Traditional sales and marketing is suicide in today’s business environment!
Why? Because traditional media isn’t just LESS effective it actually pushes more customers AWAY than it attracts. In fact traditional methods tend to alienate target customers more than ever before.
Don’t Take My Word for It
Check out what a recent McKinsey & Company study revealed about traditional TV advertising:
“TV advertising expenditures will be only one-third as effective in 2010 as they were in 1990.”
Briggs and Stuart, in their new book, “What Sticks: Why Most Advertising Fails” asserts that 37 percent of all advertising is wasted.
These are amazing statistics. They reveal how the world of marketing has gone through a radical evolution and most are still UNAWARE of this. They are STILL pouring millions of dollars into ineffective forms of marketing in which they have no chance of succeeding.
What does it mean to you?
Imagine spending thousands or even millions of dollars on radio, TV, outdoor or print advertising, only to discover that you hadn’t gained even ONE additional customer from that expense let alone reap a return from your investment. That’s enough to ruin your day or your career!
This is precisely what is happening today. Every form of traditional media is in crisis. Radio stations, TV networks, newspapers and magazines are suffering from a double digit drop in business. They are lamenting the glory days of advertising when marketers waited on line, cash in hand for a “premium ad position” in order to tout their message. It was a volume game. The more you advertised, the more you sold. NO longer!
More Choice, Less Time
Today customers have more choices than ever before and they have far less time to MAKE these choices! What’s worse is that customers basically IGNORE most traditional advertising. It is all but invisible. Instead they listen to their friends, associates, the grapevine and the more “alternative” forms of media.
This is why viral marketing is so powerful today. The most successful marketers are adept at creating a buzz. They align themselves with influencers or “sneezers” as some people refer to them. Then they “inoculate” the sneezers with their message or buzz and watch the word spread. The trick is to create a buzz that is pure and honest not salesy or promiscuous. Then to get that buzz to spread in a smooth and persistent way so it is amplified and creates what Malcolm Gladwell calls the Tipping Point. This is the point where every person in your target audience simply MUST have your product or service – like the iPod or UGG Boots.
Sneeze on Me!
Just as there was a formula for the successful direct marketing of the past, there is also a formula for creating a “buzz virus.”
I have created a 10 minute audio file on this topic and I’d be happy to forward a link to you if you are interested. It takes you step-by-step through creating a buzz virus, discusses the pitfalls and I give some examples of companies that have done so in a powerful way. If this interests you just send me an email that reads…
“NO MORE SUICIDE”
Have a great week!