Business Advertising & Promotion

George McKenzie: 

And I do want to get into the specifics of some of those techniques and strategies of Internet advertising and marketing on eBay tonight.  But first you know when I talk about publicity gaining new customer and using new customers I always say the purpose of publicity is to use mass media and the internet is certainly a mass media to motivate people to try to find you, rather than you always going out and trying to find them.  And you say with scientific Ebay advertising you can literally and I’m quoting from your website here.  Get a hungry crowd of starving customers to visit your listing.  Can you elaborate on that a little bit please Jason?

Jason Hart: 

Well it’s not a hit and miss.  You know a lot of people think you know they just throw something out there and it’s hit or miss. You can scientifically find out what works and what doesn’t work and you eliminate the things that don’t work and you focus on the things that do.  For instance, you can test your headlines on Ebay and you can develop hundreds of different headlines for the same thing that you’re marketing. Whether it’s a service or whether it’s goods, you know I’m talking very generically here, but you can develop an entire series of different headlines.  In fact, there’s now a software out there that you can use to just fill in the blanks of the template and it’ll come up with hundreds of different headlines for you. 

You can use Ebay to test those headline to find out what works best and what doesn’t work very inexpensively.  I mean we’re talking about….and again I tell people to use Ebay in an inexpensive manner.  For instance, if you’re marketing something that maybe costs several hundred dollars.  Maybe it’s a piece of merchandise that cost several hundred dollars, or it could be a seminar, or it could be you know a tape training series.  Whatever it is it may be you know…you just want to test out Ebay to find people who are interested in what you have to offer.  Kind of like the two step process in direct mail. 

You know where you have a special report that you either maybe give away and man people you know have special reports that they give away on their websites for somebody signing up to get their newsletter or just to be signed up to their list to get their special report.  Those same special reports you can actually sell on Ebay for just enough to cover your listing fees. 

But the quality of the person that you get from Ebay who is willing to put forth that money even though it may be only a dollar or two or whatever would be much more valuable than somebody who just you know put their email address into you know a popup on your website to get your free report. 

So that you can use Ebay to market the same way you would any website or any other form of marketing.  But if you got a high ticket item, you can develop a low ticket item that you can use to sell on Ebay to step people up into your high ticket item.  And your low ticket item is the item that you use to establish your credibility.  So the fact of the matter is that you can use Ebay to market anything. 

Mail Order advertising, you know is where all these basic laws of marketing were established.  The same techniques that you might use on your website to get people into the funnel where you give them information, provide them with the facts, keep providing them with more facts and then of course you got your product which really lays it all out with them.  And you can use Ebay in the same way. 

97% of the people marketing on Ebay don’t do anything with their customer lists. Ebay is a tremendous way, a very inexpensive way to build a list.  You can go out there and spend thousands and thousands of dollars on list building but you can use Ebay to build a list very expensively and it will actually pay for itself while you’re building the list.  You’ll have a higher quality list then you would from any other means because they’re not just tire pickers, these are people who actually paid money. 

Not only will you have their name and email address, but you’ll have their physical address because everybody who you get on Ebay generally will give you their physical address to mail the merchandise to.

 The following is a transcript of an interview conducted by radio talk show host George McKenzie of San Antonio. It is reprinted with permission.

The interviewee is eBay and Internet/website advertising expert Jason Hart. Jason is the CEO of “Internet Marketing Mastery,” a very successful online business that provides solutions for thousands of businesses and internet marketers worldwide and he is the author of “Scientific Ebay Advertising.

George

Jason welcome. How are you?

Jason Hart:  Doing good George.

George McKenzie: 

Jason, would you talk a little bit about how you became an expert on promoting yourself inexpensively and profitability by using Ebay. You have a pretty interesting story to tell.
Jason Hart: 

Well it all starts about 5 years ago when…it had nothing do with business promotion and advertising and that’s how I got started on Ebay.  A friend of mine had told me about Ebay and that he had put some country and westerns records up there that he picked up at a flea market for a dollar a piece.  And he put them up on Ebay and they sold for $100 a piece.  So he got my attention immediately and being one who had stuff that he didn’t no longer need I started playing around with Ebay and put some things up there just to see what would happen.  And I noticed that Ebay gets a tremendous amount of traffic even back then. Today’s its phenomenal compared to what it got back then. 

But I instantly had a worldwide audience for anything that I wanted to offer.  So as I went through the stuff that I had available and even started looking around for other stuff to put up on Ebay, I started looking into other ways to use Ebay in order to promote myself in various areas. 

For instance, one area that I have an area of expertise in was in the area of blue grass music and I notice that there weren’t a whole lot of people selling blue grass music on Ebay so I began to position myself as an expert in blue grass music and people were flocking to my listings.  I was building a tremendous list of people who were interested in blue grass music that I could use off of Ebay in any way that I wanted to.  And so I began to pursue how to use Ebay to market anything.  I’ve sold everything from businesses to cars to CD’s, videos and books on Ebay.  And information products of various types recorded, audio information products as well as Ebooks.  You can sell anything on Ebay and you can promote your business in any way on Ebay through various means.
George McKenzie: 

And in your book on Scientific Ebay Advertising, you tell an interesting story too.  You actually claim that even though Ebay itself has been around…what?  5 years or so, the secret to success on Ebay was actually forecast in a sense more than 70 years ago.  Explain please.
Jason Hart: 

There’s a science of marketing that has been around since the turn of the century.  People like Claude Hopkins and various people from the turn of the century, famous marketers have been…have put out books and publications back then and they’ve been used by most of the direct sales marketers since direct selling has been in existence. 

People like Jay Abraham and Dan Kennedy, people of that magnitude and of that nature have used these classic advertising….and the philosophy and the procedure of advertising and it’s idea for the internet and especially for Ebay, because unlike all the other forms of marketing on the internet where people are searching the internet for information, people go to Ebay to buy stuff.  So anybody who raises their hand on Ebay and says their interested in what you have to offer is already willing to put money down.  So the type of customer that you obtain from Ebay that you throw your market to in whatever area of endeavor and you got to realize ebay is nothing more than a tremendous, conglomerate of niche markets. 

Over 13 thousand niche markets.  Every category and every class in Ebay is nothing more than a niche market in and of itself that you could position yourself as an expert in.  Because 97% of the people marketing on Ebay don’t have a clue about marketing and they’re not looking at the big picture.  They’re not seeing that they’re using Ebay as a tool in order to build their own business.  And it’s just one tool, it’s not the only tool out there but it’s one inexpensive tool that you use to build your business.  And you got the worldwide web of people who are traveling to Ebay.  I forget the figures, they’ve probably changed now but its something like 11,000 people—new people are going online everyday. 

People who never been online before and many of those people, the first place to go to is Ebay because they’ve heard so much about it.  So when you picture whatever market you’re in.  If you’re not in a market; if you’re looking for a market and you decide upon a market, you can use Ebay to position yourself as an expert by establishing yourself as an expert using the classic techniques of marketing that’s been established over 70 years ago.

Related website: Publicity and Promotion Success, website publicity.

Joel Christopher and George McKenzie’s Mining Online Gold with an Offline Shovel explores several ways one can enhance his or her mailing list via offline promotions.  Moreover, in chapter six All Hail the “Snail”- The Importance of “Going Postal,” the authors discuss specific ways to build a successful business via postcards, business reply cards, catalog booklets, direct response advertising, and bonus gifts.

According to marketing expert Alex Mandossian, postcards are a great way to get people to visit a website.  Mandossian says postcards are naked; essentially, they are not delivered to one in an envelope.  Furthermore, being a physical object, postcards escape the delete key, says Mandossian.  Nevertheless, it is the postcards’ visuals that grab the viewer’s attention, thus enticing the viewer to take action.  For example, Mandossian makes reference to Brett Ridgeway.  Saying that ah-ha.com sent Ridgeway a postcard, Mandossian believes that via the postcard, the website is better enabling its chances of profit.  That is, Ridgeway is physically seeing the postcard, consequently, increasing the likelihood that he will visit the website and purchase an item.  In addition, postcards, unlike spam, cannot be thrown away until they make it to their intended viewer, thus making them a great offline marketing tool because they will undoubtedly make it to their expected audience. 

Like postcards, business reply cards or BRCs are a great offline marketing tool.  Received when one buys an item, BRCs are used to collect demographic and geographic information.  According to Mandossian, “[The] beauty of this survey [business reply cards]: no human interaction.  No human touch” (qtd. in Christopher and McKenzie).  Like postcards, BRCs are alluring more viewers to visit a website.  Frequently asking for feedback, BRCs will contain the actual website.  As a result, people will arguably say, “‘Okay, I’m going to do my warranty thing online.’” (qtd. in Christopher and McKenzie). 

Moreover, catalog booklets allow for several offers.  When one opens the booklet, he or she will see various offers.  Referring to American Express, Mandossian states, “This is the booklet [the URL] and when I open the booklet I see offers from Time-Life” (qtd. in Christopher and McKenzie).  According to Mandossian, by going to the website and typing in the promotion code, one is getting a discount.  Furthermore, Mandossian states that a catalog booklet is rather cheap and “anybody who knows 20 marketers can put this together” (Christopher and McKenzie 102).  Primarily recommended to be sent to various databases and released during holiday seasons, catalog booklets are a great marketing tool. 

In addition to catalog booklets, direct mail allows for more internet advertising via offline marketing.  Throughout this portion of the chapter, Alex Mandossian provides the reader with an example of how direct mail works by making reference to Trevor Levine.  In Mandossian’s example he says that the goal is to get a referral.  In this example, Mandossian collects $150 from Levine’s company because that is the referral fee one will earn doing a thousand dollar copywriting job (qtd. in Christopher and McKenzie).  According to Mandossian, the reason he received $150 from Levine was to motivate Mandossian to send Levine more referrals (qtd. in Christopher and McKenzie).  Essentially, by sending one a check before one performs a service, one is pre-tipping, thus allowing for better service, Mandossian says.  In essence, when one receives direct mail or items of this nature, one is being sent an offer.  However, in order to receive this offer, one must visit the website, thus generating “bricks for clicks.”  In other words, offline marketing (direct mail, cover letters, etc.) produces more online business, thus generating more money. 

Like direct marketing, bonus gifts are a great way to produce more online marketing.  Mandossian states when one buys a product there is a “drop card” package inserted within the product.  A company will insert a bonus gift reply form within the product.  One must fill out the reply form and send it back to the company.  Moreover, when one opens the inside cover of a product there will be a P.S. ordering one to visit the company’s website.  This works in favor of both the company and the client.  From the consumer’s end, one is able to find out more information about the company.  Similarly, when the patron visits the company’s website, the possibility of a sale increases, thus generating more money for the company.  As Mandossian states, it is essential that there be an isolation between the product and the bonus gifts because one does not want to overwhelm the customer.  Therefore, by attaching the reply card to the inside of the cover, one is not overpowering the customer and is enticing him or her to visit the website by making a very appealing offer. 

In conclusion, chapter six of Christopher and McKenzie’s Mining Online Gold with an Offline Shovel, provides the reader with interesting notions that will increase online marketing via offline advertising.  Personally, I enjoyed reading about postcards and their ability to generate more online success.  Having sent many postcards to friends and family members, I agree with Mandossian’s claim that postcards are a billboard by mail.  Arguably, nothing holds one’s attention more than a colored visual, thus postcards can be a great offline marketing tool. 

Chapter nine explores comparable issues.  Throughout the beginning of this chapter the authors discuss how traditional TV advertising, radio advertising, and newspaper advertising can help increase one’s return on investment.  Moreover, the authors explore the notion of lead-generation advertisements, telling the reader that lead-generation advertisements can help a company target the market future buyers.  Likewise, Christopher and McKenzie discuss how surveys, co-registration, and promotions will increase online marketing.  

Advertisement remnants are a very interesting notion, and they can allow for much profit when they are done well.  As the authors state, when there is still space to be filled in a magazine after the deadline date, magazines will offer discounted prices to various advertisers.  Thus, a company is able to place their advertisement in a magazine at a discounted price.  Public Relations expert Raleigh Pinskey says, “It’s wonderful.  It’s absolutely wonderful” (qtd. in Christopher and McKenzie). 

Furthermore, distress space can really help a business.  According to Pinskey:

That [distress space] happens when an advertiser was going to do a big campaign but    pulled out because they did not have any money.  So you say they were ‘distressed’ and    that left a big hole in the magazine…And you can get that [magazines’ space] for a lot    less money because they really want to fill that space. 

It is important to note that a business is not always guaranteed distressed space.  Nevertheless, when a corporation receives distressed space, they have luckily obtained cheap advertising. 

Pinskey also says that a company can advertise regionally instead of nationally. Consequently, a business saves an enormous amount of money.  Pinskey calls this type of advertising, regional buys.  When a firm advertises regionally, the company simply takes out a regional advertisement, Pinskey says.  As stated earlier, when a business takes out a regional advertisement they are saving a considerable amount of money compared to taking out a national advertisement. 

In relation to advertisement remnants, distressed space, and regional buys, lead-generation advertisements can generate much success.  According to Christopher and McKenzie, lead-generation advertisements allow a company to find out who will purchase products from them in the future.  It is a guaranteed method that is very easy to use, Christopher and McKenzie write.  However, according to David Frey, a business must create an attractive headline in order to get one’s attention.  Moreover, Frey says that one must offer his or her clients a special report.  Regardless if the special report is in audiocassette form, CD, or regular paper, one must do so in order to create a successful lead-generation advertisement. 

In addition, the authors write advertisements are a great way to conduct a survey.  However, it is important to note that one should avoid the word opinion and replace it with advice because when one asks for another individual’s advice, he or she will most likely get better results, Mandossian says.  To get adequate results, one should place an advertisement in a magazine reading “We [advertising agency] want your advice.”  In doing so, a company is telling the client that they want to do better.  Thus, via surveys, a company is able to see what their clients like. 

In relation to surveys, Christopher and McKenzie, explore how co-registration is very useful.  According to the authors, co-registration is the process by which individuals sign up for programs and free rewards.  Furthermore, co-registration service usually costs ten to fifty cents per subscriber.  Making reference to David Frey, the authors illustrate to the reader a technique that Frey used to get several subscribers for free.  For example, Frey says, one should target market to trade magazines or niche magazines, asking if one can get the mailing list, including all names and email addresses.  All magazines have a list of email addresses and when one asks for these email addresses, he or she is able to build their list very rapidly. 

Like co-registration, Christopher and McKenzie write how a business can generate more email addresses and interaction between their clients by following the various steps author Sharon Fling suggests.  First, a firm should “Fish for Customers.”  According to Fling, when a company holds a business card drawing by ordering patrons to put business cards into a container in hopes of winning a prize, one has a perfect chance to get to know his or her buyers.  Moreover, as the authors point out, contests, computer demos, giveaways, demonstrations, window, voice mail, answering machine messages, and local events all allow a business to effectively obtain email addresses, thus generating successful interaction between the business and the client.

Throughout chapters six and nine, the reader is made aware of how a company can create successful online marketing via offline advertising.  By the authors’ making reference to several affiliates who helped add in-depth evidence to this book, the reader gains specific knowledge of online marketing and the various steps one can pursue to produce a successful online business.  Having read both chapters, I am able to see the benefits of online marketing, and I understand that it is what one does offline that produces online success.         

This ad is a print ad. The top and bottom strips are red with a bit of texture in them. At the top there is a line that says, “The Hottest Artists Keep Time with Vic.” At the bottom, they proudly proclaim that they are, “The #1 Stick Company in the World.” Their website is on the lower right hand of the page underneath part of a drumstick with VIC FIRTH emblazoned across it. In the middle there are pictures of various drummers from well-known bands such as Three Days Grace, Seether, Fall Out Boy, Thrice and My Chemical Romance just to name a few.

This is part of an ongoing magazine advertising campaign with “Alternative Press” magazine. The one I chose was in the December 2007 issue, and I found another very similar one in the February 2008 issue. The one in the February issue has a different saying in it. Instead of, “The Hottest Artists Keep Time with Vic,” it says, “Some families you’re born into, some you choose. Welcome to the family.” Instead of playing off drummers’ job of keeping time, they have a more personal angle in the February issue. They still have pictures of drummers who use their product in the family ad.

The target market for this is anyone who plays drums or is thinking about playing drums. When I first saw it, I noticed right away that Neil Sanderson used these drumsticks. I actually have one of his drumsticks, so to me, that was awesome. I thought, “Wow, I want to learn to play the drums, and I should use these stick because Neil uses them.” I don’t really want to learn drums, but for that moment they had my attention caught because of who they had in their ad. The demographic, I would guess, is most like 13-25 year old guys who enjoy this type of music. If they were targeting women, they would have put in a picture of a female drummer. They do exist, and they do use the same drumsticks as these guys do. Women read this magazine for music updates, fashion updates and tour updates. 13-25 year old guys are the ones who would most likely be reading this magazine to look for ideas on how to improve their skills. If they see that Drummers from big famous bands use these drumsticks, they would be much more inclined to buy them.

It’s a very effective ad I would say. It’s not the most creative one I’ve ever seen, but it’s effective. There is another drumstick company advertised in the same magazine that does the same thing with the pictures and the little saying at the top. However, that one would appeal to those who like the bands they show. It’s all about what bands use their product and how big the band is. If Neil Sanderson was on the other page, I probably would have paid more attention to that one. However, he’s on the Vic Firth page, so this is the one that caught my attention.

The commercial that I chose was for a local car dealership called A&L Motors.  Normally in local car TV advertising they usually have the owner of the dealership telling you about all the great deals that they have to offer as well as how much better their prices are than their competitors.  In this commercial however, A&L Motors decided to get four Pittsburgh Penguins hockey players to advertise the dealership.  The commercial starts off by a worker handing one of the players, Colby Armstrong, keys to a new BMW in the dealership when another player, Maxime Talbot comes in and asks what Colby Armstrong was doing in the dealership because he thought they only catered to superstars like himself.  However, another player, Sergei Gonchar jumps in to tell him that A&L makes everyone feel like a superstar which is why he owns one and then casually throws a set of keys to another player, Evgeni Malkin. 

The commercial is really trying to get you to come into their store by using local celebrities to draw the viewer in and since they are using local hockey players, you know that they are based in Pittsburgh.  There is a use of comedy used in the commercial to sell the company.   The ad is also trying to get you to relate to sports players because they shop for their cars at the dealership and the pitch of the commercial is telling you that you don’t have to be an athlete or someone famous to shop for cars at their dealership.  The benefit that they are telling you that you’ll get from shopping at their dealership is that you will be treated like a superstar even if you aren’t one.

The USP that A&L pitches is that they’ve been in business for 60 years, so they are really trying to sell their name instead of a new car that they might be carrying.  The spot is deifnitley a feel good ad in that it uses local athletes to pitch the company in a comedic manor, and the commercial also is getting at the fact that they might treat you better than the other dealerships around town so it could be knocking their competitors in a way.

I really think this commercial works, however only if you live in Pittsburgh and are aware about who the players are on the team, which is why I’ve only seen it played during Penguins broadcasts on television.

I chose to create an advertising campaign for the new product of toothpaste Crest is introducing. The new toothpaste is supposed to strengthen and whiten the teeth of those that are 50 years and older.  I decided to change the name from Crest “Senior” to Crest “Superior” since I realize the target audience probably would not appreciate being called a senior.  I wanted to focus my advertising campaign on the consumer having a beautiful and even younger smile after using this product.

Crest toothpaste is currently in the retentive stage of advertising.  They are established and have reached their maturity.  Advertisements are mainly informational stating what dentists think about their products and/or why their product is the best.  Also many Crest advertisements introduce new brands.  Crest has many brand extensions to keep the interest of consumers such as: Crest Advanced, Crest Whitening plus Scope, Crest Total, and Crest Multicare.  Also within the past couple years they introduced new flavors besides the regular old mint.  Crest now offers flavors such as lemon, orange, and cinnamon.  Crest Superior would be yet another brand extension.  This one in particular focuses on senior citizens as its target audience.

The target market for the campaign should be the Baby Boomer and the Mature generations.  Most of the Baby Boomers are right around the ages of 50-60 so they would be prime candidates to use this product.  The Mature generation is probably a little old for this product, some of them may even have dentures, but they are still important to consider because they may be potential buyers.  One important factor relating to the Baby Boomers is that they are described to be “self-assured” and “self-absorbed”; so the fact that Crest Superior toothpaste will help them have a beautiful and even younger smile is something that would appeal to them.

Of the various types of advertising Crest toothpaste would fall under the category of Consumer advertising because the company is trying to get people to buy their particular brand of toothpaste.  Crest toothpaste is advertised on a national level and is purchased by consumers through retailers and distributors.  Another important thing to remember is dental offices.  Free samples of travel-size Crest Superior toothpaste could be distributed to a range of different dentists throughout the country as an easy way to advertise this new product.  If a patient uses the sample of Crest Superior and likes it, hopefully they will continue to buy it.

Since Crest is already a well known toothpaste brand the most important part of this advertising campaign is the fact that Crest is introducing a new product.  The best way for the target audience to be reached would be via television advertising and possibly magazine advertising.  Most of the advertising I see for toothpaste is on TV and occasionally I see a few in magazines.  Since Crest Superior is directed towards a specific audience, these ads should be run during the programs and certain times when this particular demographic of people are watching.  My suggestion would be to run them later at night during family shows which is when people around the age of 50 watch TV.  However it may also be beneficial to have some ads run on some daytime television programs. This is when those that are retired would tune in.  Also, it would be important to have ads in magazines such as AARP or travel magazines.

If I had to create and ad for Crest Superior the message would be something like this: “Don’t you wish you could have a younger-looking smile?  Remember beauty comes with age.  Crest Superior is the new special formula of toothpaste designed to strengthen and whiten the teeth of those above the age of 50.  Keep your teeth beautiful with Crest Superior because you deserve to have a smile that matches the age you feel!”  I would also have actors that are an attractive looking 50 with nice bright white smiles.  Somewhere in the ad it could say that the product is FDA approved and possibly have a dentist give his/her opinion on the product.  I think this product would be a success as long as it gains popularity among its target audience.  Crest is already one of the leading sellers in toothpaste, but this particular brand extension is a little more specific and narrows the amount of consumers.  But with the proper advertising campaign I believe Crest Superior could become a very popular product among the Baby Boomers.

Coming up with an advertisement campaign for a new product needs to be effective in order to become successful with the consumer.  There are many things that need to be considered when developing a plan of action.  The advertiser must develop the advertisement by placing the product at the appropriate stages, and also by making the product known to the consumer.  It needs to be creative and grab the attention of the audience, by doing this the product will be known, and become more successful in the long run.  Because the Cell Stick is a new invention and product, the ad campaign must provide information to the audience, while introducing the new product and putting it out into the advertisement world. 

When deciding how to start an advertisement campaign for the Cell Stick, I would first place the new product in the appropriate stage of the product branding life cycle.  The appropriate stage for the Cell Stick would be in the Pioneering Stage.  The Pioneering Stage is a way to focus on educating consumers and persuading the consumers that they need the product that is being advertised.  By placing the Cell Stick in the Pioneering Stage, the ad will be informational.  It will include information such as, the cell phone is disposable, rechargeable, compact, sold in vending machines, and comes in multiple colors.  The ad will then go on to explain the many features the product contains.  Once the advertisement becomes successful, it can then breed competitors and become more profitable. 

Because cell phones in general are more common during this generation, I feel that the Cell Stick would be more likely to appeal to teens to college-aged people.  Instead of focusing on demographics, the ad campaign would mainly focus on the needs and desires in order to reach the largest target audience at the lowest cost. 

Due to the fact that the Cell Stick is meant to attract future consumers, it falls into the consumer type of advertisement.  In the consumer type of advertisement there are four branches that fall under it.  Under the consumer type of advertisement are four branches that are called, Nation, Retail/Local, End-Product, and Direct-Response.  It is important to place this new product in the right place, which would be national.  The national branch consists of products that are being sold to the general public through different distributors and retailers.  The Cell Stick would do best in this type of advertisement because it will advertise to the general public, and make the product known to consumers.  This is a way to communicate a message at a national level and reach the largest audience possible. 

In order to create a successful advertisement for the Cell Stick, many trends in media planning must be considered to create an ad that will create sales.  A popular media plan advertisers are using is creativity to attract the attention of the audience.  In today’ s advertising world there are more ways to reach more highly-targeted consumers, and the place a high demand on resourcefulness and creative skills of the advertisers.  Due to new future trends that may arise, it is the media planner’s job to anticipate the rapidly changing media environment.  When developing a new ad campaign for the Cell Stick, it is important for the advertiser to take into consideration the elements in creating a media plan.  Budget is the core consideration and biggest constrain on the media planner because they must try to spend the least amount of money, while reaching the most amount of people. 

It is always important to make sure an advertisement does not fail to meet with the guidelines dealing with legal matters.  If a Cell Stick commercial wants to use a celebrity in order to grab the attention of the audience, the advertiser must make sure that this is done correctly.  Under the topic of advertising and the right of privacy, it is stated that private individuals are most likely to be protected from having their likeness used in advertising.  However, celebrities and well-known people are less protected.  If the advertiser wants to use a celebrity in a Cell Stick ad, the advertiser must very carefully not tie themselves to celebrities without the person’s permission.  If the advertiser obtains permission from the celebrity than the advertiser does not have a chance of becoming sued. 

The primary concern of the advertiser is brand awareness. The components of a advertising strategy is to enhance the brand.  If an advertiser does a good job of enhancing the brand then this will differentiate the product from similar products.  Because there are so many different types and brands of cell phones, it is important that the Cell Stick is differentiated from its numerous competitors.  The Cell Stick advertising campaign must come up with a catch USP (Universal Selling Position).  The USP is what the consumer is supposed to take away from the ad.  It is usually a catchy slogan that is meant to relate to the product and the consumer.  Another factor of brand awareness is building brand equity.  This can be done by various ways of advertisement such as, traditional advertisement, public relations, rewards programs, and Internet advertising.  Products tend to fail the most when the brand is not enhanced that is why it is so important to make your brand known to the consumer, in order for them to remember your brand and the product that is being sold.  By doing this, the product will be superior to its competitors, and the consumer will be more likely to buy the better and more popular product. 

Related articles: Integrated Brand Management, Choosing an Advertising Agency. 

The cell stick is a new disposable cell phone from Sprint/ Nextel. It size is comparable to a pack of gum and comes in various colors. The cell stick can be found in vending machines and also behind the counter at local convenience stores. The stick comes pre-loaded with five hours or national anywhere, anytime talk and also has text message capability. Along with that, the stick can store up to two hours or audio. It is priced at $19.00.

The cell stick would obviously start a branding campaign in the pioneering stage because it is a new product. The pioneering stage is where companies implant a new custom or habit, cultivate new usage, and convinces consumers that they can now do something they could not do before. A lot of repetition is necessary in this stage because you want people to remember your product. Once it is out for awhile and interest is generated then the company can move into the other two stages which are the competitive and retentive. The emphasis for the cell stick would be to grab the attention of the consumer and then build the market share and brand equity from there. Habit and past experience is the most important element of a brand, but because this is a new product it is necessary to lay good groundwork in order for the cell stick to catch on. It is also important to keep in mind the life cycle and how products will die off, especially when dealing with technology. There are new cell phones out every month, so it is crucial to continue to revamp and reinvent the product in order to keep it around the longest amount of time possible. Differentiating the product as well is important because you want the consumer to believe that the cell stick is what they truly need and that they must buy it. To do this a Universal Selling Position is also key.

To find the target market for the cell stick it is important to be aware of who will be your best prospect. Generation Y is considered the technology savvy generation so most likely that would be the most promising group to market toward. 18-24 year olds most like would be the best group to reach to because this are the people right now that are all about what is in style and considered “cool”. Also this group is the people who frequently change cell phones and like to be up to date on trends. Also because of the pricing of the product it is extremely affordable for a younger crowd.

Because of the particular market that Sprint/Nextel would be targeting, Internet advertising would probably be the best way market the product. Through online ads possible on facebook or similar venues, it is definitely predictable that many people will be reached. Also ads on college campuses such as posters or billboards would also be a good choice of media to use because that is mainly where the target market will be found. Finally the vending machines in
themselves will be advertisement. They can be placed in grocery stores or also on college campuses and most like will generate interest that way as well.

When considering a media plan for the cell stick it is important to keep in mind the main goal of media planning through an advertising agency, which is, to achieve cost efficiency with advertising dollars spent while effectively communicating the message to the target market. It is imperative to be creative with the plan too because the more ways that you have as a company to reach your target market the more successful the product will be. Engagement is also an important element to media planning because nowadays consumers are becoming more interested in experience rather than utility. Other the main point of the cell stick is utility, it is very important to make the consumer believe there is more to the product than just that.

There would not be many legal or regulatory issues needing to be addressed with the cell stick except in the length of which the cell phone holds for calls. There could be possible problems if a consumer does not get their guaranteed five hours of talking time. To prevent this from happening Sprint/Nextel must make sure they test the cell stick multiple times in order to hold up their end of the bargain with consumers. No company wants to leave consumers unsatisfied because that could lead to drops in sales and the overall mood of the product could become contagious resulting in many unhappy customers.

Lastly, branding the cell stick is the most valuable asset a marketer has. The brand is the image held in the consumers mind. Branding also differentiates one product from another. A brand that cannot differentiate itself from its competitors will almost certainly fail. Advertising role is to build brand value with the consumers. The cell stick will most likely be a huge hit at first because no other cell phone company has come out with a product like this, but just as with any other cell phone, other companies like Verizon or Cingular will come out with a similar idea which makes it hard to continue to flourish as a brand. Because of this making a strong brand at the beginning in a way that will stick with people is probably the best idea. Playing off the idea of the size of the phone being as large as a pack of gum could be a possible route for the cell stick.

Related topics: Advertising through free publicity and sending out press releases.

The product that I have chosen to write about is the Hummer H: Quatre. Seeing as this product is a brand extension from the original product, the manufacturers will need to establish the brand.

In order to do make this product well known the company will have to begin the life cycle of the Hummer H Quatre, starting with the Pioneering Stage. The primary goal of the Pioneering Stage will be to make the customers more aware of the product, while informing them about it. Also it will prove to costumers that the product is capable of fulfilling their needs and/or wants. For this to occur it is highly necessary that GM differentiates this product from both other GM products, along with products of competitors. During this stage, large amounts of advertising will take place. This will most likely be the most expensive stage for GM, because they will have to work the hardest to make the product well known.

When the Quatre reaches the stage where customers are faced with the question about which brand they should buy, they will be in the competitive stage. Throughout this stage advertisers will be forced to make the product appear different than those of their competitors in order to win over the customers.

If the Hummer H Quatre surpasses the competitive stage, it will then become part of the retentive stage. In this stage, advertising will not be completely necessary, because the public will have already accepted the product.
The advertising spiral consists of the following stages: pioneering, competitive, retentive, newer pioneering, newer competitive, and newer retentive. In the newer stages the product will proceed to enter a new market.
There are several different types of advertising and marketing that can be utilized to inform prospective customers about the new Hummer model. Internet advertising is incredibly helpful with any business to business transactions; it allows the customer easy access, while providing a one to one environment.  According to Kleppner’s Advertising Procedure, “68% of new car buyers use nonmanufacturer-owned websites to gain information online and 37% of new-car sales are the direct result of online purchase decisions.”(p.71)

National advertising is another helpful tool that may help spread the word about the Hummer H:Quatre. By advertising to the entire country, it will serve as an efficient means of informing the majority of the population, including the primary target: Women. While it does not cover as much area as National advertising does, Retail advertising is also quite common. For the GM Hummer: H Quatre it will provide the customer with information such as price, service, and return policies. Direct Response advertising is another ideal form of advertising that can prove to be incredibly useful. By using magazine advertising, television commercials, radio advertising, etc. GM will easily be able to build a larger customer foundation.

Generational and target marketing play a key role in advertising for the Hummer H Quatre. GM is targeting women within Generation X. Since the primary target is women between the ages of 25-49 it is crucial to make sure to advertise to this specific audience.  The advertisers can advertise to this audience by showing commercials on certain Women’s channels such as Oxygen, TLC, HGTV, etc.

Additionally, GM can place advertisements in Women’s magazines that are designed for that age group.
In order for the GM Hummer: H Quatre to be aimed in the right direction, certain people will be needed to assist with organizing. 

Firstly, a media planner, either from GM’s own advertising agency or from an ad agency of their choosing should be hired to make sure that the advertising campaign correlates with the media function.  Secondly, a media research group should be available to predict trends within the media. Lastly, media buyers should be established to oversee all of the plans. For the hummer to thrive creativity and engagement are the utmost necessities in the advertising world. Advertisers must put a huge emphasis on the difference of this Hummer as opposed to older Hummers, and most importantly the difference in comparison to vehicles manufactured by competitors. The media planner must do this in a unique way that is innovative enough to capture the attention of the audience.

Typically, advertisers utilize a building block strategy to help put together media planner. Advertisers would begin with the medium that most people consume, and continue until they come across the medium that reaches the fewest  number of people. Usually television or magazines are considered to be the principal mediums. Once, everything is compiled it is compulsory to put together a media plan, which will contain a marketing strategy, along with advertising tactics.

When constructing the advertisement for the Hummer, the advertisers must be careful to abide by certain legal rules. It is a mutually agreed among both customers and advertisers that companies that use “illegal or unethical advertising tactics should be dealt with severely.”(Kleppner p.770) The three basic constraints on advertising are:

1.Laws and Regulations of legally constituted bodies such as congress and the Federal Trade Commission.

2.Control by the media through advertising acceptability guidelines

3.Self-regulation by advertisers and agencies using various trade practice recommendations and codes of conduct.
(Kleppner, p. 770)

Also, the FTC(Federal Trade Commission) uses a three part test to decide whether an advertisement is deceptive or untruthful(p.771):

1.There must be a representation, omission, or practice that is likely to mislead the consumer.

2, The act or practice must be considered from the perspective of a consumer who is acting reasonably.

3. The representation, omission, or practice must be material.

Hummer Quatre should be able to succeed.
 
 

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
 
Founded in 1895, the astonishing Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is located in the heart of the Cultural District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Adding to their fame, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is internationally renowned for being one of the greatest orchestras in the world.  However, in spite of their continued success, younger patrons do not have an interest in this magnificent orchestra.  Consequently, this symphony will cease to exist and the beautiful music that warms people’s hearts will no longer be heard.  However, the following advertising campaign will help younger customers appreciate the beauty of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and will warm their hearts in a way that will allow them to “Feel the Chemistry.”

Throughout the United States there are many symphonic orchestras with several accomplishments.  However, there is one accomplishment that differentiates the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from all other symphonies in the United States.  That is, according to BBC News, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra was the first “US orchestra to play for a Pope in the Vatican” (p1).  To add to their success, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has completed several international tours.  Thus, these two accomplishments will be the foundation for my advertising strategy.  I plan on using these feats to differentiate the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from the various symphonies throughout the United States.  Furthermore, to strengthen my strategy, I will make sure that all younger patrons are familiar with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra.  This will serve as an extension for my advertising strategy.  That is, if the younger customers are familiar with this orchestra, they will be able to more easily relate to the musical arts in Pittsburgh, because the members of this orchestra are closer in age than the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  By generating information about the achievements of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and extending my strategy to introduce the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, my advertising campaign will have a greater degree of success and I will be able to maintain more market share.  

In relation to my advertising strategy, I will focus heavily on target marketing.  That is, for my campaign to be most effective, I will focus the majority of my attention on demographics.  Stereotypically speaking, one with a higher social status tends to go to the symphony more than one with a lower social status.  However, this does not have to be the case.  For instance, the Port Authority says regardless of where one lives in the tri-state area, the absolute most an adolescent will pay for transportation is $3.25 per ride, and those individuals between the ages of six and eleven will pay an absolute maximum of $1.60.  Accordingly, tickets for the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra are free and tickets for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra are twelve dollars with student identification.  For only twelve dollars one can see the only United States symphonic orchestra to play for the Pope in the Vatican.  Thus, in terms of demographics, income is not a real concern, because for a younger individual to go to the symphony, it will cost a maximum of $15.25, which is not terribly expensive for an enjoyable evening and for one to witness a symphonic orchestra that made Vatican history.  

However, age will be my main concern.  I did not start appreciating classical music until I started college.  Therefore, most of my focus will be on those individuals between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five.  In most cases, individuals between these ages are familiar with the various classical composers and have a general idea of their work.  One way to generate more attendance by younger listeners is to take a poll and see which composer’s work is most popular in the tri-state area.  Once I obtained this information I can hold several concerts pertaining to this particular composer’s work.

Like target marketing, the various types of advertising that I will focus on are essential for my campaign’s success.  In order to increase attendance to its maximum, it would be best to focus on a local stage.  Via radio, television, newspapers, and direct-response including, brochures, catalogs, discounted tickets, and special offers, the younger client in the tri-state area will be accustomed to this symphony.  I feel confident that younger classical music lovers will attend concerts by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra if special offers including bring a friend for free, free tee-shirts and audio footage, and free performances are commonly practiced.  Furthermore, via television and radio, I will continuously reiterate that for only twelve dollars one can see the only United States symphonic orchestra to make Vatican history.  According to freshman, music education major and Pittsburgh native, Josh Sjoen, “If the Pittsburgh Symphony sends me special offers, I will attend as many concerts as I can.” 

Furthermore, I will send discounted tickets to all universities around the tri-state area.  Duquesne Alumnus and Pittsburgh native, Lauren Hoover says, “If the Pittsburgh Symphony were to offer discounted tickets I would surly go.”  Lastly, each week I will take out a full page advertisement in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette illustrating to all viewers that one can see the only symphonic orchestra in the United States to make Vatican history for only twelve dollars.  Thus, I will focus on the local consumer specifically through direct-response.

The remaining categories in my advertising campaign including all legal matters and the life cycle of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra are not absolutely essential for the success of my campaign.  That is, although the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is arguably in the competitive stage of the advertising spiral, the younger patron’s attendance to all artistic concerts is on the decline.  Therefore, it is not mandatory and would be a waste of advertising dollars for me to focus on the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s competitors around the tri-state area or even the nation.  Furthermore, though legal matters will be taken into consideration throughout my advertising campaign, they are not subject to concern.  The customer does not have to worry about fraudulent products or any exaggerated marketing.

Though nothing ever guarantees a company’s, brand’s or product’s success, its advertising campaign plays a major role in it, and I believe if I follow the above steps to their fullest, my advertising campaign will be successful.  Therefore, I am confident that, with continued practice of my advertising campaign, younger patrons will come to enjoy the beauty of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and in time will “Feel the Chemistry.”