Planning Your Marketing Success in 2025

by Scott Howard | Dec 16, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Today, I have planning tips for the new year ahead taken from a recent Sound ADvice newsletter subscribers received this month:

From running a business, we all know that even the most well-thought-out plans don’t always play out as expected. However, relying on the ole adages of “winging it” or “flying by the seat of my pants” are never good options and rarely end with positive results.

2024 is coming to an end and you have made it through another year in an increasingly competitive and complex environment! Congratulations!

But how is your future looking? 2025 doesn’t appear to be any less challenging than the previous 2 or 3 years and with the new administration, there is even more uncertainty in the air.

Every business owner who invests in marketing and advertising asks themselves this question probably several times a year, “Am I getting the most out of my advertising buck?”.

The other question they ask themselves is, “How can I make my business run better or be more successful?”. Both are great questions!

So, do you have a marketing and advertising plan for next year?

If you don’t or haven’t yet thought about your marketing and advertising plan, this quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower may give you some inspiration… “In preparing for battle, I always found plans were useless, but planning is indispensable”.

All too often, with the day-to-day issues of dealing with staffing, product availability, and new competition, marketing goes to the bottom of the pile to be looked after “tomorrow”. The problem with tomorrow is that we often end up doing last-minute knee-jerk promotions or doing the same ole thing rather than strategically holding the course to build our brand.

Your challenge for 2025 is not so much to predict what kind of year you will have as it is to plan and implement the actions necessary to create the outcome you want.

Respected American author, Alan Lakein, a John Hopkins and Harvard Business School graduate and an authority on time management, said this… “Planning is bringing the future to the present so we can do something about it now”.

One of the cornerstones of any successful business plan is a well-thought-out marketing and advertising plan. Click here to see the 12 Annual Marketing and Advertising Planning Questions you need to answer to prepare your successful 2025 plan.

As a free gift to you, you can be receiving my sound ADvice email nearly every Wednesday in your inbox. It’s free, just request it by sending me an email to Scott@WOWO.com

Building Momentum

by Scott Howard | Dec 9, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Some business people get it, others don’t. I’m talking about the building and growing process for your business and how advertising fits in.

I can’t tell you how many times people had unrealistic expectations and were either disappointed or they were too afraid to pull the trigger and start.

A couple months ago, I was talking with a business owner that’s coming back to WOWO radio after being off our station for well over a decade.

I didn’t work with him previously but this time he was telling me all the things that I would have told him. Instead, he’s learned the lessons about how some things take time.

More than time, there’s also consistency and patience.

For all the parents out there, if you want a child, how long does it take?

Typically 9 months from conception to birth.

Despite the advances in medicine, health care and technology, it takes 9 months for that baby to grow inside a mother’s womb before that baby is ready to debut.

Here’s another example I was sharing with someone in the farming world the other day.

If you want to eat a fresh ear of corn on the cob tonight, you can’t plan the corn seed kernel this morning and expect it to happen. There’s a certain amount of time needed to get the results. And similar to the growing human embryo, at first, there’s nothing visible going on.

Eventually, we see beginning signs that something is going on, but there’s limited ways to change the timeline.

This same principle applies to your advertising.

When I worked with music radio stations, I would tell new advertising partners that the first month or two were investments into the future. In other words, don’t expect people to respond the first week, and certainly don’t expect to break even in the first month.

However there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that aren’t visible that are positive. People are hearing or seeing your company name and the stuff you do, sell and can help them with. Most of those people have no use for what you offer when they first start learning about your business, but over time, more and more will be in the market to buy what you sell.

This is why most of the advertising contracts I create are for a full 12 months. Sometimes even longer.

Let’s say your business is going to spend $52,000 with me over the next 12 months. You would need an average of $1000 dollars in business generated from that ad campaign every week to break even. It’s not going to happen the first week.

It might be 10 weeks before you start earning back anything and by then you’re 10 grand in the hole.

That’s when inexperienced rookies get nervous and pull the plug and stop. It’s also why I look at the long term. That $10,000 is like the first 10 weeks in the womb. Something special is going on even if you can’t see it yet.

When someone sticks it out with me, you’re going to get results and that initial money you paid will come back to you in the future as the momentum builds.

Just like I shared the story last week about the Space Shuttle from my Sound ADvice newsletter, this stuff works when you understand how to make it work.

Want to know more? Contact me and we’ll see how this could apply to your business. Scott@WOWO.com

Launch Expectations

by Scott Howard | Dec 2, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Just about every week except Holiday weeks, I send out a newsletter called Sound ADvice that is created by my friend Rick at ENS Media and recently he created an excellent piece that my subscribers read that starts out talking about the Space Shuttle.

In my childhood and early adult days, NASA had their own rockets and space craft that was used to send astronauts to outer space. This was before Elon Musk and Jeff Bezo’s took over with private craft. The Space Shuttle was used for 30 years starting in 1981 until their last flight in 2011.

Here’s more from my Sound ADvice newsletter along with application for businesses that are looking to launch an advertising campaign. Next week, I’ve got some more of my insights and stories on this subject.

At liftoff, the Space Shuttle’s two solid rocket boosters consume 11,000 pounds of fuel per second and use approximately 85% of its total capacity just for the lift-off phase.

The initial effort to get anything to move is always greater than the effort required once motion has begun. Ever tried to push a car? At first, it seems almost impossible, but once it gets rolling its motion requires less effort on your part and becomes quite predictable.

Have you ever started an advertising schedule or campaign, and it felt like you weren’t getting any response or the response you thought you should be getting? Getting your advertising off the ground, like anything, takes time, but once it takes hold, it should continue to produce results going forward with relative ease.

There are several reasons why time is needed to get your advertising working for you.

One…The length of your product’s cycle. In the automotive market, for example, there is approximately only 2% of the population in the market for a car in any given month. No amount of advertising energy can make someone who just bought a car, buy another. For a roofing contractor, it’s even greater. We only get a few new roofs in our lifetime. Less than 1% of the population is in the market for a new roof each month.

Two…People are creatures of habit. Very often they’ll keep buying where they have always bought, until their current supplier lets them down or someone like you or another competitor invites them to do business with you or them.

In many cases, your advertising is simply positioning yourself to be the first supplier prospects think of when their current supplier lets them down… and they will let them down!

Three…Expecting instant gratification from your advertising can be unrealistic. Like the shuttle, it takes a lot of energy to get your marketing ball rolling.

There are other reasons like not enough frequency, your share of voice within your market, or a competitor who has established a strong Top-of-Mind Awareness within your category.

In his Twelve Causes of Advertising Failure, marketing guru Roy Williams states that failure cause number one is, “The desire for instant gratification”.

Whether you’ve been advertising for a long time or just considering starting, understanding how advertising works, what makes it work, and how long it takes to start working is very important in achieving long-term success. Patience is a virtue.

If you want to ensure the success of your advertising, click here to see all Twelve Causes of Advertising Failure to help you avoid these huge mistakes.

Win Back Former Customers

by Scott Howard | Nov 25, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

What should you change to retain or win back customers?

What internal changes can you make that will create a more positive customer experience?

Are there some things that have changed but that law of “unintended consequences” kicked in and perhaps you should revert to the it was before?

How prepared are you for the upcoming year and both the known and unknown that will impact the Customer Experience and your business bottom line?

I know, that’s a lot to contemplate but it’s the kind of questions I like to ask when I’m meeting with business owners and managers.

I’ve got three stories/examples to share.

I was one of the millions of people who voted early this year. Instead of waiting until Election Day on Tuesday November 5th, I was downtown one day in October and decided to visit the early voting location and stand in line to vote early. The line was long but it was inside. Total time from when I arrived and parked my car to when I left was 50 minutes.

A couple weeks later I noticed that the early voting line was different. It was shorter and people had to wait outside the building. I’m not sure why but I was thankful that my wait was not braving the elements, even though it was longer than those later early voters. The customer experience of voting was less favorable for those who had to wait outside. Most, but not all voters persisted in both scenarios because they had a determination to vote then and there instead of leaving.

Another story dealing with lines is my favorite locally owned coffee shop, the one that earned the nickname of ScLoHo’s North Office for more than a dozen years. These days I visit mostly on Sundays but have started to stop by during the week on occasion too, like the old days.

However there are times when I will walk in and look at the line of people waiting to order and decide if I want to stay and wait or leave. When they are busy the line can be 20 people deep. Longer than that and the line goes out the door which I’ve seen a couple of times. I know that over the years the owners have continually made modifications and that includes expanding and also streamlining their menu. They’ve also adjusted their hours and during the Covid years, made required adjustments as needed. They’ve raised their prices and even added a surcharge which is a percent of your bill that goes to pay for benefits to their staff. I know that because they were upfront and posted about it. They are 25 years strong and despite the long lines during busy times which discourages some customers from waiting at that moment, they will continue to thrive.

I also have the Starbucks app on my phone and I keep it loaded with funds so I can get coffee on the road at places other than my favorite local shop. There have been a couple of times that one of the local Starbucks was so busy that they had no parking avail and I’ve waited for over 20 minutes. I know, First World Problem. I’m not the only one that has been deterred from being their customer as they’ve lost sales and now they are going to fix a couple of common complaints to their speed and pricing. Here’s the info from MediaPost.com:

Starbucks Ends Milk Upcharge, Returns To Sharpie Roots

“Starbucks will no longer charge customers extra for nondairy milk alternatives in their lattes, macchiatos and other beverages, part of a strategy to boost slowing sales by streamlining its menu and re-creating a more inviting coffeehouse vibe at its stores,” according to The Washington Post. “Customers previously complained that the extra fee for nondairy substitutes discriminated against people with lactose intolerance or other dietary restrictions….

Customers ordering drinks with nondairy substitutes can expect price reductions of more than 10%.

“The company is also setting a goal of getting customers their orders in four minutes or less,” according to The New York Times. Brewed coffee will now be delivered to customers at the register, and customers can customize their coffee themselves — adding milk and sweeteners — at the condiment stations that the company will be reinstalling. That should also alleviate some of the workload for baristas.”

Another change won’t save customers money, but might make them feel more connected to the brand: “Starbucks is bringing back hand-written names in Sharpie on cups and self-serve stations with sugar and cream to try to win back customers,” according to CNN. “Baristas handwriting customers’ names and messages on their drink orders in marker will make a comeback.”

It’s part of their strategy to recreate a coffeehouse vibe at Starbucks and add a “human touch.”

The last story I have has to do with something I did about 15 years ago when I served on the Board of Directors with the Advertising Federation. We had monthly lunches at least 9 or or 10 times a year and there was a fee to attend. Nearly everyone else on the board worked on the creative side or at an ad agency, yet I was the one that moved us forward into the world of online payments. This was around 2009 and the custom was to reserve with an email or phone call and then bring either cash, check or credit card to be processed at the lunch.

Eventbrite was just a few years old and some of the old school board members were hesitant to move to an online reservation and payment platform for our lunches. I set it up and our attendance quickly rose because we improved the customer experience and provided a fresh option to make it easy for people to buy along with keeping the previous method as an option for about a year to handle the transition.

All of these stories and examples are related to marketing too because you’ve changed the perception and reality of your company to the customer.

Go back to those original questions and ask yourself and your team about ways to improve as you move forward.

Is Your Brand Identity Correct?

by Scott Howard | Oct 28, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

My favorite carbonated beverage is changing their branding.

So I’m going to stop drinking it in protest.

Just kidding.

Mountain Dew is changing their labeling to Mountain Dew.

I know, that sounds weird but it’s a visual change, not a verbal change.

Here’s the story from Mediapost titled:

Mountain Dew Unveils New Logo, Visual Identity

After around 15 years, Mountain Dew has found its vowels again.

The brand unveiled its new logo — eschewing the “Mtn Dew” stylization officially introduced in the U.S. market in 2009 –– in favor of the full brand name, while tying the brand’s visual identity back to mountainous peaks portrayed in the background as it approaches its 75th anniversary. Mountain Dew’s new logo also includes small text reading “Est. 1948” over the “W” in its brand name, a nod to the year the trademark was officially established.

I know, it’s shocking. I say that with a ting of sarcasm.

Because honestly, I don’t recall them dropping the vowels out of Mountain in 2009. I didn’t change my buying habits and I won’t now, or when the new logo comes out in 2025.

I was trying to recall when I started drinking the Dew, and I’m guessing it was in the 90’s as an alternative to coffee. Nothing wrong with coffee but the Dew also replaced Pepsi as my go to cold beverage. I recall having a conversation with my kids when they questioned my drinking Mountain Dew in the morning and I pointed out to them that the second ingredient on the label was concentrated orange juice. Let’s be honest, besides the taste and the O.J. Mountain Dew had more caffeine than Pepsi or Coke and that was the main reason I drank it. Also a little over 20 years ago I switched to the diet versions of soft drinks.

What I just shared was my own story and reasons for drinking Mountain Dew.

It has nothing to do with the name, or the logo. Yet someone in their advertising agency was paid big bucks to revamp their visual image.

I’m not against updates. One of my favorite advertising partners on WOWO radio has done an internal name change this year and we’ve updated his ads and also the visual elements. There was nothing wrong with the previous name, Moore and Associates, but it really didn’t identify his brand. Unless you knew from the advertisements that have aired on WOWO for over 29 years who Chris Moore is and what he does, Moore and Associates could be a law firm, or a plumber or nearly anything.

His new name is much more clear and a much stronger branding statement. Moore Wealth Management. Chris and his team have grown over the past 3 decades and the new name is accurate as it reflects what they do now and what they’ve been doing for years.

With all do respect to my friends who specialize in graphic design and understand the subconscious influences of color and typography including font selection, those are secondary to having a good product and service that people will talk about positively. As a side note, I like Comic Sans. Time to crack open a Diet Mtn Dew.

Success in Sampling

by Scott Howard | Oct 21, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Debbie Fields was only 21 years old when she opened her first Mrs. Fields Cookies store in Palo Alto, California in 1977. Seven short years later, in 1984, the marketing “novice” had 160 stores selling more than $45 million worth of Mrs. Fields Cookies.

There are a lot of lessons we can learn from Debbie’s marketing success. Her passion and determination caused her to succeed even though she had no experience, and was told by friends, family, bankers, and others that her “idea” would not succeed.

The marketing campaign that drew customers to her stores consisted of simply going out into the streets with trays of free cookies for people to sample. If you have a great product, consider finding a way to offer free samples to your customers.

Car dealers know the value of the free test drive, and vendors at local farmers’ markets have learned they sell more produce by offering free samples.

Advertising that you offer free trials or samples also speaks volumes about the confidence you have in your products or services. Mrs. Fields did not wait for customers to come into her store to offer them free samples, she went out into the streets with trays of goodies.

“Free” is one of the most powerful words in advertising and giving samples of your product engages “psychological reciprocity” in the minds of your prospects.

Psychological reciprocity is defined as “a deep-rooted subconscious need to do something for those who do something for us”.

FREE! If you have a product that customers will love, click here to read the 8 Keys to Successful Sampling.

Mrs. Fields Cookies was one of the first franchised cookie shops in the country and we use to have a couple of them here in Fort Wayne Indiana. We don’t anymore due to the changes in consumer behavior and decline of major malls that was going on for awhile but then took a big hit in 2020 with covid.

When Mrs. Fields started in the malls around the country, that was a strategic location move. See, the rent in a mall was usually higher than a smaller strip shopping center. Just the mall itself was a destination, not just specific stores.

So the Mrs. Fields cookie stores took advantage of the foot traffic created by the other well known stores and built their brand that way.

Some of my radio advertising partners have used a free offer that was in response to a genuine need to create increased business in the past few years. Let’s talk and see if there’s something that might be appropriate for your business.