I Know My Bias, Do You Know Yours?

All of us are biased in our thoughts, opinions and actions.  The word bias is not a polite way of saying prejudiced.  I’m using it to share with you my professional biases relating to advertising.

As an advertising and marketing professional I have preferences of certain media and marketing platforms.  Anyone and everyone who sells stuff is biased but some won’t admit it.

from http://bit.ly/29MOua4

I used to offer an unbiased opinion, but that’s word-play.  Any opinion is based on someones bias, right?

Instead I offer an objective opinion based on my bias.

What is my bias?

It leans toward the marketing solutions I sell, advertising on and with WOWO Radio and some of the Digital Solutions I offer too.

This is important:

I had these biases before I worked for this company, because I had personal experience with them.   I also decided to work for this company because of my biases.

I’ve been in radio since I was 16 and I saw the power of radio personalities when I was one myself for 10 years.

When I was 26 a couple of things happened:

1. I was bored with music radio and started listening to news and talk shows when I was working in Detroit.  I’ve been a news/talk radio listener ever since.
2. I also started learning the dynamics of human relationship oriented advertising and how easy it was for businesses to be successful on the radio if these principles are followed.

Fast forward 20 years and I was discovering the dynamics of the web as a two-way communication tool with social media.  I was advising my radio clients the benefits of content marketing and sharing my own personal success stories.

Now I have success stories to both traditional media with news/talk 1190 WOWO radio and using some of the Federated Media Digital Solutions my company offers.  It’s due to both my personal habits and professional successes working with advertising partners that I am biased.  I believe in what I offer because I know it works.

Here’s how I also offer an objective opinion.  I study and learn about the other options you have to advertise and market your services and products.  I spent several years on the Board of Directors for the American Advertising Federation and more recently I have cultivated relationships with others that sell other advertising media to be able to make recommendations beyond what I can offer.

Here’s a homework assignment for you the next time someone wants to sell you something…

Ask them why they are biased towards the product/service they want you to buy.  Do they have a good reason for that bias or is it just a paycheck?