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Competitive Media - An Objective Overview

In a world gone crazy with technology the world of marketing seems to be in a state of chaos! In the past a business owner was able to count on conventional methods of advertising for predictable and favorable results. Well, not anymore. The mix of media and the intellect of the people we are trying to connect to have changed.

This requires that we constantly examine how we are delivering our marketing messages. Listed below are the key media in today's marketing arena and an overview of each.

Newspapers

Newspapers enjoy very loyal audiences; they often read the paper daily. Today's media is competing strongly for people's attention; newspaper readership has not shown significant increases in the past two decades. Listed below are some of the ups and downs to advertising in newspapers.

• Advantages:
  • Allows for detailed messages
  • Variety of ad sizes are available
  • Ads can be targeted to specific demographic groups
    through placement in specific sections
  • Ads can include a coupon
  • Ability to run special sales advertising inserts
  • High single-day reach is attainable for target through placement

• Disadvantages:
  • One time shot - once the ad is printed and run, it is done
  • Expensive
  • Difficult to reach younger audiences
  • Difficult to measure day-to-day readership
  • People tend to read what they are interested in and scan
    or even skip the rest
  • Adding color to an ad is expensive
  • Reproduction quality can vary greatly
  • Clutter - many competitors in same section at the same time
  • Circulation ranges from static to declining
  • Difficult to reach new prospects
    

Other Printed Media

Brochures, flyers, stickers, restaurant place mats . . . the list really is endless. The method of how to deliver these forms of printed media vary nearly as much as the media itself.

• Advantages
  • Can be colorful
  • Detailed messaging
  • Audience can save them
  • Can control the price to some extent

• Disadvantages
  • Slow to make changes or corrections
  • Needs to be run in high volume to receive good pricing
  • High volumes of waste once pre-printed material is outdated

Radio

Radio provides great coverage for local demographic audiences, in any given market there is probably a radio station that caters to them. It is a portable medium that is at its best during the commute to work.

• Advantages
  • Highly targeted due to variety in station formats
  • Very personal messaging
  • Portability
  • Low commercial production cost

• Disadvantages
  • The introduction of satellite radio brings the concept of
    "commercial free radio" to the table
  • Duplication of formats within a market (multiple stations)
  • Generally smaller audiences at any given time period
  • Audience is disengaged, primarily focused on driving
    or other activities
    

Local Broadcast

Local television stations provide advertisers with a large number of viewers in a given market. Advertising here gives you the opportunity to run commercials during television programs on affiliates for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, WB or other independents. Your ads can run during programming blocks that include a variety of programs.

• Advantages
  • Provides the advertiser with creative opportunity to demonstrate their product or create a memorable image
  • Reaches mass audiences
  • Allows for a high degree of creativity: sight, sound, action, special effects, color

• Disadvantages
  • Prices can be high or can vary greatly
  • Production costs can be high
  • Limited on targeting specific geographic regions
  
  

Cable Networks

Cable networks are producing some of the most entertaining, ground-breaking and innovative programs on television today. They have led the way in strategically developing programs that appeal to specific audiences, rather than ones that try and entertain everyone at once.

• Advantages
  • All the advantages of broadcast television
  • High loyalty and emotional connections with viewers
  • Efficient to buy

• Disadvantages
  • The industry is a bit unorganized and difficult to work with
  • More d difficult to target specific geographic regions or markets

Outdoor

Big and colorful eye candy for semi captive audiences. Outdoor advertising includes posters, billboards, and mobile signage on trucks and buses. Technology has brought production costs down for several forms of outdoor advertising and introduces an exciting new wave for the future - animatronics billboards. Keep in ming that not every business will benefit from outdoor advertising.

• Advantages
  • Size
  • Location
  • Effective for building general awareness
  • Usually on display for at least one month intervals
  • On display 24 hours a day if illuminated, 365 days a year
  • Good for supporting ads in other media

• Disadvantages
  • Short exposure time (6-8 seconds)
  • Must convey simple ideas/messages
  • No ability to target demographically
  • Readership can deteriorate in inclement weather
  • Pricing is arbitrary, sometimes high, sometimes low
  • Audience is disengaged, primarily focused on driving
  • Subject to traffic flow; have to be there to see it
  • As secondary media, very expensive
  • Outdoor media viewed as “eyesores” in many communities

Direct Mail

When you send it you refer to it as direct mail, when you receive it you refer to it as junk mail. Still; it is a very effective way to reach your audience.

• Advantages
  • Capable of targeting specific groups by location, product use or personal interests
  • Effective for long, complex offers or messages
  • Better coupon prospects than newspaper or magazine can provide
  • Controllable production costs
  • Can cover every household
  • Mailings can be personalized
  • Easily measured response rate

• Disadvantages
  • Often gets thrown away unopened
  • Expensive on per-response basis
  • Mailing lists quickly become outdated
  • Most direct mail is impersonal, addressed to “resident” or “occupant”
  • Requires long preparation and lead time before mailing

Web Banners/Email

Whether your company has a website or not, banners or targeted emails can be considered part of your media mix. You can use your own website in online marketing, or use others by purchasing online advertisements. It is part of "the wave of the future" and offers much.

• Advantages
  • Banners and emails can draw customers to your website
  • Banners have high creative potential
  • Both can target specific groups of consumers
  • Both have very measurable responses
  • Both allow you to test different messages and offers
  • Cost effective
  • Emails can be highly personalized
  • Allow for very detailed messages
  • Website's are available 24/7

• Disadvantages
  • Banner clutter
  • Emails often deleted or filtered out before reaching targets
  • Email lists go out of date quickly
  • Online advertising is complex to maintain

Networking

This isn't really a source of media for advertising, but for my money it is still the number one source of advertising. Not necessarily as far as the number of people you reach but for the quality of the message.

• Advantages
  • Very personal
  • Long lasting relationships often result
  • High quality messaging

• Disadvantages
  • Smaller reach - you can only talk to so many people
  • Time consuming
  • Difficult to track effectiveness
  • Effectiveness is relevant to your communication skills

When you are considering what form of media is best suited for you; keep in mind that an effective marketing campaign will consist of more than one form of media. Not necessarily all forms, but definitely more than one.

The world is an ever changing place and so we must change with it to remain successfully.

• Marketing Management
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• & More!

We are a full service Marketing Firm. From creating a marketing plan to layout, design, and seem less execution, our goal is to help you make the most out of your marketing!

Some of Our Current
Clients

• 3-D CNC *
• ATHC
• BigBoysBid.com
• Dominion Realty
• Fitzloff Photography
• Szachowicz, MD - Facial Plastic Surgery*
• Girl Scouts Peacepipe Council*
• Summer Haven RV Resort
• Hutch Sport Shop
• Innovative Audio Inc.
• Jay Malone Motors
• Marceau Drafting
• McLeod Alliance for Victims of Domestic Violence*
• Minnesota Valley Investments
• Name Your Frame & Photography*
• Oakdale Golf Club
• Peterson Juergensen
  Hemmerick & Co.
  (In development)
• Picture the Pages
• Professional Training Services
• Rental Link.com *
• Schweiss Bifold Doors*
• ShopHutchinsonMN.com
• SpamKillerNow.com
• Storms Welding

Note: Clients without a link are
under construction.

*Denotes Clients using our hosting services for websites previously designed with another developer.

News from Inside

ShopHutchinsonMN.com

We have recently launched our newest endeavor, a business directory for Hutchinson, MN.

Our contact with clients and other business people in the community has demonstrated to us that there is a huge need for this type of marketing vehicle.

Many business people have been dismayed by traditional marketing vehicles.

Our new website provides the public with many valuable resources including, but not limited to:

• A complete business directory.
• Free online classified ads (will be released in Jan of 2007)
• An online community forum (will be released in Jan of 2007)

It also provides the business owners with valuable resources as well.

• Multiple levels of paid advertising are available to maximize your exposure
• Businesses that do not have an active website can use our gold level package to create a special web presence.
• Traffic from our website to yours has a positive effect on your SEO

If you are interested in learning more about ShopHutchinosnMN.com please give Sean a call at 320.587.4314

This website is not affiliated with the Hutchinson Leader or Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.

Get to Know Your Neighbors*

www.dominionrealty.com  Representing properties located throughout McLeod County and the surrounding areas, let us be your first and BEST choice when it comes to your real estate needs. Feel free to explore our web site and learn for yourself why we are one of Hutchinson's leading real estate teams.

Additional Links of Interest *

www.everything2.com  This is a website that is a bit on the crazy side, but can be fun. It deals with everything. You can find comments and conversation strings on just about any topic, it does require some discovery time.

www.wittycomics.com  Make your own comic strips with these online tools . . . easy. Read other comics created by other people.

* By providing these links we are not endorsing the services or products being offered. We are only offering links to other websites that may be of interest to you.

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