Welcome,

Does it seem like most magazines have had the diet many of us crave? They get thinner and thinner without even trying. Diminishing ad revenues. More fierce competition. Everyday. Multi-media are making numerous magazines desperate for business, or forcing them to pack up the tent altogether. And it’s so unfair. Magazines will get people talking about you.

Did you know magazines are the leading contributor to word of mouth recommendations? Many advertisers like you feel their magazine ads aren't working. So they stop advertising.  So the magazine gets thinner. So the magazine has a harder time selling because they're getting thinner. Advertisers don't want to use a thin magazine, so they stop advertising there. The circle is perpetuated. This is true in both trade and consumer magazines.

Here's How You Fix This.

Create and run better ads. Your ad is your salesman. Give the customer solid, usable, real, genuine information. Egos be damned, the customer cares little about your logo. Even less about how many awards you've won. They want information. Pretty pictures seldom drive the sale. They want to know:

How does it work?
Why is it better than what I'm using now?
What colours does it come in?
Is it guaranteed?
For how long?
Where are the technical specs? (at least some of them)
What problem are you solving?

(Incidentally, price is not the exclusive motivator for any product purchase. If you can show how you deliver a superior benefit(s), customers will pay a premium.)

Yes, it should be creatively delivered, but the integrity of the sales message has to be paramount. People are forgetful. Do you remember ANY of the 3,500 messages (Media Spike #11) that hit you today? You're competing with over 24,000 messages per week. Unless you've carved an identity by putting the client first-solving their problems, your prospect turns the page.

Did you know at this writing the average cost for a full page 4 colour ad in one of the Top 10 Canadian English Consumer Magazines is $29,428.80, averaging 502,000 circulation achieving about 3,273,000 readership? How many units or models do you have to sell to pay for that ad? Maybe six, perhaps seventy-one, or 5,000? Make your ad the best salesman you've ever hired.

Tell your whole story. Imagine that this is the ONLY communication your prospect will ever see. This one ad of yours is your gospel. Are you forgotten with a flip of the page? That's an expensive way to sell. You may get pats on the back. Ovations at award shows. Great. How many sales did it produce? Sales pay salaries.  Did you give them what they wanted and needed, or did you just look good on the page?

How Powerful is a Magazine? Ever heard of Rolls Royce? Mr. David Ogilvy, an ad genius, wrote factual, information based ads for Rolls Royce. Arguably his most famous ad read: "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock."  This first appeared in 1958.

The implied benefit of impeccable engineering only escalated Rolls Royce sales and image for many years. The ad went on to highlight 19 specific facts that informed prospects of all that Rolls Royce has to offer. The original ad ran in only two magazines and two newspapers. That's it. And more than ½ century later, it remains legendary. That's The Power of 26. Will your ads have the same longevity and impact?

Okay Dennis, so this ad history stuff is kinda neat, but what else can I do now that the whole world it seems has abandoned everything else in favour of Digital formats and the jungle of Social Media?

If you promise to come back tomorrow, I’ll tell you, and I’ll save you a spot-right where you are.

Stay tuned.

P.S. The above named ad genius David Ogilvy, was one of the founding names behind advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather.  Bonus points if you can name what he deemed was The Most Important Decision to impact the sales of your product? This was #1 on his list of 38.

"Like to learn more? Nine Secrets of How To Improve Your Advertising and How To Actually Make Your Ads Outperform Your Competition  is not for everyone.  It’s for smart marketers who want proven tips to make their ads work harder and smarter.

Is that YOU?
If it is, click here for your copy of, "9 Secrets To Improve Your Advertising."

Do It Now. As a Masthead Online Reader, you can order your own copy for just $30, but only until you reach Media Spike #57.  After that, the price returns to $197.