Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Choosing Tv Media Options

Posted by epearsall on 6/1/2005 at 2:23 PM ET 500 Points
Our business is Golf, Sport & Utility Vehicles. Since the use of golf cars for golfing use is flat, while use of golf carts for non-golf use and similar non-highway use vehicles is growing, we are spending our advertising dollars to grow this portion of our business.

We have a product that is a four wheel drive utility vehicle. It is best of breed in many ways, in particular it is very easy to operate (put in forward and go, versus others with shifters for speed ranges, shifters to lick the differential, etc), ride s the best and has the best warranty.

The market is crowded with non highway utility vehicles, most prominently the John Deere “Gator,”the Kawasaki “Mule,” and the Polaris Ranger, all of whom spend significantly more advertising dollars than we can…both at the manufacturer and local level.

Due to the fact that our location is not a prime retail location (space requirements for this business make prime location unaffordable) and the others are our spending us, we are having difficulty getting people to look at our product alternative. If we can get them in the door, we will sell many of them.

This product is a visual product…truly one where a picture is worth 1000 words, and where an action picture (video, tv ad) can really show off the product. With this in mind and since we can afford some TV advertising, I am considering spending about $5000 for this purpose.

Our dilemma is selection where to spend the dollars. Here are some of the choices:
1. Local cable company offers a “shopping channel,” which is positioned on cable between the local channels and the cables channels, to catch “surfers.” They offer a 13 week package with qty 45 2 minute “infomercials” per week, on a rotating schedule. Many business our size have used this medium.
2. Local TV station has offered a Saturday and Sunday Morning package
to air commercials beginning in June, each Saturdya and each Sunday, at at a rate of $75 per :30 spot targeted to Adults 35+ and Males 35+. Schedule will include the following programs:
Good Morning Show Saturday
Good Morning Show Sunday(bonus)1 spot per Sunday
We will be recognized in 8 paid commercials at $75 per spot and bonused 4 spots(1 per Sunday each Sunday). For “X no. of months
3. We can buy spots on “The weather channel” for about $50 per spot. The assumption here is that we are selling this product to outdoorsy people, who check the weather channel before going for their outdoor activities.

We have not have very good results with local newspapers, which would eat up this budget with 2 2colx5 insertions, not with direct mail, as we cannot seem to find a small enough list to afford.

Typical buyer is male, 35-60, typically owner of 5 or more acres, although narrowing the buyer to a single profile is not accurate. We have a pretty wide profile of buyers and purposes for buying this type of vehicle.

The question, in two parts: A: Can we get the job done with $5000? B: Which of the alternatives makes most sense (underlying question: Since TV obviously charges based on audience reached, is it better to have fewer commercials to a larger audience, or lots more to a smaller audience)

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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 6/1/2005 at 2:27 PM Member
    Have you considered online commercials? Could you drive your audience to the web to check out your cool product?
  • Posted by Milesp on 6/1/2005 at 2:34 PM Accepted
    You need to look at the raw audience numbers your campaign will reach. To be honest, the channels and dayparts you've listed deliver very limited audiences, so you'll be missing out on a HUGE part of your target market.

    If you're stuck on running TV, a) you should consider spending more and/or b) fewer spots in higher-audience programming would be better. If your product is as attractive as you've described, you won't need high frequency to motivate prospects to visit your store.

    You might want to consider some outdoor media (billboards, bus shelters). And your most cost-effective use of the funds might be some web-based advertising (such as ads on targeted website ads and in targeted e-newsletters). You can target by area of interest but, more importantly, by geography so you reach the local community. Also, leveraging search engines can give you some great results.
  • Posted by epearsall on 6/1/2005 at 2:37 PM Author
    We don't sell nationwide so on line would reach many persons we can't sell to (can't practically, as shipping costs become excessive); If there's a regional way to do on line ads I might want to look at this option
  • Posted by epearsall on 6/1/2005 at 2:42 PM Author
    I am unfamiliar with how to select and advertise to targeted websites and e-newsletters. If I could advertise to anyone in my immediate area who was shopping on line for this type of product, that would be great. How?
  • Posted on 6/1/2005 at 4:30 PM Member
    You could place adds on local websites such as the TV stations or newspapers. I am sure you can buy a targetted list for a mass mailer. If not an online list you can always send a direct mail piece encouraging people to visit your website.
  • Posted by michael on 6/1/2005 at 5:05 PM Member
    I'm going to go WAY off the beaten track on this one:

    1) Take a few of these out for a drive at the local Home Depot or Meijer grocery store or the more expensive neighborhoods (about 5 of my neighbors have golf carts in their garages!) or a restaurant on a saturday night. when people are waiting in line to get seated. Volunteer to drive them to their cars. Movie theatres are also good for this because young kids are dropped off by thier parents.

    2) Radio advertising (doesn't work for consultants!) works well for products provided your ad drives people to your website OR an 800 number where they can get a DVD.

    3) "Project" this thing with a rep firm that will handle the first 2 parts of the sales process (Locate prospects and contact prospects) leaving you with the last (close prospects). Tell them upfront it's $5000 or $1000 per month for 5 months. (See www.replocate.com to post this. We've done work for people who post there)

    4) Buy a list from the RV dealers in the state. They're much less expensive than list brokers (sorry guys!)

    Hope this helps!
    Michael
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 6/2/2005 at 11:11 AM Member
    Surely there is a news story here?

    If not, make one up by staging some of the promotional activities suggested above.

    But tell the local TV, radio and newspapers what you are doing, and where they can catch you doing it.

    That should ensure you some promotional coverage well beyond the reach of your $5000.

    Use the $5000 to fuel the promo activity machine, not on advertising. You'll get vastly better mileage out of it, although you'll have to work harder to get the ideas up, running and captured by the media. If you haven't got the media contacts or PR experience, use some of the money to hire a well-connected professional.

    Good Luck!

  • Posted by epearsall on 6/2/2005 at 4:52 PM Author
    Reply to Rob
    Interesting idea, perhaps we can do a live demo of some kind. I hope some of the big stores will let us us their lot. The obstacle course would be great also, IF we can figure out a place tough enough yet still accessable.
    This is NOT a golf car. It would not be allowed anywhere near the course! We are familiar with all the golfing market and where private cart ownership is allowed (which is the exception, not the rule) we have lots of customers.
    Re TV, the manufacturer has a 30 sec spot, so no production costs would apply (try:
    https://ns3.n-s.com/new_clubcar/
    XRT1500/home_flash.htm )
    I guess my question is..if TV is mass media, then at prime time there will be sya, 50,000 seeing it, perhaps 500 possible buyers...I not sure I could get 500 potential buyers at any one spot!
  • Posted by epearsall on 6/2/2005 at 7:44 PM Author
    Everyone sure gave me a lot to think about.
    Some of the ideas are great, but very costly in time and other resources. If this were the ONLY focus of this business, the events ideas would be a sure bet. But we have a significant number of other business activities. When the product was first introduced, the manufacturer brought a select group of larger dealers to a field trial, which was great, but would be very costly for us to duplicate locally. They did have a "demo ramp" which could be constructed and trailered to parking lots, if the property owners would allow it. With so many hungry lawyers around, I wonder...

    I may build the ramp, do some on sites, AND use the manufactueres 30 sec tv spot to promote the event.

    Make sense?
    Thanks for all the ideas...epearsall
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