CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER
Are you wowed by your
marketing materials?
There’s no limit to the sophistication and number of messages being sent out in today’s marketplace. And just as it’s difficult to cut steak with a butter knife, it is impossible for your marketing message to be effective if your approach is next to dull. Are you wowed with your marketing materials? Is your communication strategy sharp enough to cut through the clutter? Take a minute to grade your advertising, marketing and public relations materials based on the following factors.
Competition: You can’t go head-to-head with your competition if you don’t know much about them. When was the last time you identified your top three to five competitors and assessed and analyzed their differences and similarities to each other — and to your products and services? Are these distinctions made clear in your marketing materials? An annual review of your place among the competition is critical to staying at the top of the game.
Consumers and customers: Are your marketing materials customer-centered? Are you providing what your customer wants? Or are you providing what you think they need? Savvy companies take the pulse of their customer base and communicate with them on an ongoing basis via email, direct mail, newsletters or blog. Do you invite customer feedback and tally the results? Do you maintain regular contact with your customers? Do you take advantage of opportunities to develop case studies based on your customer success stories?
Channels: Are you utilizing several communication channels for your marketing message? Is your selection of tactics strategic? Are you where your prospects and customers are? Today there are more avenues available to communicate than ever before, including the Internet, television, radio, direct mail, print advertising, collateral materials, conferences, trade shows, and public relations. To create an impression, you need to target the most effective channels and use a combination of vehicles.
Creativity and costs: Does your marketing look sharp and professional? Or does it look like it was done on a tight budget? If your communication materials look anything less than sophisticated, your potential customers may assume that you do not have the abilities and the expertise of your competition. A sound investment in marketing is critical to your success. Keep in mind that the adage, “You get what you pay for,” holds as much truth in marketing as it does anywhere else.
Consistency and confidence: Are your materials consistent in presentation and frequency? Consumers want to work with companies they see as trustworthy and reliable. Consistency fosters confidence. Are your marketing materials consistent? Do they inspire confidence? Or do they suggest that you may be a struggling start-up?
For companies interested in staying on the cutting edge, Seroka offers a comprehensive communications audit of advertising, marketing and public relations materials and strategies. Call or email for more information.
Turn Up Your Brand Proposition
“What’s in it for me” is the attitude of consumers today, making the need for a powerful brand proposition more important than ever. Tired claims of “most technologically advanced” and “best in class” come across as blah, blah, blah instead of breathtaking news. For your company to rise above the noisy chatter of the competition, you must develop a unique brand proposition that pinpoints the needs of your target and shouts from the rooftops how you can satisfy them.A strong brand proposition is clear, concise and states the tangible business results achieved from using your product or service – be it increased revenue, decreased cost or improved customer retention. You also can couple this statement with a succinct success story. The key is being specific.
A bit of research also can be a big help in strengthening your brand proposition. Start by reviewing your company’s current marketing materials. What are you saying to grab consumers’ attention? Next, take a look at what your competitors are saying through their brand propositions and marketing materials. Your brand proposition needs to tell consumers what sets you apart from the rest. Finally, talk with consumers. Listen – really listen – to their thoughts and opinions regarding your company, what they think of your competition and why they would choose one over the other. Their answers may surprise you.
By developing a unique brand proposition, you will differentiate your company from your competitors, increase the quantity and quality of prospective leads, and gain market share.
Not sure if your brand proposition is being heard over the crowd? Give us a call and we’ll share some tips to help you turn up the volume.
The Choice Is Theirs
Today’s consumers are a picky lot, and with the buffet of products and services available in the marketplace, they can afford to be. Understanding why consumers choose your company over the competition – or vice versa – calls for a refresher in the consumer purchase decision process.Think back to Marketing 101, where you were introduced to the five stages in the consumer purchase decision process. Each stage may occur in varying degrees – or not at all – depending on the complexity of the purchase decision.
Stage 1: Recognizing a need. As a company on the leading edge, you can help identify consumer needs by conducting surveys, focus groups and interviews. By using today’s technology, taking the pulse of the marketplace is relatively easy and allows you to stay in touch with your potential customers – and a step ahead of your competition.
Stage 2: Searching for information. Most potential customers evaluate products and services before making a purchase, and with the advent of the Internet, comparison shopping became a whole lot easier. Today’s consumers are better informed than ever. Providing marketing and educational materials via the Internet, as well as through a call center, can help sway choices in your favor. Promoting yourself and your company as an information resource via articles and other public relations activities also will position you in a positive light.
Stage 3: Weighing the options. Once consumers are armed with information about your product or service, they will weight the available options, including features, pricing and company credibility.
Stage 4: Deciding to purchase. At this stage consumers are ready to purchase the best product or service for themselves. You can help with their purchase decision by telling – not selling – them what you recommend about your product or service and why. Your promotional materials should provide clear information about the advantages and benefits of your products and services – especially in comparison to your competition. And be certain that when your customer is ready to buy, they can do so 24/7 via email, your website or a call center. In today’s 24/7 marketplace, you don’t want to risk a sale by limiting the times consumers can buy.
Stage 5: Post-buying behavior. What occurs after the purchase is an important – and often overlooked – piece of the decision process. Consumers turn to family, friends, the media and other sources to reinforce that they made the right decision. Offering warranties or making follow-up phone calls will ensure consumers are happy and demonstrate confidence in your product or service. Understanding the various stages in the decision-making process, before, during and after a purchase, and using that information to outsmart the competition, is essential to the success of any company.
Class dismissed.
Contact us at 262 523 3740 or visit seroka.com
Marketing Insider written by Scott S. Seroka, Vice President
People won’t pay a premium for a brand that doesn’t offer any particular value. In the absence of relevance, people fall back on price.
Quote
You can’t sell sameness. You can only sell differences.
Seroka Corner
About Seroka: We are an advertising, marketing and public relations company that specializes in the B to B, mortgage, financial, healthcare and technology industries and is focused on quantifiable success. With a results-oriented approach to your advertising, marketing and public relations and a dedication to your growth in sales and market share, we have the ability to take your company from 0 to 60 at a pace that rivals the best. We work for companies that expect creative ideas and tangible results. We are headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., with an office in Los Angeles, Calif.
What Seroka can do for you: We’ll grow your company. We’ll work to make your brand among the most recognized in your industry. We’ll help you navigate through the research maze, teaching you why gut feelings and hunches are costing you money. We’ll show you how finely tuned, rigorous and relentless testing and cleansing allows us to launch an effective direct mail campaign targeting customers with the greatest statistical probability of responding. We’ll help you navigate the web, making sure your potential customers find you and see an effective message when they get to your website. We’ll give your brand more charisma, drawing emotional connections to your customers. We’ll have your competition reading about you in the trades instead of the other way around.
Call. Write. E-mail. Fax. It’s the only way you’ll find out what Seroka can do for you.