Spend Less on Promotions, More on Concept
Marketing is the full process of conceptualization, pricing, promotion, and distribution of a program, product or service. Intellectually you probably knew this, but do you live it? In reality, too often the focus of association “marketing” is a slick brochure or an e-mail blast. This, of course, isn’t very effective.
Try something different. For those products that aren’t selling well, cut your promotions budget in half. Then apply those resources to product concept (or re-concept). Why? It may be your product that is the problem, rather than the promotions. You can promote the heck out of a mediocre product but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a mediocre product. So, most of those promotional dollars are wasted. Even if you’ve created a gem of a promotional campaign and gotten buyers for that mediocre product, will they be satisfied buyers? Repeat buyers?
Consider this real case. An association has been offering a certificate of training program for the past six years. It spends very little on promotion - a listing on its website, occasional e-blasts, and a simple printed flier included in select mailings. Yet, almost all programs have sold out - many with a long waiting list. How? They spent their time wisely and generously on program concept and design. The program meets a real need, and exceeds participant expectations. Now, they don’t have to promote the program; it sells itself. Well, actually, graduates of the program sell it for them. Evaluations data show that over 95% of participants would recommend it to a colleague…and they do. Word-of-mouth marketing at its best.
Consider which of your products, services or programs aren’t selling well regardless of how much you promote them. Then, delve into the product’s concept. Who is the target? What are their needs? Is this product meeting a need? If not, can it be redesigned to meet a need? Is it a mediocre product or a remarkable one? Is it so remarkable that your buyers will “sell” it for you through word-of-mouth? Can you make it so? (Of course, remember that not all products are worthy of a redesign; some may need to be retired.)
A place to start: the product of membership. Do you really need to promote membership more…or do you need to work on making it worth buying?
Great post! I’m in the (unenviable, but sometimes useful) position of being the one person in charge of managing the promotion of our programs. So I have a vested interest in making sure I evaluate very carefully what we do for each program at least on a yearly basis, to make sure all the effort is well spent and no time or money is wasted.
Fantastic post! I am sharing this with my staff immediately.