Top Tips 2022: Why Isn’t My Advertising Working?

Provided by Brian Tyndall, Mid-West Family Marketing

 

The importance of associative memory.

It’s a question we get a lot from new advertisers; “So, why isn’t my advertising working?”

Many times, it can be as simple as associative memory. Associative memory is the concept of associating one thing with another.

I’ll give you an example. Pretend I’m holding up a copy of the classic album Hotel California. What would you see? If you’re over the age of 40, you’d most likely not only see, but you’d also hear the songs on the album running through your head. More importantly, though, you would feel the memories associated with the music; fun times with your friends in high school, concerts, maybe even first dates, would come flooding back to you. THAT is the power of associative memory.

If you are under 40 ... Hotel California would probably just look like an old house in the desert!

“So, why isn’t my advertising working?” Most of the time it’s because the prospective customer has no memories to associate with your business. In essence, they don’t know you. They don’t know “why” they should do business with you.

To fix this, you need intrusive media to blend with your digital targeting. Examples of intrusive media would be radio, TV, pre-roll videos and other opportunities to begin to tell your story, or your “why.” Then, when you utilize targeted marketing options, such as SEO or display ads, prospective customers will already know you and why you matter. It really is a cheat code for marketing ... make prospective customers know you and feel good about you before they need you!

Check out combining intrusive and targeted marketing in your future plans and I’m guessing that just like the Hotel California, you will never leave!