Integrate Across All Media A media rep has an interest in the success of an advertiser — at least success with their medium. But the advertiser’s best interest lies in an intelligent media mix, based on factors such as cost per lead.
For most home improvement companies, Internet search engine optimization and pay-per-click is the most cost effective media lead generator. It’s also the most often neglected. Why? Because there’s no glib, well-dressed rep pitching it and getting you baseball tickets.
When you rely on reps for creative direction in station-produced or publication-set advertising, they’ll do their best to give you an ad that works, but they have no interest or competence in integrating your creative message across all media. Look to the media for your creative and you risk loosing the big dividends that continuity can deliver.
Here’s what I suggest:
- Develop and stick to an annual media budget that reflects a logical media mix based on relative efficiency.
- Reserve a contingency fund to exploit special opportunities, but keep the mix close to the budgeted ratios and demand that the reps work within that matrix.
- The creative platform should be shaped by the mission and not by the medium. Creative that costs you nothing is usually worth every penny of it.
John Stevens is a partner with Peterson/Stevens, lead-generation specialists, www.petersonstevens.com.