Internet guru Seth Godin says, “Hardware is sexy, but it’s the software that matters.”
It’s true. Your P.C., Mac, SmartPhone or Tablet, are virtually useless without the software that makes them functional.
The same may be said of advertising. While the media or platform you choose might be ‘sexy’, what really matters is the message you choose for each platform.
But all too often, advertisers give the credit for a sale to the media or platform, without understanding the role of the message or brand in generating a sale.
For example, in the old days, the Yellow Pages media often got credit for a sale because consumers said they “found” the business phone number in the Yellow Pages. While that may have been true in the pre-internet era, advertisers often neglected to understand the role that pre-need branding played in motivating consumers to call one business over all of the others listed in the Yellow Pages.
The phone book or Yellow Pages was often called a ‘directory of ineffective marketers’ because effective marketers, like Home Depot or McDonald’s, built powerful brands and didn’t rely on the luck of the draw in the phone directory.
Today, of course, those printed directories are replaced by searches on the internet. And, some advertisers still make the same mistake of crediting a ‘click’ or a ‘like’ for the sale. They fail to determine the reason the customer chose to click on their website or follow them on social media versus buying from one of their competitors who also have websites and social media pages.
So nothing has really changed in the new media world. Media are sexy, but strategic messaging and branding are what drive media success. Digital media have replaced all things printed.
The winners on these ‘sexy’ new platforms are those who create an emotional connection, a pre-need awareness and a preference for their business with intrusive broadcast media before their prospects begin their online search.