Strategy Planning Your Advertising/Sales Program
By Jack Forsberg

Everyone talks about long-range planning, but many companies tend to repeat what they did last year in sales planning and advertising. In most cases this weakens both the firm’s sales and its advertising program by not identifying basic changes that have occurred during the past year. In today’s world, one year can create a remarkable number of changes in any industry, and every company should have a plan to address those changes.

An Overview
First, it is always a good idea to outline an overview of what your firm is currently doing or will introduce over the next year or two. This enables you to see and remember the products and services that will shape your company sales and your company’s future. You may have talked about introducing an important new service, but if you have not allocated an advertising or sales budget for the new service, it will not have much of a chance of success. Identify in your overview every item you and your sales staff feel will affect your company over the next few years. This includes products or services being introduced by your competition and what you will have to do to combat their sales and advertising program. If you use the same program as last year, and you know a major new product is being introduced by XYZ Company later in the year, you may start losing sales by default. Reacting to your new competition should be a vital part of your strategy plan. Also keep in mind that recent changes in technology are affecting your company and what new opportunities they present for you firm.

Prioritize Your Products and Services
Most companies have several different products and services. To plan your priorities you may want to answer a few questions.

  • What are your best profit producers?
  • What products or services that you offer are fairly new to your industry?
  • What products/services could be a major step forward in solving a well-known problem for your customers?
  • What are your major competitors’ product/service problems?
  • How can your firm solve those problems?
There are many more questions you can use to determine what products/services you should be considering in prioritizing your sales planning and advertising program for the next year. The point is, by carefully establishing your priorities, you are taking a new look at your basic requirements. You are creating a fresh analysis and one that is not hampered by what you have done in the past.

Introducing A New Product/Service
Once you have selected a new product/service, how do you introduce it? It is assumed that all the basic questions have been addressed as to how the new product or service meets the need of your potential customers. A number of basic questions should now be answered for sales planning and advertising.

  • How well known is your firm in this product/service industry?
  • Is it a product or a service that focuses on one industry or can it be used in several industries for different applications?
  • Can you identify by name and title the potential users of the product/service?
  • Can you identify the special buying habits of your potential customers?
  • What special product or service benefits are of exceptional interest to your potential buyer?
  • How can you dramatize those differences?
  • If your product is patented, can you capitalize on that fact?
  • Would test marketing in different markets provide valuable information feedback?
  • Can a survey of your existing customers give you valuable insight that you can use in your sales and advertising?
  • Have you picked the brains of your top sales representatives on what they feel are the most important benefits…value, price, special features and such?
  • Is there something really unusual about the product or service that lends itself to special promotion?
  • Could an unbiased focus group provided valuable insight?
  • Have you researched the competitive or similar items and analyzed their advertising and sales strategies?
  • What kind of results did they receive and why?
  • Who is your most successful competitor and what are they doing in sales, advertising and marketing?
Media Options
In some cases you may have many different types of customers for your product or service. If this is the case, identify each customer group by title and their influence on the purchase. You may want to make a list of all your options in the various media and an example of costs. This gives you a range of options you can refer to when you are developing a media plan. This will help you develop an advertising and sales strategy plan for each new product or service.

Mixing Media To Maximize Results
An example of a mixed-media plan that was very successful in introducing a new product was one we developed for Roberts Sinto Corporation, a foundry equipment manufacturer. We introduced the new FBO Series Flaskless Molding machine to the foundry industry.

The strategy plan included:

  • Personal direct mail was sent to 300 of the best potential customers
  • A direct mail card announced that their personal video was ready to ship and be in their hands within 48 hours
  • A six-page product brochure and sales video was sent as the sales inquiry fulfillment package
  • A press release program introduced each machine model
  • A series of editorials were placed in three trade magazines on the success of the product installation in foundries throughout the United States and Canada
  • A series of testimonial-style advertisements were placed in three trade magazines
  • The six page product brochure was inserted into one magazine
  • A six-page success story on product installations was inserted in a national foundry trade magazine
  • An eye-catching display featured the product line at the International Cast Expo Trade Show
  • A powerful website featured testimonials from satisfied customers throughout the United States and Canada
  • A full-page ad with all plant personnel around several FBO machines heralded “Thank you for making us number 1” (this reflected the sales success of the product in the foundry industry in just under 2 years)
It is important to plan the necessary steps and timing for each part of the sales and advertising program. Once you reach a certain level of success it is very important that you capitalize upon this acceptance with an excellent sales and service support program. Also, it is important to maintain a good relationship with existing customers that don’t necessarily need your latest new product.

As an ad agency, we have seen the powerful results generated by a well conceived strategy plan. It provides a road map that helps your firm achieve its desired goals in the most cost-effective manner. Many times it also opens doors to new opportunities.

Jack Forsberg is president of Forsberg Group, Inc.