Make Your Points

One at a time.

I edit ads for customers just about every day. The biggest flaw that I find is that most ads could and SHOULD be broken down into multiple commercials.

When creating an ad or campaign, make sure that each ad has a point. A single point. If you have multiple things to communicate, make them separate ads.

If you have a grocery store that has a pharmacy, florist and a great meat department that you want people to know about, then tell the story of each. Separately. They deserve that attention. Don't try to cram all three into one ad. You can't tell any of the stories effectively.

Look closely at your ads. Do they make one point well? If not, change it and prepare to be amazed at your return on investment. If the ads are persuasive. But that, my friends is for another day.

Are You Insane?

In this context, the definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results.

Even successful organizations must take a step back when things aren't going as good as you would like. The business world is changing more rapidly than ever before. The needs of businesses and their consumers are changing. Are you keeping up?

You need to know what your customers want. It is probably not what you think they want. It is almost never what you want them to want! For that matter, what they need long term is very hard to see in the heat of the moment short term.

Begin with the end in mind and craft a strategy to get from where you are to where you are going. It is not always a straight line there.

No matter where you are today though, question everything and assess if it will move you toward your end goal.

Do something different today and stop the insanity!  

Radio Rising

93.1% of Americans 12+ listen to the radio.*


UP 1.9 million listeners from last year.*


Many thought that radio would never make it past the launch of that new invention. The television. Records, 8 Track tapes, cassettes came next. All had their place. Radio still thrived. Have you listened to an 8 track tape lately? Have you ever even SEEN one?



I remember when CDs were going to make radio obsolete. Does anyone buy CDs now? How about music channels on cable in the early 90s? That would surely be the end of radio. Satellite Radio, Ipods, Internet radio, Pandora. In the face of all of this, radio fell to reaching a mere 92% of 12+ Americans.


Now, it is growing again.


• The largest gains came in the 18-34 adult demo. The total number of 18-34s estimated to listen to radio on a weekly basis is 66.5 million, up 350,000 from a year ago. Percentage-wise, 93.6% of 18-34s listen to radio. The teen reach is also up, gaining about 158,000 to 22.8 million, for a reach of 92%.*


• In terms of basic qualitative, radio attracts nearly 96% of adults 18+ with a college education and a household income of $75,000-plus. It also reaches 96% of adults 25-54 with a household income of $50,000-plus.*

As long as radio continues to deliver local and relevent content to its' market, radio will continue to be an unstoppable force. (Insert Joplin example here)

Radio is the last free provider of local news, sports, weather, information and entertainment.

I haven't even gotten to the part about the ability of radio to drive the local economy by educating consumers on what there options are to spend their dollars on goods and services. But that is for another day.


I would say welcome back radio, but you never left.

*RADAR 109 Survey

Go Ahead And Brag

 Be the expert in what you do AND be known for it.

You have been in  your business for years and are really good at it. There are no questions that you can't answer. No problem you can't solve. Anyone that has ever done business with you knows this.

But, what about everyone else? People that are potential customers but have never met you or heard of you. Are you telling your story and demonstrating your expertise to these people?

Use your advertising to communicate your story. Give potential customers a taste of what you are all about and why they should choose to do business with you.

Don't assume that everyone already knows. Do you have a story that EVERYONE should know?

Tell it. Don't be shy.

"It ain't braggin if you say it and you back it up. " Kid Rock - Cocky (Clean Version)

Dear Webster's,

I have a new word that I would like to submit for consideration. I will get to that in a minute.

If you search Demographic Targeting, you get page after page of definitions like this one from the Barron's Marketing Dictionary :

Population or consumer statistics regarding socioeconomic factors such as age, income, sex, occupation, education, family size, and the like. Advertisers often define their target market in terms of demographics; thus, demographics are a very important aspect of media planning in matching the media with the market. Each demographic category is broken down (by the various research companies) according to its characteristics.

This kind of targeting is all well and good and has it's place, but all of the scientific targeting in the world means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING if you don't communicate with a persuasive message that helps you accomplish your goals as a business.

I mean in reality, decisions are not made in a vacuum and if someone outside this target demographic wants your product or service, would you take their money? Of course you would.

But if your message is weak, you won't have to worry. No one in any demographic will try to buy from you.

So, to help, I am leading the fight for making Wordographic Targeting the new standard for advertising and marketing planning. Here is my initial definition for the next edition of the dictionary :

Wordographic Targeting is insuring that messages are salient and/or persuasive to potential consumers that may cross many socioeconomic factors such as age, income, sex, occupation, education, family size, etc. Wordographics insure that consumers are responding to a message that will help the advertiser accomplish their goal(s). Advertisers are often misled by traditional media planning to define their target market in terms of demographics. While much harder to measure and execute, wordographics are the most important aspect of any media planning because it matches the marketing / advertising message with the advertiser's needs and allows for real measurability in the success or failure of advertising / marketing plans. 

How is YOUR wordographic targeting?