Which Advertising is Best

Which Advertising is Best

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Discussion

stc_bennett

Original Poster:

5,252 posts

268 months

Wednesday 23rd April 2003
quotequote all
Just a quick question to teh business owners on here.

Which form of advertising has benifited your company:
Big Advert in paper
Advert in Yellow Pages/Thompson/Business Directory
Direct Mailing
Word of mouth
Confrences.

I have been offered 33% discount in the local yellow pages for a full page add. was considering the options as it seems to tie up well with the possible venture to increase business revenue. I have never really had the problem before as the sector that i operate in is not a consumer market. but as the staff i have have discused opening the doors to local and nationAL business and use our knowledge and skill to increase our profits and business size.

Current Sector working in is the spacecraft consultancy, business area we are moving into in graphic design. This may seem odd it did to me at first. But i have a full time graphic designer working for me that is providing me with 1st rate presentation/report/business identity material. You would be suprised how many exerbition and trade confrences that we attend need presentaion material and a good impression is a first. It has secured us several contracts on our image alone.

The graphic design team have proposed to open up the doors to us there skill in the local area. So which form of advertising would be best???

Steve

Hates_

778 posts

254 months

Wednesday 23rd April 2003
quotequote all

Which form of advertising has benifited your company:
Big Advert in paper
Advert in Yellow Pages/Thompson/Business Directory
Direct Mailing
Word of mouth
Confrences.
All have their pros and cons. The only one I would shy away from is adverts in papers/magazine if you are just starting off.

The best way is always word of mouth, conferences and networking. If you can build yourself an excellent reputation and great client base then your chances of securing future work will always be easier. If you can milk clients and get good referals there is no reason why you can't start getting your work mentioned in trade journals etc. PR is where the power lies. It gives you "instant" credibility if you are written about. As you have demonstrated that you have made someone very happy already. Listings and adverts always leave the burning problem is that clients don't know what they will get.

Direct mailing can be dangerious as you risk sinking money down the drain . General rule is to only expect 1-2% return rate, anything around 5% is considered a good mail campaign.

Directory listings have their own pit falls. You'll be listed with hundreds of other design agencies and if you are half way down the list or near the end you probably risk never being picked.

From what I've seen in the graphic design industry a lot of it is about who you know. Plus it depends on what type of design service you are offering. Are you offering a one-stop-shop solution, clients tell you what they want and you ship it out or are you more involved and take extra care in delivering whats right for the client etc etc...

>> Edited by Hates_ on Wednesday 23 April 15:36

stc_bennett

Original Poster:

5,252 posts

268 months

Wednesday 23rd April 2003
quotequote all
What we prise on ourself on th e moment is customer service and consultations.

We do not carry out any more work than is required, but we do refer work back for authorisation before items are finalised.

This may not be the quickest or most cost effective but it keeps the client envolved and part of the process from day one of the concept.

Steve

PS if anyone requires any work may be able to offer discounted rates for Pistonheaders

bif

149 posts

263 months

Thursday 24th April 2003
quotequote all
Thomsons & Yellow pages work for us, but from just the appearance in a Corporate Advert from our trade association. Other full or part pages in the past HAVE NOT PAID for themselves.

Direct Mail or leaflets @ 1 to 2% on a good day !

Exhibitions have generally been a waste of money, by far the best is referred enquiries which present approx. 95% conversion.
Barry

Marcos maniac

3,148 posts

262 months

Thursday 24th April 2003
quotequote all
Yellow Pages works for me.

Dont go for the full page half or 3/4 looks better and actually stands out more.

domster

8,431 posts

271 months

Thursday 24th April 2003
quotequote all
As bif says 1-2% is a good response rate for Direct Mail.

0.5-1% is more normal.

Surprisingly, it can often pay for itself even at these rates, so always look at a 'cost per response'.

I have seen very high response rates and very low ones in my time. The trick is making sure your mailing list is as accurate and well targeted as possible, that the mailing pack stands out and engages creatively and that you have worked out the likely cost per response and it is viable.


(Background info: I work at the third largest Direct Mail Advertising Agency in the UK; we do the Saab stuff, HSBC, Stella Artois etc.)

Marcos maniac

3,148 posts

262 months

Thursday 24th April 2003
quotequote all

domster said:


(Background info: I work at the third largest Direct Mail Advertising Agency in the UK; we do the Saab stuff, HSBC, Stella Artois etc.)


You do!

can you take me off their bloody mailing lists!

domster

8,431 posts

271 months

Thursday 24th April 2003
quotequote all
LOL, you shouldn't have got yourself on them by entering all those competitions and not ticking boxes

You think firms give away Mini Coopers and beach towels for free? Nah, they want information :soundsliketheprisoner: And by hook or by crook they get it

I don't deal with the list side of things - list companies are a different thing to advertising agencies - but you can take your name off mailing lists by going to the Mailing Preference Service at:

www.tpsonline.org.uk/mpsR/html/Register.asp

When I moved house I registered so that the new residents didn't get my junk mail for years.

Marcos maniac

3,148 posts

262 months

Friday 25th April 2003
quotequote all

domster said: LOL, you shouldn't have got yourself on them by entering all those competitions and not ticking boxes

You think firms give away Mini Coopers and beach towels for free? Nah, they want information :soundsliketheprisoner: And by hook or by crook they get it

I don't deal with the list side of things - list companies are a different thing to advertising agencies - but you can take your name off mailing lists by going to the Mailing Preference Service at:

www.tpsonline.org.uk/mpsR/html/Register.asp

When I moved house I registered so that the new residents didn't get my junk mail for years.



cheers

Done!

saves me writing return to sender and putting it back in the post box

goodlife

1,852 posts

260 months

Friday 25th April 2003
quotequote all
My company sells software that tracks marketing effectiveness by channel of communication.

Although I DETEST email soliciting, in terms of bang for buck expect typically 3 times more respondents and a 1/20th of the cost compared to direct mailing.

Best way by far is to ensure you chose the format that your target market is most likely to be exposed to...
:suckseggs:

Hates_

778 posts

254 months

Friday 25th April 2003
quotequote all

goodlife said: My company sells software that tracks marketing effectiveness by channel of communication.
Can I get a link to your companies web site please? Do they sell their own software? Or do they also sell third party software?

domster

8,431 posts

271 months

Friday 25th April 2003
quotequote all
This one?

www.spam.com/

Sorry, couldn't resist?

To be sure though goodlife, you are talking about legitimate email marketing aren't you (we do some of that for Saab)? Not nasty junk emails

goodlife

1,852 posts

260 months

Friday 25th April 2003
quotequote all
Absolutely legit. Not spam.

We manufacture and sell our own software, but it's mainly used by major corporates like GM, IBM, npower, Ericsson, etc. If you have about £1m to get out of the starting blocks then take a peek here

These companies do find email one of the most cost effective and highest return channels. Hard part is getting decent demographic data with email-address to allow good segmentation & targeting.

Hates_

778 posts

254 months

Friday 25th April 2003
quotequote all

goodlife said:We manufacture and sell our own software, but it's mainly used by major corporates like GM, IBM, npower, Ericsson, etc.
Ahh you work for Siebel! :P

goodlife

1,852 posts

260 months

Friday 25th April 2003
quotequote all

Hates_ said:

goodlife said:We manufacture and sell our own software, but it's mainly used by major corporates like GM, IBM, npower, Ericsson, etc.
Ahh you work for Siebel! :P




Indeed.