Just because you buy something regularly or use it consistently, that does not make you an expert on how that something works.  Most of us would agree with that when we start thinking about our car or other complicated machinery.  We might even agree when our thinking goes deeper and we confront the chemical complexities of our pest control or even our detergent.  After thinking about it some more, we might just wholeheartedly agree that just because we buy something that doesn't make us an expert on how it works.

Take for example, the homeowner who has an ant problem.  When the pest control expert comes to the house and recommends solutions, it would be the foolish homeowner who brushes him off and declares the best method for total ant annihilation is gasoline.

"Yeah, I hear you about the DX 90 but we've tried that before and there are still the occasional ants in the kitchen.  Here's what I want you to do:  Spray some gasoline along the base of the exterior walls and then just light that bad boy up.  Ants cannot survive a fire."

However, media sellers rarely interact with a business owner or high-level business decision maker who doesn't think of himself as an expert in advertising.  Consequently, rather than ceding control of the process to the  real expert - the media seller - the decision maker insists on directing every aspect of his marketing effort. 

Most times this ends very badly for both the advertiser and the media seller.

The Target Profile consists of the target demo (W25-49 or A35-64 or M18-34) plus qualitative criteria (homeowners, parents with kids, motorcycle lovers, etc).  As we discussed in earlier posts, there is a very small minority of the Target Profile that is prepared to do business right now.  We call that group "Transactional" because they are ready to transact business right now.  The vast majority (typically 95% or so) are in "Relational" phase.  They are open to building a relationship with the business but they are not in the market to buy.

Every business owner with whom we have ever had this conversation agrees with it.  That's an important foundation for the next portion of the conversation because it doesn't take long for the disagreements to occur.

If a consumer is in the market to buy something they need transactional details like price, selection, store locations, hours of operation, warranty, financing, delivery, etc.  However, if a consumer is in the market to buy something they will never go to their TV or radio and wait to hear from an advertiser.  In fact, the notion is laughable.  Transactional consumers go to Transactional media to get the information necessary to complete a purchase.  Transactional media include:  Internet search, websites, catalogues, Yellow Pages, Angie's List, etc.

Still no disagreements to this point.

If a Transactional consumer would never go to the TV or radio to find out the transactional details she needs to move forward with her buying process, advertisers using those media shouldn't focus on those details in their advertising because the consumers they are speaking to are in Relational phase.  By definition, consumers in Relational phase do not need transactional details because they are not in the market to buy.

That means, there should be no more car dealer ads in which the GM yells at us about a Corolla for $19,999 or insists that the best deals for the whole year can be had this weekend only or blathers on about being the low price leader or having the biggest selection.

Oh, now you can hear the howling, can't you?  Car dealers love to yell and dress up in chicken suits and shoot commercials from the roof of their dealership or on top of a billboard.  They think this is the best way to get the attention of the Target Profile.  And, while it's true they are able to get us to look at them make fools of themselves, they are not conveying any useful information .  I'm sure you don't need me to prove this to you but . . .

I was asked to speak to a group of Freshman marketing students at Georgia Tech.  Each was asked if they had ever bought a car from a new car dealer.  None of them had.  Then, I asked them if they believed a car dealer who said they were the low price leader.  That is, do you think there is a car dealer in town who is able to give you the lowest price on the cars they sell despite there being other car dealers who sell exactly the same automobiles?  After thinking for, oh about two seconds, this group of consumers who had never, ever purchased a new car, said "no".  

I asked for an explanation and one of the students said, "I'm sure that if I took a quote from car dealer A to car dealer B, car dealer B would be able to match the price."  Of course, that's true and if even the most novice of consumers knows this then don't all other consumers know this, too?  Of course, they do.  That means car dealers who use valuable media time to tell people this (lie) are wasting their money.

Why do they do it?  Most car dealers, and other local advertisers, are under the misconception that it is the manufacturer's job to tell customers "Why buy" and it is the retailer's job to explain "Why buy now".  Here's the thing:  customers buy "now" because something has happened in their world that makes them open to the idea of buying now.  In the case of a car, perhaps I wrecked my other one or it has become too expensive to repair or my family is growing or shrinking or I need something different because of work.  That is why I am open to buying "now".  Not because you are having the greatest sale since the last time you had a great sale.

Local advertisers should spend their money explaining to Relational consumers "Why buy here".  If there are five Toyota dealerships in town, what makes yours' the best place to buy a Sienna?  Why should I buy Tumi luggage from you instead of the other guy?  Or a Honda lawnmower or a Trane HVAC system or a Gucci handbag?

The answers aren't always obvious but finding them is worth the trouble.  The best best is to employ the assistance of a media sales professional - the real advertising expert - and stay clear of the gasoline.