By Norton E. Warner

Advertisers sometimes buy advertising with the idea of testing the ad medium. There is nothing wrong with testing. A successful enterprise continually evaluates expenditures. Remember, however, that advertising may test your marketing bridge more than it does the medium.

Former president of Procter & Gamble, Howard J. Morgens once pointed out, "No amount of advertising can force people to buy things they do not want. Advertising cannot sell a poor product. It might induce people to try it once, but it cannot build an enduring business on such a product." Nor can advertising build an enduring business with a poor or ineffective marketing bridge.

There's an old story about a dog food company that developed a new product. Extensive marketing, distribution, and advertising supported the new dog food's introduction, but sales were poor nevertheless. The management brought the entire organization together to ferret out what the company was doing wrong in advertising and promotion. The answer emerged at a large group session when an elderly woman stood up and said, "I gave some to my dog and he don't like the damn stuff."

Naive advertisers are looking for that magic ad campaign, that enchanted medium, that inspired idea that will bring hordes of customers to their doors without any additional effort on the advertisers' part. Successful entrepreneurs must of course take risks, venture into the unknown, try new things, and take creative and innovative approaches. Sometimes, however, such an adventurous spirit leads businesses to try a medium and "see if it works." Advertisers say, "Let's give it a try" or "Let's give your medium a shot," as if they're offering the medium a brief trial period in which to show its stuff. Such advertisers usually jump from medium to medium, which undermines the frequency of impression that is essential for effective advertising.

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: marketing, marketing bridge