Ever put together a marketing campaign only to see it flop majestically without reason? I admit it, there have been a at least two in my career. When planning a campaign all media is considered, the target market, the method, the theme. You know, the 4 p’s… price, product, place, promotion…

Consider this sample, a client had this great idea to help the elderly address Christmas cards at no charge before the holidays. He took out ads, sent press releases, invited senior groups, offered shuttle service, made personal invites and eblasts. The price was right, the product was great, addressing cards for seniors who have a hard time seeing, writing ect., the promotions were right, but the place and timing was wrong. He had it at a Senior Center the weekend after Thanksgiving, he did not have one taker. Next time he will consider going to a senior living facility in December and promote it within the building and go to his target audience, I am sure he will be overwhelmed with business next time.

Another example takes us to a national product, anybody ever heard of Lime Pepsi? Didn’t last too long because the price was right, the promotions were in place to the target audience, but the product itself was not good and it flopped.

Have a campaign coming up? Get back to the good old fashion basics. Check all your P’s (and Q’s) before committing to spend the big bucks. It must be priced right, promoted correctly to the right audience, in the right place and the product has got to be good. I’d love to hear about your good and bad marketing campaigns, they are great to learn from.

My Best Regards,

Kathy Kane
Market Insights