When Bigger Isn't Better
Dick,
I have little sympathy for an advertiser with an ad that works and who is making money off the ad. I am a lawyer who had a horrible experience with the yellow pages. I had a small add which paid for itself and then some. Based upon that, I decided to go with a bigger ad expecting that the improved position and the bigger ad would mean more calls. I received far fewer calls than I received with the smaller ad. For what I spent on the big ad, I made less than half in fees from the ad on what I spent for the ad.
It was a risk and an expensive education. I took the risk, I live with the consequences. It does not mean that I will do it again.
The ads need to work for the kind of money that is charged for them. Someone making money off an ad has no right to complain. Had I made money off the ad, I can guarantee you that I would have renewed it however expensive it was.
The rep should have pushed me initially for a more effective ad, cut me some breaks on the first ad so that color, pictures, design was better so that I was hooked and reliant upon an ad that was making money. For the money being charged, the ad needs to work. Once the ad failed, they lost my business (despite a valiant effort by the rep). He knew up front that if the ad worked, he would have a loyal customer.
For a small business person, the amount being charged is significant. Also the yellow pages is unforgiving because if you have an ineffective ad, you are stuck with the monthly bill for a year (or in my case 13 months because the next book was delayed). It is way too expensive for me to take that risk again. Both the yellow pages and the reps need to remember that.
Kevin (last name withheld)
I have little sympathy for an advertiser with an ad that works and who is making money off the ad. I am a lawyer who had a horrible experience with the yellow pages. I had a small add which paid for itself and then some. Based upon that, I decided to go with a bigger ad expecting that the improved position and the bigger ad would mean more calls. I received far fewer calls than I received with the smaller ad. For what I spent on the big ad, I made less than half in fees from the ad on what I spent for the ad.
It was a risk and an expensive education. I took the risk, I live with the consequences. It does not mean that I will do it again.
The ads need to work for the kind of money that is charged for them. Someone making money off an ad has no right to complain. Had I made money off the ad, I can guarantee you that I would have renewed it however expensive it was.
The rep should have pushed me initially for a more effective ad, cut me some breaks on the first ad so that color, pictures, design was better so that I was hooked and reliant upon an ad that was making money. For the money being charged, the ad needs to work. Once the ad failed, they lost my business (despite a valiant effort by the rep). He knew up front that if the ad worked, he would have a loyal customer.
For a small business person, the amount being charged is significant. Also the yellow pages is unforgiving because if you have an ineffective ad, you are stuck with the monthly bill for a year (or in my case 13 months because the next book was delayed). It is way too expensive for me to take that risk again. Both the yellow pages and the reps need to remember that.
Kevin (last name withheld)
posted by Dick Larkin at 8:46 AM
1 Comments:
Another option would be to have a new ad created and run as a split test on-line and tested before hand. Its not a job for an Ad Rep though.
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