We have all seen the horrid commercials, filled with redundancy and borderline stupidity that are played time and time again. We have seen, heard and been victims of advertisements that make no sense to us as an individual. These advertisements may come in the form of an annoying telemarketing call that has nothing to do with you or your lifestyle. Or it may be something aired, or simply too many of the same commercials, or too many billboards covered with the same information that you have read a million times elsewhere.
We see companies that advertise their specific products in glaring lights, and may even have come across the occasional sales person that seem to push a product by over-speaking, thus losing a sale.
This is what I would classify as over-marketing. Over-marketing a product can actually turn you off of a product and in some cases even turn you off of a company. In many instances, as regards too many aired commercials, many people will get up and walk away from the commercial, or just turn the channel, simply because they can’t stand to watch it yet again.
With this happening, it becomes a waste of time, energy and money for businesses. In case of too many printed advertisements, people will start to avoid looking at the ad or make unflattering comments. When this happens, someone has gone too far overboard with their advertising, and sales will reflect this.
Companies need to use a more strategic and creative way of advertising if they hope to gain more positive consumer relations. Cross-advertising is one way of accomplishing this. In cross-advertising you can be at one company that sells refreshments or food for those on a healthy diet lifestyle and receive a coupon of so much off at another company that promotes a different form of healthy living.
Maybe you do make the visit to this second company that was originally advertised by the first company you visited. And perhaps you see or receive another offer of so much percent off at a clothing store that specializes in wear that would be purchased by those who live a healthier lifestyle; for example jogging shoes and apparel, ski apparel, or maybe apparel specific to those who hang glide or are bicyclists.
This advertising can happen between many different companies who form a circle of businesses, referring each other and thus gaining more consumer attention – simply because they are not seeing one company vociferously advertising themselves in a garish or over-abundant way.
What the consumer would see is a group of businesses working together in a team work fashion, lending the thought and feeling of goodwill about these companies, simply because they have chosen to work together for the sake of not only themselves, but also for us as the consumer.
My favorite example involves the nationally known Bi-Mart stores. Many stores advertise a percentage off simply by you showing your Bi-mart card. I actually choose to go to many of these places and happily flash my card. One place gives a $2 reduction of the cost of an extra large pizza, while the feed store gives a 10% discount on Thursdays. See – this is cross- advertising and it’s working, as I frequent these stores for discounts offered from another store.
In keeping all of this in mind, companies are starting to use simple logic and team efforts and they see it paying off. I guess if this is working then it wouldn’t qualify as the annoying, useless, over-marketing techniques – instead it employs much more and provides gains for all.
