First Thoughts

Long before I was even a whimper in my mom’s thoughts, dogs like us have been used to market stuff. For example, I’ve been told that Nissan capitalized on our love of trucks. Some funny dog by the name of Clark Griswald – of YouTube (whatever that is) fame – got a stint doing a commercial for Esurance. And best of all, one of Geico’s (that sounds like some salamander) first silly commercials employed an Airedale, just like me. Well, we canines may not only be “Man’s best friend,” but we’re also marketing’s “Best Accomplice.”

It has taken me a couple of weeks living under the same roof as Paul and Judy and being surrounded by Ad Quest Promotions every day to understand my purpose in life: to teach them a thing or two about advertising. And since I’m into sharing, I’m writing this dog blog as a testimony of my puppy love for each and every one of you to enjoy and hopefully find something helpful.

Call me Auggie. In the past two weeks I, Auggie Doggie, your faithful guide, have learned a few things. First and foremost, I’ve learned “Who’s the Boss.” Yes, it is company president, Judy. But I also think I’m doing pretty good with my name; to sit on command and to come when I’m called.

Somehow this all has to be applicable to the advertising world. What is it? you ask. Well, chew on this...

1. Know who’s boss. The old adage that the customer is always right really means that your customer is boss. If you introduce a new product or service and it bombs, it’s because “The Boss” - your customers - didn’t like it, need it or want it. Are your clients, customers or buyer-decision makers men or women or dogs? Are they young or old or all ages? So “Know who’s boss, and market to them.
2. Know your name. Of course you know your company’s name. But do your potential clients know your company name? The McDonald’s “Golden Arches” didn’t become a household name overnight. The Coca-Cola lettering wasn’t known until it was seen a few million times. The “good hands” of Allstate weren’t symbolic of the brand until buyers were exposed to it many times. How well do your potential customers “Know your name.”
3. Know when and how to respond. Do you need to thank your customers for their business? Should your customers be offered an incentive to buy? Visit your Facebook page? Stop in your booth at a Trade Show?

At 10 weeks, I’m still learning lots of new stuff. I’m pretty sure though, that I was born to sniff out the deals to help promote your business or organization. Sit. Stay. Come back.