We are now JAX...Officially

Something remarkable happened in Jacksonville this week.  And it had to do with sports, with a little social media mixed in.  Now Jacksonville gets unfairly maligned as a sports city.  The national media, and in turn the national sports fan, does not see our city, and our sports teams, the way we see them.  We love our Jaguars.  We are proud of how we have responded to the call for the sale of season and individual tickets. Even though our city was hit hard by the economic downturn, we still have managed to rank 20^th in home attendance.  We do not have the blackout issue that many other cities have.  However, we have been portrayed as a city that cannot support our teams.

That could not be farther from the truth.  Aside from the strong showing at EverBank Field, one of the largest stadium in the NFL, the people of Jacksonville have strongly supported the AA Suns and the ABA’s two time defending champion Giants.  They have also come out by the thousands to watch The Players and regional tennis tournaments.  Our support of soccer matches here has brought us a NASL team that will launch in 2015.  Our support of the Jaguars is should truly be commended, as we have had to watch some underachieving teams over the past few years.  But as disappointing these teams have been and as disappointing our national media coverage has been, nothing has been more disappointing, and extremely disrespectful, as the abbreviation the NFL has used for our city name.

Since the Jaguars inception, the NFL has used the three letters JAC to identify the team on schedules, press releases and in other league information.  However, we here in Jacksonville know that we identify ourselves as JAX.  Our airport is identified as JAX.  But for some reason, this was first implemented incorrectly, and remained incorrect for sixteen years.

Jaguars fans have tried for years to get the National Football League to change their team's abbreviation.  On Thursday, their request was answered.

ESPN reports that with help from a persistent social media campaign and the Jaguars digital media manager Chris Burdett, the NFL has agreed to change its official abbreviation for the team.  Burdett says he's been trying to get it changed since the end of last season. Since he joined Twitter several months ago (@digital_jag), he'd get hits with requests and complaints from fans. He told ESPN there would always be at least 10 to 15 fans direct tweeting at them asking when it's going to change.  On Thursday, fans reportedly took to Twitter and inundated Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) with tweets asking that the NFL change the team's official abbreviation from JAC to JAX.  This included tweets from Jaxson DeVille, who himself is an active Twitter user.

 

 

Well, the NFL finally listened and instituted the change in our identifying abbreviation to JAX.  A victory for Jacksonville and for social media.

A key question for any business - Why should you advertise?

You've succeeded.  You have broken out of the rat race and launched your own business.  Got the store front, found a good location, developing a nice client base.  Things are moving in the right direction. 

Now, could they be moving faster?  How can a small business keep growing?  How can I let people know how great the business is and how much I can improve their life/provide them with great service/sell them the product they are looking for/bigger/better/cheaper.

The way to do that is to advertise.  Now many businesses will be afraid to do this, primarily because they have not budgeted for the expense.  That is one of the first mistakes that a business will make.  First, it is not an expense, it is an investment into their business.  Second, you absolutely need to be budgeting a percentage of revenues each month into a marketing fund.  Whether you are printing signs for the store, flyers to pass around the neighborhood or buying a media program from a radio station or newspaper, the funds to cover those costs need to be available and need to be documented and tracked.  You will need to make the correct decisions on what to spend those dollars on, and that is a challenge and a question for another blog post, but it will be important to make this investment to grow your business.

So back to the question, why?  well, there are many strong answers.

Advertising will allow you to reach new customers.  Some may not know your business exists.  Some may have just moved into the area.  Others may have changed their lifestyle and habits and may now have an interest in what you are selling. 

Advertising will allow you to remain in the mind of the shopper during their buying process. While many people make an instant decision, others may postpone their decision to buy for many reasons.  They may look at different stores for the same product.  They may analyze price, quality and shopping experience.  Your marketing message must continue to be top of mind over your competition.

Advertising allows you to remain connected to current customers. Consumers are not as loyal to one store or brand as they once were.  Advertising will allow you to keep pace with both your local and national/big box competition.  

Advertising pays off over a long period. When you are consistent with your advertising campaigns, you have an advantage over your competition when they cut back or cancel advertising. Advertisers who maintain or expand their ad investment over a five year period see their sales increase an average of 100%. Companies who cut advertising over the same period, see average sales decreases of 45%. Advertising is definitely an investment and not an expense.

Advertising allows you to make more sales. Businesses that succeed are usually strong, steady advertisers. The key to creating a great return on an advertising investment is consistency, which drives sales.  

Advertising will create store traffic, which is necessary to grow your customer base and increase revenues.   The more traffic you create the better chance of selling more than what specifically attracted a customer to you. The National Retail Merchants Association states that for every 100 items a shopper plans to buy, they make 30 unanticipated "in the store" purchases.

Advertising allows you to keep pace with your competition, who is also advertising. There are only so many consumers in the market who are ready to buy at any given moment in time. You need to advertise to keep regular customers engaged and to counterbalance competitive advertising. Consistent advertising allows you to maintain or grow your share of customers rather than potentially losing them to more aggressive competitors. If you're not advertising, you're not in the game.

Advertising is a key component to a successful business.  Whether in Jacksonville, or in any other market, you need to make sure you are getting your message out to the public.  You also need to make sure it is the right message.  The integrated marketing experts at 1010XL can help you tailor your message so that your offering or branding will be correctly heard by our engaged listening audience.  And we can do that in many different ways. 

If you have additional questions on why you should be advertising and/or how 1010XL can help you drive more awareness, more customers and, ultimately, more sales, please email me at howardw@1010xl.com.

Is the marketing world correct when it comes to men?

 

 

It's amazing how the marketing world looks at men.  Are they viewed as the bread winners? The family decision makers? People of influence?  No.  They are seen as beer drinkers, doing goofy things with their buddies and not knowing which end of a baby to diaper.  All of which are far from the truth.

Well, maybe not far from the truth, but it is clear that Madison Avenue does not see men for who they are and for their true buying potential.  Did you know that:

·         Three in ten (29%) men say they’re “the best shopper in the household,” and one-fifth (21%) of married men concur.

·         Nearly six in ten (57%) men say they totally or mostly use research and planning for their purchasing, rather than rely on impulse.

·         When it comes to major expenditures – buying or leasing a car, buying or renting a home or apartment, purchasing major appliances (washer, refrigerator, TV) – six in ten men (59%) say it’s their call or that they have a key role in the decision

·         As importantly, more than three-fourths (77%) of married women say that the recommendation of their spouse is “very important” when it comes to buying expensive items for the family.

·         For smaller items – costing under $500, such as clothing, small electronics, and entertainment – men are big players, too. Seven in ten (69%) of the men say they make the decision themselves or are a key player.

·         On many items, men are either major influencers or they lead the way toward making the key spending decisions. Looking at purchases where each gender is the sole decision maker or mostly makes the call, men trump women in the following key areas:

o   Automotive related (model/brand, selection of dealership, maintenance)

o   Investing

o   Alcohol

o   Sporting events

o   Electronics & media

o   Home improvements

o   Landscaping & gardening

 

·         Two-thirds of men (67%) and more than half (55%) of the females in our sample agree that “today’s male is more involved in the shopping/buying decisions than when I was growing up.”

·         Three in ten (31%) of men are single. Clearly, these are the guys who are making all the decisions in their households. Pass on them, and advertisers miss out on a big part of any male-based radio station’s influential audience.

·         From a real estate standpoint, men have clout. They are more likely to be home or condo owners. More than seven in ten (71%) are in this role, compared with only two-thirds of our female sample.

·         Men are also into loyalty/frequent shopper cards. Eight in ten (80%) have one of some kind, especially those who are married and/or have children living at home.

·         Men lead the way for card usage for hardware, travel (airlines, car rental, hotels), and electronics.
 

 This data comes from the Jacobs Media Marketing to Men survey.  It shows that not only should men be considered when planning a marketing campaign, they actually should be directly marketed to.  Not just for beer, but for everyday products, for big ticket items and for products in between.

So what would be the best method of marketing to men in Jacksonville, Florida?  It would make the most sense to direct your marketing dollars where you know the men are.  Where the men of this city have developed an interactive relationship.  On air.  On line. Through social media.

1010XL - 92.5 FM is the top sports radio station in North Florida and one of the leading stations for male listeners in the market.  We are very proud of the relationships, and response our sponsors have received form our listeners.  Perhaps we can provide the same strong marketing ROI for you and your business.

Look forward to creating an interactive dialogue about marketing to men in Jacksonville (and to women too) and how 1010XL can provide the marketing edge your business has been seeing