How to climb down the Advertising Tiger!

In a world where there is too much to do and too little to earn, the ad spends have come to assume a form of notoriety and even vulgarity in some instances.

The only way around is- try touching base with basics of business. Peter Drucker once said: There are only two things a company should be doing, Innovation and Marketing. While Innovation involves R & D orientation and commitment, Marketing automatically emerges a subject worthy of top management's attention. And through this the top management may also provide direction to R & D efforts with the organization.

While at Marketing, let us see what famous Gurus Al Ries & Jack Trout have to say: Marketing is not a battle of Products. It's a battle of Perceptions. Therefore, the primary task of marketing department is to position the product in the minds of Prospective Customers. They add, Positioning is not what you do to the Product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the Prospect.

Having identified the task of Marketing- Influencing the mind of Prospective Customers, Advertising immediately props us as a clever-n-quick fix solution. This is because; the advertisers perceive that it is the easiest way to influence the minds of prospective customers. "I can sit back while the Advertising Agency, Media, Content Providers, and the Prospects participate in my show. Also the related expenditures are carefully connected to the ability to generate customers' attention, through devices like ABC, TRP, or TRM and their impact on Circulation, Multiple Readership, Viewership, Aided Recall or Unaided Recall, and so on and so forth. All this is well known to the consumers of advertising.

Advertising Men go to the extent of fishing out statistics like, "India has some 17% of world's population and we have been able to come up with ONLY 1% OF THE WORLD'S AD SPEND."

It is a scary situation, for Brands are already overloaded by the burden of Ad Spend like a 9 Tonne Capacity Truck carries a cargo far in excess of 17 Tonnes. The imminent break down does not happen is a miracle yet the threat looms large. Those stunned by Admen’s statistics may please note similar statistics exist for every sector like: Per-capita consumption of Energy, Lubricants, Internet Surfing Hours, Health-care Facility, and so on and so forth. Once we pay attention to the statistics, the issues get blurred and we loose sight of objectives, get carried away and start searching for more funds to support next round of Ad Blitz.

The trick of climbing down the Adverting Tiger is concealed in the published literature of Advertising. Here is HOW of it:-

Let us see what the pioneers of Advertising Industry faced or experienced in those formative years of Advertising and what they have said. Here I am reminded of what Mr. J. Walter Thompson encountered while traveling in a New York local Train. Here it is in words of none other than Mr. James Webb Young:

QUOTE

One winter night, going home, he found himself seated next to a shabby old man, very genial and talkative.

"What is your business?" said this old codger to Mr. Thompson.

"I am an advertising man" said Mr. Thompson.

"Why," said the old fellow, "so am I! What's your beat?"

"I am down on Park Row," said Thompson, with some dignity.

"Well now, ain't that some thing!" exclaimed the oldster. "That's where I am too, and I like it fine. But ain't it hell when the wind blows?"

UNQUOTE

Just like the above conversation, Advertising is a much misunderstood term. People tend to interpret it in ways that is most convenient for their cause. J. Walter Thompson took trouble to clearly define an Advertising Man: He who has the knowledge, skills, experience and insights to advise the advertisers how best to use advertising to accomplish their objectives. And to execute advertising required to do this.

James Webb Young takes a leap forward to define advertising.

QUOTE

A famous and fruitful definition of advertising itself used to be "Salesmanship in print." Today it needs an amendment. To "in print" would have to be added "on the air."

And Salesmanship is the art of influencing any kind of human behavior by putting the proposition forward in terms appealing to the other fellow.

UNQUOTE

Therefore, when Advertising means- Salesmanship in Newspapers, Magazines, Direct Mailers, Radio, Television, Bill Boards, and below the line activities; why not pay attention to the Salesmanship itself. This is easily done by persuading your front line Sales persons to improve their Selling Ability to match at micro level the effect a TV Commercial or a Radio Spot has on macro level. These Sales persons have the potential to do it.