I've Been Spending - the last several weeks either online, on the phone or on site at Group centers reviewing marketing plans for 2010. (If you want to set up a time to go over your plans by phone, email me and we'll schedule a slot.) And just like the millions of at-home judges for Sunday night's Oscars, everyone's a critic with a strong presumption of being right. Listening to the multitude of different opinions, assumptions, beliefs and theories has left me marveling how so many people can have so many differing views on the same topic.
o-pin-ion n. a mental estimate, belief or conviction, based on what seems probable or true but not a demonstrable fact
prin-ci-ple n. an essential truth upon which other truths are based
Because of all the conflicting conversations, I've been going back to check my sources... people with international acclaim that have one thing in common... they all seem to agree on the best marketing principles. Funny thing is, most garden centers and people helping garden centers with their marketing have totally different views.
I find that peculiar ... and extremely risky.
So I grabbed one of the pivotal books on marketing that had helped me formulate what I believed to be strong principles regarding local advertising processes. It's an easy read with a wealth of knowledge when it comes to actions retailers should take if they're going to stand a chance of making their marketing program effective.
Here's a passage regarding an area that seems to be one of the more troubling for garden centers and people advising or selling them advertising, to accept...
"There is a word that describes people who have succumbed to the popular, alluring, seductive notion that the more people you reach with your advertising, the better chance you have of growing your business. The word is "scammed". Successful advertising is not a function of reaching large numbers of people. It is a function of convincing the relatively few prospects you can afford to reach to do business with you instead of someone else."
I first read this passage more than 10 years ago. During a conference call on marketing last week with one of the Wizard Camp partners I was advised that garden centers should be following the same principle today.
Based on most of the recent conversations I've been having, I'm pretty sure this is one area where different opinions will prevail.
The other common thread between a decade old book and a week old conversation has to deal with commitment...
"Most businesses stop advertising when sales get slow, then when sales pick up they start again. While financially convenient, it can be devastating to a plan for strong, steady growth."
But hey... everybody is entitled to their opinion, right?
It seems especially so when it comes to marketing.
