Promo Insights

Tony Soprano’s Marketing Secrets!

by Brad Petersen

Dear John,

Last Sunday, my Marketing Manager, Wes, and his
wife headed out with some friends to an LA comedy
club called The Groundlings.

The Groundlings is a “sketch comedy” club located
smack-dab in the middle of Melrose Avenue.

Just an FYI…

Melrose Avenue is LA’s “heartbeat” of freaks…
geeks… weirdos… and…

Hollywood Stars!

It’s not uncommon… strolling down Melrose… to
bump into a few big time A-list celebrities.

Which on one hand is kind of stupid.

And on the other, is pretty cool.

Which gets to my point:

You’ll never guess who sat next to Wes at this
comedy show?

None other than James Gandolfini… aka Tony
Soprano.

No kidding!

And Wes, being a huge Sopranos fan, nearly peed
his pants in excitement

However, since he didn’t want to bumble up to Mr.
Gandolfini… like a goofy teenager at a Britney
Spears concert…

…he just sat in silence.

Listening to Gandolfini’s boisterous laugh.

He never introduced himself… never shook his
hand… failed to get his picture taken.

Oh well, it’s Wes’s loss — but it’s your gain
because the encounter got Wes and I to thinking…

How would Tony Soprano market a business?
Here’s a few ideas:

——————————————————
#1 Tony Soprano Would Make Sure His Messages
Got Read!
——————————————————

A big part of marketing is simply getting your
message read.

And you’d better believe Tony knows the importance
of being heard — and of being believed.

After all, what good is a threat on somebody’s life if
nobody reads it or believes it?

The same goes for your marketing messages. That’s
why it’s critical that they be so loaded with content of
importance and value to your list that no one would
dare fail to open them.

And, by the way, doing that ensures that your purely
sales messages will get opened, as well.

——————————————————
#2 Tony Soprano Would Include A Killer Offer
——————————————————

Tony didn’t mess around with business unless there
was something “big” in it for him.

Plus, he was a killer!

So, don’t you think Tony’s marketing would contain
a killer offer that the prospect “couldn’t refuse”?

Most marketers vastly underestimate the importance
of the offer, and how improving it can bring about an
almost unbelievable spike in sales.

——————————————————
#3 Tony Soprano Would Go After His Current Customers
——————————————————

How likely is it that Tony would forget to collect
protection money from his current clients, while
continually pursuing new clients?

Not likely — yet most business owners do just that,
letting their current customers twist in the wind while
they pursue new opportunities.

Please don’t make that mistake. It could kill your
business as readily as Tony Soprano offed his
competitors.

——————————————————
#4 Tony Soprano Never Quits!
——————————————————

Tony always finds a way to win. Even if it means
cheating and breaking the law.

I’m NOT suggesting you do either of those.

But, I do know that your marketing will include
promos that fail… products that bomb… and ideas
that don’t work out.

To be successful, you have to ignore all that and keep
plugging away with all you’ve got and everything
you know to make your business as successful as
possible.

Here’s to your success… the Tony Soprano way,

–Brad Petersen

******************************

Need help with your next direct mail piece, online
sales campaign or product launch? I’m available on a
limited basis. Just send an e-mail to
brad.petersen@verizon.net with some details about
your project and I’ll be in touch.

Lastly, don’t forget to to send your friends and
colleagues to the Weekly Breakthrough website
so they can get their own subscription to
Weekly Breakthrough, as well as a copy of my
Special Report: http://www.weeklybreakthrough.com

Thank you.

Petersen Direct
1840 S. Elena Avenue
Redondo Beach CA, 90277

© 2010 All rights reserved.
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Just recently there was a piece by Steve McKee in BusinessWeek about why your business advertising might not be working so well. The article was prompted by the results of an AdweekMedia poll on social network site LinkedIn where respondents were asked, “Of the ads you see in a typical day, how many engage your attention?”

Wanna guess what the answers were?

Two thirds of the respondents (I count myself as among their number) or 66%, answered “a small minority of them”; while another 25% answered “none of them”. Think about this for a second… 91% of the audience have managed to ignore the best efforts of advertising geniuses all across the web. Gripe about the limitations of Internet surveys all you want, even so these results cannot be ignored. Want even more proof of how good we all are at filtering ads? Consider your own experience… how many ads do you find truly memorable? Probably not that many.

In the poll, men were more apt not to be engaged by the ads they saw in a typical day. Another 29% from the all-important 18-24 year old demographic lived up to the reputation that young adults are an audience that gives advertisers trouble. Yet another problem area, a bit surprisingly perhaps, is business owners themselves, these busy souls are more likely to ignore ads they see each day.

The BusinessWeek piece goes on to give 7 reasons why your own advertising efforts might not be doing your business justice. As an advertising professional with more years in the business than I care to admit, all of these reasons, though seemingly obvious, have merit and can help you create advertising that stands out from the clutter.

Short and sweet, here are McKee’s suggestions:

1.Ads must offer information, entertainment or engagement — without at least tow, your ad is in trouble.
2.Ads are extensions of your brand (product or service) and should focus on giving not getting.
3.Be different, do things that have never been done before, and be prepared that initially at least, people might not like it.
4.Ads need to focus on one single, compelling idea or point, with flair.
5.Give it time, it will take more than one exposure to get your message to sink in.
6.Your ads are for your target market, not for you. You don’t have to “like” your ads in terms of color or style, but your audience does.
7.Ads can’t take the place of faulty product design, outdated procedures, customer service letdowns and such.
If you’re struggling with your business advertising, a trusted (and objective) colleague is a great source of feedback. You also might consider hiring professionals, either freelance or on staff, to help you get your advertising on track. Investing in advertising is hard, but well worth it in terms of crafting the right message and delivering it effectively.

When it comes to breaking through the advertising clutter, and getting remembered, the Advertising Specialties Impressions Study found that 84% of people remember the advertiser on a promotional product they receive. Sure beats the 1 in 100 respondents who said “most of them” in the LinkedIn poll. What’s more, this level of retention has also been shown to cost less per impression than magazine and newspaper ads, cable TV ads or radio spots — ideal for today’s tight budgets.

And in case you’re trying to decide what promotional product to choose… some of the most popular are everyday useful, quality items — pens are great and always appreciated. You might also consider other lasting, valued products like shirts, caps or bags. Seasonal essentials like lip balm or hand sanitizer — both sure to be appreciated as the cold and flu season bear down on us all — are also affordable, effective ways to get your business noticed, and remembered.

If nothing else, these items sure rise above the clutter of all those ads…

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