Budget is the main concern of businesses for availing advertisements specially in this global financial crisis we were experiencing right now. But adverting is also very important, specially in a period like this. Why? Branding is of utmost importance so people will still have loyalty to a product despite of a weak economy and will appear that the company or business is doing all right. Mainstream media is the most effective way of advertising but if you are looking for an alternative to lower the cost, then below are some options: (I omitted online advertising because I already made a post for it)
Transit Ads
Also known as transport ads that targets commuters and motorists alike. Those ads are sometimes an LCD panel mounted on the vehicles like taxi cab or bus or a signboard mounted on top of jeepneys. Sometimes we see a wrap-around posters on cars, taxi cabs or buses. Since this form of advertising is mobile, it can reach many places and be seen on almost any places in the country unlike a static billboard built beside a highway. Billboards also have it’s disadvantages. They are also very large and expensive compared to transit ads and MMDA is against it because it clutters metro manila and also dangerous to lives and property.
Placemat Advertising
I never heard of this before and also never seen a placemat with advertising on it. Well naturally if I will eat in a restaurant like Pizza Hut or Max Fried Chicken the placemat will have a logo of their company on it. Also, I was thinking, what if Greenwich Pizza will advertise on Pizza Hut using a placemat, will Pizza Hut approve it since the advertiser is a competition? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it. But on the contrary, it is an effective medium of advertisement because people have no choice but to look at the placement while they are dining. As long as the advertiser is not a competing business, like for example, a bank will advertise on a diner, then it will be effective. It also have more advantages over a flyer which most often end in a waste basket.
SMS Advertising
This medium of advertisement seems not so new because most telecom networks are already using it to advertise their own products like for example: TEXT CHUVA CHUVA AND WIN 1 MILLION WORTH OF PRIZES. I haven’t got any third party advertisements on my mobile phone so far, only prank texts. Sending promotional text messages to someone not aware of it is similar to email spamming. That is why there is a law in the U.S. where email spammers are convicted and people who have emails need to opt-in on any mailing list before promotions can be sent to them. Anyway this is the SMS advertising company’s problem but it will reflect on our businesses if we will not investigate further on the company where we will endorse our advertising campaign.
Just be sure they have an opt-in procedure where SMS subscribers have to register first before they can receive advertising SMS messages. This way those who will receive the advertising campaign are already filtered out from those not interested and we can be sure that they will read and not delete it immediately. By the way, normally SMS advertisement are sold in packages like for example 1,500 text messages for Php1,000. So if you will not implement an opt-in method, those who are not interested will just delete it. If 750 text messages were not read and deleted, then you already lost 50% of the advertising cost plus the negative impression of your business.
Posted by Manuel
Manuel Montala was an online entrepreneur who enjoys blogging about entrepreneurship and gathering information for his blog to help budding entrepreneurs. You can also reach him on twitter: http://twitter.com/mmontala
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Advertising is a the key for a business to be known. With the proper advertising method, your business will surely grow.
Hi! Placemat advertising is being done by a 3rd party and not by the restaurant itself. The restaurant buys the placemat from this company. In exchange the restaurant’s ad will be on the placemat which gets circulated to other restaurants as well. So not only do you get a placemat but you get to advertise your restaurant in other restos as well. It’s good in that sense but like what you said, your direct competitors’ ads could also be on that placemat which can sometimes be not good for business.
To prevent this, a deal can be done between the resto and the provider to not include direct competitors in the placemat. This is possible because other non-resto establishments also advertise in the placemat. ^^
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The Pinoy Entrepreneur | Business Ideas
@The pinoy Entrepreneur
Hello! Yes I know that advertising is done by the 3rd party, not on the restaurant itself. But sometimes restaurants can use that too by announcing their promo like for example value meals or buy one take one promo.
Really enjoyed your blog there, advertising it always the only way to go when it comes to getting the word out there about your business, sms is a new one on me, thanks for the tips i shall be sure to spread the word to my crew at TRAVELHQR and hopefully we will get somewhere using the above ideas, cheers.
@john
Thanks for your comment.
One way of advertising is thru micro marketing thru direct advertising of leaflets and flyers that will be mailed directly to the residence address of the prospective clients.
I know a businessman who has this kind of business.
thanks for this information, why girlfriend is studying marketing and mentioned many of the points above. I agree that SMS and placement of ads is important and a must.
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