Cable ads, part 2

[AWG]

I just re-read the cable ad thread from a few months back and am wondering how effective your ads have been.

We're putting together an ad budget for next year and are looking to do some cable. Unfortunately we're in a bigger (read: more $$$ according to the rate sheet the rep gave me) market than some of you all, so we want to make the smartest decision about which networks. I understand it's all about the number of viewers, and of course none of the "groups" are perfect, so we'll have to pick and choose the best channels.

What worked best? Which networks didn't work? Was there a "sleeper" that surprised you?

I'm looking at HGTV, TLC and probably a third - Food, A&E, Weather, maybe?
That being said, are your ads image/awareness type ads or "sales" ads?

Any input you can give is appreciated.

Thanks again,

Tony

[Framerguy]

Hey Tony,

I have some ideas for you but I need to put them in order and I can't do it at work. I will let you know how the TV campaign went down here so far along with the news advertising.

An aside, look on Page 8 (I think, I am at home eating lunch right now) of LJ's supplies catalog. There is a photo of the fillet chopper I bought from you in Atlanta. Take a look at the stop on the measuring rail to the right of the chopper and see if there isn't something that looks like that laying around your shop. I need it to do the fillets and the gal I talked to didn't know if Frame square had the stops available as an add-on item.

I'll post more on the advertising when I get home this evening. You may be surprised, I was.

Framerguy

[Barb Pelton]

Tony-

I have had my first cable ad running for a little over 5 weeks now, with surprising results. It runs on "city cable" which is only in our city limits and reaches apprx. 10,000 subscribers.

I paid for one prime time ad, every other day, that runs on HGTV, Lifetime, and CNN. (I would have gone with TLC, but they are not currently selling spots on that network.) Because the city cable is only a year or so new, many slots haven't been sold, so the ad actually airs 8-12 times daily on most days.

HGTV gets cited the most, CNN second, but usually customers can't remember where they saw it. Ironically, MOST people don't even admit that it was the ad that brought them in, but guess who's been coming in? Mainly it's customers that have not been in for a couple of years. The ad broke on the 18th of AUG and the numbers jumped immediately.

I've gotten some new blood that say "Saw your ad and I had no idea we had a framing store in town! I've been driving 75 miles to Hobby Lobby!" (My store is on the end of a strip mall--right next to one of the busiest intersections in town....Yes, we're well signed, prominately displayed in the yellow pages, in the newspaper on Sundays, etc...go figure)

I abhor the part when I walk on screen and say a blurb about letting "us create something just for you" blah, blah...but I have had so much positive feed back from it that there is no way I'd do it otherwise. I've had a least 30 people stop me when I'm out and about and mention that they saw me on tv. Geez.

It is a very generic ad that basically says we specialize in unique and creative designs, and can frame items such as (a list with photos). It mentions that we sell unusual gift items, (a few shots of things) most handcrafted and then I invite them in.

I'm shooting ads #2 and #3 on Monday. I'm doing one that is strictly a holiday gift ad, and one that is a generic framing/interior design combination. I hope the gift ad brings them in Christmas shopping!

[B. Newman]

Originally posted by Barb Pelton:
I abhor the part when I walk on screen and say a blurb about letting "us create something just for you" blah, blah...but I have had so much positive feed back from it that there is no way I'd do it otherwise. I've had a least 30 people stop me when I'm out and about and mention that they saw me on tv. Geez.

Everybody thinks that they look hokey on tv. (I've even seen some actors/actresses say that they can't watch themselves in movies.) But the fact is, that makes the ad so much more memorable.

At the craft guild shows that we do, I'm often interviewed on the live news shows since caning makes such a vivid demo. You wouldn't believe the number of times people come to the shows and come straight to our booth just to tell me that they saw me.

About 2 years ago HGTV did a Country Time segment on us. It runs for a whopping 10 minutes or so. It has aired, oh, 4-5 times since. We don't have cable, but I can tell each time it does because I always get a flurry of calls and e-mails.

You gotta "brand" yourself. (No, not tattoo, brand!)

Betty

[ 09-25-2003, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: B. Newman ]

[Framerguy]

Well, it sounds like Barb ran the same ad that I ran!

But with markedly different results.

I have been running my ads for about 2 months and have had about 10 people come in and say they saw my ads on TV. It has turned out to be the worst of the advertising that I have done since moving down here. And, in I*******, it was the best form of advertising I used. The newspaper was, by far, the worst up North and it has been pulling in many more customers than I ever expected. And about half of them are coming from a town East of me where I thought they had some very good framers (well, at least some VERY expensive retail galleries).

I am running targeted newspaper ads now for a Fall Print clearance sale in the civilian newspaper and an ad for military framing in both of the Air Base newspapers.

I know that Bob C. may frown on this type of marketing but I am trying to get rid of some old inventory that I have lugged around for much too long. I am offering a choice of prints for 70% off list price IF the customer mats and frames it in my shop. Cash and carry is 20% off. I really want to get some of this stuff out of my shop and focus on framing and a small selection of handcrafted gifts. If a customer WANTS a specific print, I can order it rather than speculate on what will or will not sell down here. I have a 12 drawer flat file and 3 print bins filled with speculation prints and they don't pay the bills for me.

One of the possibilities that may contribute to the newspaper working for me down here and not up North is the fact that the paper here is a daily and the one up North is a weekly paper. I run on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays, the 3 heaviest days during the week.

I really can't tell you why the Tv isn't producing results other than I am told it takes a while for visual advertising to have a lasting effect on the viewer. I am talking to my TV rep. tomorrow and I intend to find out why I am not getting the response that I expected.

I have found out that the customers down here think that they are more "knowledgeable" about framing than my old customers. The truth of the matter may be less than they want to hear but I have had more than a few come in and tell me, "Well, this is what my old framer did, ......." which really is OK if the "old framer" knew what he/she was talking about. In most cases, they didn't.

Framerguy