How to Get Marketing Results.
So many times when I meet with a potential new client they come in with a sort of shrug and uncertainty about my profession. A story will unfold about how they had worked with this group or that outfit and nothing ever came of it. Or, maybe they just handled their marketing themselves and based their strategy upon the enthusiasm of a media rep or two. They bemoan how much money was spent and how they got nothing from it. I always ask, are you sure? Is it possible you received benefits but just weren’t able to measure them? That’s one possible scenario: that efforts were made, exposure was had, but the results were intangible. The other, more likely, scenario is that there was no strategic plan, no integrated marketing strategy tied to specific goals and objectives with a clear and realistic budget. Because, when all those things are in place, marketing works. It’s really that simple. You have to spend enough to be in all the places you need to be so that the people you’re trying to woo actually know who you are, and you need to have specific goals that allow you to measure the results.
Let’s say you’re a landscaping company and you service both commercial and residential accounts. Last year, you had a huge project that tilted your residential revenues off the scale, so you know that this year you need to replace that loss. So, there! We have a goal: to increase residential sales by x %. So our strategy incorporates tools and tactics to meet that goal. We determine where we’re going to focus and we build a strong database. We design a unique and highly creative direct mail campaign that speaks to our target audience where they live. And, we support that with a strong brand awareness campaign placed strategically in the mediums that we know they subscribe to or visit.
Voila, at the end of the year residential sales are up substantially. With good creative and a strong integrated marketing strategy you’ll end up with a lot more than diddly squat.
DARCI Creative
Total Brand Agency
