planning | The Genuine ScLoHo aka Scott Howard

Aiming at the Wrong Target

by Scott Howard | Mar 24, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice

Too many business owners aim their advertising at a single target. While that may have been a decent strategy twenty years ago, today, by narrowly aiming at a select group, you may be missing a much larger potential audience.

The goal of advertising should always be one of two things and in most cases both; it should be to increase sales AND build brand awareness. But all too often we get hung up on targeting very specific demographics when creating our media plans.

For example, it might not seem only reasonable for a baby-products retailer to target “women 18-49 with infants”. But according to the market research firm Scarborough, nearly half of those who bought infant clothing, 47%, were from households without children.

When it comes to grocery shopping, whom should you target, men or women?

The assumption is women do most of the grocery shopping. But do they? The answer is yes… and no! Statista research from 2020 will tell you that the primary shopper in the average household is 65% women and 35% men. However, in households where the grocery shopping duties are shared, men do 59% of the shopping compared to only 41% of the females. Furthermore, 70% of all secondary shopping is done by men.

Scarborough Research also found that nearly a quarter (23.5%) of all women’s cosmetics and perfumes were bought by men.

In his Twelve Causes of Advertising Failure, Roy Williams wrote. “The importance of qualitative data has been grossly overestimated by many advertisers and media professionals. In reality, saying the wrong thing has killed far more ad campaigns than reaching the wrong people. It is amazing how many people become ‘the right people’ when you are saying the right thing.”

Thinking beyond the traditional demographics your competitors are ‘targeting’ with their advertising can help you reach untapped markets to increase your sales.

Click here to read how to reach and influence “purchasers” rather than “demographics”.

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Are You Using Your Coop Funds?

by Scott Howard | Mar 9, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Your suppliers or vendors have a vested interest in your success, and most of them have access to extraordinary marketing funds and resources beyond traditional co-op to help you sell more of their products.

The problem is, seldom does anyone ask for these funds! If you don’t access those funds, you are literally throwing money away, or worse yet, your competitors will scoop those funds and use them against you.

In our How to Leverage Your Suppliers’ Marketing Muscle, tactic number one is “Tender your Next Ad Campaign”. Present a written proposal for submissions for marketing support to all of your suppliers outlining your proposed advertising schedule and investment, along with any special displays, promotions, demonstrations, or other exposure the winning bidder will receive.

Many business owners believe their hands are tied to rigid manufacturers’ restrictions if they use manufacturers’ co-op advertising funds, but seldom is this the case. The squeaky wheel oftentimes gets the grease!

If you are an appliance dealer, for example, and you sell GE and Whirlpool, your GE representative has a vested interest in you featuring GE versus Whirlpool in your ad.

If you make a presentation outlining the kind of campaign you propose to sell more GE without using the standard GE script or ad copy that the manufacturer supplies, it will generally be approved by their office because they don’t want your campaign to feature their competitor.

Nearly every business that offers products has a supplier, and these manufacturers and suppliers want to sell more products. Give them an idea of how you can sell more and they just might come up with some money. But you have to ask for it!

Still, other businesses opt not to leverage their suppliers’ marketing muscle because it takes time and effort. In today’s competitive environment, you need to take advantage of every competitive edge you can.

At WOWO Radio, me and my team have helped our advertising partners find and use hundreds of thousands of coop advertising dollars that our advertising partners use to get the the word out about their business to invite our listeners to spend money with them over the past few years.

Click here to retrieve our FREE How to Leverage Your Suppliers’ Marketing Muscle.

And reach out to me directly at Scott@WOWO.com for help.

Creating Success with WOWO Radio in 2021

by Scott Howard | Jan 5, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

As much as we want to kiss the year 2020 good-bye and move forward as if it never happened, we can’t. And we shouldn’t.

12 months ago all of us were planning on a very different year than what unfolded in 2020. The economy seemed to be moving forward after a market correction at the end of 2019, but unemployment was at record low numbers and it seemed like we were going to have a boom of a year.

It boomed alright, just not with confetti. More like a nuclear explosion.

Here in Fort Wayne Indiana, that boom hit around Friday March 13th, 2020. The Governor of Indiana was mandating restrictions on businesses that would take place the next week and suddenly we all had to determine what was essential and why. Many of my clients and advertising partners on WOWO radio were essential but some had to shut down for awhile. It didn’t seem fair that the small local business retailers were not allowed to stay open while the bigger national big box stores were still able to allow customers inside.

At WOWO radio and our parent company, Federated Media, we instituted a Work From Home Policy that was designed to keep everyone safe and healthy. In Fort Wayne, we operate out of two separate buildings. The south building is where the studios for WOWO, WMEE, K-105, The Bear, Big and the Fan are located. Our engineer was able to modify studios and set up equipment so our on-air talent was able to minimize the risk including broadcasting from home in several instances.

On the north side of town, Federated Media Fort Wayne Sales and Executive offices were also affected but differently. Our usual weekly in-person sales team meetings for WOWO were suspended. Federated Media had already instituted a work from home policy for their local sales teams over a decade ago, which meant instead of having an office or cubicle at the Fed Med office to report to everyday, if you were on the sales team for one of our local stations, you only had to come to the office occasionally.

When people asked me about my job, I would tell them most weeks I have two hours that I show up to the office, the rest of the week is mine to use as I see fit to do what I needed to accomplish. As a result, I spent between 10 and 25 hours a week in coffee shops.

Something else that was new in 2020 were some management changes at Federated Media in Fort Wayne.

At the end of 2019, our former market manager Jim Allgeier left Federated Media. After a nationwide search was conducted, they promoted from within. Ben Saurer, General Sales Manager for WOWO, WKJG & WBYR took over to lead Federated Media in Fort Wayne as our Vice-President and General Manager. For those of us who had been working directly under Ben at WOWO, it was a mixed blessing. We had a tremendous amount of respect for Ben and believed that he was the right person to step up and lead all of Fort Wayne. Yet we also knew that if he was promoted, someone else would take over the General Sales Manager position for the 3 stations he was taking care of.

So with the announcement of Ben’s promotion, came another nationwide search that Ben conducted to hire his General Sales Manager replacements. Initially Kassie Taksey was hired to become the Sales Manger of two of our smaller stations, WFWI & WKJG and shortly afterwards also became the General Sales Manger of the Bear. All three of these stations had great potential and Kassie was brought in to create a local sales team that would live up to that potential and she has done an excellent job with that in her first year especially with Covid and the ramifications. She took over our sports station when live sports were being cancelled and two of our music stations when concerts and events were being postponed or eliminated in 2020. Hat’s off to Kassie on her teams accomplishments!

The WOWO General Sales Manager position was (in Ben’s words) “The Most Important Hire I Make”. Here’s why:

Back in 2013, when I joined Federated Media, WOWO was one of the top 3 or 4 stations out of a dozen in Federated Media which operates stations in South Bend/Elkhart and Fort Wayne Indiana. The past few years, WOWO (under Ben’s leadership) became the top station in the company with a local sales budget that is nearly double (or more) than any of the other stations in our company.

The new WOWO General Sales Manager would be tasked with… Don’t Screw It Up.

Federated Media General Sales Managers have many roles but carrying their own list of accounts is not one of them. Only during certain circumstances does that happen and usually for a short period of time.

Coaching is the most important role I believe because if the GSM isn’t selling, then his/her team is and they need a coach to help them be their best.

Let’s look at the 2020 calendar again.

Right before Christmas 2019, Ben is told by the Chief Operating Officer of Federated Media that he will be promoted to VP/GM of Federated Media in Fort Wayne, leading the entire management team in the sales, programming, engineering, and special teams support staff effective in January 2020 which is when the announcement is made company wide.

In January 2020 Ben begins his nationwide search for his General Sales Manager replacements and brings back Kassie to take over three of the four stations that need a leader.

It takes 6 weeks and multiple interviews with candidates across the country before Ben pulls the trigger and promotes from within his WOWO local sales team and I am offered the WOWO General Sales Manager position the week after Valentines Day 2020.

Earlier in 2020, Federated Media had our annual awards ceremony called the “Feddy’s” and I had won a couple of awards for being the top salesperson in our entire company in 2019. Which presented a dilemma… does Ben take his companies top salesperson out of a sales role since that would not be my job anymore?

Throw in a couple more circumstances that I was not initially aware of in January 2020.

WOWO’s legendary salesperson and former air personality, Art Saltsberg was going to go into full retirement. A few years ago, Art scaled back his work load and was now only taking care of about 6 or 7 of his favorite clients. Art was now going to walk away completely in the first quarter of 2020. I remember listening to Art on WOWO when I was a kid in the 1970’s.

At the end of 2019 one of WOWO’s other top sellers decided to leave to take care of some personal matters. This lead to Ben recruiting two brand new salespeople to the WOWO Local Sales Team, a process that takes a couple of months before the decision is made.

The same week I was offered and accepted the General Sales Manager position for WOWO was the same week Ben added Andrew and Blake to the team to join the rest of us on WOWO.

A month later COVID hit and we all had to scramble to figure out what to do for the best interests of our advertising partners, our company and everyone involved. As weeks became months, most of us learned new ways of doing things. One member of the WOWO sales team who didn’t, left after 4 years. Meanwhile the WOWO sales person who has been with us the longest, had her best year ever due to learning how to adapt to circumstances.

As all of us reflect on 2020 and put together lessons to implement in 2021 there are a few items I want to share with you pertaining to working with WOWO radio to create success for you this year.

We want to help your business be successful. Every member of my WOWO local sales team will focus on your success.
We don’t just sell advertising schedules. This relates to #1. We want to partner with you and learn & understand your marketing, advertising and overall business needs and goals to craft a plan that we all agree on for the long run.
You are experts in your business. We are the experts in ours. It’s how we became the number one radio station in not just Federated Media, but in all of Fort Wayne with over two dozen radio stations.
We work as a team. This is one of the things I am most proud of regarding the WOWO local sales team. Tracy, Rob and myself have made ourselves available and are lending ideas, experience and expertise to Andrew and Blake who are completing their freshman year with WOWO. Now that Chris is back, he too is contributing to the collaboration that goes into the planning process for our advertising partners. We also have learned some ideas from Blake and Andrew too!
We will be honest with you and only make recommendations we believe are in the best interest for you. Want to sell Jordon’s on WOWO? We’ll connect you with one of our other stations unless you are a vintage collectors store that sells stuff our listeners would buy.
Advertising Partnerships. That is our goal. We want to create a bond between you and our listeners and it takes a commitment from you and us to make that work. If you want to “test the WOWO waters” with just a short term advertising schedule, you are not likely our ideal advertising client.
Flexibility. Or as I said last year, Pivot. Doing business in 2021 requires that we all do things differently than we were at the beginning of 2020. Yes, we can do Zoom meetings. Yes, we can change your message when circumstances change. Yes, we can… was our motto last year and it still is.

Ready for our help? Contact me: Scott@WOWO.com

Problems = Opportunities

by Scott Howard | Nov 10, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Have you heard the classic tale of the two shoe salesmen who were sent to a remote third-world village to sell shoes? When they arrived at the village, one immediately sent a message to his office saying, “There’s a problem. No one here wears shoes. Will return tonight”.

The other salesman, upon arrival, sent a message back to the home office as well saying, “We hit the jackpot! No one here has shoes. Send lots of inventory immediately”.

COVID-19 has caused one problem after another. However, for every problem it has created, it has also created an opportunity.

A quote that every business owner should hang on their office wall is this:

Problems = Opportunities

“It’s never a problem. It’s an opportunity to create a solution to a certain situation.”

The most successful businesses recognize problems as opportunities in disguise. After all, the first premise of marketing is “find a need and fill it”. The best companies and managers see those opportunities, while others are complacent and accept the status quo.

Robert Kennedy once said, “Others see things as they are and say, ‘Why?’ I see things as they could be and say, ‘Why not?” Do you see things as they are, or, as they could be?

At some point, hopefully much sooner than later, the COVID pandemic will ”officially” be over. But, in the aftermath of recovery impaired by closed businesses, displaced families, and increased competition, it can be easy to see people who “don’t wear shoes” versus people who “need shoes”.

Many of our clients are busy multi-tasking, negotiating leases, hiring and training staff, buying and selling merchandise, wrestling with health and safety regulations or bankers, and more. While marketing is on their to-do lists, their hectic schedules can cause them to miss some of the opportunities that lie ahead as we sit on the threshold of our world post-COVID.

Often, we need a fresh new perspective to focus on opportunities and growth. Me and my team are here to help with that perspective.

Contact me, Scott@WOWO.com to arrange a no-obligation appointment to explore how you can grow your business in the months to come.

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Priceless

by Scott Howard | Oct 6, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice

Do you remember the old Mastercard campaign? The title of it was “Priceless” and the impact of the campaign was “priceless”. “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s Mastercard.” This “idea” turned this struggling company around and saved the brand.

Here is a link to one of the memorable ads: https://www.marketingweek.com/mastercard-priceless-campaign/

As they say in baseball, we are heading into the 9th inning of 2020, or as we call it in business, Q4.

Faster than you can say, “Trick or Treat”, or know who the World Series Champion will be, the all-important holiday shopping season will begin.

Do you have an idea that is “Priceless”?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the businesses with the best promotions typically have the strongest sales, but how do they come up with these brilliant ideas? First of all, to get more than your fair share, the idea doesn’t have to be brilliant or “priceless”. A good idea is better than no idea at all.

Ideas sell. If you are simply opening your door, hanging mistletoe, and decorating with garland or a wreath, and playing Christmas music, don’t expect a big uptick in your sales.

I’m not talking about creating a “priceless” ad campaign for the holidays, although that wouldn’t hurt. I’m talking about building an event, a promotion, something designed to energize your current customers and attract new customers.

The trick is coming up with the idea. Don’t try to do it on your own. The old rule, “One of us is never as smart as all of us”, holds true when coming up with and creating successful promotions. The first step is to create a theme. Gather your valued and trusted employees and come up with something unique. Use Google to help, she has hundreds of ideas.

If you would like additional help with creating a holiday promotion event, click here for 12 Tips to Creating and Executing a Holiday Promotion or reach out to your media rep that provides these weekly tips to you. They will gladly help you come up with ideas.

We hope the idea you come up with is “Priceless”!

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Would you like professional advice from my team of marketers at WOWO radio? Drop me a note Scott@WOWO.com