[advertising intervention]
T h e B e s t P l a n I s to
have a plan by Tim Kolling, WIBW Marketing Consultant
Fourth quarter means planning, projecting and preparing for the upcoming year. We look at budgets and hope for profits as we look to avoid losses. It’s a time when we dream big and also have some sleepless nights full of fears. The most important part of your marketing planning is your advertising strategy. Unfortunately, most businesses address marketing as a budget line item. They allocate money to advertising without a plan as to how it will be used. It’s like buying a plane ticket but having no idea where you are flying. You don’t know what the climate will be. You don’t know what language they will speak. And you might not even have the right identification. As you go into 2013, your best plan is to have a plan.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help and input. Ask your peers, ask fellow business owners, ask your staff, and ask your customers. • Think about how you want others to perceive your business.
Your advertising is like that plane ticket. Before you spend the money, know the climate of the market and your competition; know what language your customers are speaking; and make sure your business is positioned correctly in consumers’ minds—your ID! If you want to see profits instead of losses in 2013, you have to take the time to develop your advertising strategy.
• Take time out and develop a strategy. • Be flexible—things change throughout the year and so should your marketing. • Have fun, but give it serious thought.
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Tim Kolling is a Marketing Consultant for WIBW 94.5 FM and 580 AM. He has worked in the advertising industry for 19 years.
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8
Winter 2012
TK...Topeka's Business Magazine
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