It’s very tempting to throw more money at the advertising gods with a desperate “Fix it!” when things aren’t going our way. When we aren’t seeing the returns or client numbers we’d like, the root of the problem usually lies much deeper than the message we’re trying to convey. The business foundation beneath the message must be solid before ad dollars can be effective.
The Allure of Advertising
Advertising is sexy. Even without Don Draper’s smoldering gaze, it would still be the most attractive part of marketing. Exceptional advertising wins awards. It offers hope of instant gratification. Done right, it brings in revenue. But advertising is hollow and useless unless there are well-communicated values and a substantial strategic plan to prop it up.
Every year, entire industries throw hundreds of billions of dollars into advertising without giving much thought to building a strong foundation for it to stand on. To be successful, your order of business should look like this:
So began the column I wrote for Middle Market Executive magazine last week. They asked for my thoughts on how to help companies make their messages stand out.
I told their readers not to start with the messages. Success starts light-years before the messages.
Would you like to learn more about why advertising isn’t always a cure? Click me to read the rest of my column at Middle Market Executive.
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