Part 2: More Blunders

Part 2 in a series.

For the consumer electronics specialty retailer, advertising can be a very costly necessity. This series will highlight mistakes dealers commonly make, and offer solutions to avoid waste and maximize effectiveness.

Blunder #3
You’re talking to your customers like they’re idiots.
This is an area where we, as an industry, have really shot ourselves in the foot. Over the years, we’ve thrown about terms such as “revolutionary,” “breakthrough” and (ugh) “state of the art” so many times that they’ve totally lost their impact. It also greatly undermined our credibility.

And yet we still see this everyday. (Perhaps the worst offender out there right now–perhaps the worst ever–is Pioneer, with their Kuro line. Here’s a small sample of the swill they ask readers to swallow):

“Engineered for the ultimate experience in sight and sound, this revolutionary new flat panel harnesses technology designed to attain perfection.”

“…to provide an unmatched HD experience that surpasses the standards of flawlessness.”

“…deliver a cinematic experience so spectacular it will swallow you whole and remain with you forever. And that standard is now one where the line between perception and reality has all but disappeared. “

That’s drivel that demeans a truly exceptional product.

The alternative: Tell people the truth. Respect their intelligence. Address their questions and concerns. Keep it simple, but not dumb. Avoid the stupid names manufacturers give to technical features (e.g. ClearFrame; Ultra Filter Bright; Auto Motion Plus). Remember Selling 101: People are interested in benefits, not features.

Blunder #4
You’re talking to your customers like they’re engineers.
Again, think about your audience. You use the vernacular of consumer electronics every day. They do not. And so it’s a waste of space to describe a television as having 3:2 pulldown or 120Hz refresh rate, at least if you don’t also to take the opportunity to explain the benefits. (Which you should.) In fact, using such terms adds to the alienation and antipathy many people feel toward specialist dealers.

Lots of folks are intimidated at even the thought of entering our stores, because we’re going to use a bunch of technical terms and make them feel like idiots. (Which they don’t like; see Blunder #3.) Having your advertising contain these–to the customer–meaningless terms is worse than a waste. It is a couched message that tells people who “can’t speak the language” to stay away.

Stay tuned. More Blunders to come. In the meantime, I welcome your comments and questions.

Common CE Advertising Blunders and How to Avoid Them

Part 1 in a series.

For the consumer electronics specialty retailer, advertising can be a very costly necessity. This series will highlight mistakes dealers commonly make, and offer solutions to avoid waste and maximize effectiveness.

Blunder #1
You think your customers have the same media habits you do.
Just because you graduated from Penn State and have not missed a game in decades and even know the origin of the name Nittany lion doesn’t mean your customers share your enthusiasm. So think carefully before paying top dollar to have your logo near the scoreboard or your TV spots in play-by-play. And just because your radio is always tuned to the contemporary country station doesn’t mean you have to buy advertising on it.

Think about it. You are not a customer of your company. Therefore, your media habits may not match those of your intended audience.

If you’re trying to figure out the best way to reach potential customers, put your ego and personal media habits to the side. Sometimes that can mean gritting your teeth and buying media you personally cannot stand. (e.g. you’re a progressive, but the conservative talk radio station in town is number one with affluent adults), but increased business tends to unclench the jaws.

We’ll deal later with ways to maximize the effectiveness of your media buys, but in the meantime, here’s the lesson: Don’t advertise to yourself.

Blunder #2
Your purchasing department is running your advertising department.
Buyers live in a world dominated by spread sheets. They see model numbers, purchase prices, quantities and shipping information. Now, I don’t want to unload on these fine folks, as they also have to consider the potential demand of a product and suggest a selling price that will move the merch. My beef is seeing advertising that, at its core, looks a lot like a price sheet, with little more information for the potential customer than brand names, model numbers and “was/now” pricing.

Ah yes, pricing. That most sensitive of subjects to a Buyer, as they know they can ultimately be held accountable if the selling price they determine is too high (resulting in no inventory movement) or too low (eroding margins). It’s a tough job and naturally some Buyers seek ways to minimize their personal culpability. Many times, I’ve had Buyers “cover” a specific part of their anatomy by instructing me to put very prominent disclaimers in an advertisement. These disclaimers convey the message, “disregard the prices here (at least if they’re too high) and instead call or come into the store to find out what the price really is. This is an attempt to shift the responsibility of actual pricing from the Buyer to the potential customer.

Like you, Buyers are not your customers.

Neither, of course, are the people who create your advertising. But you’re paying the latter group to present your merchandise and services in a way that will attract the greatest number of potential customers to your store.

My advice to my friends in the Purchasing Department? Let the ad people join in the conversation when products are being chosen. Tell them why you want to advertise those particular products and why people would want to buy them. Then let the ad people do their thing. (Warning: They’re going to ask you to put fewer products in the ad.)

Stay tuned. More Blunders to come. In the meantime, I welcome your comments and questions.