Learning Marketing from TV Commercials
I love the Super Bowl. I love the food, the friends and family, and the spirit of the game? But there was one Super Bowl that we, the family of Richard James, spent while packing boxes in front of the TV and being satisfied with a few dozen wings and some chips. My ECIB (East Coast Italian Bride) decided that when moving from the old house to a new one, we’d personally pack everything up so we could remove the clutter from our lives. I was fine with the clutter, there wasn’t that much of it and I would have preferred to pay someone to load the boxes for me. The good news is, because there were only four of us in the house, none of the commercials were interrupted and we could pay close attention.
With the magic of DVR, we could even rewind commercials that we especially enjoyed. For those of you saying to yourself, wait, you rewound the commercials so you could watch them over again? Really, commercials? Yep, that’s what students of marketing do; they remain students at all times. Consistently learning is key. And that means even when watching stupid in action. And what better stage than the largest sporting event in our country where the advertisers pay millions of dollars for their ads, to watch stupid reveal itself. Yes, I said it, stupid. I know it’s not nice but as entertaining as these commercials were they should call them shorts, or mini TV, or maybe expensive and elongated Vines, anything but TV Ads.
Super Bowl ads in the eyes of a business consultant
From that Super Bowl, I laughed and laughed at the Fiat and Doritos commercial. My teenage boys couldn’t peel their eyes away from the Victoria Secret commercial and we all shed a tear for Budweiser’s emotionally lost dog commercial. But none of these commercials followed the principles we constantly teach. Measure everything. Don’t get reeled into thinking that you should somehow pay more attention to entertainment and less to conversion. If you do, it will kill your conversions, fast. I’ve had plenty of clients whose spouse didn’t like our type of ads or had their friends tell them that they didn’t like our type of ads, that they wish the ads seemed more “lawyerly”, yet the smart ones ignored those people and decided to pay attention to the numbers.
There was one category of commercials that I believe did well. I also believe they could have done better had they created a solid call to action with a deadline but either way, I’ll bet they can prove what actually happened. It’s the gaming application category. You know those gaming apps that once you download and you start playing are nearly impossible to stop. One of these is Clash of Clans. I’ll bet that for that year, it was the only ad that got real traction. I also bet it was able to be measured. I’ll bet the marketing department behind that company could point to a matrix showing how many new application downloads per hour they normally receive as compared to how many downloads per hour they received during the Super Bowl. I’ll bet they can further point to their normal cost per download acquisition and what their actual cost per acquisition was during the Super Bowl. Finally, they could show the average dollar generated per download, daily, monthly, and annually. As I said, I think we could have done better, but at least they’ll know.
Build your law firm’s online presence
Remember the time when you wanted to start a business to be your own boss? Or when you were actually setting up and starting your own business plans as a legal professional? Whether it's recent memory or decades ago, the fact remains that business success is never guaranteed. Making money as an employed professional is very different from being a small business owner. That is especially true for lawyers aspiring to have an entrepreneurial mindset.
Obviously, if you want to start a business on your own, you first need to really know how to start a business, with all the twists and turns. However, for big and small business owners, the basics of starting a business go beyond what can be read in books. You need to worry about branding and finances then register your business. Keep in mind that legal structure basics are very different from that of a business structure, and you can get lost with all the paperwork involved. On top of all these, it is not easy to run a business while you attend to your obligations as a lawyer, which is your full-time job. As such, in order to ensure business growth, it is vital to consult a law firm marketing advisor.
How to transform your business into a successful practice
Not all new businesses are successful businesses. However, there are small businesses that do succeed and even get ahead of an established competitor. How can you do it? Remember that a profitable business does not settle for just any type of idea. You need the best business ideas that will work for your target market.
Whether you are a lawyer who wants to start your own business or a law firm owner who wants to boost your existing online business platforms, ask yourself: How can I transform my business into a successful practice? When running a business, regardless of the product or service, the goal is to make money. And you cannot make money if your business goals aren't set.
Once you are sure of what you want to achieve, it is easier to create a business plan that will allow you to grow your business. It would be easier to write and transform any new business idea into a marketing plan and campaign. Starting a new business needs time, patience, and skills. Scheduling a consultation with a management advisor for law firms can help every step of the way.
Getting the help of a legal systems expert
All ads must have a tracking component, a clear call to action, and a deadline. Getting it done right will give business owners a dependable lead generation machine that will deliver prospects on a regular predictable basis. Remember, business should be predictable and consistent, that’s the goal, and that’s how you gain your freedom.
If you want to have your best month ever, work with a professional consulting firm for attorneys. Contact our legal management advisor Richard James to get your customized practice growth plan.
