Back to Basics - in Advertising

f\0NSIDER advertising a part of \-'t doing brrsiness. Budget for it at the beginning of the year for everY month of the year. Some months (unlike rent) it should run more than others early spring and earlY fall for example.

If you haven't done much adver' tising before--one word of caution' You have a building job to do to make your name one that ProsPects will call. This may take some time. Don't expect a flood of inquiries from the first ad-or even after you have been running two or three ads a week (one a week should be your minimum). It may be tempting to stop advertising and use the money for something else. That would be a mistake. Try to improve your adsbut keep them working for you.

A good procedure to follow would be something like this:

(l) Elstablish a budget fora 12 month year.

(2) Divide that budgetintotwoparts, one to take care of the once a year needs like phonebook ad' vertising, and the balance for month-to-month advertising.

Divide the calendar into promo' tion seasons and assign advertising themes or subjects to each season.

Assign each seasort or promotion theme a percentage of the budget balance you have left for this program.

Detail your advertising plan for the first three months-the ads you will run, cost of each and so on.

After 30 days review the plan as detailed for the next 6O days (and revise itif needed)-and extend it with detail worked out for an additional 30 days. Do this onco a month so you always

By George Haladay Advertising Manager Day & Night Company

have the next 90 daYs worked out exactly.

(7) Stick to this general planning approach-and stick to your plan

Story sI q Glqnce

Some good background on advertising from a real Pro Plus a number of essential stePs to putting your advertising Pro gram on a professional and hardworking footing . . . much of it applies as much to the wholesale trade as it does to reta il.

in general, but look for ways to improveit ormodify it if needed. Budgetiug requires a special attitude when it comes to advertising. It's unwise to pull a 'osafe" figure out of the air-it may be too little, or too much-by which we mean it may be less than it takes to do an adequate job, or more than you can really af- ford. lt is also unwise to wait until ideas come along during the course of the year and okay them then. This is wasteful. You wind up spending all your money on things like Ladies Aid Society Programs and ball point pens to give away-and then you can't afford the repaint job on your truckor the weekly newspaper ad that you really need.

The only safe approach is to start with your anticipated sales. Establish a minimum percentage for advertising and calculate to spend that much -or more if your business can afford it.

Sell your name in "free" advertising. If you buy a billboard it costs you $50 or so a month. If you paint a sign the same size on the side of your building, it is worth that much to you-$600 a year at no cost. A card on a city bus may cost $25 or $30. A sign on your tiuck is worth that much-$300 or more a year at no c€st to you. Make it do a good job. Look at the tailgate of your truck. Are you advertisins Ford or Chevrolet'when vou .ould advertise vourself ?

Take advantage of every bit of 'ofree space" you can control. Identify your place of business strongly. Lightup your name at night. Don't be modest about it.

Uniform your menwith your name boldly spelled out on the shirts. Use job signs on every job.

Use your stationery, business cards, invoices, letterheads a^nd other forms to sell for you.

1(l COMMANDMENTS FOR RETAIL ADVERTISING

( 1 ) Associate your name with what you do. "Home lmprovement" or "Home Remodeling Center" or "Do-lt-Yourself" should be a part of your name. lf not, make sure it appears alongside your name - big and bold!

( 2 ) Make use of all "free" advertising space available to you to remind the public you are home improvement headquarterson your store front and walls, your trucks, your men's uniforms, your stationery, etc.

( 3 ) Advertise in the yellow pages of the phonebook (on a reasonable basis). People who don't know where to buy look there. Be sure such people can find your name.

( 4 ) Advertise on a 12 month year long basis with something going every month. Allocate by the year. plan in detail 3 months at a time. Review (and revise if necessary) every month.

( 5 ) Allocate a definite percentage of sales to advertising. Be sure this percentage is based on the total volume of sales you expect to make for the year.

( 6 ) Consider oo-op funds from distributors and/or manufacturers an extfa addition to your own funds. Do not limit your expenditures to matching co-op contributions.

( 7 ) Advertise a price to give shoppers an idea of cost. It doesn't have to be the lowest price in town!

( 8 ) Advertise the fact that you offer an easy payment plan. "Low bank terms." "Finance Plans." "Easy monthly payment'." "Nothing down5 years to pay." That's the way people buy. That:s the way to sell. Don't forget the necessary qualifiers to meet the Truth in Lending code.

( 9 ) Advertise your "special services"free delivery, home remodeling consultation, how-to-do-it information.

(10) Advertise yourself as a full-time specialista company devoted entirely to home improvement and, therefore, an expert on the subject. people would rather deal with a specialist. That's your big advantage over new competition from "general-store" merchandisers.