Frame shop video - Wow!

[Keith Hewitt]

I discovered "YOU TUBE " last night Its amazing. Then I typed " Picture Framing" in the search box and this came up!........




Any comments

Keith

[Pete.]

Kieth mate, Iknow that you're underworked at SH, but browsing obscure picture framing sites at 4.07AM is fast approaching sadness of biblical proportions.

[kev@frames]

yeah, get a grip Keith. at 4.07 am you should be in Call of Duty multiplayer, pinned down by a sniper in a shell hole on omaha beach like any self respecting computer user....

good promotional movie, though! got to make us one of those, although i fear it would be more like the muppet show....

[Pete.]

An' I've just finished Call of Doody 3 in hard mode, so don't even think of reaching for one of those thousands of MP40s.

[kev@frames]

key V, 3,5

("Drop your weapons")

[John Ranes II, CPF, GCF]

I'm always impressed by what you manage to learn and uncover, Keith.

The video short is well done.... You've got me curious now to go visit this Australian's website and see if they offer a higher resolution video clip to download. Nice job on their part, for sure.

We've used YouTube also to store our TV spots....this allows web site visitors to see a high resolution view or a quick and easy version. Here's our page...

As Seen on TV

John

[John]

Your TV ad looks very professional John. It must have been expensive to produce and to air, specially around Christmass time.

Did you find the investment worthwhile?

[John Ranes II, CPF, GCF]

Thanks for the compliment, John.

If you're going to get into this visualization stuff....you've got to tell folks, for sure!

To answer your question, we stick to a firm plan of 6-7% of our annual gross sales towards advertising each year. We've run TV for about 5 years now with good success and response.

I believe that it is different here than in the UK, as we negotiate our TV Advertising with a regional station. The particular station that we currently use probably broadcasts to about 1 to 1.4 million folks within a 75 mile radius. We are able to advertise with just this one station and not a National audience.

The advertising rates are setup for the year....and Christmas doesn't impact those rates too much. Big sporting events ans special National programing will definitely drive the spot/rate up a bit however.

All the best,

John

[Roboframer]

The particular station that we currently use probably broadcasts to about 1 to 1.4 million folks within a 75 mile radius.

Ratings or population?

[John Ranes II, CPF, GCF]

Hello Mr. Turner.

That would be population. Now granted....they may or may not be watching this particular station. That's why we do this month after month after month.

With any and all advertising programs....it's has everything to do with repetition.

John

[Roboframer]

Hello Mr Ranes

Repetition - absolutely! Things are more condensed over here though!

We've been running radio ads for 6 years now under a scheme named 'brand-builder' on Spirit FM. There are 2.5 million potential listeners within a 25 mile radius, make that a semi-circle, we're on the coast!

No idea what the ratings are, I think about 250 - 500,000. The deal is this - sign up and they guarantee so many 30 second slots per month - say 60 - fifty percent of which will be in 'Primetime' (e.g. drive to/from work)

But then they give you other slots for FREE in 'unsold airtime' - last month we got about 370 slots but only paid for the 60.

It works - it REALLY works!

No way could we afford a TV commercial on those, or any other terms, plus it just would not have the same effect - not here, there are less local stations - the area that our local TV station covers is just too big, but if we were based in Southampton, same as the TV station - may be another story!

TV advertising is nothing like as intrusive as radio advertising, not here; not for this type of business. TV commercials are when you go to the John/make a coffee/get a beer from the fridge/channel hop - or just swear a lot!

Sublimal messages!

The radio is just background, it's just 'ON' - you only have to devote one of your senses to it - you don't channel hop because you're not 'following' anything.

We toyed with it, years ago, a month's worth here, another there, sometimes tied in with other shops, or to plug the village, incorporating our name, to split costs. results were 'encouraging' but nothing really to write home about, then, one day, we took the plunge and signed up for a whole year - good deal. Never looked back.

This would not relate to your area, just a message to other Brits - IT WORKS!!!

(About £6,000 pa with plenty of free tickets - VIP badges - to lots of nice events, discount coupons from fellow advertisers, networking opportunities, space on the station's website - 'testimonials' - where you go along to the radio station and are interviewed in primetime by a household name DJ/presenter, about how radio advertising works for you - played for 3 months on and off - free advertising - win-win)

[John]

About 10 years ago, back in the day when people still had a bit of respect for a thousand pounds, we tried the radio. I don't remember how many spots per day but it ran over a six week period, cost £1200+VAT, and had absolutely no noticeable affect on our business.

Maybe we just never found the knack of being able to create an appealing ad, but after experimenting with just about every form of advertising, we are now happy to rely exclusively on 'word of mouth', while being always a little envious when hearing of others' success stories.

[markw]

I would have thought radio advertising was as good as the local radio station and its ability to reach your desired target audience. John (Roboframer) obviously works very hard on marketing and seems to do so much more than just radio advertising - not sure where he finds the time.

The local chamber of commerce had a talk about radio advertising from a local station - a couple of businesses took space - as John described, so many slots per month. The results for them were disappointing - but we are a very rural location with many choices of local radio and I suspect they just didn't reach the right audience.

[John Ranes II, CPF, GCF]

...We've been running radio ads for 6 years now under a scheme named 'brand-builder' on Spirit FM. There are 2.5 million potential listeners within a 25 mile radius, make that a semi-circle, we're on the coast!

Hey Robo-John,

I always love a geograhy lesson! Actually I knew you were on the coast.

...The deal is this - sign up and they guarantee so many 30 second slots per month - say 60 - fifty percent of which will be in 'Primetime' (e.g. drive to/from work)

But then they give you other slots for FREE in 'unsold airtime' - last month we got about 370 slots but only paid for the 60.

This is so very similar to the way we purchase our TV airtime currently. The stations would rather work with a business that is committed to advertise on a regular basis, and are willing to give you a good price for the PRIME drive time radio spots and they also have a huge bucket of additional airtime to give away for "Free" to regular clients. It doesn't hurt, as it simply adds to your frequency and repetition.

...No way could we afford a TV commercial on those, or any other terms, plus it just would not have the same effect - not here, there are less local stations - the area that our local TV station covers is just too big, but if we were based in Southampton, same as the TV station - may be another story!

I think you might surprise yourself, John. We did our first TV Spot back in the mid-1980's, and carefully found three PPFA member frame shops to work together and we split the TV Ad and the expenses. One shop was in Green Bay, 30 miles north and the third shop was in Oshkosh, 30 miles south......all three participants had unique "primary" markets that we're all covered by the same TV station.

This would be similar to you joining forces with a frame shop in Southampton, and say one on the Isle of Wight. If all three are within the viewing area of the Southampton station.

...TV advertising is nothing like as intrusive as radio advertising, not here; not for this type of business. TV commercials are when you go to the John/make a coffee/get a beer from the fridge/channel hop - or just swear a lot!

It sounds like you are simply supporting the wrong team, if you're swearing a great deal my friend....must become a Liverpool fan like my brother-in-law!

Don't totally understand what you mean by "intrusive"... but I do know that TV does lend itself to the visuals of Picture Framing. But only if the programing is selected well. Demographics are really important to both TV and Radio.

Sublimal messages!

Actually....you have something there! Studies have shown that the auditory is what we tend to recall longer than the visuals. Even with TV, it's the jingles and quips that we remember rather than the images.

Your Radio spots are working, John as you are committed to a program. I've seen too many picture framers on both sides of the Atlantic that are poor retailers. They try one type of advertising once...give it a go for 3 months, then declare that that particular medium just doesn't work. They then wait 2 years before trying something else. We should all take a lesson from what the big players do...

• Set a budget and stick to it....during the slow times and busy times
• Select a medium or two: Radio and Newspaper; TV and Direct Mail; Magazines and leaflets.
• Don't pull out....stick with it for 2-3 years before using another medium.
• Make sure to raise you prices high enough to cover the expense of advertising!

We've gone off topic.....well a little anyway.

John

[Roboframer]

By 'Intrusive' I mean you have less of an option but to hear the advert.

With TV you have to be sitting down in front of it, paying attention - if you need to do something like visit the bathroom or get a beer, you'll miss stuff. When do YOU do those things when a good film is on? That's right -when the adverts come on

With the radio, you can go about your chores and bodily functions and not miss a thing, or you can be driving; you may have no INTEREST in the ads, you may just be tuned in to your favourite DJ or chat show, but you'll hear the ads, therefore the term 'intrusive'

I've never ever seen a single independent shop on a TV ad in this country, not even tied in with others, our 'local' TV station 'Meridian' covers a huge area and only the multis can afford the rates, having said that I haven't looked for some time, last time I did I had a scrotum attack - even divided by three, but I will check again.

I don't listen (much) to spirit FM - last time we went to one of their functions their MD was asking me what I thought of the station - I said "Dunno - don't listen to it - too many bloody adverts - I prefer radio 2 myself" (BBC - no adverts)

Said it with a grin - but it's the truth - and so it is for many, we work on a % response, I'm lucky - Spirit FM is hugely popular right where I need it to be, they sponsor and host events such as The Arundel Festival, which is a blockbuster, they promote themselves extremely well outside of broadcasting and really look after those that support them.

Then there is the catch 22 as well - just say TV advertising was a go-er, and let's also say I got a website up and running (tried once - got let down big time - another thing 'to do') and they both increase our footfall/orders/sales by, say 30%.

I couldn't cope with that, no way - so - I take on more staff - increase my wages and advertising overheads by maybe more than the extra I am turning over - maybe end up worse off or maybe breaking even but under far more stress.

How does it go "Turnover vanity - profit sanity?" Don't generally agree with that, but this could be a situation where I would!

Almost scared to go any further - I think we've pretty much drawn our line regards adverising/marketting we have yet to 'peak' and doubt we ever will without doing anything else - not that I'll ever be complacent.