.yellowpagesage.com

One of the most common questions people ask me is: “Where should I spend my advertising dollars?” Their experience can typically be summed up as follows:

I recently opened my business as an interior designer. I was so excited. But now – two months later – I’m getting frustrated. I believe that my services are valuable, and I thought there would be a market for them, but I’m having the hardest time finding clients. I’ve spent a couple hundred dollars already on advertising, but I’ve gotten virtually no response from it. Can you tell me where I should put my advertising dollars to have the most impact?

My advice? Consider spending your hard-earned money on avenues other than advertising to reach your target market.

While it is true that advertising in the right publication (that is, a publication that is read by your target market) may be beneficial, advertising is NOT the most effective way for a new small business owner to reach her target market.

These days, consumers are savvy. They do not respond to an ad for a new product, service or company. Instead, consumers want to feel “comfortable” with a company before hiring them or buying from them. Consumers may get “comfortable” with a company in different ways. For example, a consumer may meet the owner or employee and begin a relationship with that person – establishing rapport and trust. Alternatively, a consumer may feel “comfortable” with a company after seeing an advertising at least 7 or 8 times. Why? Because, be it right or be it wrong, the consumer associates an investment in repetitive advertising with a company that can be trusted (in other words, a company that will stand the test of time).

As you may have already learned, advertising is expensive! A display ad can easily be several hundred dollars. And a classified ad – while less expensive – is less likely to be seen by a reader than a display ad.

So what is the alternative to advertising? Getting out in your community and securing exposure for yourself and your business. You can do this by:

* submitting press releases to local newspapers and other publications, announcing your launch or other newsworthy event;
* networking with other business owners in your community;
* teaching a decorating- or design-related class at a local high school or college;
* sponsoring a decorating-related event – either alone or with another business owner – in your community; and
* offering complimentary consultations.

One other suggestion: if you haven’t already decided on your niche, you need to do that now. What is a niche? A niche is your area of specialization (e.g., kitchen and bath design, one-of-a-kind window treatment design, etc.) Indeed, the 21st century is the age of specialization. Consumers today are savvy and desire to hire true experts – not generalists.

Having a niche does not only mean that you’ve identified your area of specialization. It also means that you’ve identified – as specifically as possible – who your target market is. That is, who is your ideal client? What is their income level? Age? Stage in life (e.g., baby boomers, newlyweds, retired individuals, etc.)? Occupation? Hobbies and interests? Once you’ve identified, with particularity, who you ideal client is, you will be able to draft your marketing message specifically to them, making your marketing message compelling to your ideal client. Bottom line: your marketing will be more effective, which will result in more business!

To learn more about “Jump Starting” your business, register to receive our 14-day Jump Start your Design Business E-course at www.ShowHouseMarketing.com/interior_design_resources.htm. The E-course is FREE, but the information it contains will be invaluable to you as you work toward building your company into a super-successful business! In particular, several installments contain step-by-step “instructions” for effective and low-cost marketing activities. Good luck!

Judy May is the President of Show House Marketing, a business development and marketing firm catering exclusively to design industry professionals. She can be reached at 610.324.5240 or judy@ShowHouseMarketing.com. For FREE Resources, including the Weekly $uccess Secrets Newsletter and the New! 14-day Jump Start your Design Business E-Course, visit them online at: http://www.ShowHouseMarketing.com.

Ms. May is also the founder of the DesignPreneur FORUM, an inspiring and informative community where design professionals learn how to become super-successful DesignPreneurs. 3 Membership Levels available to fit every budget. To learn more, visit them online at http://www.DesignPreneurFORUM.com.