by Chuck | Feb 24, 2022 | Uncategorized
It Wasn’t Really a Question What my new acquaintance actually said was, “I know it takes money to make money, but promoting my business doesn’t feel like investing, and I can’t afford too many more bad rolls of the dice.” The implied question was, “What should I spend...
by Chuck McKay | Feb 8, 2022 | Advertising / Marketing Strategy, Market Segmentation, Targeted Marketing, Database Marketing
Chuck Blore once told of a study he did for CBS. Beer drinkers were surveyed as they entered his testing facility. They each proclaimed a preference, as well as an explanation of why they they had chosen that particular brand of beer. The participants were then given...
by Chuck McKay | Jan 20, 2022 | Budgeting, Pricing, and Return on Advertising Investment (ROAI)
A couple of decades ago I introduced a friend who sold pianos to the manager of a local radio station. The manager suggested that the piano salesman consider radio advertising sales. The salesman refused. “Sometimes advertising works,” he said, “and many more times it...
by Chuck McKay | Jan 18, 2022 | Advertising / Marketing Strategy, Advertising Schedules / Scheduling, Customer Education, Expectations, and Motivation, Fishing 101 - the "How To" Class
While browsing the web, I came across an article titled, “Why is My Restaurant Not Full Every Monday Night?” (Google search if you’re all that curious. The article doesn’t answer the question, which is why I’m not linking it). But it does...
by Chuck McKay | Jan 10, 2022 | Advertising Frequency, Advertising Schedules / Scheduling, Customer Focus, Retention, and Evangelism
Shoppers Flow Downstream Just as a river flows downhill from higher terrain, shoppers always flow from the smaller community to the larger. Advertising in the bigger community to draw customers to your smaller community is as futile as trying to make the water in a...
by Chuck McKay | Jan 1, 2022 | Customer Focus, Retention, and Evangelism, Media, Social Media, and Word-of-Mouth (WOM)
Pay close attention to Stephanie’s story: “Roger’s feet get cold easily, so I bought him a pair of sheepskin slippers. He loved them, but it wasn’t long before the wool lining started wearing off. So I called Lands’ End to see if I could get...
by Chuck McKay | Dec 28, 2021 | Minimizing Risk, Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Zebra losing its stripes. You’re a lion. It’s dawn on the Serengeti. The hunger pangs of three days without food are becoming impossible to ignore. Off in the distance is a herd of zebra. You’re down wind. You can smell the herd but they can’t smell you. You crouch...
by Chuck McKay | Dec 10, 2021 | Buying Stages / Sales Conversion, Minimizing Risk, Persuasion / Power of Words, Two-Step Marketing / Back End Sales
There’s a gas station at one of the Interstate 20 off ramps in Columbia, South Carolina that is rumored to have the lowest prices in town. If they don’t have the lowest prices, they certainly have convinced a large group of drivers that they do. Most hours of the day...
by Chuck McKay | Nov 30, 2021 | Buying Stages / Sales Conversion, Customer Education, Expectations, and Motivation
“Everyone needs our product,” said Bob. “All we need to do is to tell them about it.” Bob’s enthusiasm is contagious. He’s convinced that America’s tap water isn’t safe to drink because of the presence of pollutants. The water filter he sells...
by Chuck McKay | Nov 24, 2021 | Buying Stages / Sales Conversion, Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Is this a good ad? Does it make you want to buy a can of John’s Tomato Juice? A good ad would. A good ad would catch the attention of someone who wanted tomato juice, and offer compelling reasons to choose John’s brand. But this ad? People expect tomato...
