The dumbest things we say in our marketing
Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 4:52PM I love when companies put commercials on TV or radio and refer to their single location within a giant geographical area (like here in South Florida) as being "conveniently located." It's one of the classic cliches most local advertisers lean on, like an old crutch. Here are the problems with using this old chestnut in your copy:
1) It's not true. Your location may be convenient to some customers, but not to everyone. If your ad is airing on a local television station, it's going out to tens of thousands of people within 50 or 60 miles of your location. When a potential customer is 30-40 minutes away from your door, your "conveniently located" reference sounds, at best, unaware of your own market and, at worst, totally idiotic, risking the possibility of that potential customer starts going someplace else (that may or may not be "convenient") because you sound so clueless.
2) It's ineffective. How many local commercials include this dreaded phrase? ALL of them! So, what does the customer think? NOTHING! They just ignore it. It doesn't factor into their thinking. Considering how few words can be squeezed into thirty seconds (syllables, really-- and, doesn't con-VEN-ient-ly have a lot of them), sticking this empty phrase into your copy is a waste of time and money.
3) It's not for you to say. This is one of those attributes the customer gets to decide, not the advertiser. Only each individual customer can determine if your location is really convenient, or whether that's important in their decision where to purchase at all. Just tell people where you are and let the customer figure out the rest. Better yet, give them a strong landmark reference to they won't get lost finding you ("Exit 23 off I-95" or "Next to the giant cow on Main St.").
4) Sometimes being 'inconveniently located' is better. People will travel to strange, out-of-the-way places to find something unique, a bargain, or something fun. The next business that advertises itself as being "hard to get to, but worth the trip." will definitely get someone's attention.
5) The most convenient locations don't have to say it. There's a Starbucks on every corner, a Walgreens on every other and a McDonalds on every third or fourth. Ever hear those guys refer to themselves as being "conveniently located?" Of course not! They wouldn't waste the words, the time or the money.
Odd: the chain with 10,000 locations never has to say it, but the poor guy with one store in the middle of nowhere always sticks it into every ad. Why? Fear, the factor that motivates most business decisions. It's a reflex to try and prevent the customer from going to a competitor.
Customers are too smart today to fall for this type of ad flab. A customer who is willing to take the time and trouble to find you can become a customer for life-- if you make the trip worth their while.
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