What some people forget in Advertising

While 12 exposures may be required to motivate some buyers to pick up the phone or stop by the store, in many cases it won't be cost effective using mass media.

That is where promotional advertising can beat the CPI (cost per impression) rates used by ad agencies and mass media.

If it takes a person hearing your radio commercial 12 times in a month, you have to either pay for a targeted ad that hits them twice a day with the placement reaching the target audience, or triple the number of spots with run or play.

The same holds true for newspaper. How do you know the target clients and/or prospects will see the ad in a specific section if you run it daily or twice a week. It may takes several weeks of insertions to expose the prospect to that ad 7 to 12 times.

And there are a lot more options for putting you ad in the market today than in the 1800s. No radio, TV, bench stop or highway billboards in those days. And no computers, internet, or cell phone instant messaging.

And there weren't 3 to 6 phone books, as well as two or more shoppers (those smaller classified ad papers - Thrifty Nickel, Quik Quarter, GreenSheets, etc. to compete for the market.

Then consider whether the advertisement is received by the prospect in passive mode or active mode. The client sitting in front of the TV, may be on the phone or in conversation with others during YOUR commercial. The listener to your radio spot may be at work, not focused on the radio music and commercials in the background.

Many people pass the same billboards during their commute for a month, yet can't recalled the product or company named in the ad. Again, they are actively engaged in driving, and possibly on the phone only seeing the billboard subconsciously.

At the same time, the mass media is targeting everyone who listens to their station, picks up their newspaper or magazine, or passes their billboard. That is the reason why virtually every company on the Fortune 500 list, as well as Mom & Pop businesses invest a portion of their Advertising and Marketing budget into the one media that guarantees their ad reaches specific companies or individuals - Promotional Advertising.

Yep, I'm biased and I admit it, but I have seen results gained by my clients, some who have been ordering from me for 15 to 22 years. With targeted distribution, they can know that their ad will be in their client's/prospect's home or office for extended periods, with multiple exposures per person.

It works for me. I believe in my products, and sample them extensively, giving out thousands of ink pens, calendars, coffee or travel mugs, and lots of specialty products every year.

My next order will be for USB memory sticks (flash drives, thumb drives, or whatever name you prefer). With 256MB of capacity, I don't expect too many recipients will toss my ad into a drawer, never to be seen again.

Just my view on advertising in the 21st Century.

Dennis