Should You Buy An Ad?

Advertising

By Bob Weiss

No, no, no, one thousand times no.

We get calls from clients every week asking if they should advertise in a special section of their local paper, often a weekly business journal, because they have been given an award by the publication. The ad will extend the value of the award, they have been told by a friendly sales representative. Better yet, the publication will write the ad and do the layout of the ad for free!

The ad is probably an economic contrivance designed by the publication to appeal to your ego. (As a publisher, wouldn't you design the award so it could be won by a firm that could afford an ad?) The exception? Those given based on an objective survey or by an independent panel of experts in a fully open competition-but only if it recognizes important community standards or recognizes business accomplishment important to a broad section of your target market.

If you have an ad program or campaign you are executing, keep to your plan and schedule. Avoid these self-laudatory (poorly read) special sections ad "opportunities." If you don't have an ad campaign or program, the answer is intrinsic-you shouldn't be advertising.

No, no, no, one thousand times no.

ALYN-WEISS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Public Relations | Marketing
1331 - 17th Street, Suite 410
Denver, CO 80202

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