Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Advertise to grow

Many smaller businesses face the same dilemma: if they want to grow, they have to advertise. But, they have no experience of advertising and, with finite resources, don’t know what will work for them.

That’s where a good communications agency comes in. A good agency will help you identify what you want to achieve, how you are going to achieve it and, very importantly, at what cost. Almost always, advertising will be a part of that mix but there are many other ways of getting your message across: direct marketing, proximity marketing, online social networks. At Quality Makers we call this approach smart marketing or, more formally, strategic communications.

What smart marketing can do for you

Make your brand known: One of the greatest challenges you face is raising your profile. You can’t sell your goods or services if no-one knows you exist. But just waving the flag indiscriminately is expensive and usually doesn’t achieve much. Applying our smart marketing tools, Quality Makers identifies the market segment or demographic you wish to reach and the best, most effective and economical, way of reaching them.

Raising your brand’s profile won’t help all that much if the brand doesn’t accurately reflect your company, its products and its ethics. We specialise in developing brands which not only attract customers but involve them and generate identification. A brand isn’t just a logo or a label, it is a reflection of who you are.

Launching a new product or service is always challenging, no matter what size the market. Customers have to learn about the new offering and a good roll-out will always include a significant investment in communications. A smart strategy for the communications will help you limit costs while getting maximum coverage.

Is your product out there, but sales are lagging? Spurring purchase decisions is one of our specialities. Still more art than science – although you might be surprised by the amount of science that has been devoted to this area – getting people to buy your product is what we are all about.

Visit www.qmakers.com now, call us on +971 2 4452996, or Email info@qmakers.com

Advertise to grow

Many smaller businesses face the same dilemma: if they want to grow, they have to advertise. But, they have no experience of advertising and, with finite resources, don’t know what will work for them.

That’s where a good communications agency comes in. A good agency will help you identify what you want to achieve, how you are going to achieve it and, very importantly, at what cost. Almost always, advertising will be a part of that mix but there are many other ways of getting your message across: direct marketing, proximity marketing, online social networks. At Quality Makers we call this approach smart marketing or, more formally, strategic communications.

What smart marketing can do for you

Make your brand known: One of the greatest challenges you face is raising your profile. You can’t sell your goods or services if no-one knows you exist. But just waving the flag indiscriminately is expensive and usually doesn’t achieve much. Applying our smart marketing tools, Quality Makers identifies the market segment or demographic you wish to reach and the best, most effective and economical, way of reaching them.

Raising your brand’s profile won’t help all that much if the brand doesn’t accurately reflect your company, its products and its ethics. We specialise in developing brands which not only attract customers but involve them and generate identification. A brand isn’t just a logo or a label, it is a reflection of who you are.

Launching a new product or service is always challenging, no matter what size the market. Customers have to learn about the new offering and a good roll-out will always include a significant investment in communications. A smart strategy for the communications will help you limit costs while getting maximum coverage.

Is your product out there, but sales are lagging? Spurring purchase decisions is one of our specialities. Still more art than science – although you might be surprised by the amount of science that has been devoted to this area – getting people to buy your product is what we are all about.

Visit www.qmakers.com now, call us on +971 2 4452996, or Email info@qmakers.com

Monday, December 28, 2009

Mobile advertising to soar in new year

In line with global trends, Gulf mobile advertising is set to soar in the new year. Mobile advertising – messages sent to your mobile phone or other mobile communication device – is one of the fastest growing sectors in the industry.
The companies who are already using mobile marketing are mostly from the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail, Entertainment, Travel and Restaurant sectors.

They are using mobile to build engagement with their customers, and “opt-in” through list building.

Internationally, the trend to mobile advertising is strong. According to a Millennial Media and DM2PRO.com study, mobile spending is expected to increase 31% next year. Perhaps even more importantly, nearly two thirds of companies who have not yet tried mobile marketing, are considering campaigns.

One of the reasons for the growing interest in mobile advertising is the success of campaigns. Performance has, for the vast majority of advertisers, more than met expectations. The study found that 78% of advertiser said the medium met their campaign goals, and an additional 9% said mobile performed ‘beyond our wildest expectations.’

Nearly one third (30%) of advertisers in the survey said mobile had become an “indispensable” part of the media mix. Another two thirds (67%) ranked mobile as “somewhat valuable” and only 2% said it was not valuable in their overall media mix.

Quality Makers develop a mobile campaign for you, providing the strategy, copywriting and the technological know how. Call +971 2 4452996 to discuss your needs, go to www.qmakers.com or Email us: info@qmakers.com


Loud TV ads a turn off

A heads-up for broadcasters who turn up the volume on ads ...

Ever noticed that the ads on some television stations are louder than the programming? It is a practice that spread throughout the world. But now we have the first evidence that consumers are reacting negatively. A survey of U.S. television viewers has found that they are so annoyed by loud TV commercials that they reduce or mute the volume, or change the channel altogether.

The telephone survey of 1,000 TV viewers, conducted for Harris Corporation, showed that 89 percent are bothered by the often dramatic variation between regular TV programming and advertising volumes. Eighty percent took matters into their own hands by:

  • Turning the volume down — 41 percent.
  • Muting — 22 percent.
  • Changing the channel altogether — 17 percent.

Classic blowback! Push too hard and the consumer will react in just the way you do not want.

Brashness and pushiness doesn't always work. A bit of subtlety can pay off.