Why Do Companies Advertise?

Why is it that some companies advertise, and others do not? I’ve always wondered this question after an advertising meeting or call goes sour, and the potential clients says, “I’m not really interested in advertising”. What is it about advertising that causes such a bi-polar response from the individuals that rave about it’s successes, and the individuals that abhor the idea of it?

Advertising is very personal. It may not seem like it, but each step along the way personalities are involved. From the concept creator, to the ad designer, placement coordinator and eventually end user, advertising decisions are being made by people. Often times the disconnect between an advertising campaign working, and failing, rests in the hands of these same people. If the concept is not great, it’s going to have an effect on the final outcome. If the design is not creative or catchy, the ad might not be impactful. Or if the targeting is wrong, the audience being reached is not going to be accurate for the business’s demos.

That is why it is important in advertising to have trust in the skill-set of each person involved in the campaign. Many business owners get burned initially when they try to dip their toes in the proverbial waters, and find out that it’s lava instead. With trust in the individual or individuals that are creating your company’s advertising, you’ll have more confidence that the campaign is going to be prepared right and will have a positive impact on your business. However most companies don’t have this level of trust in the individuals they choose to handle their advertising. They find an agency online to work with, or see a flashy ad in a magazine. Often times a company chooses to work with an agency based on the individual they trust that works at an agency, but wind up having an account executive to handle their account, rather than the individual that originally acquired their business.

At TLG Marketing we operate differently than most firms. With our agency, we hire well-rounded individuals that not only can speak about demographics and target audiences, but that also possess the technical skill-sets to build and manage the campaigns as well. That way the direct contact that you work with in the beginning, is the same individual you will work with months down the road. No account executive, no middle managers. Creative and production wrapped into one. That’s not to say that our agency’s staffers don’t collaborate to source ideas and compare strategies, that’s an active part of our research and methodology when it comes to advertising. However, with our approach, the trust level is always there between advertiser and agency.

Next, how do we ensure that our clients become the proponents of advertising, and not a naysayer? This begins and ends with quantitative metrics. Quantitative metrics is a fancy way of saying numbers, or facts. The proof is in the pudding, or better yet, the ROI, when it comes to advertising. If the cost per acquisition or lead is not justifiable for the client, or the acquisition or lead is not quality, then the client will not be running an effective advertising campaign. Rather than starting with the creative, at TLG we start by determining an effective audience based on research. That way, when our campaigns start producing these quantitative metrics, we can inform the client about facts and hard numbers associated with their campaigns, rather than qualitative input or “we feel like it’s working” feedback.

If you or your company has been burned in the past by advertising, we can end that pain. What TLG Marketing can do is provide direction for advertising campaigns based on hard numbers and tracked results to demonstrate how your money is being spent effectively, and the overall amount of new business that is being generated because of the advertising.