Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

My Client Needs To Go To The Next Level And Not Think Like A Mom & Pop Organization. Any Ideas Of How To Help Them Get To The Next Level?

Posted by uberDesigns on 5/11/2004 at 12:49 PM ET 250 Points
I have a great client that will be opening a new store soon for a total of 3 (they sell skis, snowboards, wakeboards etc). I do their advertising and some marketing for them. They are no longer a Mom & Pop organization but they run their business as such (they would disagree with me in a serious way with that comment). They view advertising and marketing as necessary but cringe with each dollar spent. I have a budget meeting with them soon and am preparing a presentation for gaining new customers, maintaining their current customers and such but would like to work in that they may need to hire a marketing professional to get their advertising and marketing dollars allocated as efficiently as possible. The problem exists in that I’m held partially responsible for lack of profit when it comes to the advertising, they often disregard or refuse any suggestions I may make, and I fear that that they will not be getting the best bang for their buck (and they have the bucks!). They are difficult to communicate with when it comes to sending me feedback from a promotion we may have done or event and my hands are sort of tied. I can’t work with nothing. Any suggestions of how I can work with them to get them to not think like a Mom & Pop organization and go to the next level?
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  • Posted by uberDesigns on 5/11/2004 at 4:10 PM Author
    Thank you kwinters. My idea of a "Mom & Pop" is working off of limited efforts. In order for them to increase their profits as they hope to, they need to make more of an effort to gather information, coordinate the radio, print, web and other media, and utilize that gathered information in an efficient manner. Right now they say they "don't have time" to do such things and there is only so much I can do on my end without feedback from promotions and events as well as without cooperation from the owner and/or staff. So I'm limited in what I can do for them. They want more profits but don't want to do more than they are already doing.
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 5/11/2004 at 8:09 PM Accepted
    Crazy idea, perhaps: Gently fire this customer.

    Why?

    From my own experience [but NOT as a marketing service provider] in my first business...

    1. This customer brought more frustration than revenue.

    2. The quality of work we were capable of producing was consistently undermined by this client.

    3. I was too embarrassed by the mangled outcome of our work to ever use this customer as a reference or put our deliverables into a portfolio.

    Not an easy thing to do... but an option to consider. And please believe that I'm not suggesting this as a manipulative tactic, but as something to think through.

    - Shelley
  • Posted by uberDesigns on 5/12/2004 at 12:21 PM Author
    Thank you everyone! I appreciate your comments. You were very helpful. Have a great summer!
  • Posted by telemoxie on 5/12/2004 at 2:15 PM Member
    I agree with kwinters that it could be a bad idea to "get rid of them" - and so what I would do is to - RAISE THEIR RATES. They will either take you a bit more seriously and pay the higher rates, or they will not. You win either way.
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