By Jeffrey Hedquist
In addition to the value that can be added by the advertisers themselves, what profitable synergy could be created among non-associated advertisers?
This approach could be called “value added by association.” With a little thinking outside the box, everyone wins.
Ask yourself and your client, “What is complimentary but doesn’t compete with your product or service? “
Make a list of possible advertisers who might provide profit by association, then talk to potential affiliates and set up joint venture marketing where each participant helps promote the other’s business.
For example, let’s say your client is an Irish pub. Patrons might also be interested in tours to Ireland (travel agent), Irish food (restaurant, grocery store, catering service), Irish beers (beverage distributor), Irish/Celtic music (music store, booking agent, musicians, dance groups, festival promoters), Irish history (university), storytelling (toastmasters).
The pub can advertise each of the businesses in parentheses and each of them can also advertise the pub.
If the pub sponsored an Ireland Tour, the associated travel agent could offer gift certificates for anything at the pub. These ideas are easily adaptable for any ethnic restaurant… or extrapolated for any advertiser.
What other client affiliations might be possible? Health insurance providers (smoking cessation programs, home inspection services, fitness centers). Real estate brokers (home staging professionals, landscapers, remodeling & painting contractors). Clothing stores (dry cleaners, florists).
Who is your client’s audience? What else would they value that might not be directly associated with the advertiser?” Lexus or Mercedes Dealers (upscale restaurants, opera/symphony tickets, luxury jewelers). Ford, Chevy Dealers (mid-priced restaurants, community concerts, family clothing stores). Used car dealers (fast food restaurants, amusement park passes, discount retailers).
The key to making these collaborative associations work is having a good knowledge of the advertiser’s audience’s lifestyle.
In your role as creative marketer, you now have another way to create traffic for your clients, increase their bottom lines, and put more advertisers on the air.
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