In now's economy, it is easy to justify making cutbacks. With so many companies poor for cash, determination areas to cut corners seems like the right approach. Statistics show that when companies anticipate cut down costs, merchandising and advertising are among the first to receive a small budget. This is not always the best plan of action. Becoming smarter about where you spend your merchandising dollars is.
These days, consumers are awash and overflowing with merchandising messages from the moment they wake up, until the moment they fall asleep. There are ads for beer, ads for cars, ads for gadgets and devices designed to make your life easier. But for the most part, all of this information goes in one ear and out the other. Don't get me wrong, merchandising is effective and when it comes to decision time, the ads a spectator has been exposed to, often times, influences their decision, but the problem lies in one small fact. Radio, television and print ads can all be targeted at specific demographics. For example, a print ad for a BMW or Mercedes power do better in the Wall Street Journal as opposed to Sports Illustrated. While this ad may effectively reach the intended target audience, it is not always hit them at once when they are making a decision to buy a vehicle, therefore, losing some of its effectiveness.
This is where digital merchandising enters the equation. The facts are all around us - newspapers and print magazines are losing circulation numbers, increasingly households have Tivo or a similar DVR service that allows them to blow through television commercials, and the increasing popularity of MP3 players and satellite radio has importantly reduced the popularity of the radio. The one advertising medium that has been gaining impulse over the past decade, however, has been the cyberspace. The cyberspace is an amazing chance to not only provide extremely targeted advertising and brand impressions to your target audience, but you can bonk at most crucial time in the decision process - right before purchase.
The economy now is forcing everyone to hunt around for the best deals they can find. Usually these deals are found on the cyberspace. Digital merchandising helps your company increase its exposure to consumers who are actively quest your product or service, making it much more effective than other forms of advertising. Increasing your company's exposure through digital merchandising is the equivalent of McDonald's only showing you a Big Mac commercial when you are hungry. It is targeted, effective, and relevant.
Don't cut back your company's merchandising budget during this economy; instead, revolve around disbursal your merchandising dollars more effectively by investment in a extremely targeted digital merchandising campaign.
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