The Campaign Approach

Shotgun marketing may have worked in the days when the Wild West was still full of stagecoaches and sagebrush and cowboys ran advertising agencies. In today's "wild" market, using fewer bullets strategically aimed over a longer period will yield more hits and increased effectiveness and, ultimately, growth for your business. Businesses don't just need advertising or marketing or public relations. They need a campaign; a total marketing approach that creates momentum and is sustainable over the long haul.

A quick-fix approach, such as launching a single direct mail effort or placing a few print ads in a magazine, can create a short-term flurry of activity, but it is then quickly forgotten. Those dollars invested may drive in a few customers immediately but, unfortunately, there will be no lasting impact created. Simply no longevity. No vision toward the future.

If I mention the phrases "We try harder" or "Double your pleasure" or "Just do it," what would you think of? Companies invest a lot of effort into understanding their niche, determining where the competition doesn't adequately fill consumer demand or areas where a new product or promotion could capture a lucrative part of the market. They launch a campaign to solidify their positioning in the top of the minds of their target audience. Of course, Avis positioned itself as the underdog in the car rental industry and as such was perceived as working harder and delivering more service. Their ads are distinctive and memorable. (But their competitor rose to the challenge and made a sensational impact with "In rent-a-cars, there's Hertz and not exactly.") They achieved that "top of mind" impact in a very clever and straightforward way.

Decades ago, Doublemint Gum promised to deliver a pleasurable experience, double what anyone else could offer; and they're still doing it--and using the same approach--today. And in the bold '90s, Nike gives us permission to "just do it." The campaign is not just a phrase, it is a carefully honed positioning statement that carries the company and its image or products for years. In so doing, its advertising builds on itself and delivers more, over time, for less.

In most cases, campaigns are built on positioning statements (based on serious research) that are then completely integrated in an advertising, marketing, promotion, public relations and all other forms of marketing communications over a three- to five-year period. A new business may capture market share simply by aiming their campaign strategy on areas neglected by the competition. Some of the advantages to consider incorporating in a strategy may be a better or more convenient distribution, better or more qualified experts, a specialized product, a better value for the dollar, a more dependable product or service, or a greatly improved product or service.

A campaign needs to be a tightly woven plan that involves staff participation in its implementation and follow-through as well. For instance, consider a direct mail program aimed at generating inquiries. When a highly qualified lead arrives at the company as a result of this program, what happens? Often a follow-up consists of sending a brochure and a letter or maybe a salesperson makes one phone call. If the sale is not immediately completed, the salesperson hangs up and never calls again. The result appears to be a failed campaign.

But a single letter or a phone call is not a campaign. It's important to contact the well-qualified buyer a second or third time with harder-hitting additional marketing materials or through other media approaches that also target that same potential client.

It is also imperative to stay focused. In Jack Trout's book The New Positioning, he points out how "minds can lose focus," and messages end up tragically diluted. When Anheuser-Busch came out with the campaign "This Bud's for you!" the customer knew precisely what was being sold. But in the past decade, Budweiser introduced 15 new products--and so did the competition--and suddenly the market was flooded with regulars, lights, drafts, clears, cold-brewed, dry-brewed, and ice-brewed beers. Now "This Bud's for you" elicits the question, "Which one did you have in mind?" As a result, the positive impact of the campaign becomes eroded and far less effective.

To check the effectiveness of any campaign--besides reviewing the bottom line--evaluating performance periodically can be done through surveys, customer comment cards or simply by asking. Are customer's needs being satisfied? A follow-up we developed at Sealfon & Associates for Ray the Mover, a moving and storage company in Naples that puts a great deal of emphasis on service, delivers a "rating" postcard with a thank you letter to each customer after any service is provided. The card solicits a brief evaluation of the service and offers a promise to send a "free" gift in return. The result is a multiple reinforcement of contact with the customer in a positive service-oriented light and the bonus is excellent feedback direct from customers to management.