SNICKERS....

I stood in the store aisle overwhelmed with snack decisions. Did I want
candy? Chips? Nuts? I'd skipped lunch. I was pretty hungry. What would
hold me over? I studied labels.

I could get an ounce more Whatchamacallit for the same price as a
Snickers bar.

But I'd never had a Whatchamacallit. What if it wasn't any GOOD? It
could just be more empty calories and I'd still be hungry.

I chose the Snickers. The package promised: "It's so satisfying."

But this tip isn't about packaging. It's about comparing options.
Media options.

In advertising, most ad agencies compare print media by studying
CPM (Cost Per Thousand). I think it's a bean-counter's measurement.
It shows what you're paying to reach a thousand pair of eyeballs.
Eyeballs that may never even look at your ad. Or may not care what
you're selling.

To be fair, CPM can analyze a readership demographic against your
target market. So, if your target market is auto repair shop owners,
it can tell you how much you're paying to reach them verses
technicians. So it's not like comparing candy bars with chips.

But CPM can't measure intangibles -- like is it any GOOD? Does it
get READ? How LOYAL are readers? How RESPONSIVE are readers?

That's the kind of insight you get from a specialized ad agency. As
experts in a field, we understand the marketplace. We know the
publications -- not just the formulas. We actually READ these
publications. We talk to their readers. And we know what works.
And what doesn't.

Is your ad agency looking beyond the numbers? Perhaps it's time
tolook for something more "satisfying". If so, you know how to
reach me.

- Phil Sasso