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Just Disposable, or Indisposable?
As everyone in the modern world is too well aware, most of the advertising we are bombarded with is a nuisance. Very seldom do we receive anything we classify as usable input. Paper media wastes our time and adds to our recycling piles. We turn off, tune out, or change channels to avoid the constant repetition of electronic persuading. Direct mailers leave envelope return addresses blank in hopes we will not want to chance missing something important; or they send it without envelopes so the message will be reviewed at least once on it's way to the circular file.
The question for advertisers is: "How can we make sure an ad becomes useful or indispensable, rather than a quick candidate for the trash heap?" The question has voluminous and uncertain answers. One good one is to carefully target our victims, or market audience. It reduces the overall exposures and cost, but increases the probability of the desired response. In electronic media we use a TV or radio station with listeners fitting our target profile. For direct mail we buy a list of addresses of individuals with targeted income, age, gender, etc.
Another approach is to include something functional in our package; something which will have value to our market. This increases the chances our product will at least get considered. Soaps, razors and other toiletries have used this type of campaign for test marketing or product introductions. Some marketers have included a crisp $5 bill to "pay in advance" for a desired response. Many organizations use an "advertising specialty" product; a usable item with their name, contact information, and/or message on it to keep their presence in front of the potential customer.
Free calendars are a favorite gift. They can get expensive and there is sometimes competition for wall space or refrigerator space in any given household. However, they are meaningful to many people and do a great job of keeping the seller's message prominent in a given location. Calendar strips have been used, but they are not a developed advertising specialty. They are too inflexible and frequently too small to read. But they are an untapped potential in advertising marketing. The next article will discuss them further.
(hold your breath)
