Though marketing, advertising and public relations can all be integral
to the success of your company and they all have some glaring
similarities in how they can help your company succeed on some level;
each is indeed a different element, approached in a different way in
order for it to work the way it is supposed to work in an effort to
reach an ultimate goal.
Marketing could be considered the whole ball of wax in this equation. A
company's marketing department could be subdivided into several smaller
sections that operate as separate entities, but all work toward the same
ultimate goal - which is the success and growth of the company.
A company's marketing department could, and should include smaller
departments that are responsible for: public relations, advertising,
customer service, market share research as well as pricing, distribution
and product placement.
The piece of the equation that is advertising has the sole
responsibility of putting your product or service where the public can
see it. Advertising lets the consumer know what it is that you have to
offer, then lets them know why exactly they need it. A company could pay
a pretty penny for advertising; in fact the advertising budget is often
the largest part of the marketing plan's expenditure. As the saying
goes, "you have to spend money to make money."
Public relations can make prospective consumers want to buy your product
or your service, but public relations is a much less direct approach to
gaining sales than advertising. The point of public relations is to
highlight all of the positive things that your company does and is
involved in, while simultaneously keeping anything that could possibly
be construed as a negative out of the public eye. It is the public
relations departments' responsibility to make the company look good in
the public eye and they will take several routes and measures to get
there. A public relations department may schedule charity events,
distribute press releases highlighting company achievements or company
community efforts and schedule public speaking appearances at
educational or industry seminars - anything that can put the company
under a good light while in the public eye is the public relations
department's main concern.
The company marketing plan is how both of these integral parts of
business come together, along with several other aspects, to ensure
company success and growth. Each individual focal point of the marketing
department is integral to the success of the marketing plan.
Market research, which is probably the most intensive piece of the puzzle, will determine exactly who your target customers are.
With this information in hand, the product or service that you are
offering can be priced accordingly for the target audience. Once pricing
is established, the advertising department can begin its job of getting
the word out that your company has a service to offer. Depending upon
the advertising budget, this can be done in many ways: through
television, radio, print ads, billboards and/or flyers pointed directly
toward the target customer.
Each year, advertisers with super sized budgets sink millions of dollars
into Super Bowl advertising. While most of us do not have a large
enough budget to advertise on the Super Bowl, the commercials -- both
past and present -- demonstrate several marketing techniques we can
apply elsewhere.
Here are some lessons for us all, as demonstrated by Super Bowl advertisers:
Make Advertisements Entertaining
The primary focus of Super Bowl advertisements is usually entertainment.
After the fact, discussion and analysis revolve around how amusing or
interesting the commercials were. Little or no mention, however, is made
of how effective they were in advertising the product.
I love an entertaining commercial as well as the next person, but
entertainment value can be a two-edged sword. Sometimes, the creators
get so caught up in the entertainment aspect they forget the ultimate
goal -- to sell more product.
To me, the advertisers guiltiest of forgetting to sell are those that
give no branding clue until the very end. People come away thinking how
cute, funny, or otherwise entertaining the advertisement, but with
little or no idea of the actual product.
There are, however, ways to entertain while communicating your brand
throughout the commercial. Remember the frogs -- Bud, Weis, and Er?
Total entertainment, yet who didn't know it was a Budweiser commercial?
You can do the same with your own marketing. Whatever form of
entertainment you choose -- games, performances, contests, etc. --
remember to simultaneously reinforce your brand or business. A couple of
ideas: (1) display your logo prominently and (2) give premiums,
coupons, or other discounts to participants.
Gain Celebrity Endorsements
Celebrity endorsements are frequent in Super Bowl advertisements. Past
and present endorsements include Coke's Mean Joe Green (1980),
McDonald's Larry Bird and Michael Jordan (1993), and MasterCard's Homer
Simpson (2004).
Celebrity endorsements are a way to draw initial attention to a product
or company, which creates an opportunity to deliver the marketing
message. If the celebrity is highly regarded by your target audience,
endorsements can also give credibility to a brand.
If you do not have a large enough budget to hire a national celebrity,
try redefining "celebrity" by thinking in niche terms. Your "celebrity"
could be someone well known in the industry -- one of your customers or
suppliers, for example.
Another way to redefine "celebrity" is to think locally. Brainstorm a
list of people who are well known locally in certain circles. Your list
could include well-regarded business people, minor league sports
personalities, and other high-profile citizens. Then, approach your
favorites with a proposal. The key is hiring someone known and respected
by your target customers.
Demonstrate an Important Product Benefit or Feature
My favorite Super Bowl commercial of all time is the 1998 Tabasco
commercial. The commercial shows a man sitting, eating pizza on his
front porch. Before each bite he splashes on a liberal dose of Tabasco. A
mosquito flies in, bites the guy on the hand, and flies off. A second
later, we see the mosquito explode in a mass of flames. Cut to the guy
chewing and smiling, Tabasco bottle clearly displayed on screen.
Besides being incredibly entertaining, the commercial demonstrates the
product's primary benefit in a way that is simple and straightforward.
All the while, very clearly communicating the brand.
There are many ways to demonstrate an important product feature to your
audience. Think of other commercials you've seen and adapt the technique
to your own budget and situation.
Detergent commercials, for example, often show how the product removes
stains better than the competition. You can set up your own comparison
and communicate it through print ads, on a Website, or in a retail
store.
Target The Audience
Have you noticed an abundance of fast car, junk food, and beverage
commercials during the Super Bowl? A major reason for this is targeting.
Smart marketers try to get their products seen in places where their
target audience hangs out.
It is not too much of a stretch to imagine that folks attracted to
testosterone-laden football may also like speedy cars. And if you watch
football, you most certainly like to snack during the game. Hence, we
see an abundance of junk food, beer, and soda commercials.
When putting together your own marketing programs, try to imagine where
your target audience can be found and think of ways you can be seen in
those venues. If you are a Virtual Assistant, for example, participating
online in small business groups makes much more sense than being seen
in sports groups.
Associate Your Brand with a Mascot or Symbol
My favorite commercial from this year's Super Bowl was the donkey that
wanted to be a Budweiser Clydesdale. I must confess the Clydesdales are
near and dear to my heart (I live less than a mile from Grant's Farm
where they breed and raise the Budweiser Clydesdales). I'm pretty sure,
though, I'd love this commercial anyway.
Besides telling a cute, heartwarming story, the entire commercial
reinforces the connection between the Clydesdales and Budweiser beer.
It's a connection that Anheuser Busch has worked hard to establish and
maintain over the years. Today, I'm sure most people immediately think
"Budweiser" when catching a glimpse of the famous Clydesdales.
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