A half century ago, advertising was relegated to newspapers, magazines and billboards. If you had an idea or service to offer, your marketing options were limited. Companies grew more by word of mouth than idealized commercials. Most were limited to serving their local communities and nationwide expansion was practically unheard of.
Today with the advent of the internet, the average person is inundated with hundreds of advertising messages a day. You may not recognize the fact that every time you get online you are being bombarded with a score of them with every page you flip to. While some displays are obvious and in your face, others can be more discreet. They send subliminal information your way page after page after page.
While every company should expect to budget money for advertising, determining how much is enough can be a daunting task. Juggling cost versus return on investment along with growth projections and objectives isn’t simple or easy. Each company must determine what their bottom line is and find the best solution to achieve their goals.
The term ‘thinking outside the box’ is now a catch phrase bandied about in boardrooms and marketing departments around the world. Companies are trying to determine how they can become the industry leader in a world that has gone advertising mad. What concept is going to be the one to not just open the box, but make it explode into tiny pieces?
In today’s economy cutting costs is imperative to staying in business. Cutting costs in advertising is not the answer. This is no longer the age of colorful print ads and bold face fonts being adequate attention grabbers. Companies must think to the future, less they be left behind.
While keeping overhead to a minimum, outsourcing your advertising dollar can be a winning idea. Having Joe in shipping put up and manage your company website because he learned how at the local community college is super: if you want your company being viewed as sophomoric. Letting Jane in accounting develop your email blast because she knows how to use Publisher is terrific: if you want it looking outdated. Hiring professionals with the experience and know how is the first step in breaking through those antiquated ideas. It’s the 21st century and ‘thinking outside the box’ is what is needed to stay fresh and leading edge.
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