extreme
practice makeover
Choose
the Right Media
BY SUSAN ABRAMOVITZ
One
of the most perplexing choices that an advertiser faces is the choice of media.
The right choice cost-efficiently delivers the message to the right people at the
right time. The wrong choice can be ineffective and expensive.
The "Marketing
Makeover" program recently placed Dr. Scott Mann's advertising messages on both
radio and billboards. The two media work well together, especially in the summer
when people tend to travel in cars more often.
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Pictured are each of Dr. Mann's
three billboards.
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Billboards build recognition
Billboards offer
large coverage of local markets because they can be posted in high traffic areas
on commuter routes, as well as in closer proximity to the office. As billboards
are usually lit, they offer around-the-clock exposure. Billboards build brand recognition
with a large number of potential customers in a relatively short period. Because
they must deliver the message in a few seconds, effective billboards use striking
graphics and few words.
Radio speaks to your patient
Radio also reaches
a large number of people, but due to the programs and music, radio can isolate a
specific patient. It's almost a guarantee that a radio station in your area caters
to a specific
audience, whether you want soccer moms, sports-loving men, or head-banging teens.
(Visit www.ideopia.com/makeover.asp to hear Dr. Mann's ads and for detailed information
on defining target markets and choosing media.)
Tell the radio
salesperson as specifically as possible who you want to attract to your practice.
See how the station matches that audience. Ask your rep for "rankers," Arbitron
ratings that rank all stations in a market according to audience definition. The
rep should be able to give you numbers
of listeners for every hour of the day.
How to economize
In major markets
radio can be expensive, but carefully choosing the times that the spots run can
save money. Most commonly, the highest cost times are called "drive time," the
rush hours between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. If your practice
is located where traffic is not a major issue, you might try to purchase radio time
later — for example from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Often stations will adjust
their rates for off peak times. With these stations, a 7 p.m. spot may cost a fraction
of a daytime spot, but that's because the audience is usually much smaller.
A
lower-cost way to advertise on the radio is to buy traffic, weather or sportscasts.
These spots are usually 10 to 15 seconds and while your message can't be detailed,
it can build name recognition. If you have a local public radio station, explore
underwriting. Underwriting is a lower-key radio ad, but public radio audiences tend
to be loyal and more affluent than most commercial audiences.
SCOTT
MANN, O.D., OPERATES INVISION WITH OFFICES IN SALEM
AND CHRISTIANSBURG, VA. HE IS THE WINNER OF THE
"EXTREME PRACTICE MAKEOVER CONTEST," SPONSORED
BY HAAG-STREIT USA, IDEOPIA AND OPTOMETRIC MANAGEMENT
MAGAZINE.
MS. ABRAMOVITZ IS
PRESIDENT OF IDEOPIA, AND ADVERTISING, INTERACTIVE AND BRAND STRATEGY AGENCY
WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE OPHTHALMIC FIELD. VISIT WWW.IDEOPIA.COM
/MAKEOVER.ASP FOR INFORMATION.
Optometric Management, Issue: July 2005