Use newspapers, cable to reach 55-plus crowd

Here's a dirty little secret: While there are exceptions, most broadcast stations don't program for the age 55-and-older crowd. The 25-54-years-old demographic is the most lucrative consumer spending group. Thus, it's understandable that most radio and broadcast TV stations program to that audience so as to be attractive to advertisers seeking that demographic.

It's nothing personal. It's just that statistics point to people doing most of their spending in the years before 55. So advertisers want the 25-54 segment as customers, and media wants those advertisers as clients. That's why one of the only places you can hear a Frank Sinatra song is on your iPod or subscription-based satellite receiver.

By the way, I'm 34 and love Frank!

What about the 55-plus crowd? Let's face it, 70 is the new 60. We're living longer and are more active than ever. Plus, talk about being savvy. If you are older than 55, you're part of one of the fastest-growing demographics plugging into online and social media like Facebook.

Where do casinos, health-care organizations and political campaigns — examples of advertisers whose models depend a lot on the 55-plus demographic — advertise if most broadcast outlets are programming toward younger demographics?

Newspapers' broad audience

Newspapers are the most widely used vehicles to market to adults over 55. That's where you'll find hospitals, senior communities, estate lawyers, banks and specialty medical practices spending much of their advertising budgets. While newspapers are dealing with the challenges brought on by technology, there still remains no better place to reach large and broad demographics, including persons 55 and older. Oftentimes, it's a daily newspaper in a market that trumps the other media with the biggest single audience for advertisers.

While broadcast has its limits, there is no shortage of varied programming on cable television, enabling advertisers to supertarget audiences by age and many social-economic aspects. Many of the stations are big wins in marketing to the 55 and older crowd. If you make a media buy on CNN, Fox News and the History Channel, just to name a few, you'll get some nice penetration with mature audiences. Cable television offers the biggest menu in demographic targeting opportunities, particularly when going after the 55-plus group.

As a former broadcaster, radio is one of my favorite mediums. Regardless that most stations program for audiences younger than 55, many radio outlets still do very well with the more mature demographics. The genres of rock, classic hits and adult contemporary often perform very well. If you are interested in marketing to the 55-plus crowd with radio advertising, ask a radio station sales representative for ratings of persons 35-64, to get a barometer of performance.

The 55-and-older audience matters, and for advertisers who don't pay a lot of attention to them, they should. While online advertising to them is viable, radio can work, but the best money spent, depending on your product and goals, is likely in print and television.

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.

Incentives can assist in motivating your staff

In tough times, many companies make the mistake of curling up into the fetal position rather than marketing hard to survive and position for future growth. As advised on a weekly basis in this column, the companies that keep their commitment to marketing will come out on top when this economy turns around. But during a financial crisis, you have to make your entire marketing budget count. While every marketing dollar should be measured for effectiveness in good and bad times, one of your best use of resources, and one that will bring you a positive return on investment, is giving employees incentives.

Continue to look for growth

A lot of small-business owners put off looking for new business. It's not that they don't want to grow, but it's easy for managers to get distracted simply running the day-to-day responsibilities.
On the other hand, many companies have staff directly responsible for sales and business development. These companies are constantly thinking about development of new business. A dedicated person for increasing business opportunities is a smart strategy. Furthermore, paying some or all of the business development team's salary by commission joins the success or failure of the effort between the sales staff and management.

In addition to committing to having a person or team focused on business development, providing incentives to other employees, with non-sales responsibilities, can pay big dividends.

Don't forget your non-sales staff

For example, if an administrative assistant or member of the company customer service staff recommended your company to a new client, is that worth something? Of course it is. Why not encourage that type of business development? If the employee doesn't bring in a new client, it costs the company nothing. But if he or she does attract someone new for your company, you make money. Share the wealth with your nontraditional sales force with cash or other perks. It will likely happen again by that employee. Plus, others in the company will be motivated by the incentive program. Now that's return on investment for your company's bottom line and employee satisfaction.

Rewarding employees for new business they bring in builds morale or product quality. An extra incentive paid to employees is always a motivator. What's more, if employees refer your company or product to a friend or associate, they will want your company to deliver. It's now their reputation, too. If the employee's name is on the referral, the employee will make sure your company provides outstanding quality.

A company that makes the commitment to provide incentive to its employees for referrals grows cash flow, gains happier staff and assures quality and success.

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.

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.

Palin's media blunders reveal what not to do

Last September, Republican loyalists, and a lot of folks in the middle, were excited. Sarah Palin had just rocked the Republican Convention.

She may have been a surprise pick, but she instantly gave McCain a spring in his step.
But that's before going off script. Palin was solid with a teleprompter when she was rolled out as McCain's running mate. However, she fell apart in the clutch.

I remember wanting to crawl under the couch watching the Couric interview on CBS. Palin fumbled lots of times; including rambling, complete confusion on the auto industry bailout and likening her state's proximity to Russia as foreign policy experience.

I felt bad for her. Palin was in over her head, or, at least, not yet ready for the job.

Inevitably, Sarah Palin will be back. She's got lots of fans, those who believe in her and those who find her goofs and mannerisms entertaining.

Look for Palin definitely as a GOP fundraiser, national leader on conservative issues, and even a presidential candidate.

Stay friendly with the media

In order to have any chance of future success on a national platform, Palin will need to change her adversarial relationship with the media. A political candidate, or any business or organization in the public eye, that conducts constant war with the news media only loses.

In Palin's case, you can't fumble time after time in interviews and be taken seriously by the American people. In particular, Palin can't blame the media for her self-inflicted image and credibility woes, as she just did last week in her final speech as governor of Alaska.

Here's something all political candidates should know that Palin doesn't get: you need the media. They will write the story with or without your help. Throwing your arms up and hiding behind Facebook announcements limits your reach and allows others to define you without your input.
In the end, you get more flies with honey. Rather than Palin continuing to insult the media, she needs to stop spinning her goofs and demonstrate she now has a handle on foreign policy and economic issues if she wants credibility.

If she is better prepared, I think a lot of voters will be drawn to her. But to be effective, Palin must re-engage with the news media in a more competent way. The last way to do that is to insult the microphone (the media). Palin will need the media and their interviews. Just hope she isn't asked if Africa is a country or continent.

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.

TV and radio ads create memorable connections

Many marketing experts agree that the electronic mediums of radio and television are the best outlets to use when establishing memorable brands.

While a mix of advertising mediums, including print and Web, are essential when establishing your brand and awareness in the marketplace, brands that invest in television and radio stack the deck in becoming memorable.

Without looking too far down the page, see if you can connect the slogan with the brand:

It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

Be all that you can be.

Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.

Good to the last drop.

The brands, connected to the above slogans, are as follows: Timex, United States Army, M&Ms and Maxwell House coffee. How do you recall first seeing or hearing these slogans? Most likely, you remember them from radio or TV advertisements.

Electronic not for everyone

Let's face it, radio and TV ads aren't for a lot of businesses. This is especially true for companies that sell business-to-business products or serve limited geographic areas. For many of those businesses, nothing beats the targeted circulation zones of newspapers or the captive audiences of trade magazines.

By way of example, a company selling restaurant equipment would best leverage its budget with direct mail to food venues, and an accounting firm would likely find its best dollar spent advertising in newspaper business sections or trade publications. While these broad generalizations of strategies have many exceptions, electronic media doesn't make sense for everyone.

But for many companies and products, electronic advertising that reaches the right groups can be an outstanding vehicle.

There is no denying the power of radio and TV and the compelling connections they can create with audiences.

Do you remember hearing a radio commercial that pulled on your heartstrings and brought a tear to your eye, but then you realized you were crying over a commercial for insurance?
How often have you felt patriotic while watching a TV ad for a politician where a narrator talks about the candidate while showing images like people in front of pickup trucks in a cornfield, a business owner standing proud in front of a Main Street shop and a fireman with a Dalmatian, washing a fire truck?

Don't feel gullible if ads like these ignited an emotion for you. Electronic media has the ability to touch your senses in the right places. Well-crafted radio and TV advertisements are designed to create an emotional connection between you and a product.

Evaluate if your business is a good candidate for radio or TV. Ask yourself: is it an efficient use of financial resources to cover your bases, or will it market to too broad of an audience for the narrow consumer group you are looking to attract?

If advertising on radio or TV can reach your targeted audiences, their power of creating emotional connections and memorable brands will serve you well.

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com, or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.

Targeted networking will help you get ahead

There is no denying it: It's who you know.

Yes, it's true: Having connections can give you a leg up in this world. As it applies to professional opportunities, knowing the right network of people who can refer your product or service can open doors for you.

Many professionals and businesses have made their success by word-of-mouth endorsements. Some businesses will testify that they have made their fortune mostly by leads generated by referrals.

Just as your advertisements must deliver on your promises to be credible, your reputation should do the same. So the obvious first step in getting referrals is to be worthy. Before you can expect to generate business from any network or relationship, make sure the quality of your product or service is something people will gladly refer.

Did you ever make a business referral and then your recommendation did not come through for your friend? Bet it made you look bad, or at least you regretted making the suggestion. It has happened to everyone, so most people are careful before sticking their necks out to make a referral. The lesson for the business professional: While you always should go the extra mile when someone refers you, go even further when someone else's reputation is on the line.

If your product or service does indeed deliver with quality, don't just network with anybody; invest your valuable time with groups that will potentially help you generate business leads. If "it's who you know," stack the deck in your favor by getting to know the right people.

You should invest significant resources marketing yourself to this targeted network. Send these contacts e-mail updates or mailed newsletters about your latest news and products. Catch up with them at mixers and events and support their causes. As a rule, focused messaging to the right 300 sources for referrals is far better than marketing to the wrong 3,000 people.

Chances are that the people you seek close ties with would likely benefit from your referrals as well. So it's a two-way street. Refer people in business who will make you look good and deliver for your friends. What's more, if your product is strong, hopefully they will do the same for you.

There's nothing more admirable than knocking on the front door and earning your opportunities, but what's wrong with a little help from your friends?

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.

To be a leading brand, you must always deliver

Your customers and the customers you hope to get have choices. What's more, the marketplace is crowded with lots of advertising noise, making it a challenge to get noticed through the clutter.
How do you stand out? A powerful brand is a core necessity.

Your brand goes well beyond your logo and slogan.

Does the brand Harley-Davidson carry a loyal following? Ask anyone who owns a Harley if they would ever own a similarly-styled Yamaha motorcycle.

Does BMW live up to being the ultimate driving machine? Take an M6 on a test drive and you'll agree.

All brands make promises in the media, corporate brochures and advertising, but successful brands deliver on their promises with service and product quality.

In order to become a leading brand, a product must be credible. That means delivering each and every time on your promise.

To illustrate, imagine if your favorite lunch venue that promotes itself as having the "thickest and tastiest heroes" started making your sandwiches thinner. Bad move. Even if the joint is trying to reduce expenses because of the economy, it's not worth it. Never ever stop delivering on your promise.

It is just as bad if the sandwich shop had varied hero thicknesses based on which employee made it. Keep your product quality consistent.

Creating and maintaining a successful brand also means providing a superior product. If the sandwich shop was not making heroes with quality meats, that will never allow the shop's claim of the "tastiest heroes" to be credible with customers.

I recently purchased a few televisions for my new office. I already made up my mind to buy Sony-brand flat-screens. But one of my friends took me to the local electronics store and helped me compare the Sony product with brand B. I couldn't tell if there was a picture quality difference and the specs on paper were very close. The Sonys, however, were hundreds of dollars more.

I ended up buying the Sony televisions anyway. The years of Sony advertising and articles touting the company's cutting edge quality made the brand strong enough for me to pay more for it. I'm not alone out there. In fact, Sony positions itself as a superior electronics maker and consistently delivers — giving the company one of the most successful brands in the world.
If you have your brand promise and execution aligned, get the word out to key audiences and continue to keep delivering on what you say.

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.