Learning from past advertising and marketing mistakes

We live in a world where advertisements and marketing campaigns are being thrown at us all day, every day. Companies are constantly attempting new and inventive ways to catch our eyes and ears from the minute we get up to the time we lay our heads down on the pillow at night. If corporations could figure out a way to beam information about their products directly in to our dreams I'm sure we'd all wake up with overwhelming desires to purchase any number of new and unnecessary items. 

It's getting increasingly more difficult for small business owners to catch our piece of the consumers attention. We don't have the plus-sized budgets that big companies have at their disposal to advertise across all media platforms, at all times of the day, and over the entire Country. As technology increases allowing for individuals to fast-forward, skip, and shut out much of the advertising that is thrown their way this also adds to the frustration of small businesses trying to tout their services to the masses. 

If you've been in business long enough you've undoubtedly created a myriad of different ads and marketing campaigns throughout the years. Most likely some of them were successful and hit their intended mark and some of them were downright awful and a complete waste of time, money, and resources. I think back to some of the vintage advertisements of the past fifty years that would make us cringe and blush with embarrassment now-a-days. 

Back then advertisers didn't have to concern themselves with the politically correct environment we live in today. They were more free to try and say different slogans and use imagery that by current standards would be deemed highly sexist, possibly racist, and ultimately require someone to be fired over the insensitivity. Public outrage aside, the manner in which businesses used to advertise has also significantly changed. 

Although people have been predicting the death nail in the coffin of print advertising for years, there is a subset of our population who still subscribes to newspapers and magazines. However, you can't argue the fact that the number of readers and subscribers of news print has exponentially decreased overall. Check out the latest chart from the Pew Research center showing the decline of news print readers since the year 2000:

At the same time traditional television viewership is also in a nosedive. More consumers are switching to cable, satellite, and streaming services that allow them to completely skip unwanted advertisements. The latest data shows that viewers are watching over 2 hours less of traditional television each day over the past three years, whereas, subscriptions to Internet based television streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu are now said to have a 40% market share. Audiences are finding more and more ways to tune out marketing messages so what does the future of advertising look like?

Some companies are slow to embrace changing climates and because of that they usually suffer great losses to competitors who were more willing to shift with the different tides. When we look back 30 years from now what sort of marketing styles and content will we be shaking our heads at? Are you at the forefront of the latest trends and diverse generational habits or are you still clinging to what was relevant in a bygone era?

Conversely, do you think your current marketing campaigns can stand the test of time? Will you look back years from now and wince at some of the verbiage or symbolism you used that you thought was such a good idea at the moment? Consider the current social climate of the day and know that what is acceptable now may not be in the future and vice versa. Our advertising materials should strive to appeal across social, political, and generational lines. 

Do you market to multiple unique and local demographics or do you just pull the pin, toss the grenade, and hope your message gets close enough to it's intended target to make an impact? How often do you review your past marketing materials? It may be time to freshen up that flyer, polish that postcard, and change that Christmas time email. 

Regardless of what your company or product may be, if you are an entrepreneur then you are in the people business. If you can connect to your audience in a genuine and personal way your services have a much greater chance of being recognized as something an individual could use. For example, I've ran six marathons in my lifetime. In training for those marathons I've come to know every running and walking trail within the entire boundary of where I live in Gilbert, Arizona and even beyond. Running has nothing to do with real estate in and of itself. However, I can use my knowledge of running to market to other runners. I can tout all the great running trails in any subdivision or area of Gilbert in which a potential buyer has an interest. Now that's connecting on a personal level. 

Learning from past advertising and marketing mistakes is crucial for the future of any business. Anyone who doesn't learn from history is bound to repeat it. What has history taught you? We should be eager to embrace all of the tools and technology available to us as well as keep our pulse on the generational and social climates so that our message can be efficient and relevant. As small business owners, we certainly don't want to end up on the scrap heap of forgotten companies because we failed to hone our marketing skills and build a long-lasting and loyal client base.