Wintertime's right time for plugging allergy relief

All week long I haven't been able to get the 1950's song "Lollipop" out of my head thanks to it being featured in Dell's latest TV campaign promoting the colorful options of the company's Inspiron laptops.

Dell's TV spot has been on the air since late June for good reason. September's back-to-school time signals heavy sales volume for laptop computers.

So why kick off a campaign early, right after school gets out, rather than start the ads a week or two before Labor Day when back to school sales are likely to be highest?

It takes time for advertising messages to sink in and make an impact.

Start early to drive sales

For most of us, we need to be hit over the head by an advertisement multiple times for the product or service to become top of mind. While most businesses should have a sustained branding presence, companies selling products that are seasonal or have naturally heavier sales periods should start advertising early to build demand and drive sales during the buying season.

The advertising campaigns by drug companies of seasonal allergy relief products are shining examples of getting out in front of your natural sales periods. Every winter, I find myself watching a movie in my living room, in January with snow outside, viewing a TV ad for products like Claritin and Zyrtec. It always catches me off guard. I'm not even thinking of the hay fever that's going to hit me in April. But mid-winter is the time for drug companies to start influencing potential consumers and to make a case for switching to their allergy relief product.

Start the discussion early with consumers. If you want their business, they need to hear about you lots of times from multiple touch points to achieve a critical mass of brand awareness.
If you have a landscaping or paving business, running aggressive advertising campaigns in January and February will make it a good chance that you'll have heavier call volume in March.

Other examples include oil and propane companies starting communications with new and existing customers in the late summer. Snow plow dealers should kick off advertising campaigns in September or October.

Advertising takes time to work. It also is an investment that means commitment and needs strategic planning. Don't start talking to your customers at the bell; make sure they know your name well in advance.