Save the Bullhorn for the Big Game

Some advertisers believe the louder you yell, the more your message is heard. Super Bowl commercials are a perfect example of this phenomenon. A 30-second ad in 2019 was selling between $5.1 million and $5.3 million.

And yes, the ads are fun and have become part of our pop culture, with people tuning in just to watch them. But how effective is the ad? Does it really sell more product? Does it build a relationship? Is it speaking directly to the target?

If you’re a well-established brand with a big budget, yes, your customers may get some emotional value from your ad. And smaller or more obscure brands may get some talk value around the water cooler for a day or two. But for most brands, like most relationships, yelling is a one-way conversation that rarely leads to anything good. Successful communication comes from listening.

By listening, you receive important information about your customers. And if you’ve been listening lately, everyone believes data is the key. Of course, the importance of good data should not be minimized. With extensive consumer data and the tools to understand what the data means, you will have a complete picture of your target audience and how to talk to them.

But more importantly, if you are going to have a conversation with someone, you want to do it when they are the most receptive to your message. In other words, it would be hard to have a heartfelt discussion in the middle of a Pilates class, no matter how sincere you are. But, if you set the scene — a comfy couch by a fire, soft music in the background and no other distractions — you have a much better chance to reach the person.   

It is possible to have the same type of reach with your customers. What you need is the right media partner — a personal trainer of advertising, so to speak. The right partner will help you know your customers on a deeper level, based on real-time data and analysis. Instead of creating a one-size-fits-all message, you’ll get tailored communications that speak directly to the people you want to target.

When you use a combination of channels, such as ads on mobile websites, mobile apps, video display and messaging, social platforms, billboards, direct mail, email, or print, the opportunity for reach and reception increases significantly. Effective creative content and messages delivered at the correct time will drive your customers to act.

Sure, you could get some small talk value by shouting out your message. Or you could find a media agency that produces actual results, such as increased traffic to your locations, improved marketing performance, increased customer retention, increased profitability and more sales. The choice is yours.

Gretchen Weaver is a writer at Epsilon. For more information, visit epsilonlocal.com.