T.V. Ads

We went to a seminar yesterday for television advertising. In our area there are no local roofing company's doing this type of advertising. They want to give us some prime time spots on the local news, a 3 minute interview that runs three times a week, and a bunch of other spots. Long story short, this would run us $3,500 a month and a 12 month contract would be signed. We already use print ads, radius marketing (This works for us so far), the trucks are lettered, job signs, etc.

I personally spoke to a window guy that is in our area about his t.v. Commercials. He told me that they sell on a top level as far as there windows goes, and that his commercials have tripled his business. They have been in business for 50 years with 10 of that doing commercials. That tells me that for 40 years they remained small but profitable. Again, 40+ years to grow his business and it wasn't until they went to t.v. That they grew as a company instead of a 5 man band.

I am not out to be a millionaire, but do like the lifestyle that we have for ourselves. It seems that in our market in Northern Ohio there are now 10 hack companies to 1 real company and not just a paper company. I need to get some more market share to pay for our overhead for the year. The current marketing plans just aren't providing enough leads to sustain what we have.

What are your thoughts about advertising and the best dollar for dollar return?

My body is already falling apart from working 20 years in this business and I don't have another 40 to keep growing this slowly.

I am trying to stay within the 7 rule.

Thanks>>>

I believe i saw patty cakes on COPS does that count as a commercial? :laugh:>>>

Mike H Said: Soldierboy,

If youve got 20 years in the biz, and are from N Ohio, do you remember the old Molnar Roofing ads that used to run on WUAB 43?

I remember them well, cuz daddy was roofer, and I thought they were the dumbest adds I ever saw. But then again, I can still remember the Call Molnar Roofing jingle, and a bunch of guys at the end slapping each other on the back giving the STUPIDEST in-unison laugh. Unless Im the only person in N Ohio that remembers it, I guess you could call the add effective.

I do thank everyone for there advice and not taking this topic and turning it into something else.

Mike, One of these days I would love to come and visit for a one on one.

Thanks, Jeff>>>

Soldierboy,

If you've got 20 years in the biz, and are from N Ohio, do you remember the old Molnar Roofing ads that used to run on WUAB 43?

I remember them well, cuz daddy was roofer, and I thought they were the dumbest adds I ever saw. But then again, I can still remember the "Call Molnar Roofing" jingle, and a bunch of guys at the end slapping each other on the back giving the STUPIDEST in-unison laugh. Unless I'm the only person in N Ohio that remembers it, I guess you could call the add effective.>>>

Lefty has a good point . I used to advertise with a little banner ad running across the bottom of the broadcast . Then do a spot somewhere once or twice a month on the same channels . It was on one of the local weather channels . Like weather on the 9's or weather 10 minutes before etc . They would have storm updates at certain times around the hour . I found people that need roofs watch the weather as much as roofers , adjusters . We would call it the money channel . :) B) B) With all the green moving across the screen . :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: B)>>>

Hi,

We have commercials for branding. We stopped yellow page adds.

Get a commercial made. You can just have it aired when it rains or a storm passes thru. You pick the amount and times it will run. Different stations and different times of day, different costs.

I would not get locked in to that amount of money. Tell them what you would like to invest. Then see what they come up with.

Roofing Commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xl3KA3kaUQ

Sun Tunnel Commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKWjmeUssTM>>>

Wow, that sounds like a lot more work and less profit at the end of the year. I have seen that happen to some of the whiz bang companies around here. When they try and get big in a hurry, you grab ahold of your wallet with both hands and run in the opposite direction.>>>

We always would track every call into the office . We had a script and whomever answered the phone from secretaries to office managers to field superintendents would be required to ask questions how they heard about me what were they looking at when they called my number etc . All the normal questions a company would ask if they are tracking . The worker types from lead man on down were not allowed to answer the phone . I would get calls from neighbors and friends asking why I was out of business and or why the recording " were sorry the number you have reached no longer yada , yada ? Every time it was someone who would press the o's instead of the zero's 0. I don't know how much business I had lost . I started printing the number under the ROOF slowed it a little still didn't stop it .Even after I stopped printing the ROOF people still had something that had the ROOF on it . I can't believe what I used to give out as rewards back then . I gave out box cutters once with my name and number WHOA !!!! . The vanity number was cool , in hindsight being 20/20 I would have marketed another number . Something simple like 539 1234 .>>>

The other ad, "Experdly" Installs Coatings, LOL.

What was bad about you having a "ROOF" number? I have had one since around 1985. Lots of telemarketers and mis-dials though.....:angry:

Ed>>>

This is not way back in the day . Approximately 12yrs ago . This was an add I ran in the St Pete times . Every week if memory serves . It worked great for the paper reading crowd . The Internet was really just starting to be a place . This was a part of the marketing we did along with tv ,radio . mass mail penny saver type mailers . door hangers Bill boards etc. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19970514&id=9bcMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pF4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3568,4605150 Funny I look at this now . I'm thinking of all things , My warranties are up on certain projects. Imagine me having a number that spelled 539-ROOF. You have no idea how bad that turned out . If anyone has a ROOF number would you share some of the stories with that type of number .>>>

We've done it all over the past 23 years. TV is by far the most expensive and tricky to track, results wise. If you don't run in prime time (6pm news is the best) you're wasting your money because no one will see your ads. The cable ad salesmen will tell you their medium (cable) really works but it doesn't. Unless you're doing millions of dollars per year now don't even consider TV as a lead source......waste of time (and money). Yellow page ads just put you in a group so people can "shop" at their leisure. Also there is more than one yellow page book being offered in most markets. Lead generation is a real "crap shoot" these days. Young people use the net and older customers read the paper. Pick your market and advertise for it.

JET>>>

Back in the day my Yellow page advertising was close to that. I had radio and TV spots going . The problem with the tv spots and the radio for that matter ... The area it covered I couldn't run every lead that came in . The coverage area was huge. It became a numbers game . It didn't add up . Many leads lost because I couldn't get to them . Not because it was to many . It was too far. I located my office in the Heart of Pinellas. Just over the bridge close to Hillsborough and counties south where the major population growth was . Every lead I couldn't get to became more and more expensive . It was cool hearing your radio jingles and see your tv spots. I still have the tapes reels for the tv spots . It had a " What a great idea " feel when I first started doing it . As my ego gave into the reality it was to expensive to throw away all those leads to far to get too .>>>

GKRFG Said: Run Forest Run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GKRFG,

That could go both ways. We have decided not to sign the contract and leave well enough be. It has just suprised me that roofers are the only ones not jumping on the t.v. ads. I guess it's cause we all do believe in word of mouth, or we are just to scared to put it all out there to see if it works. Me, I have to much to loose one way or another. Guess, we will keep plugging away the best we can. Thanks for some advise.

>>>

$40,000 a year on tv. I hope it works for you. Sounds like 40,000 headaches to me, but then again, all of our work is word of mouth.>>>

You get to spend $36,000 to find out if it's worth it. Plus the cost of selling/handling the extra leads. Be sure to report back to us in a year, you could save us all 50 or 60 g's. (Or make us feel like fools for not jumping in too)>>>

IMO, nothing beats word of mouth, including T.V. Who talks about commercials they saw last night at work the next day, unless it is the day after the Super Bowl, for the kind of money they want, someone is sure going to get rich, and most likely, them. Possibly if your ad ran on prime time, all the time., Too much $$$$$, just my opinion, and everyone has one.>>>