Worthwhile Advertising

How’s your web site?

Michael Mayfield — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:00:09 +0000

I finished this real estate web site for a client not too long ago. Because of the dynamic property listing database and the user content management system, it was the most complicated site I’ve overseen. Fortunately, I work with some great people, so things went well.

As complicated as things are on the back end of this site, the site itself communicates its message in a fairly simple manner. We’ve talked before about the need to keep things simple in order to communicate effectively, and this is still true even for a web site. Because so many things are possible in a web site, it is tempting to try to incorporate as many flashy elements as you can in order to get attention. This is always a mistake. If your message is relevant, then it will get attention. If you message is not relevant, then all the flash and pizzazz in the world will not help you grow your clientele.

Slate recently did an article on why restaurant web sites are so bad. It’s worth reading. And ask yourself, “Is my web site driving my customers mad?”

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The benefits of professional services

Michael Mayfield — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:00:27 +0000

David Airey has a series of posts about the business lessons you can learn from Aesop’s fables. Thoughtful stuff for business owners. The lesson on hiring a professional stands out to me. I often see business owners try to save money by enlisting the help of someone who lacks experience. This is especially true with graphic design and video production.

Having some software is not the same thing as being able to use those tools to effectively communicate a specific message. Most people own a wrench, but that doesn’t mean they can fix your car, does it? For some reason, that realization is lost on a lot of business owners when it comes to logos, advertising, or web site development.

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Literal logos

Michael Mayfield — Tue, 24 May 2011 11:00:24 +0000

Logo Design Love says your logo doesn’t have to show what you do. I heartily agree.

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Playing nice, or being nice?

Michael Mayfield — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:00:19 +0000

A client recently informed me that they were having trouble with their web site. I designed the site quite some time ago, so it had been a while since I had looked at it. Everything seemed to be working fine (the problem turned out to be a temporary access issue while the hosting service upgraded their servers), so I took a quick look at the client’s blog and this post caught my eye.

A lot of businesses talk about their great customer service, but I rarely experience it. We rarely talk about Thom’s customer service in his advertising, but based on my own experience with him, he regularly delivers.

Advertising is well and good, but you need to deliver on your promises or all the advertising in the world won’t help you.

Full disclosure: Thom is a client, but he didn’t ask me to write this post, nor am I getting any compensation for writing it. I figure one kind turn deserves another.

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Excitement!

Michael Mayfield — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:00:04 +0000

When making an ad, most people want it to be exciting. That’s understandable. If people are excited about your product or service, they’re more likely to become customers. And besides, no one wants to be boring.

But exciting may not be the best choice.

While all ads must have an emotional pull, excitement is not an emotion that can be sustained. Excitement takes a lot of energy and you grow tired of it very quickly. Once your audience has become familiar with you – and that’s exactly what you want – you will not be exciting anymore.

Do you want people to grow tired of your ads? Then try to be exciting. You’ll get tired and your audience will get tired of it. You might get some short-term benefit, but it is not something that can be sustained.

But there is another reason excitement doesn’t work: you can’t manufacture it. You can jump up and down and cheer all you want to, but when you get people’s attention they will ask you, “What’s all the commotion about?” The answer to that question will determine whether or not the audience gets excited.

And that leads us to your message. The message is the most important part of your advertising. It’s more important to be relevant than it is to be exciting. People respond to relevance, and they never grow tired of it.

People buy products for a lot of reasons, but rarely do they buy something because its exciting. Make an emotional appeal that addresses the real reason people buy your product or service, and people will respond to your ad.

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116 years

Michael Mayfield — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:57:40 +0000

In 1895, Coca-Cola ran its first advertisement. I doubt this is that ad, but it does date back to the 1890′s. My how ad styles change, except for the logo.

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Custom Jewelry

Michael Mayfield — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:00:09 +0000

Goldcreations – Custom Jewelry from Mike Mayfield on Vimeo.

I completed this spot for the client this past November, but it just began airing this month so I thought I would share it with you.

We could have told people how this jeweler uses 3D design software to mock up the jewelry so you can see exactly what it will look like before you approve its manufacture, or we could have mentioned that they use a computerized state of the art mill to cut the wax mold exactly the way the jewelry was intended. But we didn’t. That information is useful if you are trying to decide which jeweler you’ll use to create your custom jewelry, but why would you bother having a custom ring or necklace made in the first place?

There are a lot of reasons people have custom jewelry made, but every one of those reasons touch on one thing: the person doesn’t want the same thing everyone else has. They want their piece to be unique. Directly address that desire and your ad will resonate with your audience.

It helps to remember what you’re really selling.

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Wrough Iron Contracting

Michael Mayfield — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:00:54 +0000

Here’s a look at the new logo for Wrough Iron Contracting, a logging contractor in British Columbia. Wrough iron is another name for wrought iron, the metal that blacksmiths bend and pound to make their wares.

The company name immediately brought to my mind the image of a branding iron, and the owners loved the idea. Early drafts incorporating a literal branding iron were abandoned. Eventually the mark became an actual representation of a livestock brand.

The WR in the icon was selected to emphasize the spelling of the word “Wrough,” distinguishing it from its homonym, “rough.” If the brand is “called,” or read aloud, it is the Bar W R Combined. Both the icon and the lettering have a rough feel to them, as if they have been burned into the page by a branding iron.

This was a fun logo to work on. The client loved it and it will serve them well into the future.

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How do you set your prices?

Michael Mayfield — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 01:00:03 +0000

Seth Godin has a recent blog post on pricing power. Here’s a quote that stood out to me:

We often find ourselve stuck, matching the other guy’s price, or worse, racing to the bottom to be cheaper. Cheaper is the last refuge of the marketer unable to invent a better product and tell a better story.

There’s a school of marketing that says you have to have the lowest price. That’s basically Walmart’s marketing position.

I don’t buy it, no pun intended. If people only buy the least expensive cars, then how does Mercedes Benz stay in business?

Just some food for thought.

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In all your seeking, get wisdom

Michael Mayfield — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:00:35 +0000

You might remember the time I told you about the small business that ruined its advertising. I recently found out that the company is closing the doors on the store in question.

It could be the economy, because the economy is tough right now. But if that small business had followed through on its advertising strategy, they would have been in a stronger position to weather this economic environment. They could not be dissuaded from the naive assumption that they didn’t need to communicate with their potential customers.

Treat your advertising as an investment. Start out conservatively and branch out slowly as you build your advertising presence. And don’t be afraid to consult with an advertising professional to get sound advice.

I bet you have an accountant and some sort of financial advisor. Treat your advertising and marketing investment the same way.

Worthwhile Advertising

How’s your web site?

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The benefits of professional services

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Literal logos

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Playing nice, or being nice?

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Excitement!

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116 years

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Custom Jewelry

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Wrough Iron Contracting

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How do you set your prices?

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In all your seeking, get wisdom

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