Advertising's Arch Nemesis: the company's bean counters; accountants, bookkeepers, CFO's or any other rigidly fixed and logical… 'at any cost' type people can destroy a business. These kinds of people often hold strange beliefs about advertising, marketing and business and regardless of their intent are frequently
very dangerous advertising decision makers. Due mostly to their out of touch view of reality they neurotically and blindly,
at any cost need numbers rigidly fixed and logical… discounting and ignoring the bigger picture altogether.
On the dark side many a company and many an advertising campaign have fallen prey to this arch nemesis. On the lighter side however… many brave souls have also successfully defeated it
and its rigidness - in return for their bravery they have been handsomely rewarded.
Of course we don't throw caution to the wind, but…
'Success does favor the bold'
Designed to instill fear into any mere mortal that would dare question it's rigidly fixed and logical authority, the Arch Nemesis with its ominous suit of power – navy blue tweed jacket, jet black slacks, shined leather shoes, a white pocket protector and wire rimmed glasses – casts spells and commands any man or woman into obeying its iron fisted laws of… rigidly fixed and logical accounting, despite the consequences or the price paid. This dark nemesis of advertising has been the cause of many lost fortunes and lost windfall profits due to its inflexible nature and stubborn stance.
Ironically the greatest tragedy this Arch Nemesis of Advertising is responsible for is the lost opportunities and truck loads of cash that get left sitting on the table for competitors to snatch up… when you look at, or set up advertising as an unwavering fixed cost you abjectly discount testing new ads, new headlines and new systems - even though there is substantial proof that one small change can increase an ads response multiple times. Forgetting that advertising must pay for itself, those under the arch nemesis' spell
create or have created advertising that follows every rule that bad, unresponsive advertising follows -
ego dripping, corporate dribble spouting clever messages that no one understands or cares to understand…
The 'Got Milk?'
campaign is a prime example of Advertising's Arch Nemesis' unwavering fixed cost at any price law in action… Despite the fact that the 'Got Milk?' campaign is several years old milk sales have not increased, on the contrary they have decreased - what does 'Got Milk?' even mean to a consumer who is constantly scanning the horizon for self-indulgent data? It certainly doesn’t compel anyone to buy more milk – the ad may be clever, neat, cool, win awards, be talked about and even get a high profile but if it doesn't compel any form of action, it's simply corporate rhetoric and valueless jibber jabber.
In all fairness to Advertisings' Arch Nemesis however, most of us must admit that at one time or another we too yielded its dark cloak. Regardless of the position we held - be it a proverbial chief bean counter, the chief bean counter himself or even a servant to one - we too have being seduced by its
rigidly fixed and logical need for fixed costs and the ironically false security it pretends to provide…
The crux however, just like with any good investment is that it takes a little courage to step out of the comfort and security zone it provides in order to actually achieve what one desires. Continuing to accept mediocrity just breeds continued mediocrity and prevents one from creating the space, the mindset and the paradigm shift needed to fully realize those goals.
But, before your
'inner been counter' gets itself all in a tizzy… keep in mind that you don't have to disturb your entire system in one fell swoop (unless you want to). Instead you can slowly switch it little by little… maintaining a fixed advertising budget then using another percent to invest in tested, measured and optimized ads.
Be warned however: When you experience the greater returns your new advertising investments' deliver for yourself you'll be wondering why you didn't think of this testing, measuring and optimizing stuff yourself… and why you waited so long to implement it.
Many before you have feared Advertisings' Arch Nemesis but stared it down nonetheless, and came out unscathed with more wisdom, a clearer understanding of good advertising and much wealthier than before their encounter with this ominous villain… Never fear this enemy, and never back down from it either, for when
advertising is done smartly, it's an investment and not a fixed cost, like advertisers arch nemesis would try and have you believe…
It's only when non-responsive advertising is used… image and ego based, corporate blubbering and so on… that advertising has a fixed cost… or more correctly put… a fixed waste of money.
Advertising as I've stated is selling… it's as if you're best salesperson with their best sales presentation has been cloned then mailed, shipped, shown on TV, presented on the radio, displayed on the internet and so on and so forth. Like a good sales-person advertising too must pay its way, it must produce sales or leads and for every dollar spent, 'X' amount must be returned just as a good investment would do…
Thinking of advertising as an investment and a cloned and duplicated salesperson presenting their best sales pitch radically changes the way you put advertising together… wasteful speeches and arrogant corporate babble quickly drop away… you simply wouldn't say 'Got Milk' kind of nonsense to a prospect standing before you… so why would you in an advertisement. When you continually test, measure and optimize your sales presentation (your advertising), the return on your investment, exponentially increases as the ads impact increases just like a great compound-interest investment does…
Trading dimes for dollars is what
smart investors do, and it's what
smart advertisers do too. When you
buy a $500 ad and it bring in $5000,
you just traded dimes for dollars...
but it can only happen when you get
the courage to stare down your
nemesis...
Facing Advertising's Arch Nemesis, as scary as it may be, can be the most profitable thing you can do for your business,
your advertising and your wallet…
…I Think My Spidey Senses are Tingling! How 'Bout Yours?
