April 2007
In this issue:
Wizard of Ads
NOC 2007
The New 4
Faithful Buyers
Brain Branding
Fast Facts
Brain Branding & Repeat Buyers
Key Fact
271,123 different individuals visited SermonCentral.com in February.
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Wizard of Ads Speaks
Advertising isn't working as it did a few years ago. TV, radio and newspapers all bemoan the decline in ad results. "Wizard of Ads" Roy Williams claims he's discovered and proved that (A) Internet surfing has trained us to disregard empty words and (B) Relevance has become more important than repetition. The audience is still there. What's gone is their willingness to pay attention to drivel. He says, to make your advertising work like it should, you're going to have to: (1) Talk about things your customer actually cares about. (2) Write your ads in a style that rings true. (3) Avoid heroic chest thumping. "We are the numer one..." is now considered gauche and passè. (4) Close the loopholes in your ads. Offer evidence to support what you say. (5) Be specific. Details are more believable than generalities. (6) Deliver a real message. Substance is more important than style. Creativity and repetition can no longer cover up for an ad that actually says nothing. You've got to have a message that matters.
(Monday Morning Memo, Wizard of Ads 3/5/07)
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National Outreach Convention 2007
Reach decision makers from America’s fastest-growing and outreach-oriented churches by exhibiting at the National Outreach Convention. Christian leaders gather at the NOC to discover ideas, gain insights and be inspired to advance the kingdom through the outreach efforts of their local church.Don’t miss your chance to get your products and services in front of these influential decision makers in the Christian market, and align yourself with the vision and mission of the country’s premier outreach event. Click Here for details.
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The New 4
The New 4 Ps are Preference, Premium price, Portion of budget and Permanence of relationship, says Lior Arussy, Strativity Group. Customer centric, they are replacing the historic company centric 4 Ps of Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Paul Greenberg, author of CRM at the Speed of Light, observes, "Today's business ecosystem is controlled by the customer. They are contextual, connected, collaborative, creative and content-driven. That means customers are looking for personalized experiences with an organization that provides aggregate capabilities to enhance those experiences." We're in a world where marketers become front-liners whose job is to engage the customer or donor and enhance the relationship.
(1 to 1 Magazine 1-2/07)
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Faithful Buyers
The Christian Retail Industry brings in $4.5 billion annually and experts say the market for Christian books and other merchandise will grow to $9.5 billion by 2010. Books dominate the market, garnering 52% of ‘05 sales, reports market researcher Packaged Facts. Baylor University’s Christopher Bader, says many people manifest their religion by book buying. Protestant evangelicals are the most likely people to spend more than $50 a month on religious goods.
(BP News 12/14/06)
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Brain Branding
New medical research links brain functions to brand impact. The goal is to understand how the brain processes advertising and media content to shape thinking about advertising and brands. Strong brands activated a network of cortical areas and areas involved in positive emotional processing and associated with self-identification and rewards. Strong brands were processed with less effort on the part of the brain while weak brands showed higher levels of activation in areas of working memory and negative emotional response.
(Media Daily News 11/28)
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Fast Facts
- 4 seconds is the maximum length of time an average online shopper will wait for a Web page to load before potentially abandoning a retail site.
- Boomers spend $2 trillion annually on goods and services according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- During October '06, US population hit 300 million people and the Internet topped 100 million websites.
- Of the 80 million U.S. online households, 75% have purchased product over the Internet.
- Total U.S. advertising spending is expected to increase 2.6% in ‘07 to $153.7 billion. Spending on Internet advertising will reach at least $19.5 billion in ’07, up 19% from ’06.
