Look at any print ad, brochure, flyer or listen to any radio or TV ad. Does it give you any reason to buy their product or, at least, make you want to investigate them further? 99% of the time you will say "no". In fact, most marketing fails even the most basic requirement: to get the attention of their prospect.
Why do hundreds of companies pour millions of dollars down the toilet?
Most companies have no clue they are wasting their money. They blindly follow the advice of media salespeople and advertising agencies whose only goal is to get you to buy more media placements. (Ask yourself who is making money from that..) Many smaller companies do their own marketing and just don't understand the principles so they copy what the big boys do. Consumers are hit with literally hundreds of messages each day! It is more critical than ever to distinguish your company and product from your competition to bridge the confidence gap and create credibility in the mind of your prospect.
Why does most marketing fail?
The majority of people writing marketing materials have no understanding of the 3 goals of marketing. They fail to engage their intended target market with relevant and compelling information and fail to create a mental picture for their prospect. Usually you will see a company name, a list of products or services laced with meaningless platitudes, and a phone number. If your prospect can't see themselves using your product or service or if you have not solved their problem you will not get them to take action.
Good marketing costs the same as bad marketing. Which do you want?
