What This Classic Ad Can Teach Us About Marketing
Who would ever think that a 30-second ad would have so much impact on the daily lives of Australians? The ad-libbed line “Not Happy, Jan!” delivered by comedian Deborah Kennedy in the 2000 Yellow Pages TV ad became a classic hit and is probably the most remembered ad in Australian television history.
Kudos to the creative team at Clemenger BBDO!
Those famou three words, “Not Happy, Jan!” became embedded in the Aussie vocabulary, almost synonymous with displeasure caused by someone’s incompetence or negligence. Despite the negative connotation, we can draw a couple of important marketing lessons from this classic hit.
Lesson 1: Marketing is Key to Your Business’ Success
You have an awesome product. Everything is made from the best materials in town and the craftsmanship is top-notch.
Your service is amazing. You’ve hired A+ employees. They’re onboard with your company’s vision and are ready to put in the long hours to deliver excellent service to your prospective clients.
But somehow, business is slow.
No matter how awesome your product is or how amazing your service, without marketing it will not succeed. Why? Because nobody knows about it. Or maybe you got your branding wrong. Marketing is the business.
“No sales, no company”
Mark Cuban, Billionaire CEO of various entertainment companies and owner of NBA Dallas Mavericks.
No wonder why Deborah’s character was not happy!
Lesson 2: Before, Yellow Pages is the King. Today, Google is the Emperor.
The golden days where all businesses flock to Yellow Pages is over. In fact, The Guardian reports that Yellow Pages will be printing their final edition in 2019 — formally passing the crown to Google.
So how does this affect your business?
You don’t have to wait for a year to get your business out there. With Google, you can put up your business’ ad any time of the day.
Ads are cheaper. No need to shell out hundreds of dollars to reach potential customers. And you no longer have to decide whether to put a spot colour on your ad or to make it full page to dwarf that of your competitors.
Your reach is global. Printing your ad in all international editions of Yellow Pages costs a fortune. With Google, your business can tap into a global market without breaking the bank — exponentially increasing your potential sales.
You can be creative in your marketing campaign. With Google, you are no longer limited by a few lines of ad space. Now you can include maps, beautiful photos, and even videos of your business to capture your prospects’ attention.
Your ads are targeted. Targeted marketing means that your ads will only show up on people within the demographics you’ve set. This means you’ll get more hot leads from your money’s worth.
Lesson 3: The Playing Field is Now Even
In “Not Happy, Jan!”, a business missing out on their Yellow Pages listing for the year means victory to the competitor. Same is true for a business who can afford to pay for their Yellow Pages ad space when vetted against those who can’t.
With the rise of Google, however, the playing field becomes even. Businesses big or small now have equal access to millions of potential clients. Meaning, the competition is fiercer than ever!
Here are some tips on how to launch a successful Google AdWords marketing campaign:
1. Set Clear, Measurable Goals
The success of your Google campaign depends on whether or not you have set clear, measurable goals. Creating brand awareness alone does not cut it, as it is hard to measure. We suggest creating a goal based on either of the following:
- Sales
- Online purchase
- Calling a certain number
Once you have identified a clear goal for your marketing campaign and have determined how to measure it, you are putting your business steps ahead of the competition.
2. Create a Campaign FOR Your Customers
Remember to follow the AIDAS principle of marketing when creating a Google campaign for your business.
Launch a campaign that Attracts your potential customers, raises their Interest, and increases their Desire for your product. Then, lead them to Act using call-to-action. And when they do visit your website, provide Satisfaction.
3. Build Trust
Trust is key to having a successful online presence. Your ad should not mislead your customer. Never. The keywords you use should be relevant to the product or service you are trying to promote.
4. Test, Test, and Test
Don’t be fantasised on the idea that you can just launch a single marketing campaign and then at the end of the week, you’ll get hundreds of sales. Even the savviest Google marketers have to constantly test and tweak their Google AdWords campaign until they find that sweet spot.
From “Not Happy, Jan!” to Very Happy, Jan!
Today, nobody is probably going to yell at you because you forgot to submit your business to Yellow Pages. With the rise of Google, your business can now tap into millions of potential customers worldwide in just a few clicks. You can now create beautiful landing pages, write more persuasive copies, and get more bang for your dollar with targeted advertising.
However, Google also became the great equaliser. Business, big and small, can now compete head-on with each other. Hundreds of businesses like yours are vying for your customers’ credit cards! By following the tips discussed in this article, you can create a successful online marketing campaign that brings in the cash needed to expand and grow your business.
Running and marketing a business is hard. Identity understands your needs and we want you to get a higher return for every dollar you spend. Get in touch with us today!