I recently attended a holiday event with my family, a 2+ mile drive through professionally constructed Christmas lights in Spanaway WA; nice enough for what it was, but it was the advertising that got to me.
Littered throughout the drive were large banner signs for local companies. They were sponsorships the event has sold based on the promise that thousands of people will see the signs and remember the displayed brand at some point in the future, PROBABLY resulting in a sale. It’s the modern form of snake oil…
Honestly, is anyone more likely to buy a newspaper or go to a certain medical facility based on a sign they saw next to a deer made of blinking Christmas lights? Because someone sponsored the event that your family had a decent time at, are you more likely to go enroll at the local technical school or switch to Sprint? Really think about that for a moment, and give yourself an honest answer… would that make a REAL difference to you?
I don’t blame the event, I blame the companies for falling for this. The event is basically trying to do a public service (as far as I know) and raising money for public, family events is always a challenge. They just want the companies to feel like the expense is worth it and everyone wants some recognition. But from a business standpoint, is this the best way to spend your money? I’m not talking about spending on charity or family events, my stance on that should be clear, but rather on unmeasurable advertising.
Look back on your own marketing and advertising expenditures, were they stroking your ego or were they tied to something tangible? Can you measure the results? Did they motivate someone to actually DO something and not just make them aware (or MORE aware) of you?
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