When trade slows down, the ad budget is usually the first thing to go. It makes sense on paper. Money's tight, the phone isn't ringing, so why pay to advertise to people who aren't buying?
The trouble is that customers don't stop needing things. They just put off the decision. When they're ready, they buy from the business that comes to mind first, and that's usually the one they've kept seeing and hearing.
There's solid research on this. The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute tracked mass media spending and sales for 57 Australian consumer goods brands over 20 years. Brands that stopped advertising for a year saw their sales fall by 16% on average. Smaller brands tended to slide faster than big ones, and it could take more than a year of advertising to win back what was lost (Ehrenberg-Bass Institute).
Those were big supermarket brands, not a hardware store in Mudgee. But the lesson travels well. If the big names lose ground when they go quiet, a small regional business with a smaller following has even less buffer.
Going quiet also hands the stage to your competitors. In a regional town there might only be two or three businesses doing what you do. If they keep turning up in the local news break and you don't, it's not hard to guess who people will think of first.
None of this means spending big when money is tight. It means staying visible in a way you can keep up.
A smaller, steady presence beats a big burst followed by silence. Fewer spots spread over more weeks keeps your name in people's heads. Ask your station rep about quieter programs and time slots, which can be better value and still reach your locals.
Make the most of what you already have. If you've got an ad, a fresh end card with a new offer costs far less than a new commercial, and it gives people a reason to look again.
Use the slow time to get ready. Quiet months are a good time to plan, film and edit, so you're on air the moment things pick up instead of scrambling when you're flat out.
Spread it around. A short radio run, a few weeks on TV and some low cost social posts with the same message can keep you in front of people without one big bill.
And keep track of what works. Ask new customers where they heard about you. It's the simplest tracking there is, and it tells you where to put your money next time.
That's partly why our Box Packages have fixed prices you can see before you start, so you know exactly what you're spending. And our Memberships give you fresh ads every month on an annual plan, so staying on air becomes part of the routine rather than a big decision every time.
Adbox has been helping regional businesses stay on air for nearly 20 years, led by our Managing Director and Creative Lead, Aaron Petersen, who has spent more than 30 years in regional advertising. Have a look at our packages or give us a shout and we'll help you work out a plan you can keep up.
Information from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, What happens when brands stop advertising?.