The Hindu Business Line : Don't advertise yourself into bankruptcy

WITHOUT dwelling on overlying theory, A. D. Farbey's Handbook of Successful Advertising, published by Crest Publishing House, plunges straight into what practitioners need. `What advertising can't do' is one of the initial lessons. "You cannot advertise your way out of corporate failure," as also product failure, or when your distribution has collapsed. "It has a more humble role to play than some of its more enthusiastic exponents would have us believe," is a sobering statement.

Marketing is different from communications. Thus, when the company chief barks to the ad manager, "Our sales are down. Go out and do me a Rs 2 lakh advertising campaign to sell 10,000 more units by early summer," there is confusion between the marketing message and communication, writes Farbey, though it is quite doubtful whether the manager would have achieved the goal even if there were no confusion.

Assume you know what to sell. `Who' is also important. "You do not sell to everyone, but to your market. Separate it." To make matters worse, markets change and move, points out the book. What was once for a niche audience may become a mass-market product. Don't forget the `three partners in the buying process' — users, purchasers and decision-makers. "But there may also be a fourth one still — influencers!" The last category is gaining attention in highly networked markets. Again, there may not just be a single decision-maker, but a group of people. Thus, `decision-making unit' (DMU) is what business-to-business communication often refers to.

Among media, press is still the largest category, states the author. It is followed by TV, direct mail, directories, outdoor/transportation, radio, cinema and so on. When judging the impact of the media, a term that is used is `opportunity to see' (OTS), but "the advertiser may demand real seeing, not just opportunity." Editorial makes a difference in the sense that an advertisement gains credibility "from the surrounding editorial", so a software ad in an IT page scores better than when in a general page.

A frequent question is whether the advertiser using an agency can contact the media directly. "Common sense should prevail on this point," cautions Farbey. "There is a danger of confusion or duplication of effort." Well, coming to the tricky `creative' part of the ad message, don't forget that apart from `literary and artistic' angles, `commercial' is not lost sight of. Also, ads have to work `quickly' and `simply'. For instance, "when interest rates change, people may want to see what rates banks are now offering." Similarly, "when the holiday season comes around, people begin to look for information on possible holiday venues." You have a product to fulfil the consumers' need and advertise, but here is the bad news: "People do not generally read newspapers for the advertisements or watch TV for the commercials. Many direct mail shots are thrown into the dustbin. Posters are unheeded as people walk by." The solution is "to appeal, to stand out, to have something relevant to say."

Chapter 8 deals with an unpleasant area — `budget'. Don't throw money in advertising, but ask yourself, "Is this a worthwhile expenditure and am I getting value for money?" It is a cardinal sin in advertising management to exceed the budget, the book would pronounce. Reason: "Organisations have gone bankrupt as a result." So, keep some cash away at least for one last ad, "We are broke."

Book courtesy: Landmark

(www.landmarkonthenet.com)

BookMark@TheHindu.co.in

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