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Effective Advertising Workshops Newsletter
Volume III Issue 7 
In This Issue
TV: The 800 Lb. Gorilla
Poor Economy? Brand Equity!
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July/2009
Dear Reader,
 

We were just talking the other day ... advertising and marketing could almost be a sport. When you consider the work that goes into a good campaign that positions your company in people's minds so that you create a need for your product or service, it's like practicing for the big game. Your company must prepare by determining your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your competitor's strength and weaknesses. Who's your main customer? How do I reach a lot of them? I need repetition of my message, but how often, and over what period of time? And then here is the message itself...how do I create that?
In these difficult times, branding your product or service is even more critical. During uncertain times, the consumer tends to stick to brands they know and trust. This not only applies to products, but to local retail and services. Make sure your brand yourself every day. When business is strong, you should be advertising - when business is soft, you MUST be advertising.
 

 As Joe Bonura says: UNSEEN   UNTOLD  UNSOLD.
If you do not keep your name in front of customers every month, your competition could take your business away.
 
TV: The 800 Lb. Gorilla
VIDEO CONSUMER MAPPING STUDY RELEASED
 
 
gorillaA long anticipated study for the Nielsen-funded Council for Research Excellence has now been released; and despite all the growth of alternative media, Nielsen says traditional television remains the "800 pound gorilla" in the video media arena.

The study was conducted by Ball State University and Sequent Partners with unique methodology. It was an "observational" study using handheld "smart keyboards" to collect data about all media usage; in total, over 750,000 minutes of media usage were monitored from a total of 952 observed days among survey participants.


Among the study's conclusions was more bad news for the radio industry-Nielsen says even in major metropolitan markets where commute times can be long and drive-time radio remains popular, computer use has replaced radio to be the number two media activity. Radio is now number three, with print media fourth.
 
Other key findings are that on average, consumers are exposed to 72 minutes a day of commercials and promos, which the study concludes as dispelling the notion that most viewers channel-surf through commercial breaks to avoid advertising. It also found that people who recently acquired DVRs spend less time on playback than the early adopters of the technology.
 
Contrary to some recent media coverage, Nielsen says, suggestions that Americans are rediscovering "free TV" over the internet are not accurate; computer video still tends to be quite small with an average of just two minutes a day recorded during the observed days. And despite the proliferation of computers, video-capable mobile phones and similar devices, at-home television still commands by far the greatest amount of viewing in every demographic.
 
It's always been the case that older demographics watch the most television and the new study confirms all those earlier findings. For live television, the 65+ demo watched for an average of 420.5 minutes daily, more than double the 18-34 demo (which still watched for a very significant 209.9 minutes, almost 31/2 hours daily). With only one exception, the older the demo, the more the viewing; the exception was 25-34s watching for 256 minutes daily compared to 230.4 minutes for 35-44s.
 

Poor Economy Heightens Brand Equity
When the economic winds are howling and the weather gets ugly, consumers tighten their grip on brands they are loyal to; they don't run to the label with the lowest price. Brand equity does not lose potency when money is tight. So says Harris Interactive in its latest EquiTrend study.
 
Comfort foods and staples won the highest brand equity scores in the survey-based study that gauges consumer sentiment. The study measures 1,000 brands across 39 categories on parameters like brand familiarity, quality and purchase consideration. The study also includes a new measure on the value consumers feel they receive from a brand for the money they pay, a reflection of the economy.
 
The top brands were M&M's plain chocolate candy; Hershey's Kisses; Arm&Hammer Baking Soda, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups; Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bars; Kleenex; Campbell's Soups; Google; M&M's Peanut Chocolate Candy; and Crayola Crayons.
M&M's 
The study-which surveyed 24,446 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over in March and April this year - asked respondents to rate 60 randomly selected brands, with 1,202 brands involved. Thus, each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings.
 
A brand's overall score is elaborated from scores on familiarity, quality and purchase consideration, and relevance from all respondents' responses, even from consumers who are not familiar with the brand in question.
 
At the bottom of the list, not terribly surprising, were brands tainted by the perception of moral turpitude around health and fiscal malfeasance. The firm says tobacco and financial service brands, particularly AIG, joined the ranks of these weaker brands on the bottom.
 
Top brands in various market segments are a panoply of premium, niche and mass-market brands, including Honda for automobiles, Subway for fast foods; KitchenAid for appliances; Coca-Cola for beverages; Microsoft for software; Sony for consumer electronics; Southwest for airlines; and Grey Goose for spirits.
 
Wes Brown, analyst with Iceology in Los Angeles, says the variability of brand loyalty in a down economy depends on the product category. "Logically, a large part of the populations in times like this would be willing to forgo loyalty and ultimately get the cheapest thing out there," he says. "But it will be category-specific. What's a bag of M&M's cost? If that's your one indulgence, how much will that cost you?"
 
Brown also points out that loyalty that is driven by value isn't about price. "People stick with what they know - so if my money is important, do I buy something I haven't used and am not too sure about and that might be cheaper, but perhaps not as good? Maybe I'm saving four or five or ten bucks, but rather than sticking with what I know, that works, I'm taking a chance."
 
Likewise, he says, the value of indulgence products like confection is not merely about price. "It's something you choose to reward yourself with, so are you going to buy what you like because, 'Screw it everything else in my life may suck so why get rid of the one thing I like?"
 
It was great to be in Cincinnati recently.....our attendance figures were the best we have ever had. Thanks to all for coming, I hope you can use the information you received.
The next few months will be busy, as we look forward to our seminars in Shreveport, Kansas City, Sarasota, Orlando, Lincoln, Tulsa, Norfolk, and Evansville. If you need more information about our seminars, please feel free to contact us.
 
 
Sincerely,
 

Larry Kirby
Effective Advertising Workshops
 
  
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