Maximizing Your Ad Budget for 2012: Pay Attention to What Works or It Can Cost You



As I am constantly talking with clients during initial consultation, the question of how to allocate advertising and marketing budget comes about. In answering this question, there are a few key things to keep in mind when considering how to spend precious advertising dollars:

1. 1. How can I best get my message across to my audience in a meaningful way.
2. 2. How can I make sure I am reaching as many of my target customers as possible?
3. 3. What are my advertising options?

In my experience, small businesses owners are beginning to realize that getting real value-for-money is critical to business success. Advertising budgets are being squeezed, while at the same time, we continue to expect more results.

In short, this is really means that we are looking to be more efficient and effective in how we advertise.

Add to this the fact that today there are more ways to advertise than ever before. From traditional avenues such as print, TV, and radio advertising, to the explosion of online and social media marketing, the game is changing.

Buyer behavior is changing too. Buyers are increasingly seeking goods and services through non-traditional channels. Traditional marketing channels no longer have the same reach and impact that they once did.

Reflecting this trend, Jupiter research predicts that US online advertising spending will top $34.5 billion by 2012.

It’s up to us, as business owners, to search out the best value for our advertising dollar within this evolving environment.

One classic example of a declining channel is Yellow Pages advertising.

Even a quick glance at the statistics shows that it is very clear that the effectiveness of Yellow Pages advertising has been steadily declining.

Earlier, this year I had the privilege of sitting down with a fellow contact and a dear friend, Rogette Koby. We discussed my vehicle wraps services. As I told her my main reason for offering them is to redirect a company’s ad dollars away from ineffective avenues of advertising such as the phone book to a more cost effective way as advertising, she replied, “My phone makes it’s way from my doorstep to my recycle bin.”

One recent study showed that the average number of times that people refer to the Yellow Pages has declined by more than 32% in just the last four years. And, this decline is projected to continue into the future. The average household now refers to the Yellow Pages less than twice per month, and this will only become less and less often.

This is clear evidence that when it comes to reaching potential new customers, Yellow Pages advertising is becoming an increasingly outdated and ineffective advertising medium.

But what are the alternatives?

Well, one common alternative often adopted by business owners who are looking for ways to stretch their advertising dollar is bulk e-mail marketing. This can be seen as a cheap alternative to expensive Yellow Pages ads. This approach can be justified by the promise of reaching millions of potential customers with minimal up-front costs and relatively low marginal cost.

There is some truth to this viewpoint, and bulk e-mails can be effective in some circumstances. However, the drawback is that they're usually a completely untargeted ‘scatter-gun’ approach – kind of like pulling random names from the phone book – and are usually very inefficient.

Response rates to such bulk e-mail campaigns can be less than 0.005%. That’s less than one response for every 20,000 e-mails sent, and that call may not even turn into any new business!

Often, we have found that tailoring visual and written message advertising using a combination of mediums such as social media, search engine optimization, brochures, direct mail, or even non-traditional advertising such as a vehicle wrap, can create a real difference between advertising messages getting noticed and drive new business (like they’re supposed to!), or not. Think of it as the difference between reaching and speaking to your target customer base or just guessing.

Recently I had a client that shared his 2012 advertising budget with me, and asked us to come up with a comprehensive solution that would give him good value for money. The resulting campaign took a targeted approach; including doing up-front market research to really understand who his most likely potential customers are, learn what they need, and what advertising mediums would reach them best. We then created a coordinated campaign utilizing relevant marketing tools focused specifically on reaching those customers and addressing those needs. Taking this approach we were able to utilize the client’s budget wisely and secure a great return on his advertising investment.

It is important to pay attention to the changing trends in advertising and how they can best be harnessed to promote awareness about a business’ products and services.

The bottom line is that small business owners should, more than ever, consciously direct their advertising spending on marketing channels that are visible and effective in reaching their target audience.

How do you choose between the options to advertise your business’ products or services?

This blog changes in January. Happy holidays!

Vehicle Wraps! Make Your Business Memorable and Increase Sales at the Same Time



TiVo and other DVR systems are becoming increasingly more popular in households, leading consumers to skip commercials. Also prospective customers have short attention spans relative to advertising done on radio, in newspapers, and in other periodicals. Advertising has increasingly become more of a challenge. On top of that, IT’S EXPENSIVE!


Since 2000, many businesses have turned to vehicle wraps to create an effect that is both eye catching and memorable. Outdoor Advertising Magazine states that vehicle wraps have a 97% recall rate. Furthermore, Product Acceptance and Research states that 80% of people recall the specific advertisement seen on a vehicle wrap. Do you occasionally see the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile, driving around? For a moment you stop to admire the hot dog shaped vehicle in it’s uniqueness to any other vehicle on the road. Over the last 75 years, the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile has proven to be more memorable than TV commercials, newspaper advertisements, and even regular billboards. Investing in a vehicle wrap can have that same effect on your potential customers.


My interest in vehicle wraps first came about in May of 2009, when I started working with a new sign company and they proposed the idea of doing vehicle wraps. This led to a sign expo in Indianapolis in late May 2009. I learned about how cost effective a wrap is compared to radio and TV ads. I have always noticed the uniqueness of a wrap while driving on the road and have had conversations with associates as to how important it is to keep up their advertising, especially now in the recession when companies have to work harder to retain customers. Here it was: a solution for a company to cut costs and have a greater advertising impact. I was blown away!


Full vehicle wraps can average $2000 for a small car. A midsize car or minivan can average $2500-$3500 and it can go up to $7500 for a bigger truck. Compare this to the average cost of TV commercials and newspaper ads, which is well over $10,000. Also, remember, many households have DVRs and most people these days have short attention spans. With that being said, there is no question that a wrap gives you more bang for your buck. At a seminar in Indianapolis, a gentleman who owns a sign business in Texas said, “I had a client tell me that his customers see his vehicles all over town. The surprising thing in all of this is that we only wrapped two vehicles.” Wraps can create up to 8.4 million impressions in a city of 50,000. With this more cost effective way to advertise and increase sales, a business can’t lose.


When choosing a company to design, print, and install your wrap, it is important to consider several things. 1. Make sure the design going on the vehicle is eye catching. Remember what I mentioned about creating something that is memorable. The point of wrapping should be to capture the attention of your potential customers. 2. Make sure you inquire into the company’s warranty on the wrap. This includes printing and installation. It is important to make sure that the ink that prints the wrap will not fade. Most inks will last up to five years. However making sure that the wrap is installed properly is even more important so that your own mobile billboard is going to look great for years to come.


This blog changes in September. Thank you and good luck.