by Chuck | Jul 12, 2011 | Market Segmentation, Targeted Marketing, Database Marketing
What happens when a person gets parched? The obvious answer is that they will automatically search for the nearest store, POS (POS stands for point of sale) or refrigerator to look for a nice beverage to quench their thirst. This is of course basic human nature as...
by Chuck | Jul 8, 2011 | Advertising 101, Budgeting, Pricing, and Return on Advertising Investment (ROAI), Fresh Catch
Martha was THE media queen at a large, St. Louis based advertising agency in the late 70s. She personally placed several millions of dollars with local media. The St. Louis radio stations, television stations, newspapers, outdoor companies all came to kneel before her...
by Chuck McKay | Jul 6, 2011 | Credibility and Critical Non-Essentials
Origninally published October 23, 2007 In Shel Silverstein’s 1970 song I Got Stoned And I Missed It, he tells of “a nut down on the corner givin’ hunnert dollar bills away.” Being otherwise preoccupied, Silverstein wasn’t able to take...
by Chuck McKay | Jun 29, 2011 | Media, Social Media, and Word-of-Mouth (WOM)
Originally posted April 30, 2009 According to an old saying there are only two things people want to know about you: what you stand for, and what you won’t stand for. This is the basis of reputation. We intuitively understand that people’s actions are...
by Chuck | Jun 24, 2011 | Advertising 101, Fishing 101 - the "How To" Class
Q: I keep reading that narrower focused ads are more effective, but I don’t have a very big advertising budget. I can’t afford to pass up anyone who might be interested in what I sell. Shouldn’t my ads include everyone? A: Short answer, “no.”...
by Chuck | Jun 21, 2011 | Budgeting, Pricing, and Return on Advertising Investment (ROAI)
Bob’s is the only hardware store in Elk Snout. Bob’s buys a weekly quarter page in the Elk Snout Gazette for $230. Bob’s grosses $6,700 per week, year round (since there are no seasons in Elk Snout). One day, the new Gazette salesperson convinces...
by Chuck | Jun 8, 2011 | Advertising 101, Tackle Box
Former Canadian policeman John E. Kennedy not only created modern advertising (“salesmanship in print” and “reason why advertising”), he taught it to the copywriters of Chicago’s Lord & Thomas agency. At that time, he was the highest...
by Chuck | Jun 8, 2011 | Credibility and Critical Non-Essentials, Fresh Catch
Roger met me at a local family restaurant. With the ease of old friends not having seen each other for months, we slipped into a “catching up” conversation over breakfast. I casually asked, “How’s your food, Rog?” Roger paused, considered, and told me,...
by Chuck McKay | Jun 8, 2011 | Buying Stages / Sales Conversion
A regional community college has just contacted the marketing rep for the local TV station. They’ve spoken the words which strike fear into the hearts of salespeople everywhere: “”The advertising isn’t working.” “Tell me more,” says the rep. “Well,...
