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Truth in Advertising
-- by Lisa Ann Schreier
Thanks to all of you who wrote, and thanks for coming back to class this session. Today
we cover more basics… for advanced concepts you're going to have to sign up for Advertising 203.
Today we are going to cover truth in advertising, which, is not as many of you suspect or are used to, an oxymoron.
Truth in advertising simply means that you tell the reader, the viewer or the listener what is going on.
Now, if you are McDonalds, Toyota, Apple or another well-known established company that everyone is familiar with,
you can skip the basics and do clever things. Clever things for unknown commodities are a bit trickier. Remember
the 1984 Apple spot? It paid off for them and established them as an industry leader. Not very many timeshares
can afford that…so let's not even attempt it.
We've all seen those clever car commercials that dazzle the eye, and have very little to do with the actual car
being sold. In fact, sometimes, you are not even sure what is being advertised until the very end, when Toyota
or Mitsubishi or something pops up. How can they get away with it? Because you already know what a Toyota car is.
You may not know the exact model, but you know what a car is.
Truth in timesharing advertising is much harder. Yes, chances are everyone has heard of timesharing…but remember
that some if not most of those memories or thoughts concern men in lime green suits with bad toupees selling mosquito
infested swampland someplace. Not what you want the public to think about your property...unless it's still the
way you do business (and you know who you are…as I do!)
So while the "hook" may still be an integral part of a well-done ad, the majority of the ad should be
the truth--- the timeshare story boiled down to a few carefully worded paragraphs. Remember the acronym "KISS"?
It stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. And KISS is what I recommend to everyone. It's what I do in my ads, and its
what I do in my sales presentations. As I'm fond of saying in my sales presentations, "… this is NOT rocket
science… we're talking about vacation here."
But as I said, that is not the way most timeshares do business, although the wheel is slowly but inevitably turning.
Your resort, your property, your timeshare is going to have to change some of your most basic marketing concepts.
And that's why I'm here, to guide you into the wonderful world of advertising… In No Particular Order.
In closing, I'd like to ask for your feedback and your participation. I've already stated that there are almost
no well written honest advertisements out there in the timeshare business. Why is that? Write me and tell me why.
I suspect that it's because you (developers, property managers, marketing companies, etc.) have no experience in
consumer advertising and therefore continue to do what your predecessor, or your competition is doing. Wake up…
times are changing… do you want to be a successful leader, or an unsuccessful follower?
Lisa can be reached at GRQ1@aol.com
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| Lisa Ann Schreier
is a dynamic, outspoken, devout believer in the power of advertising done correctly. Lisa brings a wealth of advertising,
marketing and promotional knowledge to her many business interests. She is the director of her own marketing/advertising
agency, a full-time timeshare salesperson, a contributing writer and a part time Cast Member of the Walt Disney
World Resort. After one too many long cold winters in Chicago, she now happily lives in the Orlando area where
she is known for her consumer insights and "back to basics" style of business. When she is not working,
sharing insights with the best bartender on Disney property (you'll be famous soon!) or learning the hard way that
the sun really is much stronger in Orlando than it ever was up north, she occasionally runs back to Chicago to
catch up on the best radio station in the world and see some incredible concerts. Lisa can be reached at GRQ1@aol.com. |
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