Posted on Fri, Sep 03, 2010 @ 10:51 AM
Whether you have been directly affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, or just were constantly reminded by the damage being done to the Gulf of Mexico every time you opened up a newspaper or turned on a television, you’re certainly aware of BP’s seemingly ubiquitous damage-control advertising campaign splattered across every conceivable medium.
Estimated figures for money spent on advertising following the commencement of the oil spill certainly started in the eight-digit range, but yesterday we learned definitively that BP has currently spent $93 million in advertising since April 20th, according to a letter from the company that was requested by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman. BP has also essentially donated an additional $90 million more to help fund advertising efforts for tourism industry companies and local businesses in Gulf Coast states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi). You can bet that a percentage of that money was spent on these campaigns we wrote about back in June.
So yes, if you’re scoring at home, that’s a $183 million unnecessary expense on BP’s ledger, and there’s likely more to come. The most prominently placed advertising has been on television, highlighted by a series of BP community relief representatives vowing to work around the clock and do whatever it takes to restore the area to its natural beauty. The ads have been angled to be warm (check out their YouTube channel) and paint BP’s local employees as people who personally want to fix the problem, and they appear to be having a positive effect. An Associated Press poll measuring approval rankings on BP’s handling of the oil spill by the general public shows the company's marks for handling the oil spill more than doubled from June to August — rising to 33% approval among those surveyed from a dismal 15% in June.
What are your thoughts on BP’s advertising efforts? Do you think the positive sentiments are fueled by the axing of former CEO Tony Hayward, or should the company be lauded for crafting messaging and advertising that resonates with both the affected and concerned consumer?
Posted on Mon, Aug 30, 2010 @ 03:08 PM
Over the past few years, the Blue Dog team has read through dozens of studies and reports revealing the latest trends and market tendencies in the advertising industry.
Today we launched our Resources and Downloads page, which we plan to build-out going forward in an effort to give our readers as much pertinent and relevant information on where local advertising, both traditional and non-traditional, is headed.
Click through the links below to download the study of our choice.
- A report on emotional and cognitive responses from advertising across four major mediums.
- A study that shows the value of TV advertising, as viewers of live television are decreasingly changing the channel or leaving the room once programming goes to commercial.
- A comprehensive look at local advertising, which addresses problems and provides best practices on reaching consumers in media markets of any size.
- The case for not allocating your entire advertising/marketing budget for just one or two mediums.
Posted on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 @ 09:27 AM
Football season is just around the corner, so naturally many local businesses are linking up with some of their city’s NFL stars as they seek to get a leg up on competitors and capture market share.
In Miami, where superstar athletes are becoming commonplace in the glitzy city, the Dolphins' Brandon Marshall will be broadcast not only on Sundays catching passes, but also in automotive advertisements promoting the Warren Henry automotive group’s line of luxury car dealerships.
Marshall has been named as the “Official Brand Ambassador", and will serve as spokesman for the luxury car dealership. He will appear in a series of television advertisements throughout the season, and get to cruise around South Beach in a new 2011 Jaguar XJ, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Marshall has had a bit of a troublesome past, so it will be interesting to see if his image will improve with a change of scenery, and if his work in automotive advertising will lead to bigger and better endorsement deals.
The announcement got us poking around YouTube for some other notable marriages between NFL stars and local businesses. The results, as I am sure you can imagine, had us laughing.
Tell us your favorite, or send us along some videos we may have overlooked.
Buffalo Bill Leodis McKelvin Invades a Sports Memorabilia Store
The Cincinnati Bengals' Carson Palmer Adds Flavor to a Backyard Barbecue
Super Bowl Champion Jim McMahon Encourages Chicagoans to Hop on a Scooter
Posted on Tue, Aug 24, 2010 @ 10:09 AM
Do you think that radio is a dying medium? Unsuitable as an effective way to reach potential customers for your business? If that's your belief, you may be in the minority, as spending on radio advertising saw a boost in the second quarter or 2010. Total spending, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau, increased six percent from Q1, equating to roughly $4.5 billion in spending.
Contrarians may attribute this spike to companies looking to capitalize on beach goers towing their portable AM/FM radio in hand, but recently we have been seeing such positive news on advertising numbers, it's clear that traditional mediums are getting healthier by the quarter.
As expected, automotive advertising had the largest boost in spending --- $336 million in local and national spending and an astounding 28 percent increase. Other industries showing substantial growth were financial services (up 24 percent totaling $251 million in spending) and professional services (up 14 percent to $84 million).
What is the focus of your company's advertising/marketing budget for the next few quarters? Are you using the radio waves to capture market share?
Posted on Thu, Aug 19, 2010 @ 07:53 AM
While total yearly social networking advertising spending surpasses the $1 billion mark (with no plateau in sight), and the web becomes more and more of a lead-generation juggernaut for small-to-medium sized businesses, traditional advertising channels still remain popular for capturing market share in a local market.
According to an article yesterday from EMarketer.com, Harris Interactive conducted a survey among brand marketers in June 2010, and while the optimal goal of reaching consumers in your market is naturally transitioning towards the Internet, a good-old-fashioned TV, print, or even radio commercial remains a viable option for reaching local audiences.
As seen in the graph just above, traditional advertising accounted for four of the top five tactics considered as "Very Effective" by the marketers polled.
There's no doubt that social media is a growing beast utilized by more and more advertisers every day, but it's also clear that nobody is running away from techniques that have been successfully used for decades. After a horrendous 2009, local advertising has bounced back and hit it's stride this year, due in large part to a recovering automotive industry, as dealerships are lining up to announce sales and new models hitting the showroom via local television advertising.
How does your advertising budget look? Are you focusing more on social media or continuing to find a healthy ROI with advertising based around video or audio production?
Posted on Thu, Aug 12, 2010 @ 03:15 PM
Built around an increase in global sales on some of their higher priced cars and trucks, General Motors Co. has posted it's largest profit in six years ($1.3 billion!)...to the surprise of nobody here at Blue Dog.
Why? Well we have been blogging infrequently about the recent swelling of local television affiliate revenues, thanks in large part to an improving automotive advertising industry. This, essentially, is an expected result of that.
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that a few sources indicated GM could have earned up to $1 billion in the second quarter, and they were spot on.
2010 has been a great year for General Motors. Back in June it was announced that they would return to Super Bowl coverage, scooping up some coveted advertising spots after a two-year hiatus from the big game.
Hopefully the final cut for these 30-second advertisments don't provide the somber overtones the last time GM was part of the Super Bowl.
Posted on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 @ 09:12 AM
Our "How To" series continues today with tips and best practices on advertising for a luxury car dealership.
Automotive advertising is a competitive field, with dealers jockeying to capture market share in cities of every size. When advertising for a luxury brand automobile, carefully crafted messaging is key.
While many automotive advertising firms can take elements from a previous successful advertising campaign and apply that methodology to a current client’s plan, advertising for a luxury dealership can be a bit more challenging. The problem when it comes to getting people to buy luxury is showing them why it’s logical to spend the extra money.
Marketing to the general public is important because it is the majority when it comes to buying cars. However, you also have to target your majority consumer, which for luxury vehicles would be the slightly wealthier to the very opulent. Advertising to a more affluent audience can be as simple as moving your TV advertisments from ESPN to the Golf Channel or from ABC to CNN. The difference being that it changes the viewership to a more niched-based audience that offers a higher percentage of people interested in purchasing a luxury vehicle.
Check out the rest of our "How To Advertise for a Luxury Car Dealership," and browse our portfolio of work to see what we mean.
Posted on Fri, Aug 06, 2010 @ 11:27 AM
If you are a local car dealership, there’s no doubt that your marketing plan should set aside a good percentage of the budget for promoting your business on traditional and proven mediums. Television, radio and print, if you’re not visible on them at least a few of our competitors are, and your market share could be slipping as a result. Television remains the pre-eminent medium to market your automotive dealership. After a dismal 2009, local automotive advertising is healthy, meaning network affiliates are celebrating.
But before you rush to get your name on the air, be sure to have a advertisement that is built on the foundation of a well crafted script; one that resonates with viewers and drives customers to your latest sale.
Here are our script writing tips for automotive advertising:
- Be direct and straight to the point: Remember, local television advertising is almost always offered in 15- to 30-second blocks. You don’t have a lot of time for fluff, so if you need to promote a year-end event or the arrival of a new vehicle that just hit your lot, it should be announced in the first five seconds. Determine a few of the most enticing features, and work with your automotive advertising firm to build a strong value proposition.
- Tell the truth: Don’t ever write a script that embellishes a sale or features of a vehicle. Be honest or you’ll have some upset prospects when they arrive at your dealership looking to buy. Word can spread fast that a dealership is making outrageous and bogus claims - the old "overpromise and underdeliver" fuss - and it's tough to do damage control on that.
- Don’t just speak, visualize: While radio limits you to just the spoken word (and I guess sound effects, too), television viewers actually see you and your dealership. Your script should be sharp, all while leveraging the opportunity to include visuals.
- Present your ad to others before airing it: It never hurts to get an outsider’s perspective. So before you scoop up some valuable and costly ad time, consult with others on your concept, first cut, or even final cut. As previously mentioned, 15- 30 seconds of air time is not much, so ensure that every word, every phrase, every sentence has meaning.
It all starts with the script. Advertising on television, or any medium for that matter, is costly and should be done to make money now, not just for brand awareness.
Posted on Wed, Aug 04, 2010 @ 12:20 PM
We have passed along this type of good news a few times recently, but we just can't get enough of it.
Yesterday, Variety reported that local automotive advertising revenue for 2010 is up an astounding 76 percent.
While Michael Jack, President of WNBC in New York City points out in the article that 2009 was such a rough year for advertising the numbers had no choice but to go up, the upswing in revenue for TV affiliates is promising from a broader perspective.
"At a time when the economy is low on gas, auto spots are providing local TV some much needed revenue fuel.
The consumer auto industry -- the largest ad sector by far in local TV -- is undergoing a comeback after a lengthy decline and an all-time low in car sales in 2008, when declining revenues had major station groups cutting staff at local stations -- some even laying off anchors in major markets like Los Angeles and Chicago.
But for the first quarter of 2010, automotive ad revenue is up 75.9% year-on-year for local broadcasters -- $589 million vs. 2009's $335 million, according to broadcast industry trade association TVB. For all of U.S. advertising, the increase was a healthy 22%, according to investment bank Barclay's Capital. The comeback was delayed slightly by last year's 'cash for clunkers' program, but is now in full swing."
Read the rest of
Variety's article, and absorb some additional statistics that indicates an improving automotive economy.
Posted on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 @ 08:37 AM
As part of our website enhancements, we are going to be launching "How To's" around specific forms of law firm and automotive advertising.
You'll see them added to the main site in the coming weeks. A portion of our first piece, on personal injury law firm advertising is below.
- Don’t come across as pretentious or arrogant. It is possible to sound personable while still maintaining a dignified appearance and tone.
- Focus on the real reason for personal injury law firm advertising—to provide consumers with information concerning what your firm has to offer. Don’t use advertising to make negative comments or cast aspersions on other lawyers. It is your firm that will end up only confirming what those who are against attorney marketing already believe, not the firm you are attacking.
- Don’t use “gimmicks." Low-key, tasteful re-enactments or demonstrations do have their place in personal injury law firm advertising, as long as they are not being used simply for the shock value. Consumers who are thinking they may need the services of a personal injury law firm most likely already know what can or did happen, and may not appreciate their specific incident being presented in a cheap, undignified way.
- Look at other attorney marketing techniques, including advertising, and determine what you don’t like about that particular marketing campaign. Then, look for ways to ensure that your firm approaches from an entirely different, more positive angle.
- There are many different forms of advertising, including television commercials, radio spots, and print ads. Any or all of these can be successful mediums for attorney marketing, or your firm may choose to use only one particular source. Whichever one you choose, remember to present the content in an appropriate manner.
Check out the rest of our "How To Advertise For a Personal Injury Law Firm," and browse our portfolio of work to see what we mean.