WHEN ADVERTISING DOES ITS JOB, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE KEEP THEIRS

Good advertising does not just inform. It sells. It helps move product and keep businesses in business. Every time an ad arouses a consumer’s interest enough to result in a purchase, it keeps a company going strong. And it helps secure the jobs of the people who work there. Simply, when advertising does its job… millions of people keep theirs.

I have severally heard of the term digital era in Kenya. Let’s take this to mean a brand new year/season filled with possibilities, and consumers who just cannot wait to be separated from their hard-earned cash. I tend to believe that a seller does not give a fuck if the consumer get broke in his business. Just buy, that’s his short term goal. His long term goal is that a consumer got a job and will buy again come next month. Furthermore, my article is all about sales and profitability to stay on business. Period. This means advertisers will continue to shove the same tired promises down consumers' throats, albeit dressed as shiny new ideas fresh overtime.

Well, enough is enough. It's high time advertisers, and by that I include ad agencies, design firms and clients, make some genuine resolutions that they actually stick to, to keep their clients in business, and keep their client clients’ loyal to their products and eventually make a person keep his job.

They already moved to social media…When Facebook became the major way for us all to communicate, advertisers jumped on it like a dog on heat. Every creative brief suddenly had the words "social media" implanted in it. Campaigns meant for direct mail were suddenly turned into social media campaigns. Photo shoots had to incorporate extra "stuff" for Facebook and Twitter. Innovation. They moved to social media, reached a larger base of consumers, increased sales and kept a persons job.

Treat Consumers with Dignity and Respect; This means real dignity, not fake "do it while the cameras are on" dignity. It means walking the walk. It means making promises that can be kept. It means giving people genuine rebates that are easy to redeem. It means not hiding ten pages of legal copy in 7-point type. Hehehehe…... It means being honest, and up front. Consumer is the king. Honor him/her and win his/her loyalty. Don’t rebrand old products and services as new. The consumer aint that dumb. Remember, he is the king. It's more a case of being the good conscience of the client. This is, sadly, all too prevalent in modern consumerism. Repackage it, slap a new, higher price on it, and hope no-one notices. This will not push you forward. Not at all. Think of the long term consequences. Advertise, market, and do it genuinely; the consumer will befriend your company.

A bit if statistics: Phillip Kotler, the marketing guru found out this; if a good ad arouses a consumer’s interest enough to result in a purchase, and if the service/product satisfy’s the consumers want/need. The consumer will locally market/tell 13 people (possible consumers) of that product/service. Enough said.

Do it smart. Arouse consumers to purchase and keep the company going and lots of people will secure their jobs. Simply, when advertising does its job… millions of people keep theirs.