Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars

 If you advertise in any way, the following information could show you


how to find and utilize untold advertising dollars you may not be


aware of.





In the mid 80’s I was an account executive for a radio station


located in Santa Rosa, California. During that time I became very


familiar with what is referred to as co-op advertising.





Co-op advertising is a great source of advertising dollars. And there


is so much of it available to people, yet most people know very


little, if anything, about co-op dollars.





Interestingly, I was one of the only reps at the station who made


sure my clients knew about this benefit. The reason was simple, there


was more work involved in getting my clients set up, and yet, there


was financial gain for both my client and myself by taking time to


help them stretch their marketing dollars.





Co-oping is where you put in money for advertising and the


manufacturer of a product you sell also puts in money. Often it is as


much as 50% of the campaign. It is a great way to stretch your


advertising campaign and to beef up your campaign.





Unfortunately, even though the money is available if conditions are


right, many people either aren’t aware of this or if they are


they think it’s too much work to meet the criteria. Granted, in some


cases it is, but often utilizing co-op money is a great way to stretch your


marketing budget.





There are many co-op-advertising opportunities available if you plan


to do advertising on the Internet. Not all are good investments


though. Check opportunities out very carefully before making a final


commitment.





Using co-op dollars is an excellent way to build a stronger


relationship with your retail suppliers and to generate a lot more


traffic in your store or on to your web site. If the overflow of


business is handled correctly you will increase your sales and


profits.





The great thing about using co-op dollars when you are dealing with


standard media is that your account rep can handle the paperwork for


you. Many retailers hesitate using the “hidden” dollars due


to feeling intimidated by the paperwork, the unknown.





Not only can the rep help you with the paperwork, they can also help


you to build the campaign. However, before you trust them completely,


find out what their experience is, what successful campaigns they


have spearheaded and get some references. Take the time to do some


research upfront to save money over the long run.





The reality is, if they are professionals in the truest sense of the


word, they will be more than willing to take much of the paperwork


burden off of you by handling it. After all, the more value an


account rep creates for their clients the greater chance for an


ongoing business.





Co-op dollars are not limited to retail businesses. Often, there are


hidden dollars for non-profits. There are city and state funds that


are set aside to help various organizations increase their visibility


and reach. 





One nice thing about using co-op dollars from a large manufacturer is


that brand names do attract customers to your business—that's why


you offer them. Advertising specific well known brands will increase your foot traffic. Harley Davidson has an amazing co-op program they offer to their retailers. It is a primary reason they have done so well. They encourage advertising based on specific guidelines.





It is to the advantage of an advertiser to utilize these dollars.


Manufacturers in virtually every industry want to help with


advertising costs. They are very aware that when you correctly


advertise their brand name product you will probably sell more of it,


thus increasing your orders.





The disadvantage of co-op advertising can be the restrictions set by


the manufacturer. Often, they have such rigid guidelines about how to


design the ad that you may lose all control of creative expression.


For example, their logo may have to be positioned in an exact


location in order for them to co-op the campaign.





If you are working with someone who claims to be an expert at


advertising and they know nothing about co-op dollars they are not


the expert they claim to be. Be aware.





Areas that you need to be educated on are program terms and


reimbursement schedules. In some cases it can take months to receive


reimbursement for a co-op campaign. In other cases, the company you


are cooping with will send the money directly to the media source. Be


sure to check this information out in order not to run into a cash


flow problem.





Advantages of co-op advertising


- Extra money to advertise


- Account executive can do the paperwork


- More frequency





Disadvantages of co-op advertising


- Restrictions by manufacturer


- No guarantee it will work


- Limited creativity in ad copy





Before making a final decision, research your options on co-op


advertising. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.





Kathleen Gage is a business advisor, keynote speaker and trainer who


helps others gain marketing dominance and visibility within their


market. Get Gage’s FR*EE report “Learn How One Salt Lake City


Based Business Consultant Made Over 100k from One Idea” by visiting


www.kathleengage.com