HOW TO CUT THROUGH MARKETING CLUTTER

Marketing clutter refers to the very high volume of advertising messages that the average consumer is exposed to on a daily basis. "We've gone from being exposed to about 500 ads a day back in the 1 !0s to as many as 5"000 a day today." Jay Walker-Smith, Yankelovich Consumer Research #here are some fairly frightening statistics floating around the marketing publications stating the number of promotional messages that are competing for consumer's attention every day. $egardless of %hether the figure is &"000 or &0"000" it is clear that businesses need to do something fairly special to be noticed on a large scale. 'ven if people do happen to cast their eyes on your advertising messages" %hether they actually take any notice or process the information is a different matter. (o" ho% do you get noticed in the cro%ded modern marketplace)

Make your ads appealing - engage i!" #us!o$ers e$o!ional or pra#!i#al needs
*ertain themes strike an emotional chord %ith the vast ma+ority of the population. *old reading con,artists use such themes successfully to create the illusion of mind reading. #hese %ide appealing sub+ects can be used in marketing to make the message strike a personal note %hile generating interest %ith the %idest possible audience. 'xamples of such themes include love" money" health" career" hopes and dreams. -o%ever" if you're product simply %on't appeal to the emotional side of people's characters" you'll need to try a more practical approach. #he features and benefits of a product are usually the focus of practical advertising" and although these may not be as exciting as more emotive sub+ects" they can appeal e.ually %ell to the customer if executed correctly.

Use $edia e%%e#!i&ely

Mass media such as #/" billboards" radio and posters are all completely saturated %ith marketing messages and competition is high" and this makes them costly. "0ou cannot %alk do%n the street %ithout being bombarded" Bob Garfield, advertising riter

Media space is usually priced depending on the number of people %ho are likely to see your advert" ho%ever it's much more important to be noticed by the right people rather than simply playing a numbers game. *onsider %ho your target audience are and target them in as finer resolution as you can. Writing 10 highly targeted letters to individuals may be much more effective than sending out 1000 using a mass mailing approach.

'ig"! dir!y ( !ry ne approa#"es !o pro$o!ion

1t is unlikely many ne% businesses %ill be able to compete on a mass media scale %ith larger" more established companies so you might consider using some ne% techni.ues. 1nnovative approaches to marketing are evolving every day but these are some of the most popular2

3uerrilla marketing is a term for the most daring approaches to advertising. Many ideas have been tried" including illuminating buildings" sponsoring car" or even sky diving into a stadium %ith a branded parachute. 4ossibility for 4$ exposure is high. 'xperiential marketing involves physical interaction %ith individuals using live events. 1f done %ell" these can be the most po%erful marketing medium so are %ell %orth considering. /iral ads re.uire clever thinking and a fair amount of luck 5 but a successful viral can bring vast amounts of attention to a business or product. 'nsure the ad is humorous" shocking or likely to generate strong opinions.

16 of marketing professionals felt that they could "save money and better impact consumers by being more innovative about the media they use" Jack !orton "##$ !arketer%s Survey $emember , gaining exposure is great but you need to generate sales" so %hen designing a campaign consider things from the customer's point of vie%.

Ensure !"e $essage is o)&ious and easy !o a#"ie&e

1f people do take notice of you" it is vital that your message is clear. *onsider the next steps you %ould like the potential customer to take" %hether this is dialing a number" visiting a %ebsite or even turning on their 7luetooth. Make it obvious %hat you're offering and make it as easy as possible for customers to achieve the goal" %hich this means looking at your internal processes. 8re people a%are of the promotion internally) 8re the distribution channels set up) 1s the call centre fully briefed) 'ven the best produced adverts can fall on deaf ears if the message isn't clear and appealing.

'inal ords
7reaking into a ne% marketing or expanding your market share can be a daunting task" ho%ever %ith clever thinking and a clear approach you %ill be able to attract the attention of customers" and help them take the next step to%ards purchase.