Tom Shay, CSP Certified Speaking Professional

Advertising challenges By itself, does advertising work? 

By itself, does advertising work?

Advertising Advertising Television Radio Newspaper Direct Mail Other methods of advertising?

Advertising

Television

Radio

Newspaper

Direct Mail

Other methods of advertising?

Advertising challenges A necessary evil? Why is a low return on the advertising investment acceptable? Example from a mass merchant: 8% of sales come from advertising 4% of advertising shoppers purchase a non sale item

A necessary evil?

Why is a low return on the advertising investment acceptable?

Example from a mass merchant:

8% of sales come from advertising 4% of advertising shoppers purchase a non sale item

Media challenges Sells time or space then asks, “What do you want to ‘run’? Moves from one media to another and says the new one is better Chases the ‘co-op’ dollars and then creates a ‘dealer tag’ ad Is a salesperson, not a creative person

Sells time or space then asks, “What do you want to ‘run’?

Moves from one media to another and says the new one is better

Chases the ‘co-op’ dollars and then creates a ‘dealer tag’ ad

Is a salesperson, not a creative person

Media challenges Small business is a salesperson, not a creative person Most frequently advertising consists of item and price Image advertising is hard to gauge the success of and is difficult to be consistent with

Small business is a salesperson, not a creative person

Most frequently advertising consists of item and price

Image advertising is hard to gauge the success of and is difficult to be consistent with

Challenged by CAVE dwellers C itizens A gainst V irtually E verything

CAVE dwellers C itizens A gainst V irtually E verything

Advertising challenges If advertising doesn’t work should I stop it? 

If advertising doesn’t work should I stop it?

Retail promotions Each one doing their own thing Promoting goods and services by their district business Generating only immediate retail sales Occasionally advertising as a part of the district

Each one doing their own thing

Promoting goods and services by their district business

Generating only immediate retail sales

Occasionally advertising as a part of the district

Are the businesses within your downtown district disconnected from each other? Is there no “All for one, and one for all”?

Are the businesses within your downtown district disconnected from each other?

Is there no “All for one, and one for all”?

Advertising is Talking to the public Trying to get rid of what you’ve got

Talking to the public

Trying to get rid of what you’ve got

Promoting is Talking to your customers Having what you can get rid of

Talking to your customers

Having what you can get rid of

Promoting Spend $20 through advertising to get someone to first shop with you Spend less than $4 to get that first time shopper to return

Spend $20 through advertising to get someone to first shop with you

Spend less than $4 to get that first time shopper to return

Why Power Promoting? Power promoting costs less Power promoting shows more immediate results Power promoting is easier to tweak Power promoting builds that first level of confidence between a business and Main Street staff

Power promoting costs less

Power promoting shows more immediate results

Power promoting is easier to tweak

Power promoting builds that first level of confidence between a business and Main Street staff

Power Promoting Building on the success of teaching merchants – one merchant at a time and one event at a time Creating successful events for your individual district members Getting member businesses to engage in your events

Building on the success of teaching merchants – one merchant at a time and one event at a time

Creating successful events for your individual district members

Getting member businesses to engage in your events

Power Promoting How our power promoting began

How our power promoting began

Implementing Power Promoting Select promotions that a merchant could utilize Consider: needed creativity, budget, complexity, potential results of promotion, merchants reception to new ideas

Select promotions that a merchant could utilize

Consider: needed creativity, budget, complexity, potential results of promotion, merchants reception to new ideas

Implementing Power Promoting Follow up individual success, with additional power promoting Follow up individual success with multi-merchant events Teach the businesses to “get ‘em downtown, keep ‘em downtown!”

Follow up individual success, with additional power promoting

Follow up individual success with multi-merchant events

Teach the businesses to “get ‘em downtown, keep ‘em downtown!”

Snipe hunt

Snipe hunt Merchants and media decide to create weekend “Snipe hunt” Birds purchased by each store and placed within the business Bags were printed listing all participating merchants

Merchants and media decide to create weekend “Snipe hunt”

Birds purchased by each store and placed within the business

Bags were printed listing all participating merchants

Magic Santa Days 2008 is 47 th year Sponsored by Ft. Smith Times Record Participating merchants place ads in the Times Record Major ad is provided by the Times Record – lists participants and the questions Answers are in participating store ads Customers clip their “Magic Santa badges” from the paper

2008 is 47 th year

Sponsored by Ft. Smith Times Record

Participating merchants place ads in the Times Record

Major ad is provided by the Times Record – lists participants and the questions

Answers are in participating store ads

Customers clip their “Magic Santa badges” from the paper

Magic Santa Days Times Record employees are the “Magic Santas” They visit the participating stores looking for people wearing the badges Prizes are gift certificates from the participating merchants

Times Record employees are the “Magic Santas”

They visit the participating stores looking for people wearing the badges

Prizes are gift certificates from the participating merchants

Magic Santa Days The promotion was discontinued after 2005 because of a lack of merchant participation. Today's merchants don't seem to understand, don't want to understand, or don't think they need to understand store traffic from free registrations . We checked out several of our participants and most everyone failed to approach those coming in to register as potential customers. If the customer didn't do an impulse buy, then they didn't buy anything at all. We couldn't even talk the merchants into using impulse islands of merchandise near the registration box, which most thought was completely unnecessary. Pretty frustrating when you expend that kind of time and resources into a promotion that couldn't attract even a dozen retailers. We decided a long-term rest of the promotion was the solution.

The promotion was discontinued after 2005 because of a lack of merchant participation. Today's merchants don't seem to understand, don't want to understand, or don't think they need to understand store traffic from free registrations . We checked out several of our participants and most everyone failed to approach those coming in to register as potential customers. If the customer didn't do an impulse buy, then they didn't buy anything at all. We couldn't even talk the merchants into using impulse islands of merchandise near the registration box, which most thought was completely unnecessary. Pretty frustrating when you expend that kind of time and resources into a promotion that couldn't attract even a dozen retailers. We decided a long-term rest of the promotion was the solution.

Other promotions Aiken, SC Aiken’s makin’ 10 years + locally made crafts West “mutt”ster dog show Benefits SPCA who organizes it

Aiken, SC

Aiken’s makin’

10 years +

locally made crafts

West “mutt”ster dog show

Benefits SPCA who organizes it

Local service organizations Harrison, AR New monthly display windows to support a local organization

Harrison, AR

New monthly display windows to support a local organization

Seasonal lighting

Retailer dates Mom & Pop Business Owner’s Day is March 29 National Small Business Day is May 10 National Independent Retailers Week is July 20-26 (week containing July 21)

Mom & Pop Business Owner’s Day is March 29

National Small Business Day is May 10

National Independent Retailers Week is July 20-26 (week containing July 21)

Successful results require: Budget Plan Follow thru Documentation

Budget

Plan

Follow thru

Documentation

A.M.P. Advertising Marketing Promoting Explain how to create their AMP plan Invite each of you to take a free subscription to the AMP calculator for the merchants in your district

Advertising

Marketing

Promoting

Explain how to create their AMP plan

Invite each of you to take a free subscription to the AMP calculator for the merchants in your district

Can you connect the dots of your downtown district?

It’s a Wonderful Life My small town and its’ story The parking meters, the bypass, the mass merchants and True Grit What would, and could have been

My small town and its’ story

The parking meters, the bypass, the mass merchants and True Grit

What would, and could have been

It’s a Wonderful Life “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets their wings” - Clarence A Clarence can make the registers ring Are you a Clarence?

“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets their wings” - Clarence

A Clarence can make the registers ring

Are you a Clarence?

The shop it was busy. The clerk he was not. The more shoppers asked him, the dumber he got. They don’t pay me enough, to do all this work. They don’t pay me enough, said the clerk with the smirk. Slow, slower, slowest – that’s my strategy. You want it done fast, don’t try asking me. I hate working here – all irk and no perk. I long to get axed said the clerk with the smirk. I’ll be unemployed. I’ll go on the dole. No taxes to pay. No rigamarole. And the clerk with the smirk soon got himself fired. The boss sent him packing, with language inspired. Thought the clerk with the smirk, “That’s fine, fine, fine, fine. I’ll collect unemployment, I’ll go get in line. But the lines there were long, and the service so poor, that waiting and waiting became quite a chore. At last at the front, the smirker did whine, “The help here is lousy, you ought to resign. The man sized him up and said with a sneer. “I’m closing this line. You can go to the rear.” “Hey wait! No you don’t,” cried the clerk with the smirk. “I’ll see that you get fired for the work that you shirk.” To the clerk with the smirk said the clerk with the sneer. “Thanks to people like you, I’ll always be here”

Final Note This presentation will be specialized to your industry and your attendees’ specific needs. For more information about having Tom present for you, contact us at (727)464-2182 or visit our website: www.profitsplus.org www.profitsplus.org

This presentation will be specialized to your industry and your attendees’ specific needs.

For more information about having Tom present for you, contact us at (727)464-2182 or visit our website: www.profitsplus.org