So how do you do that?  The easiest way is to send a survey to your existing customer base.  This can be done via email or snail mail.  Give your customers some incentive to fill it out, too.  A discount off their next service or product purchase will greatly increase your return rate.  Remember to ask them what is important.  Ask them why they purchased from you in the first place and what would make them likely to purchase again.  Ask them if they would recommend your products or services to a friend, and make sure you also ask them why they feel that way.

Another method you can use to get inside the minds of your customers is to pay attention to who they are.  Take a good hard look at your customer database.  (And if you haven’t started a customer database, now is a good time to start.)  Are your primary purchasers women or men?  Do they have kids, are they teenagers, or are they empty nesters?  Are they –upper-, middle- or lower-income wage earners?  You should start to see trends in your data.  Sure, not every customer is alike, but you should still see groupings of customers that share similar characteristics. 

Another method you can use to find out who your customers are is to put together a focus group.  Your focus group participants should be fairly representative of your customers.  For example, if 60% of your customers seem to be middle-income, two-parent, dual-income families with two children, where the female is the primary decision-maker in the purchase, then 60% of your focus group participants should be made up of this group, too.  It is best when setting up a focus group to hire an outside moderator.  There are many independent moderators around and they are worth the investment.  Moderators are trained to assess the psychology of a group and to ask probing questions, minimize those who may try to monopolize the discussion and draw out those who may be more shy.  They can also help you craft appropriate questions for your group so that you get the maximum amount of information your investment.

So is all of this really necessary?  Yes!  There are many companies out there who try to compete for the same pool of customer dollars.  Customers are much more likely to purchase from a company who truly understands their needs and can speak to those needs than one who hasn’t taken the time to do the homework. 

By way of example, say you sell dry cleaning services.  Your company cleans mostly business suits, so you assume that your customers are primarily men.  In order to increase your sales, you send out a postcard to your customer base featuring a cute cheerleader.  On closer inspection, however, you later find out that although you primarily clean business suits, it’s the wives that drop the clothes off at your store.  How do you think that cheerleader would appeal to those busy moms as opposed to a picture of another busy mom who also used your services?  If you had taken the time to find out in advance who your customers really were, you wouldn’t have wasted time sending a postcard featuring a cheerleader when you would be more likely to get a better response from a postcard featuring someone your customers can really relate to.

-Janet Peavy

You can test any element: size of postcard, as mentioned above, different creative, different headlines, different demographics, different vehicles such as postcards vs. letters in an envelope.  You can even test such disparate elements as radio vs. TV advertising, various billboard locations, events, etc.  The point is to glean as much information from your campaign as possible and continually hone in on the best way to reach your customers.  All of these elements are testable if you set up your campaign properly.

Once your campaign is over, analysis is the key.  It’s important to have a baseline on your customer acquisition before you start your campaign.  You will need this information to compare any lift in customer response after your campaign concludes.  Also helpful is tracking information over time.  How long does it take for responses to come in after a certain campaign element has been launched?  This will help you estimate response the next time you decide to use this element in your marketing mix.

If you are not learning at least one new piece of information from your marketing campaign, you’ve missed an opportunity to learn something important about your customers.  Your test doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate, in fact, the simpler you make your test, the better.  The point is to get the information so that you can use it to make better decisions in the future.

-Janet Peavy

 For the past month, Billboard Connection has been working hand in hand with local advertising firm, Guerra- Deberry and Coody, to create an effective and memorable stroke awareness campaign for Baptist Health Systems.  In light of the recent news revealing that San Antonio was one of the worst places to have a stroke in Texas, Baptist has quickly responded.  Monday, August 6th, marked the first day that all five hospitals of the Baptist Health System  offered round-the-clock treatment for stroke victims. Before, a stroke victim in serious condition  would have to be transported to Austin or Dallas to secure care from a certified stroke program.  The addition of a twenty four hour stroke program is a huge step for healthcare in San Antonio.

After a few initial meetings,  Billboard Connection and GDC decided that an innovative and unique campaign would be the best approach to spreading the good news to our community. Various ideas included guerilla marketing tactics such as presenting street graffiti art, towing a giant helicopter banner, and even staging  stroke reenactments throughout the city! However, the first official event put on by BBC took place this past Friday at King Willies bar and grill during the monthly First Friday Festival downtown. The event was titled “Stroke Happens!” and was meant to push the fact that stroke can happen anywhere. To illustrate this fact, we installed 80 fully dressed mannequins ( donning nifty Stroke Happens Baptist T-Shirts) in a giant pile in the middle of King Willies. This installation represented the aproximate number of stroke related deaths in San Antonio for 35- 60 year olds each year!

Needless to say, the installation garnered a ton of attention. Passerby’s had no choice but to stare and inspect the scene as they walked by on their way through the facility. While visitors stopped, members of the GDC and BBC street team passed out informational flyers that help people recognize the 4 signs of a stroke victim. The information was well recieved and crowd members were relieved to hear that Baptist Healh System was improving service to stroke victims.

Crowd members took time to share a photo opportunity with the two lone standing mannequins. Even the SAPD dropped by learn about stroke awareness! From 10 am until 1 am, our crew passed out information and made sure everyone knew what the “giant pile of dummies” meant. Our installation even recieved praise from many art patrons visiting the near by blue star facility. People raved that the installation even reminded them of a TRUTH anti smoking commercial on tv. One young art lover had a particular fondness for our blue Stroke Happens! flyers…

While this particular could definately be categorized as Non Traditional /alternative advertising, it was throroughly effective on site! People were constantly asking questions and reading our material and signage. At the end of the day, we are confident that our bizzare yet innovative installation helped spread stroke awareness into the packed first friday crowd.

It was fun! Thanks for reading, now im shipping back to boston!
PS. We loved the wigs.

-By Geraud Gonzales, August 6 2008

ACA is a brilliant idea because it captures a specific audience at a time when they have nothing else but to stare and eagerly wait for luggage. The baggage carousel can be seen as its own destination within the airport, perfect for advertising.

Normally, most paid ads appear on the long hallways leading to and from the terminal gates. However, such hallways are hardly the ideal spot to grab a potential customer’s attention. Many travelers are often in a hurry and sprint to avoid missing a flight, thus completely ignoring an advertisement. With ACA, there is no way to hurriedly run past the message. The ad viewer is captive for 15-20 minutes as they stand and wait for luggage.

Whether you work for a large corporation or a small local business, airport advertising allows you to reach customers who control purchasing dollars and often have extra cash to spend.  Ninety-two million Americans have taken at least one round-trip flight in the past 12 months.  These travelers are 80% more likely to have an annual household income of $100,000 or more ( versus non air travelers). They are avid moviegoers and sophisticated shoppers. Men aged 25-54 make up the largest segment of frequent flyers in America.

If you are looking for a fresh way to spread the name of your business, airport carousel advertising is a wise choice. Because it is a relatively new idea, most viewers will be surprised and captivated to see what the revolving message is. As opposed to other airport advertisements, ACA does not even offer the audience an opportunity to ignore it.  Contact Billboard Connection if you want to get your company involved in this creative eye catching new form of advertising.

July 1 2008 By Geraud Gonzales

*images and statistics courtesy of www.doubletakemarketing.com

Over the past twenty years, the United States’ economic dominance has begun to diminish. . We are now living with an American economy that faces a cooling housing market and $4.00 per gallon gasoline. Amidst this recession, families and businesses struggle more than ever to make ends meet. Consumers, producers, and even advertisers are all heavily impacted by the trends of our national economy. However, our current economic situation isn’t necessarily all gloom and doom if we thoughtfully approach the way we do business. Therefore, it is imperative to always practice efficient and cost effective advertising. Utilizing, instead of loathing, the downward trend of our economy can be extremely beneficial to a successful ad campaign.

One great way to benefit from the nations monetary struggles is to capitalize on consumers’ desire for savings. Every year Texas shoppers get a break from state and local taxes, known as tax free weekend. This year from August 15^th-17^th, most clothing, footwear, and backpacks priced under $100 will be tax exempt. During this weekend, malls and shopping centers overflow with eager shoppers looking to save money on school clothing. According to Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas families will save $49 million in sales taxes during the tenth annual sales tax holiday. This means that the roads will be packed with eager consumers (with a positive mentality towards shopping) in position to view posters and billboards throughout the city.

In order to best take advantage of this busy weekend and the general back to school shopping mania, we recommend a 4-week billboard posting campaign starting July 21^st. This is right about the time when families will begin to shop for school supplies and clothing. Four weeks later, the campaign would expire on the day after tax free weekend ends. An outdoor advertising program would be perfect during these weeks filled with hectic travel and school shopping.

This is also a perfect opportunity to create cooperative contracts using products that qualify for tax exemption. For example, a local shoe store could advertise Nike tennis shoes on sale during tax free weekend. Negotiating a coop contract would cut your advertising expenses as well as attract saving seeking shoppers to your store. And remember, there are many products that are tax exempt besides school clothes including: baby clothes, diapers, boots, dresses, jogging apparel, and swim suits.

Late summer offers a huge opportunity for advertisers to capitalize on the massive amount of families getting ready to go back to school and work. As road traffic increases, there is no better time to invest in outdoor advertising. Creating brand awareness during the last few weeks of summer could produce huge dividends for your company in the long run. Because billboards have such a high frequency of views, people will retain the image of your company’s ad and instinctively recall it later when they are considering a purchase.

-Geraud Gonzales- Monday, June 16th 2008

      On April 28^th, 2008, Dermatology Clinical Research of San Antonio began a six week campaign featuring thirty three junior billboard (6’x12’) displays throughout the city.  The image below was used to attract the attention of eligible applicants willing to volunteer for research studies.                                                                                                                                                               

       As per the request of the client, the majority of displays were strategically chosen at locations that were most likely to reach the target audience. The target audience was low income adults and college students with psoriasis in hopes that they would be willing to participate in a clinical research study for some quick cash. Determining the most effective billboard placement is paramount in reaching the largest and most responsive amount of targeted customers. 

            In a follow up meeting three weeks after the campaign began, representatives from DCRS expressed supreme pleasure with their decision to work with Billboard Connection. Days after the campaign started, their office received a sudden influx of new applicants all citing the eye catching billboard as the reason for calling. During this meeting we were happy to learn that DCRS quickly recouped their advertising expenses (all of whom got the number from the billboards). Prior to utilizing billboards to advertise for their research study, DCRS focused on print advertisements. Initially this medium was quite effective, but later became stagnant with fewer and fewer calls each week. The ads became lost in a maze of other ads offering similar services.  However, once the billboard campaign began, the DCRS buzz was rejuvenated. The phones are still ringing and this client will continue to use outdoor advertising for their research programs.

-Geraud Gonzales Monday, June 9 2008

San Antonio has a lot of billboards. If you want to purchase billboard advertising, you’ve come to the right place.  In addition to billboards, San Antonio has other popular outdoor advertising products including transit advertising - buses and shelters, airport, and malls.  I find when most people are wanting to talk about billboard advertising, they are wanting to know about the big lighted displays lined along major San Antonio freeways and highways.  That’s a good place to start so I will do my best to be clear and provide good general information.

First, let me say - talking about billboards is my favorite subject.  So, why has it taken me so long to start writing about billboard products specifically available in this market? Well, because there is so much information to share, and I don’t want it to come out sounding complicated. The cost efficiency and effectiveness of outdoor advertising in San Antonio is anything but complicated.  Of course, I would say that having 20 years in the industry, but here me out. The why’s of the medium are simple to understand. With a great creative message, and good billboard placement, you’ve got a winning ad. Well, maybe not quite that simple. It can only be a winning ad if the goals and expectations of the advertising campaign are met. The medium works. It can work for you too if your campaign is carefully executed from the start. 

Let’s get started by talking about the big boards I mentioned in the beginning.  

Bulletins … Command Attention!

Bulletins are the popular billboards we see on freeways, and are seen in most major cities. I like to call them The Generals because they command attention. Typically, 14 feet X 48 feet,  these structures are magnificent for creating awareness and branding for local businesses in San Antonio. There are a generous amount of locations in our city, with each display strategically placed so that it alone creates an impactive message for the advertisement it bears.

Bulletins are found along all of our interstates and major freeways as well as some major secondary arterials such as Bandera Highway, Blanco and Perin Beitel.  Not all bulletins are 14′ X 48′.  There are other sizes in this market as well -10′x40’s, 20′x60’s - but usually bulletins are 14′x48′, and come with lights bearing illumination from dusk until midnight.  All night illumination can be purchased for a nominal fee for businesses that deem it necessary to target motorists traveling at night - like hotels and grocery stores that are opened 24 hours.

Bulletin creative is produced on flex face vinyl that is easy to remove, rotate to new locations or stored for future campaigns. Production of vinyl is produced by large or grand format printers that specialize in outdoor media production. Due to modern advances in jet ink printers, production costs are extremely cost efficient. Produced by a reputable printer, vinyl can last several years before fading - yes even with our S. Texas sun. Most likely, you will want to change your creative message long before your creative will ever start to fade.

Usually sold in long term contracts (6 to 12 months) - 14′x48′ bulletins have strong frequency.  Defining frequency simply  - the number of times a San Antonio driver had an opportunity to see your board over your contracted period. In radio, frequency would be the number of times a listener had an opportunity to hear your ad over the contracted time. Bulletins are huge in frequency because of our driving patterns - we drive the same arteries daily.  Creatures of habit, we get on the same freeway to go to work every day. Congestion? 76% of San Antonio drivers drive alone to work every day.  Anyone up for a car pooling campaign? Anyway, bulletins create a big opportunity for your ad to be viewed Frequently. Result: Ad Recall.

As I said, bulletins are typically sold in long term contracts - two ways. Rotary campaigns allow you to the opportunity to create Reach as well as Frequency. How many folks are you reaching with your ad dollars? Thinking about tying up all your outdoor ad dollars on 281 North? Yes, it’s a great demographic, lots of traffic,  - but if you are a pool company, you might not have Reached the guy who just bought a house in Universal City, works downtown and is ready to put a brand new salt water pool in with all the bells and whistles. Rotary programs offer the ability to maximize your advertising budget by providing more location opportunities over an extended time of 6 to 12 months. More simply put - your vinyl comes down about every 60 days and is moved to a new location. Outdoor advertising is extremely flexible, and can and should be strategically targeted to create as many advertising impressions as possible.

 The second way to purchase bulletins are in permanent programs. Your ad stays in one place, and is yours for the duration of the contract. Like real estate, the rate of the board is based on supply and demand of the artery purchased. Permanent bulletins provide constant assurance that your ad is front of your target audience 24/7 - 365 days a week. Many advertisers that purchase permanent displays use them for directional purposes - like hotels, restaurants and homebuilders. San Antonio is in a unique position being that we are the #1 tourist destination city in the state of Texas. There are many permanent long term billboard advertisements targeting visitors for tourist and entertainment destinations.  

Posting … Win The Battle!

Posters are the soldiers of billboard products. They create call to action.  Sold in groupings or showings they are purchased demographically and geographically. They are posted with your message all within the same time frame, therefore, creating instant impact all at once. High in Reach and Frequency, I love poster showings because they are incredibly effective when purchased strategically and in numbers. Like an army - you have to have a lot of soldiers on the field to win the battle.

There are two kinds of posters known in the industry - and San Antonio being a

billboard meca - we have both industry structures.  

30-Sheets are 12′x25′ and typically are illuminated.  The advertising message is produced on paper, and is reposted with new paper every 4-weeks as well as moved to a new set of locations.  8-Sheets are 6′x12′ and don’t have lights. Quite efficient, you can buy about 3 to 4 8-Sheets for every one 30-Sheet. In some markets, 8-Sheet placement is skewed to urban areas, but in San Antonio there is sufficient coverage throughout the market. It’s also important to note, that 30-Sheets on freeways can be included in a poster showing where 8-Sheets cannot due to lack of freeway inventory. There is also the illumination factor. Therefore, the overall numbers of a 30-Sheet program might be the wiser buy due to market delivery and coverage.

Billboards are only a small part of what Billboard Connection San Antonio is all about. Billboards are very inexpensive on a per impression basis, and give your local business instant branding in the geographical region you are interested in.

Show me the money - Women have the money

As the earning power, mobility, and number of families increase, women’s spending decisions are becoming increasingly important to the consumer spending portion of the economy. Below we will make the case that women are a market that is profitable to advertise.

Male Population vs Female Population since 1969

The female population growth has remained ahead of men since 1969.

Women’s Participation in the US Labor Force

As women’s participation in the labor force has increased, they have become more mobile, requiring newer forms of advertising to capture this audience.

Women’s Contribution to the Dual Income Family

There is absolutely no doubt that the spending power of the female demographic is growing at a faster rate (accelerating) faster than male spending power. While this does not necessarly mean that their spending power is greater or will maintain this rate of growth, it does leave room for the findings of Leo Burnett Worldwide.

Methods of Advertising to Women

Traditional media is increasingly becoming irrelevant as the newspaper, television, and radio industries hurriedly scurry about trying to figure out what the next form of advertising will be to sustain their industries, but this has been a boon for the outdoor and out of home advertising industry. As a result of this, my company specializes in traditional and non traditional out of home advertising.

What types of advertising are best directed towards women? If you are a local business, chances are your budget is not the same size as a nationwide company, and your target is certainly not the same target as a nationwide firm.

If you agree that nontraditional media is a sound and effective way of branding your business, then you might want to consider the following types of non traditional advertising:

• Hair Salons
  • Utilizing networks of hair salons in your local market allow you to place interior billboards to display to women as they sit in the salon, often times for several hours.
  • Branded aprons, pedicure mats, and process boards are all ideas you might consider if you are looking for maximum impact
• Nail Salons
  • Similar opportunities are available for nail salons. Nail salons typically are more specialized, and have a lower frequency than hair salon advertising.
• Spas and Yoga Studios
  • Both of these venues allow you to advertise to women who most likely are purchasing decision makers for high income families. Women who frequent spas, fitness clubs, or yoga studios are typically younger and have disposable income

Traditional Outdoor

There are methods available which allow you to use billboards and street posters to advertise to women commuters. Billboards are typically a general market product, but by using demographic software and recent census bureau information you should be able to do an adequate job using billboard advertising to reach the female demographic. However, keep in mind that many outdoor companies have learned that sheer geographic positioning has a lower than expected impact on the immediate surrounding area. This is why a billboard strategy must be accompanied by a long duration

If you need to speak to females and let them know about your product, you can - it is too often that business owners are unaware these options exist and therefore miss an opportunity that would have otherwise earned them a few sales.

A 2002 study by the American Association of Retired Persons determined that consumers age 45 and up are more likely to buy higher-priced brands and less likely to change brands just to get a cheaper price than people younger than 45. According to a study by Roper Reports, some 33% of Boomers are considered affluent - having household incomes exceeding $75,000. The Roper study also concludes that Boomers account for 49% of all affluent U.S. households. The spending power of the Baby Boom generation is estimated at $2.5 trillion.

As we have discussed before, drivers who drive more than 250 miles per week are classified as heavy drivers. According to Arbitron, these drivers are typically more educated and spend less time watching television. They hold a four-year degree, and are aged between 35 and 54. This demographic correlates highly with the baby boomer demographic. These consumers are on the move and thus require new forms of advertising to keep them informed.

Changes in purchasing behavior have increased the demand for alternative forms of advertising. Billboard advertising is also an effective way of capturing the attention of the mobile demographic.

Spending Habits
According to JWT Mature Market Group, the 50+ market accounts for 70% of all out-of-pocket spending on over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Based on a study by WSL Strategic Retail, mass merchandisers (shopped by 93%), supermarket/combo stores (82%), drug stores (78%) and home improvement stores (77%) rank as the favorite retail outlets for consumers aged 55+.
In addition, based on a study by R.L. Polk & Co., the five best-selling car brands in 2004 for consumers age 55+: 1. Chevrolet; 2. Ford; 3. Toyota; 4. Honda; 5. Dodge.

According to Furniture/Today’s 2005 annual Consumer Buying Trends Survey, Baby Boomers will account for 41% of all households planning to buy furniture in 2005. In a 2004 study by Vertis Customer Focus determined that younger Baby Boomers (23%) and older Baby Boomers (17%) account for 40 percent of shoppers of athletic equipment in the U.S.

Opportunities for Marketing to children
Not only do 50+ own two-thirds of US household wealth, but more than 400,000 grandparents age 65+ have the primary responsibility of caring for grandchildren who live with them. These factors make them a great target market for all kinds of products from luxury goods to toys and children’s clothing.

The majority of traditional outdoor offerings advertise directly to motorists. The automobile-driving audience is a prime target for outdoor advertising. I would like to give credit to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America for collecting this information.

Consumer Statistics (2005)

Repairs

According to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, 70% of all US households have someone who personally performed a repair on at least one vehicle during the previous year.

Over 36% of adults who shoped in a parts or supplies store in the past year were female, and 10% of Adults who had maintenance or repair work done at a quick lube shop in the past year are Hispanic.

Oil Changes

According to research I found which was conducted by The Market Segment Group regarding how different ethnicities change their oil, it shows that White consumers are most likely to go to a repair garage when (18%), Black American consumers are most likely to use an auto dealership(15%), and Hispanics are more likely to do it themselves (27%). I did not find out how this study was conducted, and therefore would not recommend drawing any hard and fast conclusions from these numbers.

Industry Trends

In 2003, National Car Care Month was changed from October to April, while June is the busiest month for auto service (get those ACs running again!) February and December are the slowest months for Auto Shops. According to the OAAA, auto dealers with service departments, 37% offer weekend service or evening hours, while 34% have neither evening or weekend hours.

Research conducted by Babcock research affirms the common knowledge that the busiest months for car care are the summer months, and when travelling to an oil-change garage, 67% of customers will travel 5 miles or less, while 15% will travel only within a 2 mile radius of their location.

The Dealership

Only one in four drivers return to the dealership for maintenance and repair work after the vehicle warranty has expired, and approximately 70% of franchised auto dealers had on-site body shops in 1974, a number that had dropped to 50% by 2004.

Recency

Over 10% of oil change facility and 5% of independent body shops use outdoor advertising to promote their business. (Keep in mind that outdoor advertising only fetches just over 2% share of US advertising dollars spent.)

Americans are spending more time in their cars, and the demographic makeup of these cars is as follows:

According to Arbitron, outdoor advertising can have an immediate impact! Forty-nine percent of the general population responded to a billboard ad within a week of seeing the ad. These results were based on a 12+ age group. Billboards catch that mobile population who notices price point ads and promotional advertising.

The auto after market is a great example of the local business which needs to create a local perception. San Antonio is jam packed with garages, quick lubes, brake centers, and tire stores. Using billboards is a great way to take advantage of the “when” of advertising; reach the target demographic when they are most ready to hear your message.