Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

The Nightmare of DISH Network

WARNING:  You do not have to read this rant.  I am only writing it because my doctor told me it was better to do this than go back on Prozac!

Just kidding...but this is such a nuts story of poor performance...we had to share.

When we purchased the BIG new TV we decided to try digital.  We were going to go with MediaCom and my friend John Kelling but there were some wiring issues we could not correct.  So...we knew somebody, who knew somebody who was selling DISH Network and we called. 

That was about a year ago and I can report to you that the system works about...80% of the time.

The only time is doesn't work well is when it rains.   Or, when the wind is blowing hard.  When it snows the reception is pretty bad and it will cut out.  But...when there is no wind, moderate temps and no precipitation...it sometimes works.

In November we were out for about a week and we called.  A nice man from a friendly country came...the same guy that had installed it...and put some wire in.  Got a bill for $29 and the system worked...pretty well until January.

The night of the Super Bowl we were watching and the picture started to go out.  Oh Oh...  We made it through the game but the next day, nothing.

So...we called and set up an appointment with DISH Network for the 19th of February.  I had to stay home between noon and five. 

Nobody showed.

So...a little ticked...I called and a nice young man from Spokane cut my rate and rescheduled for today the 27th between noon and five with some company called BLUE SKY SATELLITE from Kansas.

Nobody showed...or called.

So, that makes ten hours I waited for service.  Not too happy with the entire thing, I called back today and was told they canceled because they did not get permission to drill.  Drill?  Drill for a technical issue?  How do they KNOW they have to drill anything they have NOT SEEN the issue...I know that because we still have SNOW on the ground...no tracks.  No Blue Sky...hmmmm

So, I blog.  And ask you the question.  Anybody else had this lousy experience with DISH Network or BLUE SKY from Kansas?  Anybody happy with their service?  Anybody got a suggestion?

So...I blog...and, because I can, we'll ask the same questions this week on the two radio shows I do.  Maybe John Kelling will call and invite me to try MediaCom?  In the meantime I'll send them all a bill for my time. 

OK...I'm almost calm now.

Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications where if our service was this BAD...we'd long ago been run out of town.

You Shoot...Video Too?

Sure!  It's one of the options our advertising agency clients have.

We could "farm out" the production to other folks but we think the best work comes from people we already know and work with all the time.  That's not to say other companies that specialize in television or video production are not good.  Some are simply great!  It's just that when we're involved from the "video treatment" all the way through final edit the close relationship we have with our clients shows.

Here we are setting up for a shot on location in Missouri with Lyle Steinman spokesperson for Country Vet Pet Foods of South Dakota.

One of the things many clients don't understand is the TIME that goes into video production.  They are surprised that a four minute video or a thirty-second television commercial takes hours and hours to plan, shoot and then edit.

It's all part of the process.  The the final reward is putting our client's product or service in front of thousands, if not millions, of consumers with a well thought out and attractive piece of film.

Want to learn more?

Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications where our shooting is usually confined to film...

Is There Truth In Advertising?

We're in the advertising and marketing business.  We're often asked if there really is truth in advertising...and what the effects might be.

The simple answer is, "Yes!"  We know when we are coming up with an advertising slogan, image or brand we always make sure we're telling the truth to the end user.  Does it work?

We hope so. 

But, to better tell you the story about Truth in Advertising let's re-visit a scene from my OLD RADIO DAYS.

We had a guy who worked for the station as a "part-timer".  Those of you who have worked in radio know that the "part-timer" is on the next to the lowest rung in at the station.  The lowest position is reserved for the Sales Manager.  Well, at least that's the way it was with us "on-air and production types".

His name was "Chris" but we called him "Goat-Boy".  It was "Goat-Boy" that we sent out on some of the more...entertaining...(yeah, that's it!) missions for our morning show.

We'd have him "miked up" and send him out to ask drive up restaurant people for dates or cash a three-cent check.  Lot's of goofy stuff that, at the time, we thought was really funny.  (And this was before Jackass The Movie.)

Once we decided to send "Goat" out to a street corner to hold a sign that said:  "Money For Food".  He was dressed in his finest "street person" clothing.  We mentioned that he was out there...but didn't to say it was "Goat".  We just said there was some "homeless dude" on the corner with a sign and to "check him out".

As I remember, "Goat" collected $1.48 for food.

The next day we sent him out again.  This time his sign read:  "Money For Beer".  Once again we told the listeners there was this strange guy on the city street corner holding up a sign.  We couldn't read it from where we were...but they should maybe check him out.

"Goat" collected $15.98 for beer.

$1.48 or $15.98.  Truth in advertising.

Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications where we'll hold up your sign...anytime!

Do What You Do Best & Leave Advertising to Us

Some of you know that I do a couple of radio shows here in the Des Moines Market.  The photo on the left is our call screener and board operator Jason Cochran.  Both shows, "Highway 6 - Your Road to the Country" (a rural lifestyle radio show) and "The Iowa Sportsman Radio Hour" (an outdoors show) originate at the same station 98.3 WOW-FM.  The broadcast radius is about 70 miles or so...roughly 750,000 folks in the market.

I enjoy doing radio.  I've been doing either radio or TV in one form or another since I was 17 years old...That was a LONG time ago!

So, why the background?  Because I want to set the stage for a lesson.  If you use radio (or TV) less is often more when it comes to your produced message.  In other words, you've got 29.5 seconds to get your marketing/sales message out.  Use that time wisely.  The other part of the message is, "Your job is to make the product or service, our job is to help you make it great."

Here is a story about a national company that doesn't get it.  I'm trying to help.

The company, Hoyt, is a major manufacturer of bow-hunting equipment.  They are located in Utah.  These folks really know how to make superior bow hunting equipment.  World class stuff!  But, they, it seems, don't have a clue regarding "how" to market using the broadcast medium.

They have a co-op program for radio.  So there is an "official" or "Pre-Approved Radio Script".  It says it is for 'thirty-seconds".  However there are (without putting in dealer names and addresses) 82 words in the script.  Along with this line: "...innovative Stealthshot String Suppression System and much more!"  Go ahead, try to say that within two seconds.  The words tend to get mangled pretty well...and wouldn't you think that the main point of the entire ad should be carefully spoken?

There are way too many words and not enough time.  I tried to ask them about this.  I called Hoyt and asked for the person whose name is on the radio script.  However, Dave no longer works there.  I then left a message with another person in their marketing department.  That was over a week ago.  Kevin never returned my call.

Here is the bottom line:  Folks who make world class products or provide world class service don't always know how to market the products or services they produce.  Often they think that by employing an "in-house" advertising agency they are saving money and getting things done "the way they want".  But in the end...it costs more.

We're not looking to take over Kevin's job or the Hoyt account.  Not interested.  We want to share with folks who are reading this blog to know the difference between creating products and services and then having the ability to market and advertise them.  It ain't the same thing.

Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications where we need to disclose that most of us have failed the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Class.

Know Your Customers!!

Do You REALLY Know Who They Are?

Michael P. Libbie, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

Well...last week we must have hit a nerve with some folks when we posted "Stow the Shotguns" a blog about the rifle approach to advertising and marketing vs. the shotgun approach.  If you want to read the original post and comments...just click and go.  But come back...we've got a Guest Blog here.

I've known Joe Baitinger for years, as a matter of fact, Joe once worked for us.  He asked if he could write something...and we said sure.  Keeps me off the keyboard for a day!

Here's Joe:

I was in an Iowa Jaycee professional development seminar recently and the presenter, Matt Booth made a comment that struck home for me:  If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter what road you're on.

How often do we as agri-marketers or manufactures truly take time to analyze who buys our products/reads our blogs/sees our TV ads so that we can plan where we want to go?  If you haven't done so recently, you could be wasting thousands of dollars trying to reach people that have no interest/need for your products...simply because of the clichés  "If it ain't broke--don't fix it." or "I'm too busy selling/manufacturing to make any changes to my advertising."

There are two basic types of marketing:  Mass Marketing and Direct Marketing.  However to be effective using either method, you need to know who you want to target.  Simply saying "farmers are my customers" won't cut it anymore.  There are only 1 million +/- agricultural producers in the United States but there is a HUGE difference in the needs of small farmers versus large farmers both in product usage and their buying habits.

As you prepare your next campaign here are three basic steps to help in your planning whether you do the work in house, or hire the expertise of an agency such as Insight Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations.

Step 1: Understand that no advertising, direct mail or trade show operates within a vacuum.  EVERYTHING you and your company does will affect your results, so it is very difficult to measure based on a single direct mail piece or print advertisement. 

Step 2: Identify qualified prospects--that is someone that looks most like your current customers.  This can be easily accomplished by conducting a demographic profile of your current customers.  If you're not set up to track this internally, there are several vendors that can perform this service including Farm Market iD

Step 3: Plan your marketing campaign to reach those qualified prospects.  If you find that you sell equal amounts to all sized farmers, than mass media is a great alternative for the lions' share of your advertising budget.  However, if you find that 80% of your sales come from farmers with 500+ acres, does it make sense to invest the bulk of your advertising budget in mass marketing when they are only 25% of all farmers?

Robert Frost may have suggested taking the road less traveled, but if that road leads to the Canadian Yukon, it doesn't help you're supposed to be in Florida.

You can reach Joe at jbaitinger@fmid.net or 515-971-6466.

Using Critters in Marketing

The Iowa Stars/Bud Light/Taco Bell

Michael P. Libbie, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

There is magic when using animals in advertising and marketing and while you have to be careful to make sure there are no incidents this can be a fantastic way to reach people.

So, what do the Iowa Stars (AHL affiliate for the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers) and Super Bowl XLI have in common other than being sports events?  The use of animals in some great advertising and marketing.  The photo above (click on it to open)is Randi his owner and fans at the recent "Bring Your Dog" to the Iowa Stars Hockey game.  It was a joint promotion for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and the Stars.  Lots and lots of dogs, good times and new people.

Some of the folks who made the journey to Wells Fargo Arena had never been in the place and for sure had never seen the Iowa Stars.  What makes this such a neat promotion is that it was a positive message for both organizations.  People and the dogs had a great night.  It was fun to watch the dogs watch the puck, "Lemme at 'em!"

Sunday was Super Bowl and usually the second best thing about the event are the television ads.  2.6 million dollars buys a thirty second ad and companies usually bring out their best.  Not this year.  Disappointing list of advertisers and ads.  Bud Light was able to save the day with some creative critter pieces (at least three: Apes, Stray Dog and Crabs) and Taco Bell had their Talking Lions that was super.  Great stuff that made us laugh and remember the ads.

What think you?

Oh...ONE MORE THING!  And this is important!!!  Remember when we write things about knowing your customer?  Knowing their names?  Knowing what they want?  Knowing how to please the customer?   This is a photo of John Jaynes (he is also pictured with some fans above) who is an usher in section 104 of the Wells Fargo Arena.  I'm not sure what John gets paid...but I do know this is a second job for him.  The point here is this guy IS, for us, Wells Fargo Arena.  While I know some of the "king pins" there...this is the face and the personality of the place and the guy that for two years has taken care of us with great detail.   YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS GOING TO MAKE OR BREAK YOUR BUSINESS. Thanks John and thank you to Wells Fargo Arena for hiring a splendid guy.

Random Sunday Morning Thoughts

Business Thoughts on Sunday Morning

A weekly smattering of short thoughts and comments that you can take with your Sunday morning coffee.

What a busy week gone by and even more stuff coming up.  First a big "thank you" to a couple of guests on our weekly radio show, "Hwy. 6 - Your Road to the Country.  Brian Seymour from the Indianolia, Iowa Fire Department and Mike Sansone from Converstations a business blog site.  Read more on our radio show blog...just click to go.

I got a call this week from my friend Chubby Checker.  Yes, that Chubby Checker.  We've had a personal relationship going back several years and wanted to share a brief story:  Chubby and his wife Catharina have a great food business based in Pennsylvania.  Products include The Last Twist Jerky, Candy, Girl of the World bottled water, steaks and popcorn. 

Quick sidebar...did you know Chubby's wife was Miss World from Holland?  Wonderful woman and they have been married since 1964...to each other!!  She truly is a Girl of the World...his!!!

Anyway, Chubby calls and asks me a question about another party whom we've both done business with.  Seems this third party won't answer or return phone calls  Chubby asks, "So what is his deal?"  I say, "You've got me...because he won't return my calls or e-mail either."  Chubby, "So you are used to that?"  Me, "No some people are just plain rude and obnoxious, maybe we should be fortunate we're not doing business with him."

So it goes...and I don't get it.  How come some folks are so self-centered they can't pick up the phone or answer the e-mail...even if the answer is "no".  Drives me nuts and it's becoming more and more an issue.  Stop it...please...or we start naming names?

MISSING IN ACTION:

If you are invisible...are you really in business?    Last week I saw an old friend whom I had not seen in over six years.  We visited about family, friends and business.  I asked him about his...he had purchased a farm supply and equipment business several years ago.  Anyway, we exchanged business cards.  Got home and thought I'd drop him a line.  No e-mail address on his card.  There was a website so I tried that.  Doesn't work.  I had to send Bruce a paper letter.  If you know Bruce Vandagriff from Fort Dodge, Iowa and Brokaw Supply...get him hooked up will ya?  He's a great guy and more folks should know about him!

Thanks for reading...now let's strap in for the week!

Michael P. Libbie, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

Tell Me It Ain't So.....

Pull People Out Of Advertising Too?

by Michael P. Libbie, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

Advertising is a 130 billion dollar a year industry.  (Right now some of my clients are checking our recent billing statements and giving a collective sigh of relief, "Whew...not me!" they intone.)  Depending on who you learn from the average American is exposed to 2,500 to 3,000 advertising messages each day.  (This is all great information when starting up a conversation at a party...honest.)  So, advertising is a big business...and it is also politically correct...sometimes.

Today I read in the Des Moines Register that CareerBuilder.com (Think BIG on-line job site) is going to discontinue their television advertising campaign that features chimpanzees.  Scientists at the Great Ape Trust (ahhh..here in Des Moines) are commending the move and say, "All great apes deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.  The depictions of apes in entertainment misinform and reinforce negative and incorrect stereotypes."  I will pause here to allow you to read that again. (Pause)

I'll miss them...the Chimps that is.  I LOVE advertising messages that feature animals...but my favorites are Chimps, Apes, Gorillas...maybe because they are more interesting than humans? 

But, here is the point of the story:  So, when will we give the same "dignity and respect" to humans?  Consider the following advertising stereotypes:

• Men - Usually Husbands - are almost always seen as dithering idiots in media advertising.  If it were not for the super bright wife or woman who gives us direction I'm convinced men would wear their underwear backwards.  (Wait...gotta check.)
• Blonds are dumb - Please people, this is gender neutral.
• Overweight People are lazy - hold on there!  I'm usually at work by 6am...not fair.
• Skinny People are bubbly and full of energy...I was with my friend Sid who runs 3 miles every morning and weighs at least 100 pounds.  At 6pm last night he was pleading with his wife: "Please honey, let's leave.  I'm beat!"
• Farmers ALL wear free Seed Corn Hats - Hey, I was just at the Iowa Power Farming Show here in Des Moines and I also saw old cowboy hats!

Awake America!  It is time to take not only great apes out of advertising it is also time to remove any vestige of humans from TV, Print, Internet, Radio, Display advertising.  Just show the product for crying out loud! 

If not preserving "dignity and respect" it will at least cut down on talent fees!

Marketing the Elephant in the Living Room

Easy to Build...Hard to Fill

By Michael P. Libbie, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

Iowa is not a "big" state.  There are about three million lucky souls who live in the 55,000 square miles between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and the borders of Minnesota and Missouri.  (I do this geography lesson because so many folks have NO IDEA where in the heck Iowa is.)  You would think that in the nearly two years since the Iowa Events Center opened its doors on the new Wells Fargo Arena and Hy-Vee Hall most every person in the state would have made their way here.  Apparently not so and marketing this facility and what goes on here must be a nightmare.

Two weeks ago I, along with about 800 others, attended the inauguration of the new Governor of Iowa, Chet Culver.  The event was held at the Wells Fargo Arena...home to the Iowa Stars (AHL franchise of the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers) and lots and lots of other concerts, shows, etc.  The single most heard statement during that event was,  "My, what a lovely (great, fantastic, awesome, wonderful) place this is!"  To which I followed up with the question, "So, first time here?"  You can guess that the majority response was..."Yes!".

One would think that with its large marketing abilities and budget coupled with the huge amounts of money spent by promoters (including the Iowa Stars) to advertise various events, shows and attractions that nearly all of the 3 million of us Iowans would have set foot in the facility these past 18 months.  But...not so. 

So, why this BLOG?  It just goes to show clients and advertisers how difficult and costly it is to attract attention and get a product or service noticed and then used.  I have no idea what budget Laurie Kemmit, the Director of Advertising and Sponsorship, has but I suspect we're well into six figures.  Now...as a business, manufacturer or service provider consider your advertising and marketing budget.  Is it large enough to really make an impact?  And, if you are attempting to "go national" or "go regional is the budget realistic?  Basic questions...no?

Thanks to the Downtown Community Alliance for the Stars Photo!

"Help! My ads are not working!"

Four Things You Can Do Today!

by Michael P. Libbie, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

We know, you know.  There are times when somebody in your office has come up with what everybody thought was a great ad or ad campaign.  Hours were spent creating the ad(s), dollars were spent buying ad space or ad time on radio or TV and then...nothing.  Sales did not go up, calls did not come in...nothing.  Lots of things might have gone wrong but here are four things you can do today that will create success out of potential failure.

Be Different

I have seen THOUSANDS of print ads for agricultural equipment. (I'm "picking" on ag equipment but it is true in many areas.) Know what?  Most of them look alike.  Most of them feature a photo of the product and then a list of why that piece of equipment is something somebody should buy.  After awhile, they all begin to look alike.  Sure there will be different colors (IF the company goes for color...and if not that is strike two!) and sure the images may be different but the "style" is all the same.  So, who said that every agricultural equipment ad needs to be identical...where is it written?  Here is what happens:  The "decider" of the campaign is usually the "maker" of the product.  To them the "product" is the most important thing so that is what gets highlighted.  They tend to forget about the user.  To be different you need to be creative, step away and let some ideas fly.  Take a chance, engage the imagination of the reader, viewer or listener.

Use Less Words

I continue to be amazed at how proud people are of their products or service.  So proud that they attempt to shove every single benefit or feature into a quarter-page print ad or a thirty-second commercial.  One of the reasons this kind of "stuffing" does not work is that the reader/viewer gets...tired.  If you have a passion for lots of description buy a bigger or longer ad.  Also, a note to those of you who think people still read:  They don't.  That's one of the reasons we keep our blogs VERY short.

Know Your Customer

This sounds really stupid right?  Well, what is really silly is seeing full page ads for milking parlors in magazines designed for hobby farmers.  What is really silly is hearing female dominated products being advertised on male dominated radio stations.  What happened?  The people selling the ads were just taking advantage of the people buying the ads because the people buying the advertising simply didn't know better.  Nothing is more important for a manufacturer, retail center or service provider than knowing your customer and then matching the customer to the advertising/marketing vehicle!

Ask - Listen

IF you have an advertising agency...listen to them.  (Hey, if you don't call us!) It simply doesn't do any good if the client gets the agency input and then "because it doesn't feel right" dismisses the idea or campaign.  We usually don't have that problem...because we spend lots of time with our clients asking questions and listening to answers.  I know of some clients who will change the entire focus of a campaign just because it does not match what they "think" they want.  Of course they may not have suggested to the agency what they "thought" they wanted at the outset.  The other thing is...often the people seeking professional help for advertising/marketing don't know anything about advertising/marketing but their title says they do.  Please...if you are asking for help...listen.

That's it...four things you can do today to increase the effectiveness of your advertising dollars.  IF you want to visit about specifics...give us a call or send us an e-mail.  We're always looking for clients who really want to succeed.  Hey, thanks for reading!!

A New Adventure in Radio

New Radio Show to Debut in January

By Michael P. Libbie, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

"Hwy. 6 - Your Road to the Country"

Action...you know that thing that you take when you really believe in something?  We did just that.  Starting in January we'll be doing a weekly talk radio show here in Des Moines featuring issues important to "Ruralpolitians'.  You know, those folks who live on 3 - 100 acres of land, drive a pick-up, have a couple head of horses and maybe some cattle.  (Scroll down a bit and you'll find a blog on who and what they are and why you should be marketing to them.)

Having lived that lifestyle and being involved with a number of clients that serve this emerging demographic it seems like a natural fit.  Besides, I've had an itch to get back on the radio and this is a prime opportunity to talk about rural lifestyle issues and the things that impact folks that live in the country.  True, if you are reading this and don't live in the Des Moines area you'll not be able to hear the show...  But, I think the larger issue here is how excited the radio station was to find somebody to reach this demographic.  From what they tell me several national sponsors are eager to jump on board.

The bottom line is that if you are not trying to reach this growing group of people you should be and that is where we come in.  We can help you prepare a marketing plan and material that targets this market no matter where you might be.  We believe in this so much...that we took action.  If you're interested, you should too.   Give us a shout...we can help.

Oh..the name of the show...Hwy. 6 - Your Road to the Country???  For folks in this part of the world Highway 6 is a major road that cuts right through the city Des Moines so the metaphor of a highway that runs from the city to the country makes sense...we think.

It happens...even to us!!!

        From the:  "Another Close Call Department"

Ever make a mistake?  Sure you have, and so have we.  Have you ever not taken your own advice?   Bet you have...and so have we.  This one is about PROOFING!

For years we have urged clients to include their website on every possible thing that comes out of their business.  Here is a partial list of things that you need to make sure you have your URL on:

• Business Cards
• Letterhead
• Point of Purchase Signs
• Magazine and Newspaper Ads
• Promotional Items
• Outgoing e-mail
• Television and Radio (if the url is easy to remember)
• Flyers and handouts
• Power Point presentations

You get the idea.   The Internet is a powerful marketing tool and if you are not using it...well.

That is why AFTER we sent off a media piece for printing that this story is so important.  The final proof of a marketing piece had been approved by the design department and we had signed off on the project proof.  One of our part-time staffers just happened to walk past the final approved copy, glanced at it for less than 10 seconds and said, "Hey, don't they have a website?"  (We knew they did...because we created it.)  But, there was no mention of the site on their final proof.  Nothing!  Needless to say, there were some quick calls made and we corrected the problem an hour before press time.  (And the part-time employee was rewarded with a dinner for two at one of our favorite places.)

So, why share this story with you?  Simple, we want to drive home the point that errors can be made even with all kinds of safeguards in place.  (The fact that our regular proofer was out ill this day meant we had a hole in the system that needed to be corrected.)  We all strive to do the very best, but sometimes things fall through the cracks.  Lucky for us this didn't.  Check your systems and then, hand off the work to somebody else to review.  Sometimes designers are just too close to the project.