Anyone who thinks advertising is going to "fix" their business, LISTEN UP! It just doesn’t work that way. Your advertising doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It can bring new customers to your business and it can remind old customers that you’re still there… but if your business model is "broken" then advertising is not going to fix it.
For example, this morning I brought in my newspaper and my mail. In the mail, there was a direct mail piece from Allstate Insurance, trying to get me to switch my insurance coverage to them. Meanwhile, in the newspaper, there was a big story on how the Florida State Legislature is going to launch an investigation of the insurer. Seems many Floridians are complaining that Allstate lured them in with ultra low rates and then rapidly escalated those rates to two or three times the original premium.
Guess how likely I am to respond to the direct mail piece from Allstate? PLEASE! The gig is up for Allstate with anyone who reads the paper. As far as I’m concerned, the media blitz of television and direct mail is a waste of time and effort. Never the less, I’m sure someone’s head will roll when that piece (which was nicely constructed and composed) fails to deliver the anticipated response rate.
Remember, your advertising and marketing messages are not delivered in a vacuum. If dissatisfied customers are whispering in one ear, you can be assured your message will be rejected or filtered by the other ear! Unfortunately, in the age of the internet, those dissatisfied customers aren’t whispering, they’re yelling though a bull horn.
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