“Don’t Bite Off More than You Can Chew” – Leaving Ads to the Experts
Last week, midway through a bag of salted peanuts, I heard a distinctly non-peanuty crunch. A whoosh of cold air followed by my eyeballs leaping from their sockets indicated I had, indeed, just cracked a tooth.
I wandered into the dentist’s office the following day and waited patiently for a chance to see the doc. While in the waiting room, a mid-40s gentleman made his way to the receptionist’s window. I could tell by the stack of magazines under his arm that he was a sales rep for a local publication.
Interest piqued, I listened as he espoused the benefits of their magazine.
“We print 50,000 copies each month. That translates to 120,000 readers. Now, you could put an ad on the radio, but how many people are actually going to hear it? Certainly not 120,000. Most people change the station during commercials anyway.”
Familiar with the publication in question, I knew it was nothing more than a collection of advertorials, devoid of genuine content, the kind you routinely see (and ignore) at businesses advertised within. Still, for a business owner – or in this case dentist – untrained in marketing, the sales guy spun a web too alluring to escape.
$10,000 later, the dentist had a 12-month commitment.
I wondered if the dentist would sit as idly by if she’d seen me extracting my own molar.
I’m constantly amazed by seemingly intelligent business people who choose to manage their own marketing and advertising. You may be the world’s greatest widget manufacturer, but how does that qualify you to determine an appropriate media mix or produce a TV ad?
While business owners are usually savvy enough to hire an accountant to handle taxes and an attorney to circumvent legal woes, advertising seems somehow different. After all, they see/hear advertising messages all the time and think, “how hard could it be?” Lacking the time, training and talent to skillfully craft unique creative, however, they replicate the schlocky work their competitors put out and wonder why business isn’t suddenly booming.
Just like a dentist goes to school to learn about periodontal disease, advertising professionals study research design, audience segmentation and psychological triggers. These lessons are blended with competitive analysis and examination of market trends, yielding invaluable insight into what makes potential customers tick.
Hiring the right advertising agency to develop, implement and maintain your marketing strategy, isn’t an expense, it’s an investment in growth that shows dividends 100% of the time. Just as important, it frees you to focus on what you do best, whether that’s dentistry or widget making.
With the right team of professionals around you, running a successful business doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth.
I totally agree! And the same can be said for photography. True professional photographers actually go to school for photography and continue learning throughout their careers. It is in school where we learn everything from f-stops & shutter speeds to controlling light to business practices. After all, there is much, much more to consistently taking professional images than simply pressing a button. Just as having a professional set of Calphalon pots & pans doesn’t make someone a chef, owning a high end camera doesn’t make them a professional photographer. Just as you explain that many businesses “replicate the schlocky work their competitors put out…”, too many businesses try to take their own photographs. Unfortunately, most times they are poorly lighted, poorly focused, and poorly composed. And like Damion said, then they wonder why their poorly designed ad with bad photos isn’t generating more business. If you are going to do something, you might as well do it right. Hire professionals!
Excellent point, Gregg. My best friend is a photographer and I’m constantly impressed by the incredible difference it makes. Not just the equipment and knowledge, but the talent to observe and capture unique scenes and moments. Thanks for the comment.