Most business owners know that a percentage of their past and projected sales should be secured for advertising.  In ‘The New Economy” I tell my clients to look at their profits from the last two quarters of 2010 to determine their first two quarters of 2011. I advise clients to budget as much as they feel comfortable budgeting. Meaning, “do not shrink back to the point you know full well you aren’t advertising enough- but do not rack up mammoth debt just to up your media spending.”

Few businesses remember to calculate the correct amount to spend on their Creative.  I’ve learned from client’s who have used bland language and graphics in the past, that you can offer the wrong message a MILLION times a month – even to the right people- and they still won’t do business with you.  So often a client will tell me that TV, or radio, or print, or internet simply will not work for them.  However, when they admit that they have given this medium 6 weeks to deliver, and they show me an ad that has no call-to-action and no real reason to truly remember anything about their product or service or location…  We together realize the medium has not been tested in a way that honestly proves anything.

With the right target audience, message, creative delivery, medium, reach and frequency- advertising works, period.  So in this upcoming year, find out what makes you different from your competition [Westokes would be happy to help] and do as much advertising as you can afford to do.  To figure out your actual budget numbers, here is a helpful tool from one of my favorite enterprises, The Wizards of Ad:

http://adbudgetcalculator.com

May your 2011 be full of peace & love & health, fun & creativity… caring & sharing with all those around you…