Advertising is a great indicator of what is ahead. You just have to listen carefully to what is being said and how it is being said.
There is a significant shift in tone over the past few months in many of the broadcast ads I am seeing and hearing. For a long time now, ads have focused on promoting value. This is because in an economy with restricted cash flow, nearly everybody is focused on getting the best value for their dollar. This mirrors what we have been experiencing for the past few years. Value, low prices, package offers... those have been the hallmarks of much of the advertising I have observed over the past few years. In general, it focuses on a dollar figure and positions that dollar figure as a great value, even if it has to compare it directly to a competitor. This sort of advertising in a restricted economy promotes a knife-fight for every available dollar... or so it feels.
However, lately, I have noticed an important shift in the focus of advertising lately. I am beginning to hear more and more ads focusing on quality, rather than price. I even heard one ad for a major car company that was exclusively about loving the product. So what does this mean?
It means that the more aggressive competitors are seizing improving conditions and striking out with a move designed to grab more market share. While the more conservative elements stick to the low-price, focus on the dollar sort of ads that were necessitated by The Recession, the more aggressive and more plugged-in players are changing the conversation back to something they can use for an advantage.
We are seeing this with our clients as well. Over the past several weeks, we have had several orders for new web sites, particularly ones with video. In fact, we have had more video discussions with dentists and surgeons over the last month than we have had any time in the last 18 months. Why is that? Just like the more aggressive players are returning to advertising and positions more focused on quality, our more aggressive clients are, too. And, video is the best way to separate yourself from competitors online.
So, what is advertising telling us? It is giving us a hint that its ok to begin returning to a more impactful presentation on the web and trying to separate yourself from competitors, not by price/value, but by quality/value. And, for you, there is more money in that.
If you are interested in making a dramatic move back to an aggressive presentation online, please email me about adding video to your web site or redesigning your site entirely. Please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com for help.
