Let the beginning of the new millennium be the excuse you need to shed the skins of the "Old World" and futurize your advertising.
Despite the fact that we will probably end this century with the largest annual vehicle sales in United States history, the majority of automobile dealers don't feel they have a handle on one of their biggest expenditures, advertising and promotion.
According to author David Siegel in his new book "Futurize Your Enterprise," one of the best books ever written on the future of the Internet, you can't expect to succeed in the New World if you're stuck with the mind set of "Old World" business beliefs. Although Siegel's "Futurize" is about the Internet, it is a concept "blueprint" for futuristic thinking in every aspect of the automobile business especially advertising. If you can only read one business book this year, read "Futurize Your Enterprise" (street price of around $18 through Amazon.com).
How can you possibly begin your advertising 'planning' for the next century without taking into consideration the dramatic changes of the past thirty years, and in particular the last five years? In 1960, we had three television channels to choose from. In 1999, we had 140. Future television sets might receive 500 or more channels. In 1960, we had three or four radio stations to choose from. In 1999, we had 30 or 40. In just a few years, we'll have thousands of audio channels available as virtually every broadcast medium finds a channel on the Internet.
Up until the late 60's we had AM radio in our vehicles (and 8-track tapes). In 1999, we had AM and FM stations, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and DATs. As we enter the new century, we're promised early introduction of wireless Internet in our vehicles as well as in-motion satellite receivers already in auto maker production plans.
In 1994, virtually no one had heard the word 'Internet'. As we enter the New World of the next century, the Internet dominates our conversation and is changing the entire economic structure of commerce and business as we know it.
At a recent automotive marketing conference, the CEO of a major automotive manufacturer talked about the proliferation of messages and information we each receive on a daily basis. In 1960 that number was around 360. Today, it's over 5000. That's a lot of information to process. In fact, too much for most people. No wonder so many of us have developed methods of bypassing this information (and advertising) stream. Do you ever mute your TV or turn down the volume during a commercial break? How many commercials in a row will you put up with before flipping TV channels or pushing the radio "seek" button. Do you throw away "junk mail" before you open it? Have you ever erased voice messages before listening to them completely? How about "deleting" e-mail that doesn't have a "subject line," or e-mail from people you don't know? Is it any wonder that customers get angry and confused over fine print when they don't even read all the big print?
There's no clear cut answer to all of the challenges in developing effective advertising and communication, but a few things are very clear:
Research. A business that does not invest in research to help determine the most effective means of reaching existing customer and potential new customers will not survive for very long in the New World.
Interactivity. Successful businesses will make advertising resources effective multi-channel communication tools, obtaining constant input and advice from customers, and enabling customers to exchange information with other customers.
Constant Innovation. Stale, sound-alike, cookie-cutter themes get lost, muted, deleted and mentally shut out. The New World requires new ideas.
Honesty. Dishonest businesses that lack integrity will not succeed in a world of unlimited information freedom. Dishonest advertising will hurt even basically honest businesses.
One-on-One Marketing. For years, futurists have talked about the concept of marketing to specific, individual tastes and preferences, but the Internet has finally provided the ultimate tool in accomplishing those goals.
Communication. Effective advertising and marketing plans must be shared with, and understood by everyone in your company. Not just a few.
The most effective advertising in the New World will provide a true competitive value proposition on issues most concerning the customer. An important function of mainstream, mass appeal media, will be to draw customers to your web site.