Touch points to Tipping Point

One of the frequent and anxious question asked by the client to ad-agency is ..

"I spent Rs. 40000 on that news-paper ad!
 I got only 4 phone-calls. Why?"

"I distributed 10000 leaflets last week!
 Only 7 Customers walked in! Why?"

Sometimes, the ad-agency is even accused of making the client over-spend or for bad creative execution.

This anguish is pretty reasonable, if the Client's Product is of reasonable quality, the price is competitive and it does satisfy some specific need of the target audience. The Client expected the target audience to respond, but he is left grumbling - 

“I have offered a fair deal.
Why is the Customer not coming in and purchasing the product?!”

Why this big difference between Expectation and Reality, when it comes to generating sales?!

Well, the marketing reality which one finds out over time is -
"Customers don't make a purchasing decision impulsively;
especially, more the value of the purchase, more the Customer deliberates."

Why this deliberation?
A potential customer needs reassurance of his choice and this happens over a sequence of Touchpoints with the brand. 

A typical scenario will be as follows -
Let’s assume you are keen to buy a car. Unconsciously you start noticing car advertisements - (Touchpoint No:1).
Then you keep staring at various makes and models of cars, while commuting. In course of time your heart starts short-listing some favourites - (Touchpoint No:2). 
One day while filling up fuel you strike up a conversation with the driver of the nearby car, which is one of your short-listed choice - (Touchpoint No:3). 
Another time, you pick up a auto magazine and read a review of the car - (Touchpoint No:4). 
You pick the brain of the mechanic, at the garage where you go regularly (Touchpoint No:5). 
In the meanwhile you see more of advertisements of the car you like most (Touchpoint No:6).
You go online and read various review sites. You compare your choice with competing models (Touchpoint No:7). 
You go to the car dealer and experience a test drive(Touchpoint No:8).
Now you have decided in favour of the car and sit down with your chequebook.

A minimum of 7 touchpoints with the brand has to happen, before the tipping point to make the purchase decision happens.

The critical point for the Client to note, every touchpoint has to reassure the Customer and reinforce his initial opinion. Your product, pricing and promotion has to work coherently, without any dissonance.

So next time, don’t panic if the Customer doesn’t come barging in immediately after seeing your advertisement. Give him time and nurture him till the tipping point.

(In the next blog, I will talk of the kinds of Customers, which is another variable affecting the purchase decision.)
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SreeRam is a marketing communications consultant for SMBs – based in Chennai, South India.
The work of his consultancy firm can be viewed by clicking on NATHAN’S MEDIA GROUP.
He can be reached by calling 0-934 000 66 00 or mailing - nathansmedia@gmail.com

How to brief an ad agency - Part 3 How to respond to the agency's creative presentation

How to respond to the agency's creative presentation

The agency's creative presentation, especially the first time, is a critical phase. Till then both the Client and the Agency were talking tangibles and forming opinions. It’s only during the creative presentation these opinions are either reinforced or reversed.

How to judge an Idea?

It could produce a "WOW" or "hmmm". Every one of us have our likes and dislikes, which will influence the supposedly objective view.
Very tough, but anyway let’s try to get some clarity.

1) If it’s a Good idea say so and proceed further.

2) If upfront the Idea doesn’t tingle you, you need NOT overtly say so. The agency will know you are nowhere nearing an orgasm.

3) If the agency tries to push the Idea aggressively, tell them you are NOT looking from your perspective but from your customers' perspective. They can’t argue with that, since you are closer to your customers than they will ever be.

If the agency claims understanding your customer without any research support, point out how they are off the mark with your statistics. That should silence the "Google pundits"

4) Even if the Idea is not exciting you as a client, analyze whether the agency has put in quality energy into its idea. This can be found out by asking probing questions on the various elements of the Idea - like the Headline, Choice of visuals, Colors or back ground music and so on. If the agency has thought through it you will get coherent responses.

5) If you feel the ad agency has put in a genuine effort but missed the route, point out specifics.

Avoid responses like “It lacks PUNCH" or “It’s good but NO DHUM". These will only make the agency go back, put brighter colors, make the headline fonts bigger and comeback to you with a rehash. Or similar patch up work in the case of a TV spot or a radio jingle.

So please be specific on what bothers you.

6) If you as a client is sitting with your team, discourage herd mentality. Whatever the client's senior man says should not be reinforced in different ways for the sake of giving a single voice. The agency will be deflated.

Remember even though many creative professionals claim they like challenges, they generally tend to react to criticism with aggressive defense or silent frustration.

7) But DONT reject the agency based on ONE creative presentation. Especially if it’s the first one, give them time to go through the learning curve.

After that it’s your prerogative.

Some suggestions -

• Most of the agencies present Half page in newspaper size or magazine double spread size creatives. They look really impressive in isolation.

• If you cannot sustain that kind of media spend insist on seeing smaller size adaptations.

• Paste a printout of the creative in actual context and judge how it performs in reality. 

Probably we should have a series of articles on best practices in Print, Radio, TV, Outdoor and Online advertising. Some other day. That depends on your feedback to this article.

SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
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How to brief an ad agency? Part 2

Factor 2 - Giving a coherent brief

Half the job is done by giving a coherent brief. The reality is many of the clients wax eloquent as they are in love with their offering. The agencies struggle to separate the brief from the chaff.

The best way to start is by giving the agency a tangible fact sheet. Send the agency back to mull over it and come back for a qualitative discussion.

What should this initial fact sheet contain, preferably in an A4 sheet? 

• Product definition

• The market for it - demographic, geographic or any relevant segments

• The players in the market -

• Your product's differentiators -

• If possible, your indicative budget -

If the client can’t put this down in B&W, it’s unreasonable to expect the agency to comprehend the task at hand.

Many of the big spenders do have a defined brief template. It’s the SMEs, who are not familiar with agency-handling, need to start the relationship with such good practices.

The exploratory kiss is an indicator of exciting things to follow. (OK...That’s another proven advertising device...to bring an element of sex and whet the appetite)

SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
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How to brief an advertising agency - Part 1

Choosing the ad agency

The relationship between The Client and The Ad Agency has many phases like any relationship - Wooing, Romancing, Marriage, Children, Mutual Dissatisfaction, Resigned to Status-quo or even Divorce.

What one has to accept is, it’s a dynamic relationship, due to the presence of many variables like Competition, Change in Client's or Agency's priorities and People shifting on both sides.

Having said that let’s move on to factors to consider in "Choosing the Ad agency"

Factor 1- "As a Client, am I exciting enough?!"
An agency works hardest when the Client is at its aspiration level. The aspiration can be either in the Billing Volume or a Creative Challenge.

A mature ad agency will still consider a small startup's account if the Client's product is intriguing enough. It also gives them an opportunity to try out their maverick ideas, which will in all probability be wet-toweled by a big client, set on his strategy.

The Client has to look at his Business Volume and the Product profile while choosing an ad agency, and ask "Do I bring excitement to this relationship?!"

SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
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