EVERYTHING YOUR CLIENT KNOWS IS WRONG
We were recently talking with a new client prospect about advertising his business.
He has a medical-related business in a rural area.
We were suggesting some traditional media--radio and newspaper--along with Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
We're big fans of free advertising. And beyond the time involved--which is negligible once you're up and running--Twitter, Facebook and YouTube cost nothing.
But the client said something interesting.
In his rural community, his patient base would colloquially be described as "old folks and townies." Accordingly, here's what he said about his free advertising opportunities...
"With regard to the internet, it's my impression that the population we're dealing with is probably less wired than most."
So, we just said, "OK. No internet."
And turned the page.
YOU KNOW ME BETTER THAN THAT, DON'T YOU
You know I didn't roll over.
You know that I suffer from polarity response.
When someone says jump, I sit down.
When someone says sit down, I say, "How high?"
Let's call the client "Frank."
I said to Frank, "Ya know, Frank, when it comes to rural seniors and blue collar folks, they often might be more connected than we realize."
And, with the computer keyboard right nearby, I proceeded to trot out some information for him.
40 ACRES AND A MODEM
In US rural communities, 70% of all people are online.
Roughly half have broadband at home, and the other half have wireless.
In your local community, Frank, 84% of all the folks who read the local paper go online.
In your broader geographical area, Frank, 49% of the residents are considered Heavy Internet Users, which means they're online one hour or more per day.
So, that covers the rural aspect of your customer base.
I MIGHT BE TOWNIE--BUT I'M A WIRED TOWNIE
The greater portion of US blue collar workers did something interesting.
Around 2001, as internet users, they suddenly began growing at twice the speed of any other home internet user demographic.
Today, a huge percentage of them own smartphones. Since so many advertisers have the same view of this potential market as you, Frank, they are regarded as an enormous and untapped demographic for mobile marketing.
So, our working-class friends with the jeans tucked into the work boots and the one-size-fits-all caps worn backwards?
They're using the internet.
But how about those old folks?
NO MTV--I WANT MY AARP!
Nationally speaking, almost a third of seniors go online daily.
94% of seniors use email.
77% of seniors shop online.
And 71% of seniors (you'll like this, Mr. Medical Provider) search for health information.
For a while, senior citizens were the fastest growing segment of the internet user population.
BUT WHO REALLY CARES?
Yes, there are people who don't use the internet and don't care to.
They are regarded as "tech indifferent."
That describes about 10% of the US population.
14% of Americans do not own a computer or a cell phone.
So, going by national statistics--since the premise of one Pugh research study was that internet user demographics are in no way localized but representative of the national mindset--14% of the population is unlikely to ever find us online.
SO, HOW DID FRANK REACT TO THIS?
He said, "The internet usage you're describing is way beyond what I would have expected for folks looking for eye care services here."
Of course, I might suffer from polarity response--but I also know how much clients like being told everything they know is wrong.
So I replied, "Realize, Frank, I can only cite statistics. And what do I really know? I'm an overeducated ad geek with a fondness for dark, chewy beer. The bottom line is that it merits further investigation. The ultimate proof is in asking your patients if they're online and finding out what they have to say."
Frank waved me off, saying, "Your statistics just might be more reliable than my impressionistic guesstimates!"
DID HE JUST SAY THAT I MIGHT BE RIGHT?
Not so used to that.
But then, this may just be one of the benefits of working with a medical man (see also: smart) who isn't necessarily interested in being right as much as he is in being profitable. His goal is to crush his competition.
The bottom line here is that almost ALL advertisers have preconceptions about their customer base--and those preconceptions might just be wrong.
And being wrong about who your customers are and what they're doing can drastically affect the advertising.
In this case, it means that Frank would miss out on potentially very lucrative advertising media.
UNINFORMED PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT A MARKET CAN BE COSTLY
"People don't have any sense of humor about transmission repair." This preconception would have killed my own juggernaut of a commercial for The Trans Shop.
"Teenagers today don't want to know anything about a kewpie doll" would have snuffed out the Buddy Lee campaign for Lee Jeans--which sent sales through the roof.
"People in the market for data services won't care about cowboys herding cats." This would have prevented one of the single best Super Bowl spots of all time--a commercial that improved productivity of the EDS sale force by 50%.
"Travelers in the market for a cheap room won't pay attention to a guy who sounds laid back and folksy" would have immediately turned out the light on what is now the longest running radio advertising campaign of all time.
Yet these are exactly the kinds of preconceptions that are trotted out by clients on a daily basis.
NO WONDER YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S CAT HATES YOU
Honey was once helping to pitch the advertising account for a national brand of cat food.
They presented a campaign with people in it.
The client's marketing guy said, "No people. People who like cats don't like people."
An idiotic premise if there ever was one--underscored by the fact that (a) the agency Honey was working for did not win the business, (b) the next advertising campaign by the cat food company featured people and probably did really well, and (c) we all hope Mr. "People Who Like Cats Don't Like People" is out of a job and so broke he's living on off-brand cat food.
Preconceptions are merely ignorant--until they're used to inform marketing decisions.
Then, they can become deadly
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