Results With Radio

QR Codes -- Have You Heard??

2011-11-14T14:41:00.006-05:00

You've probably seen these around. They're called QR codes. And they are popping up everywhere.

Download a FREE QR Code reader from your mobile phone app market and start uncovering a wealth of information simply by scanning these codes.

This past weekend scanning a QR code saved me $100 dollars. I was making a purchase at Best Buy and noticed a QR code on the display. When I scanned the code, I found that the Best Buy online price was $100 cheaper than their in store price. The store matched the price and I saved $100 dollars! With a QR code reader, I would've missed out on the rich media experience that took the camera I was buying and showcased it AND I would've missed out on a $100 savings.

The restaurant chain, Chili's, recently completed a cause-marketing campaign in an effort to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Hospitals and had 291,000 scans!! Read the entire article here.

We can even do some very cool QR Code promotions for your company using our Fish Rewards platform; our points-based frequent flyer program for our most loyal listeners.

We could do a scan to win driving traffic into your store where listeners scan the code to be automatically entered into a branded contest.

Just one more way we are so much more than just a radio station outlet for your advertising. Nowadays, I don't even say that I work with 104.7 the Fish. I tell potential clients that I am with Salem Media of Georgia and 104.7 the Fish is just one of my consumer channels we can use.

Want to do a QR Code promotion? Then contact me and we can start creating it together.

Phone in hand ... about to go mobile.

Gamification of An Atlanta Pest Control Company

2011-11-11T09:02:00.003-05:00

I was on a time-out call with another one of my colleagues earlier this week visiting with a large Atlanta-based pest control company. The marketing person interfaces with every kind of media imaginable ... radio, TV, websites, etc.

We were presenting our annual plan and included Fish Rewards. (Fish Rewards is our points-based listener loyalty site that rewards our listeners with virtual currency that they can enter to win prizes, sweepstakes, and instant wins).

What was most interesting is this ... the client said they had tried all sorts of digital programs but none worked nearly as well as Fish Rewards as far as generating measurable web traffic. And he pointed out that when the listener visited their website via Fish Rewards, the bounce rate was significantly lower than any other redirect site.

What if you could send multitudes to your website? Maybe have listeners engage with your audio or your video? Need a consumer perceptual study? We can do that too?

Maybe you'd like to feature a branded contest with your product or service.

Give me a call at 678-632-6733 and I'll bring my brand new tablet to your business and show you all that we can do to help you with your digital marketing efforts.

Geek out

Need a Traffic Driver?

2011-07-14T13:26:00.004-04:00

Soul Sufer, Bethany Hamilton, shows up at Family Christian Stores to take pictures with 1,500 of her closest Atlanta fans. The only promotional mechanism in place was 104.7 the Fish.

If we can put this many people in a line to see an inspirational character, what can we find inspirational about your product or service?

It's all about the offer.

Why Ads Fail

2011-05-09T09:37:00.005-04:00

Do you ever wonder why some ads work and some don't? The Wizard of Ads gives you some insight.

Listen!

As you look through my blog, you'll see we put many of the "Wizard's" tenents into practice and have generated great response for a number of advertisers.

Want to do the same for your business?

Give me a call 404-995-7343 and let's discuss the next steps.

Platinum Kitchens Gets Results With 104.7 the Fish

2010-12-17T13:56:00.005-05:00

Training an Old Dog

2010-12-16T16:09:00.005-05:00

Many say you can't teach old dogs new tricks but I'm going to have to disagree when it comes to saving $$$. Everyday I get tons of "daily deals" emails like Groupon. And honestly some of the deals are out of this world. In the last week, I've purchased a $45 auto detail for $9. I've bought $20 of BBQ for $10 and I've treated "the lunch bunch" to pizza with a voucher I got for only $5. We got $20 worth of pizza.

But I, like Laura Ries, have some concerns that advertisers who use these vehicles are training consumers to only shop their store when they have a coupon. In a recent article Laura Ries says ...

"Think about it. The effects of coupons, sales and discounts are exactly the same as cocaine. The first time you get a discount card in the mail you are elated! Wow! 10% off, 20% off, 2-for-1! You might rush out to the store and take advantage of the offer. But next time you drive by that store you think, I’ll just wait and see if there are any more coupons coming. Next time you drive by that store you get mad since you forgot the coupon. Eventually you refuse to step into the store without a coupon."

My wife and I were doing some Christmas shopping a few weeks ago at Kohls. The items we were shopping were 65% off, plus we had an additional 15% off over and above that.

Why would I every pay retail again?

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? In this case and to the detriment of brand building, I believe the answer is a resounding YES.

Social Media Addiction

2010-12-02T10:09:00.014-05:00

It's been awhile since I've posted. I've been very busy which is really no excuse at all. I repent for my non posting ways. I happened across this video. Funny. Thought you might enjoy.

The VIP Potty Pass

2010-08-16T15:06:00.003-04:00

I have a very interesting way for you to garner lots of traction and word of mouth advertising at our 3rd annual Celebrate Freedom 2010. It's called the VIP Potty Pass. Watch below.

Vip Potty Pass

View more presentations from thecopee.

Your Digital Marketing Fears Eased

2010-07-28T09:50:00.005-04:00

Now all of that fear and trepidation you've had about jumping into digital marketing can be set aside because not only is your radio ad guy your radio ad guy, but now your radio ad guy has been fully certified by the Radio Advertising Bureau as a "Certified Digital Marketing Consultant."

Our company recognizing the need to bring digital expertise to the radio field partnered with our trade organization to send me through a 10-module interactive course on making radio + internet work for advertisers.

The same committment I've brought to you on the radio side for generating results is the same committment I'll bring to the digital side as well.

Ove the next several weeks, I'll be writing on how to best utilize some of our digital assets combined with our on air product.

If there's something you'd like for me to write about on my blog, please don't hesitate to contact me at thecopee@gmail.com.

Web Video: Do You Have A Strategy

2010-05-18T16:00:00.003-04:00

Web video puts a face with your product or service and with the surge of social media platforms, web video has become an essential part of any businesses marketing strategy.

Above is a video I recently shot and produced for Carriage Kia in Gainesville, Georgia.

Do you have a web video strategy? Experts agree that regularly updated videos exponentially drive SEO rankings on search engines and bounce rates on websites go down significantly when you engage your consumers with web video.

If you'd like to have a web video produced for your business, I can help. Just give me a call at 770-328-1938.

Monitter This

2010-05-12T13:48:00.004-04:00

I just found a very exciting way to "monitter" what consumers are saying about your business. It's located here: http://www.monitter.com.

You can set up search fields and geo locate tweets that have been made about your business or trends you follow in your business.

This is exciting because this gives you an opportunity to respond to either positive or negative feedback with super speed. This is not about selling a consumer but engaging with them on their turf.

Imagine building a relationship with a customer long before they have a need for your product or service. How powerful.

Let me know what you think about http://www.monitter.com.

Moncrief Heating and Air Heats Up Sales

2010-03-24T17:55:00.004-04:00

700-800 People Line Up At Lifeway

2010-02-24T11:28:00.005-05:00

I've always said put a good offer up and put it up frequently and you'll reap the rewards. That's exactly what happened on Toby Mac Day at 104.7 the Fish.

Toby Mac came to the studio to co-host the morning show with Kevin and Taylor. Then, Toby Mac made a special appearance on our webcast, The Fish Bowl, where he interacted with our loyal audience online.

All throughout the morning, we promoted that Toby Mac would make a live appearance at Lifeway Christian Books in Kennesaw from 1pm-3pm.

Our 104.7 the Fish promotions staff tells us that between 700-800 people came out to get Toby's autograph and to meet him at the meet and greet at the Lifeway store.

You may not have Toby Mac but my guess is that you have an offer that you could put before my audience that would drive people into your business and create a positive ROI for your advertising campaign.

Contact me if you're interested in finding out how.

Pest Control Company "Killin" it with Radio

2010-02-19T15:29:00.002-05:00

What About Un Clicked Banner Ads

2010-02-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

You've started an online campaign.

You have banners and buttons and you're just waiting for your e-commerce program to skyrocket.

You may ask yourself, "Do un clicked banner ads really make a difference to my business."

A recent study shows a resounding YES!

"According to Nielsen, one of the top trends in the coming year among advertisers will be to accurately measure activity and link online ads to offline purchasing behavior. A study was done recently by comScore, aimed to understand the impact of online display advertising. The results showed that unclicked ads still had a very powerful impact on the consumer. Further, the likelihood of consumers performing a search using the advertiser's branded terms increased 38%, while consumers' likelihood of buying the advertiser's brand either online or in a retail store increased by 27% and 17% respectively. These statistics provide evidence of the power of online ads, clicked or not, in the digital realm."

Ask yourself this question.

Do billboard, TV, print, and radio have value if there's no response.

Brand managers would vote yes. There's an inherent value in the "branding" message.

Think of it this way, 104.7 the Fish reaches 600,000+ people each week. I have a roofer who reports he put on over 500 roofs last year from Fish leads alone. It was a tremendous year for him, yet, 500 is only a very small percentage of our total 600,000+ audience.

Click thrus in online advertising should be viewed as "direct response" while message views should be viewed as "brand awareness."

This speaks to what I've been educating my customers all along. When you use broadcast marketing, you're not interested in reaching all of my listeners. You're really interested in reaching only those people who are "on" for what you sell.

Broadcast advertising is really a misnomer. It should be called narrowcasting where we are pinpointing your message to people who actively have a need for what you do right now, while, at the same time we are building a brand presence for those who might have a need for what you do in the next 6 months or year.

Either way, an audience is seeing and or hearing your message consistently and frequently.

Nearly 100 Patients in 30-days

2010-02-02T18:20:00.005-05:00

Dr. James Yost, managing partner of Physicians Immediate Med with 11 locations across Atlanta, discusses how 104.7 the Fish is bringing in new cash flow opportunities for all Physicians Immediate Med offices.

Over 100 Leads in Two Weeks

2010-01-29T16:10:00.003-05:00

Internet Case Study: Progressive Medical Center

Situation: Progressive Medical wanted to test market a weight loss product using http://thefishatlanta.com/. This product is not advertised on air but only online.

Objective: To develop a stream of online leads of qualified weight loss product consumers.

Strategy: Once a listener clicks on the banner, they are immediately taken into an interactive survey on the Progressive Medical Center website where Progressive Medical gathers consumer data.

Results: In just over 2-weeks, Progressive Medical reports over 100 leads!!

Online advertisers receive the same "halo" effect that our on air advertisers experience. Progressive Medical leverages the listener/web loyalty that 104.7 the Fish delivers.

Want to find out how to affordably utilize this strategy for your business?

Give me a call.

Focus: The Power That Drives Your Results

2010-01-21T13:45:00.003-05:00

James Carville understood the power of focus in the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign when he coined the now famous phrase, "It's the economy, stupid."

Scott Brown, the newly elected senator from Massachusetts, also understands the power of focus.

In an unlikely come from behind election, Brown echoed John F. Kennedy's sentiments from years ago saying, "We can do better."

By hyperfocusing the electorates' attention on healthcare and promising that we could do better, Scott Brown is this week's Results With Radio Marketing Hero.

Under Jack Trout's premise that minds hate confusion, Brown made it clear what his position was and he owned it in the mind of the voters.

What does this mean to an advertiser?

It means that there is tremendous power in focusing your message -- not trying to be everything to everybody.

Jack Trout and Al Reis note in their book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, that some of the most powerful marketing messages are those who focus on a single word:

Crest: cavities

Volvo: safety

Prego: thick

So when you want to throw everything, including the kitchen sink, into your next advertising campaign, drop back and think about finding your ONE THING you'd like customers to know about your business. (Thanks to Curly from the movie City Slickers).

Advertiser Tutorial: Fish Rewards

2010-01-07T13:37:00.002-05:00

O'Charley's Atlanta Increases Revenue with Radio

2009-12-28T14:22:00.008-05:00

Click below to hear from the Atlanta O'Charley's Operational Director on the effectiveness of his advertising on 104.7 the Fish.

La Parilla Atlanta -- The Fresh Results with Radio Advertising

2009-12-28T10:31:00.005-05:00

Recently received notice about how well 104.7 the Fish delivered for La Parilla Mexican Restaurants.

The following was from the advertising agency handling La Parilla in an email:

"Thought I'd add one to your list of successes ... I spoke with La Parilla , and they said many people mentioned they heard our ad on the FISH. We ran only one flight, and got immediate RESULTS."

Santa Endorses Results With Radio

2009-12-18T15:38:00.003-05:00

I got a personal endorsement from the big guy himself. (Note the giant belt buckle that gives away his identity).

Santa says that Atlanta businesses who want to get results with their marketing should contact Mike Copeland.

If you've been a good business, I think that Santa and I could arrange for some good qualified leads to be under your tree this year.

Give me a call or e mail me.

Merry Christmas!!

Women And Online Brand Engagement

2009-12-16T14:55:00.004-05:00

Women are clicking and are remaining more engaged with brands who offer virtual currency. In a recent Brandweek article, recipients claimed that using virtual currency was both "fun" and "addictive."

"It talks to the fact that women are interacting with these games," said Wise. [Matt Wise, President, Q Interactive] "If you can create a positive brand experience, it's an excellent way to weave advertisements into a game because you've got the attention of the consumers ... It's a positive experience for the consumers and keeps the consumer engaged in the game by getting more virtual points and ideally playing some more."

The findings also report that "women are jumping at the chance to earn online points and virtual dollars."

We have a platform like none other here at 104.7 the Fish to take advantage of this trend. It's called Fish Rewards -- a points based loyalty program that rewards our audience for engaging with our advertisers.

The more points our audience earns the more prizes they can win -- all while getting a "forced" education about your business.

Interested in learning more? Let's talk.

104.7 the Fish Decorating Wars

2009-12-11T14:17:00.003-05:00

At 104.7 the Fish there are two rows of advertising sales professionals. You can imagine the competitive nature between all of us. Now that competition has stretched into who can decorate their isle the tackiest.

Watch out Clark W. Griswald. You have nothing on ad guys in the ATL.

Advertising Lessons from a Chiropractor

2009-12-09T13:56:00.002-05:00

I did something that I thought I'd never do.

I went for a chiropractic appointment because of a chronic pain I've developed in my right shoulder area.

Now you wouldn't think there are any advertising lessons from a doctor of chiropractic but there were ... many lessons that could apply to your business.

First, my doctor listened intently to the symptoms I was experiencing. He asked good follow up questions to gather more information.

He then had me lay face down on the table.

This is where he really demonstrated his expertise. After feeling my spine, he asked me questions about acid reflux and a couple of other health related questions. He confidently demonstrated knowledge, then, suggested specific test before moving forward in treatment so that he would know exactly what he was dealing with.

(Remember prescription without diagnosis is malpractic in any field)

I walked into that chiropractor's office not exactly sure if this treatment was for me but in a short 60-minutes walked out convinced that I needed to have chiropractic care. And I felt good about parting with my $$.

Advertising Lesson: Like this doctor of chiropractic did, find your customers pain. Demonstrate your expertise. Then, show how your product or service best eases the pain. When you find the pain and demonstrate knowledge of how to get rid of the pain, cost to your customer becomes a lower factor on the decision making scale.

Radio Advertising Success -- Builders Floorcovering

2009-11-30T11:44:00.000-05:00

Copee's Turkey Recipe -- Guaranteed Success

2009-11-19T09:57:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is my most favorite time of the year. I not only love the wonderful cornucopia of food but I love what Thanksgiving represents.

Without getting all syrup-y (if that's a word), I truly am thankful for each and every one of my clients that I work with. Each one of you makes my job the most fun job in the world.

So as we prepare for "Turkey Day," allow me to offer you my heartfelt thanks not only for your business but also for your friendship.

Many of you have asked how I fix my turkey. I'm sharing my recipe (which also happens to be Alton Brown's recipe from the Food Network). This makes the most moist, tender, mouth watering turkey you've ever tasted.

Copee's Famous Turkey Recipe (Actually Alton Brown's -- but I've cooked it for 4 years now so I consider it my own)

Ingredients

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010 Fish Education Fair

2009-11-17T09:55:00.005-05:00

It's happening January 16th and 17th -- the 2010 Fish Education Fair. This event attracts families with kids. Great place to be if you need to reach this specific demographic.

Watch the video recap from last year's Fish Education Fair. If you're interested in being a part of this year's Education Fair, contact me.

Enter a comment below with your name, phone, and e mail address and automatically enter to win 30-days of advertising on http://www.thefishatlanta.com. Winner will be chosen randomly from all entries.

How To Use 104.7 the Fish's Fish Rewards

2009-10-22T16:26:00.000-04:00

Using Digital Resources With Your Radio Campaign

2009-10-01T09:29:00.006-04:00

Are you using your digital resources to their fullest to drive additional business?

In a recent article, one station is maximizing all of their assets to generate additional lead volume for their clients. According to the write up ...

"They go to the client and film a professional video on location. Most
are better than local TV spots; the time is longer and the price much
cheaper. Drive listeners to your site with a special offer on on-air,
where they can check out the video. Perhaps a certain word or code will provide a discount or freebie at the client(s)' location."

The president of Peak Broadcasting, Bill Figenshu says, "We've got to be able to offer a full package of on-air, online, video, audio, etc. Advertisers want a full horizontal and vertical plan today."

The video featured above is from a client, Craft Electric, who is capturing the vision of captivating our audience in every avenue of engagement.

We can shoot an on location video like this and we can guarantee immediate and measurable results.

Want to find out how?

Give me a call at 404-995-7343.

40+ New Patients Per Month

2009-09-10T10:29:00.005-04:00

Powered by Podbean.com

OH2 Medical Spa reports an average of 40+ patients per month using our solutions from 104.7 the Fish.

OH2 primarily focuses on women 35+ who have varicose and spider vein issues.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Randy Rudderman from OH2 Medical Spa.

How to Convert Web Traffic to Sales

2009-09-09T10:44:00.005-04:00

A recent WSJ article gives businesses 3 distinct ways to convert web traffic to sales. Converting traffic to sales is the name of the game for every business I talk with each day.

The WSJ article suggests the following:

Install a click-to-call feature -- website visitors click the link on your site, a box pops up. They insert a phone number and press a button. A short while later, customers receive a phone call. Mira Golin, owner of Body By Brooklyn, in Brooklyn N.Y. says she has a 5-10% conversion rate using a click-to-call feature on her website. Click to call widgets are offered by Jajah, TringMe, and Flaphone among others.
Chat with customers online -- a home improvement retailer says, "We couldn't believe how many chats we were getting." Over 300 chats daily with a 9% conversion rate daily! For a FREE chat program, check out www.meebo.com. You can embed a widget onto your website (Notice that I now have a LIVE chat feature on my blog -- chat me up)
Offer a try-before-you-buy program -- for service clients this might be a bit more difficult to do but think along the lines of how you can get trial before purchase.

Do You Have Raving Fans?

2009-09-02T10:58:00.007-04:00

You’ve heard their commercials that always say, “Publix, where shopping is a pleasure.”

It’s more than just a trendy ad agency developed tag line.

In the case of my recent experience, it was the truth.

Someone once said that in advertising, truth is better than creativity.

Let me share.

A few days ago, I went to Publix at the Peach on Peachtree Road in Buckhead.

Because I am “attempting” to eat healthier, I got a bowl of fruit from the produce department. About a week ago, I bought the same thing but was a bit disappointed when I found withered grapes and sludge at the bottom of my fruit bowl.

I mentioned this to the Publix produce manager.

Here’s where GREAT customer service pays off!

The produce manager took my bowl of fruit under the pretense that he was going to check the new bowl to make sure it was up the Publix standards.

Not only did he check the bowl but he added additional fruit. Then, to top that off, he tore the price tag off and put a no charge tag on my bowl of fruit.

Now that’s pleasurable shopping.

Face it. Everyone has an off day.

It’s how you respond to that off day that can either make RAVING FANS or cause customers to jump ship.

I’m more than ever a RAVING FAN of Publix – where shopping is truly a pleasure.

What are you doing in your business to make customers RAVING FANS?

Feel free to comment.

920 WGKA Gets Results!!

2009-08-25T10:37:00.003-04:00

I now have a GREAT opportunity to help advertisers not only reach women with 104.7 the Fish but also affluent men, aged 35+ with "Intelligent Talk 920 WGKA."

Ralph Boardman advertises his Tax and Financial Strategies business on 920 WGKA. Not only has he been an advertiser for over a year with WGKA but he recently won a red corvette by being the top producing financial planner in his region.

920 WGKA helped him get there.

Fish Rewards -- More Info

2009-08-19T13:15:00.009-04:00

(Click on image for closer view)
(Click on image for closer view)

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then, you know that I am constantly blogging about campaigns that are producing results for advertisers.

Today is no different when I want to talk with you more about a new asset that we have available at 104.7 the Fish called "Fish Rewards."

"Fish Rewards" operates just like a frequent flyer program for our listeners and there are huge benefits to advertisers like you.

This program generates instant measurable results for you.

Case in point ... Craft Electric's Current Safe program shown above in this post.

We embedded the Craft Electric video into "Fish Rewards." We gave the audience a question that required them to watch the video to find the answer.

The video has been online since last Friday and as of this morning, 327 people have viewed the Craft Electric Current Safe Parks Stamper video.

Imagine if you had 327 people in just a few days view your campaign message. Could it make a difference to you?

There are so many different ways we can help you utilize this asset to move the sales needle.

If you could use additional people visiting your website and being exposed to your message, then let's talk 404-995-7343.

Helping you get results with your advertising $$'s is what we do.

Man's Best Friend Gets Results

2009-08-04T17:13:00.002-04:00

Jon Bolander, owner of Man's Best Friend, talks about how 104.7 the Fish delivers new customers even in this economy.

If we can help sell dog training in a recession, don't you think we can help you?

Reason #1 To Improve Your Web Video Presence

2009-07-30T16:29:00.005-04:00

A new report released today by Pew Internet shows that a full 62% of adult internet users watch online video. Many of those viewers are coming from video sharing sites like YouTube and others.

How does this affect you? Do you have web video up and running on your website? Perhaps, you could do a product demonstration or put customer testimonials up on your site.

What about positioning yourself as an expert in your field?

There are so many different things you COULD do to get started.

You may be saying you know absolutely nothing about producing a web video. If that's the case, feel free to contact me. I've produced a number of client videos showcasing advertisers' businesses.

Radio Gets Results -- Makes TV Work Even Better

2009-07-30T09:45:00.005-04:00

This comes from across the pond in the UK. Great demonstration of the power of radio advertising.

Fish Rewards

2009-07-22T08:22:00.005-04:00

Traditionally, I use this blog to share the success stories that I hear on a daily basis on how we are positively affecting someone's business with our ideas. But today, I want to share a brand new concept that has just come available on 104.7 the Fish that, I think, will transform the way we help you generate results from your advertising campaigns.

It's called Fish Rewards.

Fish Rewards is a points-based loyalty, database and contesting platform that rewards listeners to take measurable actions in support of your advertising campaign.

Fish Rewards helps you generate FAST, MEASURABLE response.

As you can see from the above graphic, a traditional radio campaign can take a little time to get off the ground. When you combine Fish Rewards with your radio, you can get instantaneous response giving your radio campaign an opportunity to gain steam.

Here's the way Fish Rewards works.

Let's say you have a goal of generating additional web traffic. You have a dynamic website full of information about your business with many calls to action to do business with you.

We set up a Fish Rewards trivia campaign.

We help you develop trivia questions about your website. Each week, listeners have to come back to get another question. Here's the neat part: they have to go to your website to find the answer in order to plug it into Fish Rewards to earn points.

The more points the listener earns the more opportunities to win both local and national sweepstakes. And the more often they come back to your website, the more they are exposed to your message.

This is just one way we can help generate instantaneous response. There are so many ideas on how we can execute for you. The trivia is just one of them.

Fish Rewards is an innovative way to help you grow your business.

Let's talk about some ideas on how we can put it to work for you.

Bill Huseby Tribute

2009-07-14T10:13:00.013-04:00

I went yesterday to the funeral of a good friend. Bill Huseby lost his year-long battle with cancer.

Bill was my very first client on the Fish almost 7-years ago. What began as a business relationship turned into a very good friendship.

After listening to many eulogize Bill, you can learn some very valuable lessons from Bill's keen insights.

I heard someone say that Bill shoved 81 years of living into 47 years. He lived life to the fullest.

He was an amazing business man. Starting out as a car salesperson, he quickly worked his way into running the whole show. Bill took a little store in Buford, GA back in 2001 and turned it into something that caused the boys in Detroit to take notice. Bill knew what it took to succeed and he did; creating Mall of Georgia Ford out of nothing.

I can remember his e mails to his radio partners where he would share his success. When he became the #1 Ford store in Atlanta, he would always e mail us telling us that he couldn't have done it without us.

That was Bill Huseby. For those of you who never met Bill, you missed out on an absolute pleasure.

If there's one lesson I walk away with from Bill, it's this: live each and every day as if it were your last. Don't settle for less than the absolute best and never give up on your goals.

Bill will always be remembered as not only a great businessman but a great friend to "The Copee."

Thanks for being not only a client and a friend but also a mentor. You taught me more than you will ever know.

Radio Generates Results For Special Olympics

2009-06-26T17:53:00.004-04:00

104.7 the Fish delivers over 2,000 listener sponsored ducks for the 2009 Special Olympics Georgia Duck Derby.

If you'd like for our results team to talk with you about innovative, creative marketing ideas like this, then, e mail me.

Stopping Advertising in a Recession

2009-06-17T16:30:00.004-04:00

I have the wonderful privelege of talking with a number of different industries about what's going on with their business. From dog training facilities, to varicose vein clinics, to roofers, I keep a finger on the pulse of local businesses in Atlanta.

What I've heard over the last few months from a number of advertisers is that they are stopping their advertising to save immediate cash.

Let me ask you a question that I overheard just yesterday.

Would you turn off your open sign just to save on electricity?

Think about it.

It doesn't make much sense, does it?

It makes about as much sense as people who say they are stopping their advertising to save money.

I agree that it's time to be hyper-critical about how you are spending your advertisng dollars. Right now you need to analyze what's working and what's not.

If you're going to get rid of something, get rid of the advertising that's not working or at least tweak it to make it work.

I was overjoyed to learn about the success we've help bring a varicose vein clinic who had a very dicey experience with one of my competitors. The doctor was understandably skeptical because of the $$'s lost on the other station.

We found out that so far we've delivered 115 leads to his medical center. The practice manager says that every time the campaign airs, the phones ring.

That's just one example of how we are helping advertisers get measureable results even in this economy.

If you're thinking about stopping your advertising, go ahead and turn off the open sign. I mean you might as well save a little electricity, right?

If you'd like more information on how we are getting results for our clients in this economy, drop me an e mail.

Survey: Reducing Advertising in Recession is Mistake

2009-05-28T08:28:00.005-04:00

A new survey out says more than 48% of US adults believe that a lack of advertising during a recession indicates a business is struggling.

The survey also reports that "a large majority of consumers think businesses that continue to advertise are competitive and/or committed to doing business."

The research study by Ad-ology determined to uncover whether stopping advertising during a recession could harm a business.

Read the full report here.

If you'd like a FREE audio CD on how to develop your Dominant Selling Idea or DSI, just e mail me here.

Flip Flop Frenzy

2009-05-26T11:24:00.002-04:00

So you want traffic in your store? Then, offer an outrageous offer that consumers can't resist. You might get a crowd like Old Navy did over Memorial Day weekend with their $1 Flip Flop sale. Go with me as we investigate how a strong offer can immediately generate store traffic.

Don't Get Cooked In The Squat

2009-05-15T10:41:00.001-04:00

If you are waiting for "something" before you start your next advertising campaign, you need to watch this.

Don't get cooked in the squat.

The KFC Blunder

2009-05-11T08:40:00.004-04:00

What can we learn from the recent KFC Free Grilled Chicken failed promotion?

If you haven't heard, KFC in cooperation with Oprah Winfrey offered two free pieces of their all new grilled chicken, two sides and a biscuit. KFC was overwhelmed and pulled the plug on the promotion because they couldn't meet the demand.

Read about it here.

The KFC brand is now experiencing a brand backlash. Many coupon holders were unable to redeem their FREE offer.

And to make matters worse, KFC's president has gone on You Tube to offer an apology further damaging the brand.

Eaton says "Everyone wants to get the great taste of our new product, so we can't redeem your free coupon at this time."

What? You offer me a FREE coupon, then you can't redeem it? What knuckle brain came up with that?

Brand watchers say that this little stunt has negatively affected KFC's brand.

I say there are several lessons we can learn from this act of marketing lunacy.

Lesson #1: Don't offer something you can't fulfill. While some in my immediate circle think this was a well orchestrated ploy, I respectfully disagree. This was a bungled promotion that was not well planned or executed.

Lesson #2: Make sure everyone is on the same page. I heard from one of my colleagues who went into a KFC last week during the promotion. He said the KFC employees were getting short with customers. They were not all familiar with the workings of the promotion. Frustration ran rampant among customers and employees.

Lesson #3: Don't underestimate the power of social media. KFC projected response based on Oprah Winfrey's audience numbers. They did not anticipate the viral effect that social media can have on an attractive advertising offer. Advertising today is not like advertising was years ago. You have to account for the viral effect.

I'm sure there are many other lessons that we'll glean over time and this will undoubtedly become a marketing case study to be studied along the lines of New Coke for years to come.

I'm reminded of what one of my colleagues said this morning, "Anyone can give it away."

Will KFC's new product roll-out survive this stunt? Time will only tell.

All in all, I think this was a good idea but it was poorly executed.

Do you agree or disagree? What say you?

What Pain Is Your Customer In?

2009-05-06T11:44:00.003-04:00

So you've decided you need to increase your business with your advertising. You've bought the time. Now what?

How do you develop a campaign that WILL get results?

Think about PAIN.

What pain is your customer trying to eliminate just prior to doing business with you?

Then, focus your entire message towards solving that pain.

I've got a varicose vein clinic that focuses on ugly, bulging veins with the idea that you can finally wear shorts again without embarassment.

Another client of ours highlights getting rid of hairy areas on your body. Now that can definitely be a pain for some.

Focus on the PAIN, then, develop a selling message that will help you with the GAIN.

PAIN = GAIN in the business of solving problems.

How Radio Can Make A Difference in Your Business

2009-04-30T10:19:00.003-04:00

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Here's a little story on NPR that says alot about how you can increase your business using radio.

It's the Price Stupid

2009-04-29T16:31:00.005-04:00

Do you remember waaaaay back when then candidate Bill Clinton trailed in the race for the presidency? One of his advisers is rumored to have said, "it's the economy stupid."

Focus is key in today's economic environment. And just like it was on that presidential campaign, it's now one thing in retail advertising. "It's the price, stupid."

Not to be crass but it gets the point across.

According to Don "the guru of ads" Fitzgibbons, price is "rearing its green head in categories that have previously been void of any such blatant calls to action."

According to Fitzgibbons, there are 4 natural patterns of growth in any business category:

Initial phase
Growth phase
Maturity phase
Death phase

We'll tackle each one of these individually in future blogs. But for now, begin thinking this thought ... those who advertise price in a slow economy will be the first ones to grow sales.

My good friend and advertiser, Jake Bullard, understands this. That's why he's been one of the first in his category to offer a $600 upgrade just for mentioning his campaign.

It's working. I talked with Jake a couple of days ago and he shared that we have produced 130 quality leads since January 5th of this year -- far outpacing any other advertising source he's using.

Will you be brave?

Will you step out and be the first to advertise price in your business category?

If you get up the nerve, give me a call.

I always say the first one to pee in the pool owns it.

Wanna go swimming?

Dive Into Advertising Your Business With Me

2009-04-23T09:00:00.002-04:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

How the Reticular Activator Works in Advertising

2009-04-21T17:15:00.007-04:00

Welcome to a special video message this week on the "reticular activator." The client cited, Amdro Fire Ant Killer, did what guest blogger, Stu Gordon suggested when they created a customized url: http://wwww.baitisbetter.com. Watch to understand the secrets of using the reticular activator to your advantage.

Customized URL's: Your Ticket To Profitability

2009-04-14T09:25:00.004-04:00

Today we welcome my esteemed colleague and guest blogger, Stu Gordon, to Results With Radio. He writes about an easy way your business can increase your results with customized URL's. Enjoy this 9-year radio veteran's insights.

Getting the most from local/direct spot advertising can be a challenge for any broadcast seller. The attraction of an advertiser to local radio is the prospect of new business generated. Fail in delivering that and you fail. What’s worse—failure can extend to the advertiser’s confidence in the medium overall. (Ever hear, “I tried radio once—it didn’t work!”?)

So, it’s up to the seller to figure out how to make every spot interesting, attractive, and memorable. And…how to make contact with the advertiser as easy as possible for the audience. This last point is what I want to focus on here.

One way I believe we can increase results is via custom web domains. Domain names are incredibly easy to acquire—and for a very small investment in most cases ($10-$20 per year). You can search for available domain names easily on the internet—just query “domain name search” with your favorite search engine.

Now—an example. What’s easier to remember:

“Call Smithfiedl Vinyl Windows today at 770-387-9871. That’s 770-387-9871. Or see SmithfieldVinylWindows dot com.”

“Check out Smithfield Vinyl Windows at MyNextWindows dot com. That’s MyNextWindows dot com.”

The custom domain can be easily linked to the client’s website.

So, when “MyNextWindows.com” is accessed it automatically transfers to the client’s website (or to a custom splash page on the radio station’s website linked in turn to the client’s). For sellers with a hot vinyl windows prospect, this domain name really is available!

The custom domain accomplishes several things at once.

It gives back time so often taken up in the spot by non-memorable phone numbers (it takes 5 seconds to deliver a 10-digit phone number one time).

Use this bonus time for more creativity!

It takes away the likelihood that consumers won’t get to the client’s website because they mis-spelled a component of the URL. (How many people really know how to spell “vinyl?”)

It allows you to track the incoming responses for the client.

That’s about it.

Just make sure the domain name you choose is easy to remember and foolproof to spell. For more information on this concept see http://www.sellingradiowithreallycoolcustomdomainnames.com.

(Just kidding!)

Advertising Driving Away Potential Customers

2009-04-07T16:00:00.007-04:00

This comes from Dan O'day, accomplished radio advertising expert. I read his blog entry and thought he said what I wanted to say but he said it better. Please visit Dan's blog @ http://danoday.blogspot.com/. Now enjoy this informative blog post.

This is a Sushi-ish restaurant in a strip mall in Los Angeles. I like Sushi. I like Japanese food. But I've never gone into this place, because I've never been able to see what it looks like inside.

Is it tiny? Spacious? Tastefully decorated or unappealing to the eye? Lots of happy customers inside, or is it empty?

Who knows? They've covered virtually every viewable inch of glass with pictures and posters that are intended to "sell" the restaurant but which in reality discourage new customers from entering.

Drives me crazy every time I see it.

What Does This Have To Do With Radio Advertising?

A good radio commercial offers the listener a "test drive" of the results offered by the product or service. When you clutter up your spot with bells & whistles, jokes, and extraneous audio, you obscure any potential consumer test drive.

We did a "test drive" with a local varicose vein center and generated 18 calls in the first two weeks of his campaign. If you'd like for us to do something like this for your business, I've got 450,000+ listeners each week. A % of those people will do business with somebody in your business category this week. Give me a call @ 404-995-7343 and let's talk about how we can persuade them to do business with you with a clear concise radio selling message.

Reversing a 30 Year Trend

2009-03-30T14:39:00.003-04:00

One marketing expert , whom I highly respect, looks at the current economic climate as a huge opportunity. I have to tell you, I can see the logic in his argument. Let me share.

Do you remember the category killer days when the big box guys trampled on the small guy?

Today those same retailers are filing for bankruptcy and are going out of business creating an opportunity for smaller retailers and service providers to gain back the market share they lost.

My friend and marketing expert gives the example of a local bank.

Everyone knows the state of the banking industry right now.

Here's what a local bank should be advertising right now.

You remember the good ole days of banking? When banks loaned money to homeowners and businesses ... those days never left at Local Banking and Trust. Local Banking and Trust never stopped lending money and still has money to lend ... etc.

There are plenty of opportunities in many different business categories.

Do you want a piece of the pie?

Give me a call 404-995-7343.

Fundamentals of Surviving a Recession

2009-03-19T10:04:00.002-04:00

"You need to be conservative with spending, and aggressive as hell with marketing," Rich Sloan, operator of Startupnation.com says. "You need to be resourceful, and spend only where you see performance. [This] will make you a better business person. When things turn around in three years, your business will be built on solid fundamentals."

In a CNN Money article, Rich Sloan gives some very good advice on starting a business in the midst of a recession. The advice he gives also holds true for those of you already in business trying to weather the economic storm. Let's break his quote apart.

"You need to be conservative with spending ..." Now is the time to take a hard look at what is absolutely essential for your business survival. Do away with advertising that's not working. Concentration of force is the name of the game. (more on this in a future installment)
"... [be] agressive as hell with marketing ..." One business coach says you need only two things in business to be successful, new business and repeat business. You get new business by advertising. You get repeat business by advertising consistently.
"... [be] resourceful and spend only where you see performance .." Right now, in marketing and advertising, you can't afford to make a mistake. Look for a a proven results vehicle. Ask those selling advertising for references and phone numbers. They should be readily able to supply this information. If not, consider spending those marketing $$'s elsewhere.

This is good advice for both the startup and the seasoned business.

Call me and we can talk about how we can take these principles and utilize them to their fullest extent with a results-generating campaign. 404-995-7343.

Radio Reaches 234 Million

2009-03-17T08:35:00.000-04:00

The latest RADAR report from Arbitron reveals the medium reaches more than 234 million persons (12+) during a typical week. That 92% exposure rate is steady despite growth of MP3 players. The report shows 89% of teens (12-17) also tune-in each week.

Radio Want Ads Connect You to Potential Employees

2009-03-16T09:59:00.004-04:00

Have you ever considered advertising job openings at your company on the radio?

In a recent CNN online article, an employer got 15 qualified applicants when they publicized their job offering on radio versus newspaper which "didn't spark any leads."

Not only do you reach potential job applicants with radio but you reach their influencers as well. In the article, the man who had lost his job didn't know where to turn, but "luckily for him, some of his relatives did ... Barger's mom and dad were listening to the radio station ..."

Recruitment advertising works on radio because:

Radio allows you to reach the employed sector and behind your competitor's walls
Radio has 50% of the respondents coming through the networking effect
Radio allows you to recruit 24 hours a day
Radio produces quick and consistent results

The radio show host cited in the article says it best, "I'm in people's homes. I'm in people's cars ... they're trusting me. I have the ability to tap into what's available right now."

If you've got positions to fill, then, give me a call and we can talk about a cost-effective way to recruit using radio.

404-995-7343

FedEx Office: Kill'em With Kindness

2009-03-10T14:39:00.008-04:00

My friend and advertising colleague Phil Berstein (Portland, Oregon) writes a nice piece about FedEx Office generating some very positive word of mouth here. Basically, for one day only FedEx Office is offering FREE resume printing services to anyone who wants it.

This has generated tons of FREE publicity. While no advertising $$ were spent, this case study shows once again that advertising is about finding a salient message and a worthwhile offer, marrying them together and generating results.

If you need help defining your salient message, I've got 14 years of experience in helping craft advertising campaigns that produce results.

Give me a call 404-995-7343.

A Sign of the Times or Self Fulfilling Prophecy

2009-03-04T15:05:00.003-05:00

Just outside Atlanta is this marble & countertop company. I'm not sure if they are trying to be funny or they are actually serious with their sign.

To me this speaks of desperation. I perceive this company is struggling to stay afloat. Even it that is true, I'm not so sure that this marketing strategy is accomplishing its goal of building new business.

This marketing message gives the consumer no real reason why they should do business with this company. This speaks to the company's problems not the consumers.

I've found over the last 14 years of developing results-producing campaigns that campaigns that focus on the business problems generally fail, but those that focus on solving a consumer's problem excel.

I've got some ideas on what the sign should say but I'd like to hear yours also.

Feel free to offer suggestions in the comments below.

If you need help developing a consumer focused message for your business, call me 404-995-7343. There's no obligation to get a 3rd party opinion of your current strategy. My promise to you is that I won't ask for your business unless I can help your business.

Handling Price Objections

2009-03-03T09:12:00.004-05:00

Our advertising solutions produce results in terms of phone rings, website visits, and in store traffic but how you handle the new customers determines if you get the new business.

Many times a customer will balk at your price ... saying, "Your price is too high."

You can attempt to justify your asking price of your product but many times that ends up in a lost customer.

Try REVERSING THE PRICE OBJECTION instead.

For example, you sell a product whose asking price is $5,000. The customers cries, "Your price is too high."

You reply, "When you say our price is too high, that means ...?"

This will illicit information which is essential for you advancing your sale.

You may find out that your customer has priced a similiar product from one of your competitors and has a quote for $4,500.

Now instead of justifying a $5,000 sale, you are convincing your customer why your product is worth an additional $500.

The late sales trainer David Sandler popularized this strategy.

Try it the next time someone says, "Your price is too high."

Helping you tell your story and close more business.

Do you have any price objection strategies that have worked for your business? Leave a comment and share.

Snuggie's 4 Million Sold Success -- How Did They Do It?

2009-02-16T13:21:00.008-05:00

According to a recent article in "USA Today," 4 million "Snuggies" have been sold since the product launched in August.

This campaign reminded me of an advertising formula that I've used for years in advising my clients how to create an ad that works.

Chris Lytle popularized this years ago. It's called the "5 Elements of a Successful Ad Campaign."

(1) Make a specific offer
(2) Price the offer when possible
(3) Include time or limited quantity for urgency
(4) Have a theme or hook
(5) Have a specific call to action (log on, call, etc)

How many of these elments did "Snuggie" get?

This is the same sort of test I personally put every one of my clients' advertising through to insure their greatest success and minimize their risk.

If you don't pass on the "Copee Copy Meter," we go back to the drawing board.

Is your advertising producing results? If not, call me and let's test your copy. If you score an 80 or below, let's do something that will help you become cash flow positive.

Together we can help you become the next "Snuggie."

404-995-7343 or thecopee@gmail.com

104.7 the Fish Becomes Man's Best Friend

2009-02-09T09:03:00.004-05:00

In January, 104.7 the Fish delivered $29,115 in new dog training business to Man's Best Friend -- a full 39% more than the next radio station.

Interested in how we can do this for your business?

E mail me: thecopee@gmail.com

An Hour Wait and What About the Economy?

2009-02-06T22:37:00.004-05:00

What do you do when it's been a lonnnng week at work, the wife is tired of being at home with a crying baby, and you're hungry?

The obvious answer is -- you go out for dinner.

I love steak from Texas Roadhouse and so does my wife so we decide to pack up Baby Alex and Ms. Anna and set out on a family adventure.

We're thinking -- it's a bad economy right now. Surely we can get a table quickly.

Wow! Was I surprised.

First we circled the steakhouse parking lot 3 times looking for a parking spot. Then, we played chicken with a car vying for the same spot. I was in a Ford Expedition. He was in a Chevrolet Malibu. Guess who won?

We then had to almost crawl over people just to get to the hostess station so I could beam proudly as a new dad and say "3 1/2 please."

What follows is an exchange I wasn't prepared for. The congenial hostess says to me, "The wait is an hour to an hour and 15 minutes long. Would you still like a table?"

An hour to an hour and 15 minutes ???

I thought we were in a deep recession. Soup lines were about to form. And stimulus packages were cooking for the common man in DC.

Not in Newnan, GA.

We ordered our steaks and trimmings --- total of my ticket $38. You do the math. With an hour wait and most people's average ticket at $50 or more, the restaurant made a tidy sum tonight.

What this tells me is that there are $$$ in the market being spent. You just have to make sure your message is clear and concise enough to get those with the $$$ to spend it with you.

Right now is THE time to grow your Share of Voice (SOV). And you can do it more affordably because of the current climate. Do it now and you'll not only succeed short term but empirical studies show, you'll come out ahead when the downturn is over.

Want to find out how?

Contact me: thecopee@gmail.com

The Power of Endorsement

2009-02-02T09:20:00.006-05:00

One of the strategies that I have used to generate "results with radio" for my clients is using radio personality endorsements.

I had the chance to ask 104.7 the Fish afternoon drive personality, Dan Ratcliffe, a few questions about the power of endorsement radio.

Dan has been on air since the Fish began so his longevity in the market makes him a very recognizable voice.

He's endorsed everything from Nehemiah Reconstruction to Jim Ellis Mazda and really knows his stuff.

Me: Many people wonder do personalities actually use the products they endorse? Could you share your experience?

Dan Ratcliffe: I get asked that question all the time! People always say, “did you really have the siding on your house replaced?” or “Did you really get new countertops??” The answer is yes – I don’t lie about getting products or services.

Me: How do you decide what you will and will not endorse?

Dan Ratcliffe: I take a look and see if it’s a product or service I need or want. I also try to get to know the owner or people who run the company and see if they’re people that I would enjoy doing business with. If I’m going to recommend people go to a particular business, I want to make sure they’re going to be treated well and be glad that I made the recommendation.

Me: Talk to us about the power of endorsement radio that you have experienced. Give specific examples.

Dan Ratcliffe: I’ve been associated with Nehemiah Reconstruction for a while now, and have had them replace my siding and windows. One day, a listener called me after hearing my commercial for Nehemiah, and she asked me if I had really used the company and if I was happy with their work. I assured her that I had, indeed, used them and was extremely satisfied. A few weeks later she called back and thanked me for my recommendation. She said she had gotten quotes from 3 different companies, and decided to go with Nehemiah based on my recommendation, despite the fact they were not the cheapest quote.

I also endorse O’Charley’s restaurants, and had talked in some of my commercials about a particular manager that I had gotten to know. I told folks if they were in his particular restaurant to ask for Winston, or “Winnie” as he’s called. During the Fall of 08, O’Charley’s took a break from advertising for a little while, but Winston told me he was still getting people coming in and asking for him – saying they heard about him on the Fish!

Me: How would you describe the way a listener relates to an endorsed product or service?

Dan Ratcliffe: Many times when listeners hear a commercial – to them, it sounds like just that…a commercial. But I think when they hear an endorsement, it gives the product or company more credibility. Especially with the Fish format, our listeners feel like they can trust us when we recommend a company or product. Instead of hearing a commercial, they’re hearing a friend tell them about a great product or service they found. It’s like word of mouth advertising over the air. Instead of just some random, no-name voice talking at them, it’s a friend talking to them.

Endorsement radio is a very powerful tool that can be used by an advertiser. It's like beach front property. The radio station only allows a limited number of endorsements otherwise the endorsement would lose its effectiveness.

If you'd like to explore the possibilities of having one of our personalities talk about your business, give me a call (404) 995-7343.

Effective Event Marketing + Radio

2009-01-27T16:54:00.004-05:00

Be sure to watch in HQ by clicking on the "arrow up" button on the right side of the player.

You can see the responsiveness of the Fish audience in this video of the 2009 Fish Education Fair as well as the demographic make up of the Fish audience.

Want more info? Give me a call (404) 995-7343 or e mail: thecopee@gmail.com

Radio + Online Video = Major Results

2009-01-26T16:53:00.007-05:00

Have you considered the power of radio combined with online video?

According to a recent article "... more and more buyers look online ... There is research that shows consumers perceive people depicted in promotional videos as 'experts.'"

What's even more powerful is when you have a media vehicle that continually sends hundreds of thousands of listeners to their website.

Above is an online video featuring Bullard Roofing that visitors to http://www.thefishatlanta.com/ see whenever they click on the "listen live" link.

Jake says that people call him saying ... "I just saw you on the Fish." He's perceived as an expert in his field and it shows in the number of leads he's generating.

If you'd like to explore the power of radio + online video, I'm your man. 404-995-7343.

55 Leads Generated for Roofing Contractor

2009-01-22T23:26:00.005-05:00

Jake Bullard, owner of Bullard Roofing shares about his success using 104.7 the Fish.

Sound like something you'd like to know more about?

Give me a call (404) 995-7343 or e mail: thecopee@gmail.com

Can Someone Please Define Plummet?

2009-01-21T09:03:00.006-05:00

I read recently that December retail sales plummeted. Now when I saw the word "plummet," I thought we must really be in an economic free fall. I'm thinking sales must be down 30-50%. Upon further reading you find that December retail sales were down just 2.7%.

Now can someone please define the word plummet for me? Does 2.7% sound like a plummet? I don't think so. Sure, sales were off but they did not PLUMMET.

Do you think this is inflammatory reporting?

This is the kind of sensationalized reporting that instills more fear in consumers.

Here are some quick bullets that should instill some confidence:

a dog training company advertises in December on the radio and generates $25,000 in new dog training business directly attributable to their radio campaign
a women's research study advertises a menopause study and generates 40 calls, enrolls 20 in their study
a company advertising facelifts gets 6 firm appointments last week
a roofing company has generated 50+ leads from his radio campaign since September

No Henny Penny ... the sky is not falling. Now is the time to be smart about your advertising. Don't go into a cave because business is still being done. The question is are you getting your unfair share?

If you need some new business and you're interested in talking about ideas that work, give me a call (404) 995-7343.

Radio + Radio Website = Results For Honda Carland

2009-01-19T09:49:00.004-05:00

This is the winning entry for the Honda Carland best amateur TV commercial promotion that we aired in late 2008. This was another case of radio producing measurable results.

Honda Carland wanted something beyond the screaming auto commercials. They wanted something new and fresh.

We used the radio campaign to tell about the contest with Honda Carland. We used the web to showcase the video handi-work of our listeners.

The Results: Honda Carland hoped to receive 15 entries to this contest. They were floored when we delivered 34 entries. Because of the excitement this promotion created, many people were at the dealership shooting their videos. The dealership’s share of mind rose dramatically according to Honda Carland.

Not only did this promotion create a buzz in the marketplace, but it also generated additional floor traffic which translated into sales.

If your business could use some results, why not give me a call and let’s talk. (404) 995-7343.

Why I Do What I Do

2009-01-12T23:40:00.006-05:00

I'd like to introduce all of you to my son, Alexander Brice Copeland. He was born 1/12/09 at 12:28 am. Weighs in at 8 lbs 1 oz and is 20 1/2 inches long.

I thought you might like to meet him.

For more pics log on here.

Radio Advertising Case Study: Medical Category

2009-01-06T10:48:00.003-05:00

Progressive Medical has been an advertiser on 104.7 the Fish for over 5 years. Listen to what kind of results his advertising is producing.

Need to produce results for your campaign?

Give me a call.

Advertising Formula For Generating Results

2009-01-04T14:03:00.004-05:00

Noted direct response advertising guru, Alvin Eicoff, set 3 rules in place to maximize direct response advertising in whatever advertising media you use.

(1) Set forth the problem

(2) Explain the solution

(3) Demonstrate how your product or service best provides the solution.

The campaign featured in this post does an excellent job of utilizing the Alvin Eicoff formula for generating results.

I saw this campaign a couple of nights ago. Before being exposed to this commercial, I had given absolutely no thought about my septic system.

After seeing this, I told my wife to make sure she picked up a box because I did not want to deal with a $6,000 problem.

Rid-X generated results because of their advertising copy and adherence to a time honored advertising formula.

Do you need to produce results for your campaign?

Give me a call, Mike Copeland, 404-995-7343.

Best Pool Shot By A Naked White Chick

2008-12-22T09:49:00.003-05:00

This is the power of the mighty headline.

You did a double take, didn't you?

In radio, the headline is the ad for the ad itself.

With better headlines, you'll get better results. Enjoy the naked white chick. :)

What About Results Right Now?

2008-12-17T21:30:00.006-05:00

A few blog posts ago, I espoused the value of targeting those who are "ON" for what you sell. Focusing on those who are active in the market will immediately increase your cash flow.

And in this day and age, immediately increasing cash flow is on everybody's radar.

But as one of my blog readers pointed out, there's another aspect of your advertising campaign that you must also consider.

Face it. Most people are not in the market for what you sell today. But many will be in 3, 6, or 12 months down the road.

What are you doing to make sure you get these people when they become ACTIVE for your product or service?

Case in point ... I have listened to baseball on my hometown radio station for years. And for years a collision and body shop has advertised. I was not in the market UNTIL I had a wreck on the way home from work earlier this year. I really banged up the Copee car.

I immediately thought about the collision and body shop that I had heard for years advertising on the radio. They got my business. 5 other body shops in close proximity did not.

If that collision and body shop based the success of their advertising program on whether or not I responded last year or even 6 months ago, they would have deemed their radio advertising a complete failure.

But because they continued month-in, month-out to expose me to their message, when I needed a collision shop, theirs was the first I thought of.

So how long does it take for you to get results?

It all depends on how long your sales cycle is.

If you are a restaurant and you're advertising a dinner deal, chances are you'll get results pretty quickly.

But if you are an insurance company or a car dealer whose sales cycle is much longer, it could take some time before the net you have cast lands you some new fish.

Will you be brave enough to stay long enough for someone to enter into your market?

And how difficult are you making it for people to do business with you?

I can make it easier for your customers to find out who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you.

Give me a call and we can talk.

The Actual O C Welch Ford Commercial "Wake Up America"

2008-12-11T14:59:00.003-05:00

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This is the actual controversial radio commercial that's causing some stir in Savannah, GA. The dealer is getting results with this campaign. What do you think about this approach?

Not afraid to say what you mean

2008-12-11T14:24:00.002-05:00

Talking to People Who Are ON

2008-12-03T08:45:00.003-05:00

You don't have to reach everybody for your advertising campaign to be effective. The term broadcasting really is a misnomer. What you are truly doing is "narrowcasting," looking for the percentage of listeners who are ON for what you are selling this week.

Take my friend, James, for instance. He's a professional who listens to the radio at his office. The other day he heard a commercial for Kroger, a grocery store in Atlanta, for a 10 for $10 special. Specifically, he heard his favorite ice cream brand, Mayfield, being promoted during this sale. The offer was 10 pint size ice creams for $10.

James was ON for buying ice cream so the radio commercial reached him and re-directed his buying pattern. He went to Kroger and took advantage of the offer. This campaign succeeded in doing two things: (1) it reached someone who was ON for what they were selling, and (2) it created a value proposition for Kroger in the mind of the consumer (what some like to refer to as branding).

Many advertisers make the mistake that they have to reach everyone to be effective with their campaign. The fact is you could not handle the volume if each of my 420,000 listeners were in the market for what you sell. The reality is even if 1% of my audience responded to your campaign, you'd be out of product or unable to provide the service. When you get down to it, even if 1/2 of 1% responded, you'd be overwhelmed.

Do you see why it's not that important to reach EVERYBODY?

We just need to reach a percentage of those listeners ON for what you sell and you're in the $$.

Just like James and the ice cream, your product or service will be bought by somebody this week. The question is will you get your unfair share of the business?

Business is still being done and there's not as much advertising clutter right now making now a great time to be advertising your product or service.

You could dramatically grow market share and position your company for big gains if you act now. If you'd like to find out how we are helping others, drop me a note and we can talk.

Bad Word of Mouth Gets More Airplay

2008-12-01T14:00:00.005-05:00

If you've followed this blog, you will remember that I had an issue with Sears over the last month over a purchase and delivery of a mattress and box springs. We finally got the issue resolved over the weekend with Sears coming to pick up their merchandise and my Sears charge card being credited.

How does this impact your business you may be asking?

The overarching implications are huge.

Do you realize that NEGATIVE "word of mouth" advertising gets more airplay than POSITIVE "word of mouth?"

Over the years, I've talked with advertiser after advertiser who says "word of mouth" works best for them. Not if it's this kind of "word of mouth." And the problem is many businesses don't realize how infectious a strain of NEGATIVE "word of mouth" can be to their overall business health.

You need to have an ongoing advertising campaign to combat NEGATIVE "word of mouth" advertising.

Let's face it, even the best companies drop the ball now and then. What are you doing to make sure that your one "OOPS" doesn't act like a cancer on your company?

I can't tell you how many people I've told my Sears horror story. Now I've done business with Sears for years with no problems but I haven't been telling everybody about how wonderfully Sears delivered my Craftsman mower. There is a BIG difference between positive and negative "word of mouth." Negative gets lots more airply than positive.

Now do you see why NEGATIVE "word of mouth" is so dangerous.

With radio you get the power of "word of mouth," the spoken word. And YOU have control over what is said and how often it is said. That's the power of radio!

If you're wondering how you can turn the tide on some NEGATIVE "word of mouth," just give me a call and we can get together to talk strategy.

Recessions Provide An Excellent Opportunity for Advertising

2008-11-25T09:59:00.001-05:00

Below is a link with some very good information and research on advertising in a recession.

http://www.mactech.com:16080/adsales/recession_marketing/

Is this customer service, really?

2008-11-23T08:09:00.002-05:00

In this economy, doesn't it make sense to take care of your customers even more so that they might become raving fans?

That's what I thought too until our recent dealings with Sears.

You see back on October 14th, my wife placed an online order with Sears to take advantage of a mattresss sale they were having. Good offer (as I often write about), time limitation (the sale ended on a pre-determined day), and the call to action was to click and buy.

We did and that's where the good part of the story ends.

Two delivery dates came and went and we had heard nothing from Sears. The third delivery day came and the box springs came but no mattress. The customer service representative even had the gall to tell my wife that she was looking at a mattresss because that's what her computer said despite the fact that my wife and the Sears delivery guy was looking at two box springs.

A promise was made from Sears to bring the mattress the following week. We said ok. Another week came and went and still nothing from Sears.

Now Sears has charged our credit card and is expecting payment for merchandise we have never received.

Tell me, with the economy is such doldrums, doesn't it make good business sense to take extra special care of the customers you have.

This brings me to another point about word of mouth advertising which I will write about in a future blog.

Let me encourage you to take care of your customers because if you don't you will lose them. And right now is NOT the time to be losing new business.

More Logical Reasons Why You Should Not Stop Advertising Now

2008-11-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

I feel like I'm beating the same drum over and over but it's like we say in the radio business -- frequency is energy.

Here are ten tips for you who are still doing business in a tough economy as it relates to advertising from another advertising expert:

(1) Your advertising voice is multiplied. As some will no doubt cut back, your voice is amplified.

(2) The closing of scores of national retailers makes it easier for the local retailer's voice to be heard

(3) Cutting advertising is like amputating in order to get rid of an itch or like saying you're going to quit selling because they'll probably say no anyhow. When the # of incoming customers decreases, this isn't the right time to stop inviting them back.

(4) Don't cut your air supply. Advertising helped you get where you are right now -- don't stop now. The reason you have customers is that someone heard your message. And you're going to abandon that?

(5) When you stop advertising, your best customers become someone else's prospects. People go where they are invited. Your competitors are inviting your customers.

(6) Your customers will have more confidence that you are THERE. We have confidence in the post office and the fire department because t they are there.

(7) Consumers don't stop buying; they're just more choosey and looking for value.

(8) You know what consumers are looking or. Super sizing, good value works better than ever now. Give them a reason to come see you.

(9) Look at adding online tools to your campaign to give you an extra touch. Offer coupons or other incentives

(10) Think of what advertising says to your employees -- confidence.

Emperical evidence, again, points to every single case where advertisers either maintained or increased their advertising during a recession not only profited from that decision short term but also grew market share in the long term.

What do you want to do? Your decisions will affect your business now and down the road.

Don't Give Up

2008-11-03T10:22:00.002-05:00

Marketing News writer Nicole Granese says whatever you do don't give up on marketing during a recession.

She says, "When you cut marketing during a recession, you stop the conversation with your consumer. You are out of sight and ultimately out of mind, putting your brand at risk."

Rethink your strategy.

Understand your target better.

Granese says, "A recession can be a great opportunity to gain market share and position your brand for the future. So don't just weather a recession -- seize the opportunity to thrive."

And remember from our last time together, that the scarcer your resources, the narrower your advertising focus should be.

We just had a report of a research study who advertised with us last week. They generated 41 calls and secured 15 appointments.

Business is still being done.

Do you want some of it?

Focus Is the Name of the Game Now

2008-10-31T10:35:00.004-04:00

My good friend and advertising guru, Jim Doyle, has some very solid advice for times like these. In a recent newsletter he included his recommendation on how to weather this current economic climate.

The SCARCER Your Resources, the more NARROW should be your focus.

Focus everything. Point of attack. Fewer weeks or days or months. Fewer day parts. And absolutely, focus on advertising in fewer places.

Focus lets advertisers spend less and get more.

Focus helps your client rise above the noise.

To dominate - concentrate. To become more dominant - concentrate.

Your mantra is…repeat after me…the scarcer your resources the more narrow should be your focus."

Stop the Insanity!!

2008-10-21T11:21:00.005-04:00

I have never in my life been so fed up with "talking heads." This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if we allow it. Day-in, day-out we are bombarded by TV channels that make their living off inciting fear in the marketplace.

Before we take everything at face value, let's take a look at what the independent research shows ... not the pundits on their pulpits of pessimism.

Remember that every piece of peer-reviewed research shows that companies that keep their heads in a recession are the ones who win during the economic downturn as well as when the market recovers.

The companies who lose in this are the ones that go into hiding. The ones who take a "wait and see" attitude will, according to the research, kill their brand.

Now you would expect me to be a bit biased since advertising is what I do for a living but I encourage you not to just take my word for it. Google "advertising and recession" and see the independent qualified research that says advertising now is good and profitable for your business.

You will grow market share.

You will increase your sales now.

And ...

You will help consumers get out of their own fears when they hear that your company is still doing business.

Do you have to be smart? Yes.

FDR said it best when he said, "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

Join me on the crusade to squash this wholesale marketing of fear to the consumer marketplace by taking a stand and saying ... not on my watch. Not on my time will we spiral into a dismal pit of despair.

More Leads Because Less Clutter

2008-10-17T10:05:00.002-04:00

Even though the economy has affected the hospitality market, Holiday Inn Express is spending more dollars to increase the number of overnight stays.

Now you make ask yourself the question. Why, during a slump, would Holiday Inn Express spend more $$.

Steve Ekdahl, director of brand marketing for Holiday Inn Express, says, "While other hotel brands are pulling back, it presents an advantage to us and affords us the opportunity to talk to our target in a less cluttered environment." emphasis mine.

Every piece of research shows those companies who either maintian or increase their advertising expenditures in an economic downturn not only capture more of the leads in the market now but advance their future market share.

I've written about this in previous blogs and will be happy to send anyone the quantified research from independent research firms if you need to see the independent documentation.

These principles are usable on both the national and local level.

Keep your head and don't let fear dominate you and you'll reap the rewards both now and in the future.

Most of you can say the Holiday Inn Express punch line: "No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night."

That's because Holiday Inn Express gets it.

Your brand is your business. How are people remembering you right now?

If your answer is nebulous, I can help.

5 Don'ts for Marketing in Tough Times

2008-10-13T09:42:00.002-04:00

Last time we were together, I shared with you that I would share insights from industry experts on what not to do with your marketing in tough times.

No doubt we still have some troubled waters to navigate but the good news is gas prices have taken a southerly dive and as I write this, the Dow and other global markets are seeing a rebound from last week's sell off.

Remember fear feeds fear. Panic feeds panic. And there was a lot of panic and fear in the market last week.

Now as promised here are 5 Don'ts for Marketing in Tough Times from "Businessweek" contributor Steve McKee:

(1) Be smart and thrifty, but don't panic. This too shall pass. "...you may have to make some cuts. Just be careful to trim fat and avoid cutting muscle as much as possible."

(2) Marketing is muscle, not fat. Be careful about cutting it. "... the savvieest marketers know recessions are a great time to pick up market share ... Cutting your marketing spending is a sure way to give ground to competitors who may be more aggressive during the downturn."

(3) Don't lose focus by chasing business you wouldn't normally want. "There's a reason you don't pursue certain types of customers when times are good, and that reason probably hasn't changed."

(4) Don't discount. "If you need to make your products more affordable (to generate volume, goodwill, or both), do so carefully and deliberately. But lower the price instead of offering a discount.

(5) Don't neglect the elephant in the room. "Even if your company's revenues have held up, your employees know there's trouble afoot and they're nervous. Make sure they know you're on top of things and have a plan ... As the market tightens up, the best positioned players will survive and thrive."

Mckee offers some good advice here.

I have a number of clients employing these principles and here are their results.

There's a granite countertop company that sent me an e mail the other day that said ... "I think the sky may be falling, but we are seeing a good response to the ads."

There's a roofing company that's advertising with me right now. Last week I received an e mail from a listener who writes, "You had a commericial on earlier today for a roofing company. I'm trying to remember who they were. I think it was Buller or Boulder Roofing, but didn't have any luck googling those names. Can you please let me know who it was? Thank you for your help. Love your station too."

These are just two examples of business still being done even in the midst of this supposed economic storm.

There are nearly 420,000 people listening to the Fish each week. Surely with a good enough reason, we could get enough people to do business with you.

If you'd like to find out more, contact me and we can see if it makes sense to develop a results-producing plan for you.

Also, feel free to comment on these blog posts below. Tell others what's working and what's not. That way we can all share and grow.

Good selling. Mike

Businessweek Columnist on Advertising Now

2008-10-08T10:22:00.004-04:00

"Businessweek" columnist Steve Mckee says "don't let hard times derail your advertising."

That might be a hard pill to swallow right now but disconnect yourself for a moment from the climate of fear that's being propulgated from the 24-news machine and see your business in the light of a logically thinking individual.

McKee writes that "...nobody knows what's coming, and in an uncertain environment fear becomes the common currency. As the bad news continues to unfold, we are all looking for ways to hunker down and protect our slices of the pie."

The unfortunate thing is many times hunkering down leads us to act in desperation which could harm your business not only now but in the long term.

Mckee cautions against an advertising panic. Many companies cut back their advertising drastically during times like these only to "...sacrifice the future on the altar of the present." Other companies deeply discount "...which is almost always a mistake."

Mckee says "as an advertiser you can contribute to the fear or you can help diffuse it. The more consumers perceive you going about your normal course of business, the more normal things will feel to them. And the more quickly we can all get back to normal."

The choice is up to you. I remember in my basic econonics class at the University of Georgia that the economy is fundamentally cyclical. Many will make well out of this so-called downturn. Those who go into hiding will logically and statistically lose market share. Those who maintain their presence will grow not only now but statistics show, they will come out on top when this cycle comes out of its current position.

If you want to come out on top, call me.

I've got case studies of advertisers who are getting results with me right now. I'd be happy to share with you.

In my next blog entry, I'll look at "5 Dont's for Marketing in Tough Times." This will really equip you to weather the storm.

Good selling. Mike

Winning the War Between Your Ears

2008-09-30T08:24:00.003-04:00

Can I be perfectly transparent?

I am sick and tired of the alarmist agenda driven news media.

The talking heads come on the TV and you'd think "the sky is falling." Without being naive, let me underscore that these are challenging times but we are nothing near the great depression of 1929.

I heard John Adams speak yesterday at a networking luncheon. John is a financially savvy kind of guy. He said that in 1929 unemployment was upwards of 25%. Unemployment today is nowhere near that number hovering somewhere around 6%. We are nowhere near a depression as some have suggested.

So just take a deep breath and decide.

Are you going to be in FEAR or are you going to be an OVERCOMER?

Driving into work today I had these observations.

(1) People are still driving their cars. (opportunities for automotive repair, automotive replacement companies are still there)

(2) People are still living in homes. Surprise, right? (opportunities for home improvement companies, HVAC contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc.)

(3) There's a giant crack in my driveway. (pavement refinishing company opportunities)

(4) Dogs were still barking in my neighborhood. (opportunities for vets -- my dog recently had to have surgery because of an impacted bowel -- yuck -- $1200 -- ok so how do you tell your 7-year-old daughter "what putting the dog down means?" I'm a softy.

Bottom line is business is still being done. Consumers still have problems to solve. Will you be the first company they think of when the problem arises? Only one thing can help you stay top of mind. That's a regular advertising campaign.

I have a roofer who gets calls weekly from homeowners listening to our radio station who need new roofs. That's a $5,000 to $7,000 proposition. Roofs still leak regardless of what's going on with Wall Street or with Washington, D.C.

Moreover, now consumers are looking for people they can trust implicity with their scarcer dollars. This fact makes the Fish a natural fit for your business since there is an implied endorsement communicated by your association with the Fish.

The real question is who will win the war between your ears. Will you allow fear to sideline you and your business or will you determine that circumstances will not dictate your success?

The choice is clearly up to you.

If you decide you'd like to be an overcomer, drop me a not at thecopee@gmail.com and we can talk about the successes we've had with other clients recently (even in the midst of the economic storm). Then, we can determine if it makes sense to explore opportunities for you.

Click Below To See How Radio Can Deliver!

2008-09-24T16:16:00.004-04:00

How To Write Ads

2008-09-08T09:27:00.005-04:00

I subscribe to Roy William's Monday Morning Memo. This was on today's. Take a listen. (Just click on the the the title "How to Write Ads" above) If you are brave enough to write your ad campaigns like this, you'll probably blow the doors off your competition. We here at the Fish have had some opportunities to do what Roy suggests and the results speak for themselves. Wanna know more after listening to Roy? Then, drop me a line at thecopee@gmail.com and I promise you if I can't help you, I won't waste your time.

They Came, They Saw, They Generated The Leads

2008-09-04T15:25:00.000-04:00

It was hot ... the day was long ... but in the end well worth it for both the listener and the clients who participated.

I'm talking about the Fish's annual Celebrate Freedom event at the Ga International Horsepark in Conyers. Unofficial numbers are coming in around 47,000 people this year.

I talk alot about our audience being very responsive. That responsiveness translated into measurable leads for almost every client that exhibited at Celebrate Freedom.

From a pest control company who reports 300 names gathered to a roofing contractor who reports between 25-30 solid leads, this event enables our advertisers to get up close and personal with the Fish audience. The Fish builds trust for your business. This event puts your face with that trust factor.

It's so encouraging that even in what some are calling a down economy, our listeners still respond, still buy, still love those who make THEIR music and radio station possible.

That's the power of a good, solid, radio advertising campaign.

If you'd like to learn more, just drop me a note at thecopee@gmail.com and let's give our audience a reason to come do business with you.

Old Navy Sets Sail With A Great Ad Campaign

2008-08-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

I normally don't blog over the weekend but I had to tell you about a GREAT ad campaign that obviously produced results for Old Navy.

The picture you see was taken at the Newnan, GA Old Navy as people flocked in for Old Navy's One Day Jeans Sale. $12 for adult denim. $7 for children.

Remember I always preach have a good offer and offer some sense of urgency and your advertising will take off. That's exactly what Old Navy did.

Here's how I was transfixed by advertising: On Thursday night my lovely wife, Angie, and I were watching 101 Most Unforgetable Saturday Night Live Moments on E! The Old Navy campaign aired one time during the time we watched. I told Ang that we should go get some jeans for Anna (our 7 year old). She agreed.

The message was very clear in the campaign. Old Navy stated their offer clearly and reminded consumers that it was for Saturday only.

When we arrived the store was packed. I had to actually wait in line for a dressing room to come available. Now that's a first.

And on top of that ... I texted a number of friends whom I knew had kids because I wanted to share in my great find!! This goes to show you that when you orchestrate your advertising campaign correctly, you'll not only get results from those who are exposed to your campaign but if your offer is good enough, you'll get referral leads left and right too.

So remember when you have a great offer and you combine urgency with your offer, you'll find measureable paydirt at the end of your campaign.

If you want to know how we've helped clients like Elite Countertops, Nehemiah Reconstruction, Moncrief Heating and Air and many others do exactly what Old Navy did, then, drop me a note at thecopee@gmail.com. I'll be glad to help you reach for the next level.

Celebrate Freedom 2008

2008-08-18T09:19:00.000-04:00

The blog has been fairly quite lately mainly because we have been busy here at the Fish preparing for the largest one day FREE concert event in Atlanta. Pictured to the right is a crowd shot from last year's event held at the International Horse Park in Conyers, GA where we pulled 42,000 people in one day.

Now for those of you who wonder does radio really get results, this should close the door on that argument forever. You don't put 42,000 people in a horse arena without a strong offer (FREE concert) and a sense or urgency (one day only). It's the perfect case study of what a great radio campaign can do.

We're out at the horse park again this year with a great line up of contemporary Christian artists performing. And lots of advertisers showcasing their products and services.

Mark it on your calendar. August 30th. And log onto http://www.celebratefreedomatlanta.com for all the details.

And if you'd like to find out how we can create a campaign that generates results for you, just drop me a note at thecopee@gmail.com and we can begin the conversation.

See you August 30th at the horse park in Conyers.

Converting Contest Entrants to Customers

2008-07-28T14:16:00.000-04:00

How can you turn a contest entry into a sales client? Many times advertisers look to contest to drive the number of leads they are able to capture. Unfortunately, many of these leads turn out to be duds. How can you fix that problem?

One marketing expert says it's all in the offer that you present.

"Doesn’t matter what the method of contacting the consumer is, the conversion rate is always a function of the offer you make after you generate the lead. We just did a contest that generated 78,000 leads. Soft offers worked (get a free catalog, try ___ for 30 days at no cost, free fertilizer application, etc…) , hard offers didn’t (SAVE 10%, $100 OFF, GET A FREE TRIP!). Funny thing is sellers don’t like soft offers because they see a risk of higher cost. Reality is that you get lower ROI on hard offers because they don’t convert as well."

Many times people who are interested in what you sell will enter your contest. It just that their interest may not translate into buy now mode. Consider your offer as a courting mechanism that could eventually lead to a happy marriage instead of asking for marriage right out the gate.

I've worked with a number of clients who maximize their offers and get maximum results with the Fish. If you'd like to hear how they did it, just send me an e mail to thecopee@gmail.com.

Good Selling!!

URL as Your Call to Action

2008-07-09T17:54:00.000-04:00

On Interstate 15 outside Pocatello, Idaho is a billboard with a simple message.

Here it is in its entirety:

www.buyhashbrowns.com

My guess is that if you saw that you'd hunt down a free wi-fi spot and log on to find out what's this all about.

The web address happens to be owned by the Nonpareil Potato Company which happens to sell hashbrowns.

There are a lot of good lessons to learn from this particular campaign that are applicable to any form of advertising you are doing.

1. It's tell people exactly what to do. Your advertising should always tell your perspective customer what you want them to do.

2. This advertiser realized that you need to communicate your message on billboard in 3 seconds or less as drivers whiz past at 75 mph. Lesson here -- make sure you can succintly say what you need to say to your target customer.

3. The URL is memorable. If you can do something memorable in your advertising, then, you stand out from the rest of the crowd.

All in all this is a wonderfully executed campaign with an attention grabbing headline that inspires curiosity, invites interaction and sells their product wonderfully.

I have a client who has done something similiar with his online advertising. He has utilized our video pre-roll at www.thefishatlanta.com. When I checked at the end of June, his video had been viewed almost 25,000 times in 60-days. His lead count is up and he's happy with the Fish.

If this sounds like something you'd like to learn more about or if you know of a business that the Fish might make sense for, drop me an e mail at thecopee@gmail.com.

Stay strong and good selling!!

Mike Copeland
104.7 the Fish

Relentless Advertising -- Does it Work?

2008-06-26T09:46:00.000-04:00

I just learned about a study conducted by Stanford University School of Medicine and Packard Children's Hospital as it relates to children and food choices.

In the study kids 3 to 5 years old were fed two sets of identical foods -- some in McDonald's wrappers and some wrapped in plain paper.

The conclusion of the research was the kids overwhelmingly preferred the food wrapped in the McDonald's logo wrappers.

Each child was given chicken nuggets, a hamburger and french fries from McDonald's, and baby carrots and milk from the grocery store... With one exception, significantly more children said the McDonald's-labeled product tasted better.

McDonalds spends an amazing amount of money to market to children and to develop brand loyalty at an early age. I know because given the opportunity, my 7 year old daughter is insistent about going to McDonalds if it's around lunch time and mom and I are out running errands. That brand loyalty translates into sales for McDonalds.

My marketing friend in Portland, Oregon comments on the study, "McDonald's has enough money to be seen and heard just about everywhere; the rest of us have to be more selective in choosing market segments and media opportunities we can afford to dominate. But even without a huge marketing budget, you can still follow thebasic principles that have kept McDonald's at the top of their category:

1. Have a consistent theme and spokesperson -- the Golden Arches logo has been there forever, and Ronald McDonald has been a significant part of the marketing effort for decades.

2. Establish a long-term plan, and stick with it. The most successful markets map out a year at a time, and they don't cancel their ads after a bad weekend.

3. Make an offer. A small portion of McDonald's advertising is forimage, but most of it gives the target consumer a specific benefit-- a coupon, a new product, a movie tie-in -- for doing business
with them today."

Using these basic fundamentals can spell the difference between success and failure in your advertising campaign.

Remember if you are looking for ways to impact the market in Atlanta using these principles, I've had lots of success helping clients get results with radio. In fact, one of our medical clients consistently gets 50+ patients per month from his advertising with us. If that sounds like the kind of results you'd like to see in your business, drop me an e mail at thecopee@gmail.com.

A Bonafide Guarantee

2008-06-20T10:36:00.000-04:00

The other day I was working with a client trying to pull something together for an end of the month advertising program. He was understandably concerned about return on investment as any smart business person would be. His question was if I spend "x" amount with you, can you guarantee me that I'll get "x" dollars in new top line revenue?

I answered him with what I knew I could guarantee. His business had been soft so far this month. If he didn't do anything, I could guarantee him that he would finish the way he had started the month if the current trend continued.

The reason you advertise is not just so I can make a sales goal. It's because you need more sales and more sales only come from more people who know who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you.

Stop your advertising and I can guarantee you the following:

1. You'll lose customers

2. You'll miss your targets

3. You'll lose market share

4. Your revenues will go down

5. Your cash flow will go down

6. Your profits will evaporate

Those are just some of the guarantees I can confidently make to you. These are facts substantianted by years and years of research.

Another fact substantiated by primary source research is the Fish is getting results for their advertising clients -- even in the midst of a struggling economy. If you'd like to hear about our clients' success, drop me an e mail at thecopee@gmail.com and I'll send you FREE an mp3 audio testimonial that you can play right on your computer. Then you can decide if you'd like to explore getting Results With Radio!

Fixing the Holes In Your Sales Funnel

2008-06-18T09:09:00.001-04:00

I have a friend in Portland, Oregon who is not only a great businessman but also an incredible advertising guru. In one of his recent blogs he wrote about fixing a company's sales funnel.

He said if your advertising is not producing the results you want, there are probably two issues to consider:

1. There's something wrong with the advertising

2. The advertising is fine but there is something wrong at your business. Prospects are entering the sales funnel but you are letting them slip away before they become customers.

My friend goes on to tell a story about how he and his wife needed a fence installed in their backyard. His wife called three companies.

Company #1: salesman came out, took some measurements and promised to call with an estimate. My friend never heard from him again.

Company #2: The receptionist at this fencing company took my friend's wife name and number. Nobody ever called back.

Company #3: Salesman came to the house. Took measurements. Went through all the options available to my friend and his wife. Company #3 got the job. Walked away with a deposit. He got the rest of the money when the job was complete.

Companies #1 and #2 may say their advertising is not working or they may say the economy is slow or they might cite both reasons why their top line revenue numbers are not coming in where they projected.

My friend wrote that either one of the companies could have had his business if they had practiced a very simple sales principle -- follow up.

The question then becomes how many other jobs have they lost because they are lax in this one area.

How many jobs are YOU losing? It could be that you need to use some putty to fix the holes in your sales funnel.

If your funnel is working well and you just need more people entering in, then send me a note at thecopee@gmail.com. I've got a number of success stories where I've helped companies double their top line revenues. Perhaps I could help you do the same.

So You're Thinking About Cutting Back Advertising?

2008-06-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

In times of perceived economic downturn, I've heard advertisers say they are planning on cutting back on their advertising. Behaviorist tell us that fear of loss is a far stronger emotion than desire for gain. If you plan on cutting back your advertising, there is a strong likelihood that you'll loose your footing and give ground to your competition.

One advertising expert has a few questions and observations on the implications of cutting back your advertising that I thought might be worth sharing.

(1) What if tonight your competitors decided, effective tomorrow morning, they're all going to cut back their advertising? Would they, or would they not, be playing right into your hands? In cutting back your advertising, what do you think you would be doing?

(2) How do you hope to replace the 30% of your customer base you lose every year through attrition?

(3) What your business needs is more customers and more sales! If you cut back your advertising, how will you get them?

(4) Today you need only two things to succeed: new business and repeat business -- but you can't have one without the other, can you? You get new business by advertising, and you get repeat business by advertising consistently. So, how are you going to attract new business -- and therefore repeat business -- if you cut back on advertising?

The same advertising expert encourages his readers to Google "Advertising in a recession" and he says you'll download more supportive data for advertising during a recession than you've got photocopy paper.

The lesson of every recession is the same. The businesses that end up stronger after the recession is over are those that maintain competitve top-of-mind awareness during the recession.

I've got one client who quantified 645 leads from the Fish and did over $500,000 in new business from those leads. This client, obviously, DID NOT cut back on his advertising. He reaped the rewards of finding new customers. If that sounds like something you'd like to do, drop me a line at thecopee@gmail.com and I'll send you his story.

Atlanta Traffic & Your Advertising

2008-06-11T13:19:00.000-04:00

Forbes recently reported that Atlanta traffic is the absolute worst traffic in the United States.

Forbes says, "Here, in the fastest-growing city in America, more people flood the roadways than the infrastructure can handle. Commuters spend 60 hours a year stuck in traffic ... If that weren't bad enough, Atlanta is so spread out that only 29% of drivers get to and from work in less than 20 minutes ... and 13% spend more than an hour getting to work ... "

A recent article in the New Yorker said that nine out of ten people travel to work by car, and out of those, eighty-eight percent drive alone.

For those of us who travel in this mess everyday, this news is nothing new under the sun. My question is how do we turn this "trapped" audience of commuters into viable new business for you.

One copywriting expert says that drivers can't read, can't watch DVD's, can't watch TV, and have limited patience for learning while crawling through jams. Still a good percentage of these people are going to be somebody's customer.

These are people with wasted hours that cannott be replaced. For savvy marketers, this could represent an opportunity to be the most exciting part of your prospect's day.

If we hold their attention with compelling programming, you can have their undivided attention when your sales message comes on.

Turn the "trapped in traffic" problem into the "trapped in your message" solution.

I've got a number of clients getting great results going after this trapped consumer. One of my most recent successes had a client posting record top line numbers because of his advertising on the Fish.

If you'd like to hear his story, send me a note at thecopee@gmail.com or call 770-328-1938.