ClearPoint President Brenda Murphree wrote a VIP guest commentary on “Navigating the Changing Landscape of Advertising” for the July-August issue of Builder+Architect.  Here’s an excerpt:

“Advertising used to be pretty straightforward.  In the words of one old-style agency guy,  ‘Advertising is what you do when you can’t go see somebody.’ You have a product or service that people want or need, you put out information about it, and if you’re smart enough, you make a sale.’

‘Advertising, in other words, was how you presented your product in a persuasive, informative way.’

‘Then everything changed.’

‘In the last few years, the increasingly rapid pace of technological innovation has fueled an already growing information explosion and upturned the rules of advertising.’

‘In the first decade of this century the number of websites grew from 24 million to over 206 million worldwide.  Camera phones, first introduced less than 10 years ago, are now practically everywhere, with an estimated 1.9 billion worldwide.  And smartphones, those multi-purpose gadgets with a built-in operating system, are now in the hands of  over 17% of all adults in the U.S. ‘

‘In today’s world, the consumer is the gatekeeper, not the marketer, and the rules of the game have changed from persuasion to engagement.”

You can read the full article in the digital edition of the magazine, which is available online at wnc.builderarchitect.com/digital-editions.  (Scroll down to the bottom for the current issue.)

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Are you amazed that retailers seem to know just when you have special needs and send you a direct mail piece with exactly the right product at precisely the right time?

The way, for example, every baby furniture retailer in the area, every disposable diaper company in the United States, and the marketing department at Parents Magazine, all know to put special offers in your mailbox just as you arrive home with the new baby. How do they do it?  They’re not psychic, they’re just using one or more of the ‘-graphics’ – demographics, psychographics, synchrographics.

All marketers use research to help them target likely customers – our “target audience” – and we sometimes spend a lot of money to identify them.  The way to do this is to group people by similar characteristics so that we can develop marketing programs that will be highly appealing to large groups.  That way we get maximum bang for our marketing bucks – which translates into  more money for the bottom line.

The most common way to target customers is through demographics – grouping people by characteristics such as age, sex, race, income, educational level, home ownership, employment status, or geographic location.  A Mercedes dealer, for example, would be more successful  targeting their 500-Series automobiles to people making incomes of over $100,000 a year than to those making under $40,000.

But what if you could drill down to even more specific information about your target audience?  Wouldn’t that make your marketing efforts even more efficient?  You can, and it does.  This method – called psychographics – breaks down the target group even further to categorize people by attributes relating to personality, values, attitudes, interests, lifestyles,  and opinions.  This is what allows that Mercedes dealer to trim its target market to people who are most likely to buy that 500-SL.  They not only go after people  making over $100,000 a year, they also aim for those who live a ‘Mercedes 500-Series’ lifestyle.  After all, there are a lot of people in the $100,000 a year bracket, but their personal values may have them driving a Prius or only American-made cars.  It makes sense not to market to those folks.

What about that last method – synchrographics?   The newest of the three, this one provides data about consumers related to the timing of significant life events.  This is especially useful in direct marketing, because the need or desire for a product can be predicted to happen in conjunction with certain events.  The major life event of having a baby is a perfect example, and businesses take advantage of this very successfully.

But can sychrographics also work for that Mercedes dealer?  You bet.  We know a corporate marketing officer who takes his annual bonus and buys a new car every year.  His local Mercedes dealer knows just when bonus time rolls around and sends the fellow a letter, backed up by a phone call just at the right time, offering him a special deal on a new car.  So every year, he buys a new Mercedes.  If the Lexus dealer in town used synchrographics, maybe they could lure him away.  But until they do, Mercedes will continue to profit.

The bottom line is that the more we know about our customers, the more we can tailor our products and services – and our marketing – to their needs.  So don’t let the cost of research information turn you off.  Sometimes it’s the most profitable thing you can do for your marketing.

Need some research data, but don’t think you can afford it?  Basic information isn’t as expensive as you think!  One of the simplest and most economical ways of generating research data is to conduct an in-house customer survey.

Customer surveys provide basic demographic data and allow your customers to provide limited but specific input on your products and services.  You can print up small survey cards at very little cost – even do it in the office, if you have a good printer – then give them to customers at checkout or tuck them into invoice mailings.

Or, instead of printed cards, you can do an on-line survey through your website, or send out email surveys using one of the many free services available online.

Either way, don’t forget to offer an incentive to participate, such as registration in a giveaway or a simple coupon freebie.

If you have questions about setting up an in-house research program, contact ClearPoint at info@clearpointmarketing.com or call 828-253-7255.

ClearPoint has just received an Award of Distinction from the Academy of the Visual Arts in its 16th Annual Communicator Awards program in the category of cover design, for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel Community Report. Communicator Awards is a leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals.