From Cristiano Ronaldo To the Other Kind Of Advertising

Ryan Chute

October 25, 2022

From Cristiano Ronaldo To the Other Kind Of Advertising

In one of Roy H. Williams' older Monday Morning Memos, he made a comparison I could never forget. According to him, in many ways, advertising life is very similar to professional sports. How? The worlds of advertising and professional sports are both highly competitive and often cut-throat. New players are constantly entering the field, looking to grab the top spot. And just like in professional sports, advertising also has its own version of superstar athletes. Trust me, the hidden truth behind professional sports and advertising is graver than you might think. While riddled with "injustice" all over, the point of this article is not to throw flak against both industries. Instead, we aim to uncover the grand illusion hailing over advertising through the lens of competitive sports. In this article, let's take a look at one of the sporting world's highest-paid superstars, Cristiano Ronaldo. More importantly, we'll discover how your business could dominate your industry when you work with the Christiano Ronaldos of advertising. Be patient, all these things will come full circle. You'll see. Keep reading.

Christiano Ronaldo’s Numbers

Did you know that in 2021, Ronaldo made $120 million? That's a massive chunk of cash, enough to survive a couple of lifetimes for the average North American. There's just one caveat: not all pro athletes make that kind of money. In reality, only the top 10 percent of superstar athletes share 90 percent of all money paid to athletes. Those B-class and regular team filler athletes share the remaining 10 percent amongst themselves. Even if you double the money these people receive and cut it back from superstars, they'll barely feel the difference. That's the harsh reality, but not for Ronaldo. He has a staggering $120 million in his name which equates to $462 thousand a day. That's roughly $57,700 per hour. Whereas, according to Roy H. Williams, the average soccer player makes only $80/hour which equates to $160 thousand per year. Worse, their playing time spans 3 years only, on average._Yes, yes, it's sad but how is this relevant to advertising?_The better question is, what makes Ronaldo different from other players?Well, he's been the face of some of the most popular ads in existence. Getting him on your advertisement results in a significant spike in sales and orders. That's why he has tons of money, because he brings in loads of cash to businesses that he works with. Well, this is the comparison Williams made.

‍Advertisers are no different from professional athletes. Advertising experts who have made the most famous advertising campaigns tread the same route. They start with one or two good ads and then expand their repertoire by adding more creative and innovative ideas. From there, they build on their successes to create even better advertising campaigns that become household names. Williams added: "Everyone gets to play on game day, but only the best get paid on payday. "There are many senior advertising experts around, but not all advertisements turn into a success and rake in the green. There are many factors at play, agreed. However, the advertising industry is always looking for that one big idea to take its campaigns to the high heavens. Sure, Ronaldo may play better than your average professional soccer player. However, is he really 750 times better? Because that’s what his money suggests. Not necessarily, but plaster any other player's name on your brand and you'll hear crickets from a mile away. In the same way, hiring an industry-tested, genuine expert, with countless successful portfolios under their belt makes the difference. It's not that these advertising experts are 750 times better. Heck, they probably even use the same set of words and language as your regular ad specialist. The difference is Superstar Advertisers use angles, employ foils, juxtapositions, and craft better messaging that resonates with your market. That's the difference. That's our difference as the Wizards of Ads. If you're looking for that advertisement that brings in the money for your residential home service business, trust the pros. Book a call with Ryan Chute of Wizard of Ads® and let's make that killer ad a reality.

The Grand Illusion in Advertising

Now that's out of the way, let's press on and look at advertising's grandest illusion. Business owners like yourself are predisposed to think that as long as you advertise, sales will eventually come in. That's not even partly true. In fact, even the best advertising examples fail to champion businesses into sales bliss. Entrepreneurs live in the grand illusion of advertising. Twelve different aspects pervade this phantom and I'll break down each of them below.

1. Investing money ≠ gaining sales

You could've guessed this one. Advertising isn't a magic wand you can wave around and watch customers materialize out of nowhere. Even if you had an advertising budget the size of Cristiano Ronaldo's salary, there's no guarantee it would be effective. Advertising is one of the most important – and complex – aspects of any business. It involves several processes:

Understanding your target audience
Coming up with a unique selling proposition
Finding the right channels to reach those customers; the most important yet
Working with the right advertising expert

You can spend a fortune on self-proclaimed experts in company advertisements only to gain mediocre and depressing results. It takes a truly experienced advertising wizard to take your marketing to the next level. Additionally, your set of advertisements is but one spoke in the wheel of your entire marketing strategy. A real marketer can help you perfect all fronts of your business and put it in the best position for sales to happen.

2. Three people are the principal culprits behind this illusion

When you think about it, three people perpetuate the scheme that spending on advertising equates to success.

First, the advertising salespeople. They have a knack for saying they have the right people you can target. According to them, the people you need for your business are within reach.
Second, the advertising agencies. These people overly rely on data and consumer targeting to get the job done. Many advertising agencies believe that they have the means always to find your customers wherever they hide. The worst of these hapless culprits? Digital marketers.
Finally, the hope-filled advertisers. Hope is a good tool, but hope in itself is not a strategy. This is where hope-filled advertisers fall short. They say the secret behind advertising success is reaching the right people, and that's what they'll do.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying these are unreliable entities for your advertising endeavors. I'm saying they don't hit the right mark in producing advertising campaigns that make you a household name. Always remember that it's never been the medium, and it never will be. In the words of Roy H. Williams: "The media doesn’t make the ad work. The ad makes the media work."(I'll explain this in the next point)

3. Reality: Message > Media

Advertisements don't fail because they are reaching the wrong audience. It goes back to the fundamental truth that no man is an island. The wrong audience has friends, family, a barber, or a neighbor that may be the right audience. These are called “influencers.” Influencers are people that will share your good news and evangelize your ad to the right audience. It’s never been about targeting. The deeper truth is that thousands of ads fail because they are saying the wrong stuff in their advertising. Your message is far more important than the media you use to deliver them. When advertisers don't speak to the dog in the language of the dog, about things the dogs like, businesses only get bitten in the butt. Your message will always be more important. The best ad people know how to articulate your message that persuades and compels audiences to buy your solutions. That's irrespective of the media you use.

4. Truth: Targeting is a big buzzword built on a lie

Most advertisers want to enclose your business in a vacuum. What does this mean? You're only advertising to people who have an interest in what you're selling, right? That's the idea behind ad targeting – and it's a load of doo-doo. Let me explain. Residential home services are not an "interest". What you sell are externally triggered grudge purchases. This means that people buy your services because they have to. "My AC broke" "My heater's not working" "My toilet won't flush" Whatever it is, it happens at the most unexpected of times and nobody anticipates it. Targeting limits your options to who has the problem at the given moment. Whereas when you reach out to the influencers, you expand your reach to people who may just experience the problem.

5. More Good News

In this day and age, advertising has become more refined than a shotgun approach. We now have the capability to target very specific audiences with our message. For example, Facebook allows advertisers to target people by interests, demographics, behaviors and even custom audiences. The problem with this highly targeted approach is that it limits your reach. The better approach is untargeted media which reaches all potential influencers. Ever wonder why most major brands (toothpaste and soap) don't use targeted advertising? They go for reach because they want their product to be top of mind when anybody needs it. It’s the same for the residential home service industry.

6. Bad News: We are desensitized by advertisements

Some experts say we are now so desensitized to advertising that it no longer works the way it used to. We've become immune to the hard sell. The constant barrage of marketing messages has made people more skeptical than ever before. Today, we encounter about 5 thousand ads on a daily basis and this causes us to block them out. The good news is that advertising isn't dead, it just needs to be approached in a different way. Instead of trying to pitch something like a bullet serve, advertising should bank on effective messaging. For example, on top of promoting conversions, you can also craft a message that forges relationships.

7. The opening line is as important as the body

When crafting ads, you should consider creating an opening line that pierces through the Sea of Sameness. This can be done by using humor, shock value, or even just creating something that makes people think. Your advertising should make people stop and think about what you're saying. It should be interesting enough to make them want to learn more about your product or service. If your advertising is just a bunch of noise, people will tune it out and you'll be wasting your money. Think about the last time you saw an ad that made you stop and think. What was it about the ad that caught your attention? Was it the music? The images? The copy? I bet you it's the headline that began the umph and the copy followed through.… and speaking of follow through.

8. Hang on to their attention

Your headline is only a single piece of the entire puzzle. If your headline is a head-turner but the body disappoints, you might as well not make the ad at all. Make sure every element of your ad is working together to create a cohesive whole. The colors, the images, the copy, and the headline should all be working together to deliver a clear message. The key to dispelling the myth called ‘attention span’ is to leave out the boring bits.

9. Don’t produce ads that feel like ads

This is easier said than done, but it’s important nonetheless. People don’t like to be sold to, which is what makes advertising so difficult. No one wants to be bombarded with ads, especially when they’re just trying to relax and scroll through their feed. The key is to produce ads that feel organic and natural. The best way to do this is to create ads that tell a story or evoke an emotional response. If you can do this, then you’re on the right track. After producing a copy, re-read, and put yourself in the position of your audience. Will they stop to read or listen? Or will they be itching to press "skip ad"? If the latter, cut out the parts that make your ads feel like an ad.

10. You have a brief moment to capture their attention

People love to keep their attention on themselves. If you don’t captivate your audience the moment they first encounter your ad, you’ve already failed. They will tune out your advertising like it never exists. Make that intro a banger!

11. You don't have to be significantly better than competitors

Here's the thing. Like Christiano Ronaldo's case, he isn't 750x better than other professional soccer players as his earnings suggest. Yes, he is better than them but not overwhelmingly better. After all, other players also score against him. The point is that you just have to figure out how to be distinctively better than your competition. Being distinctive means getting noticed in a crowd of competitors that all look the same to the average joe. This is a holistic idea that covers your solutions, your advertising, and everything in between. Being distinctive (not different) is the big secret to standing 600 ft. above your competitors, winning the time and attention of a too-busy public.

12. Finally, to become Ronaldo, you need Ronaldo

As mentioned in the first point, even if you blow a thousand bucks on advertising, returns are not assured. You need the Ronaldos of advertising to produce top-notch money-raking ads that make your business the Ronaldo in your category. That's the secret. Master and overcome the hurdles behind these 12 things and you will be an unbeatable advertising colossus.

20,000 Years of Advertising

This segment is taken directly from Roy H. Williams' realization before he entered the advertising realm. According to him, Roy managed to gather 20,000 years-worth of advertising knowledge. No, not through research, but through interviews. At the age of 19, he sought businesses and asked several questions that gave him thousand-years' worth of answers. Here are the questions:

What advertising did you do that really worked and was effective in gaining sales?
Have you done an advertisement that you genuinely thought was a brilliant idea but miserably failed?

Only two questions. Ask them to one thousand business owners with 20-year-old businesses and you’ll gain the same knowledge. Roy acquired collective experience equivalent to thousands of years because their stories reveal millions of dollars spent on advertising. He got them all for free. You can then use their information to find a specific pattern. This will enable you to see what worked and what didn't. Try it.

Other Kind of Advertising

In today's data-driven era, people have been obsessed with modern solutions like data. While there's nothing inherently wrong with it, advertisers lost sight of what's truly important. Our data worship has led advertisers to obsess with targeting audiences without consideration about the message we're giving them. Think about it. All of the ads you see are targeted based on your interests. Do you find yourself clicking through and buying into every ad you encounter? Exactly! Now, why do you think so? It's because they may have targeted the "right people" but the message doesn’t come across. Some of the most effective advertising campaigns of all time have been those that tugged at our heartstrings. They made us laugh, cry or simply feel something. It's these ads that make the difference. Our data worship is anchored to our deterministic nature, or in the words of Amos Tversky: “Man is a deterministic device thrown into a probabilistic universe.” Data doesn't determine reality. Reality is an independent concept that no one can put their finger on. In other words, even with all the data in the world, you can only suspect what will happen. However, you will never really know for sure unless it actually happens. That’s what probabilistic means. Let's look at two types of ads.

Deterministic

These ads are based on data like recent searches, demographic, and buying history. They are tailored to a specific audience and reach the so-called "right" people. Deterministic advertisers believe that when you present an ad to the right audience, it will work. They confined people into a set of numbers in a data set. They think that when the advertisement meets the correct parameters, sales happen. That's hardly the case.

Probabilistic

Alternatively, probabilistic ads focus on reaching as many people as possible and letting the ad do its job. It's not about targeting the "right" people, it's about reaching a wide range of people. Then letting the advertisement come through via its messaging. Consider Old Spice's advertisements. They didn’t target men. They reached everyone and appealed to women. The women could then persuade their partners to buy the deodorant because of the ad, or simply pick it up at the grocery store themselves. Would these advertisements have worked the same if only the guys were targeted? No. No, they would not. People say probabilistic advertisers use a shotgun while deterministic advertisers use a sniper. That's not true. The better analogy is that deterministic ones use a fishing rod while probabilistic advertisers cast a net. “The more ground you cover, the more people you win over. ”If you want effective advertising that reaches both your audience and influencers, Wizard of Ads® has you covered. It begins with booking a call with Ryan Chute, the Christiano Ronaldo of Marketing Strategy.

(Online)

(Offline)

(Advertising)

Ryan Chute

Helping small businesses become BIG brands with a holistic marketing strategy that speaks the same language across all sales and marketing channels.

Questions? We’ve got answers.

Who does the Wizard of Ads® for Contractors work with?

Wizard of Ads® for Contractors work with healthy and growing Residential Home Service Contractors hungry to grow by multiples, like you.

You are ready, willing, and able to grow your business. You are open to change and are seeking a distinctive angle of approach to gain the time and attention of a too-busy public.

You know that lasting relationships take time, patience, and good energy to nurture and cultivate. We carefully enter into every arrangement with the intention of working with you for as long as you own your business. You prefer lasting partnerships.

You are already a solid operator. You have successfully grown your business and appreciate the impact the right brand story will have to get to the next level in your operation. You know a strong relational message takes time to gain momentum, but it’s worth the one-time short-term discomfort for the long-term gains.

Marketing cannot fix a failing business.

We accelerate what’s already happening in a business. If your business is on the rocks, marketing will only speed up the inevitable.

You’re focused on lasting change that leads to exponential, profitable growth, not just sales at any cost. Intuitively, you know that communication that enhances every element of your customer's experience and your employee's culture is the key to your success.

How does the Wizard of Ads® for Contractors charge?

Traditional marketing agencies are designed to capture the greatest amount of revenue from a client, regardless of results. Every last item is billed and expensed to the client. Typical agency fees can represent a whopping 55% of the entire advertising budget. That means a $5 million dollar advertising budget, you would spend $2.75 million on agency fees.

Think of Wizard of Ads® for Contractors as the Anti-Agency.

Our income is not tied to your advertising budget. Our income is exclusively tied to your growth. Our goal is to maximize your advertising impact with the lowest reasonable spend. This allows you to spend only what is necessary or to put extra horsepower into aggressively growing in your market.

The genius of this model is that it perfectly aligns our motivations as true partners for exponential profitable growth without the pain of being unaffordable. Ultimately, we are confident in taking the risk of being underpaid in the first few years because we know the results always speak for themselves.

Next, we do not accept commissions, referral fees, kickbacks, or other compensation from any service providers we recommend or engage for production work. Most agencies do. This includes the 15% agency commission for media buying. This approach is considerably different from the compensation plan employed by most advertising agencies, as it eliminates any potential conflicts of interest and allows us to focus our entire attention on helping you grow your business profitably as a true partner. For example, a $500,000 annual media buy would involve a $75,000 commission that we would have removed directly from your media providers' invoices.

This is the perfect pricing model for Residential Home Services.

By tying ourselves to gross revenue, we only have one motivation. Your motivation. We have no motivation to convince you to spend more money on marketing than what is necessary, and since we are a variable expense to sales, we NEVER become too expensive to have us on your team.

In almost every case, we end up lowering the amount of money you spend. We will stay within your planned marketing budget, including your media spend, production, and our Annual Fee. Add on the fact that you get any and all commissions back for media buys and various services provided by outside providers, and you will actually save money having us on your team.

Don’t forget, we have the largest buying power in North America for media buying, meaning for every dollar you spend buying media, we only spend 27 cents on average. This stretches your reach, impact, and frequency in a way no other agency (or yourself) can achieve on your own, saving you hundreds of thousands of dollars, eventually millions, every single year.

Clients who heed our advice and embrace our Marketing Strategy quickly add $1 million in incremental revenue to their business, making your investment a smart bet and a bit of a no-brainer.

There is no longer any guesswork, hope, or fear that our marketing strategies are going to work. If our client’s are able to abandon any limiting beliefs about marketing, deliver operational excellence, and play the long game, our marketing strategy will accelerate their profitable growth.

Wizard of Ads® for Contractors pricing model is based solely on the topline revenue of your company. It consists of an Upfront Fee and an Annual Fee. These fees are inclusive of scheduled travel, services, and all other expenditures as outlined in the Consulting Agreement.

The Upfront Fee covers the intensive Uncovery Process, the first year’s Media Buy, the Creative Process, and the Market Research while the Annual Fee goes toward implementation, ongoing creative and consulting, and next year's media buy. You get a team of 3.5 people, with direct access to a top tier Creative Lead and Media Buyer, and on-demand access to me as your Master Strategist. You will also have a full-time Account Manager keeping everything on track.

While the upfront does have an initial pinch, it is easy to amortize the investment over the many years we will be working together to grow your business. Wizard of Ads® retain clients for 10 years, on average. The sale of the business is the number one reason for termination. We actively terminate the bottom 1% of clients who are unwilling or unable to follow our strategies.

Wizard of Ads® for Contractors believes that all rewards should be directly correlated to the success of our clients. This means that the Wizard of Ads® for Contractors only receives a raise when the company achieves growth. For example, if your gross sales for the year have increased by 25%, the Annual Fee you pay us in the following year will also be increased by 25%. Likewise, if your gross sales decrease, our Annual Fee will decrease by the same percentage during the following year.

This is an exceptionally easy and fair way to track and reward success. This model was developed by Wizard of Ads® over 35 years ago and has served us well because it serves our clients well.

As a rule of thumb, we take the risk of working for considerably less than our actual value in the first few years as we help accelerate growth. This means you need to be willing to pay us exceptionally well when you start doing even better.

When should I engage The Wizard of Ads® for Contractors?

There are four key revenue stages for engagement with the Wizard of Ads® for Contractors.

Under $3.6 million in revenue
Between $3.6 and $10 million in revenue
Between $10 and $20 million in revenue
Over $20 million in revenue

Under $3.6 million in revenue is an investment in your brand. This will serve you well in establishing your brand story early on and help you with your name, logo, and truck wrap design. It's easier to create pictures from a story than it is to make a story based on pre-drawn pictures. You'll be glad you did. Everyone on a fast path to growth is.

Most clients start with Wizard of Ads® for Contractors between $3.6 and $10 million in revenue. They have often seen a natural ceiling with their leads for demand service and are looking for ways to push past the ceiling. This can only be done with a properly executed brand strategy, specifically in mass media with a sticky story.

Between $10 and $20 million in revenue, Wizard of Ads® for Contractors has some natural economies of scale. This is a sweet spot where Wizard of Ads® for Contractors can offer some added value in getting the ball rolling.

Over $20 million in revenue is actually the lowest cost point of entry as a percentage of revenue, but not the cheapest time to start with the Wizard of Ads® for Contractors. Leveraging all economies of scale aside, we have been left out of the upside along the way, so engaging when over $20 million in revenue means we have to mend a lot of fences damaged along the way. This is also where clients see significant savings in their media buys and production costs.

There are also three market sizes to consider.

Primary Markets are the top 50 cities in America.
Secondary Markets are the smaller cities in America.
Tertiary Markets are the more rural trade areas in America.

When considering an engagement with The Wizard of Ads® for Contractors, consider what size market you are in. For example, a $3.6 million company in a Primary Market will struggle to get the necessary reach needed to make a splash. You either have to be more patient than a larger company or spend more money to accelerate your reach.

Alternatively, a $5 million company in a Secondary Market will look like a pretty darn big fish in a medium-sized pond.

A $20 Million company in a Primary Market will feel like a $50 million company using our strategies to potential customers.

The key to remember is that the earlier you start with the Wizard of Ads® for Contractors, the lower the investment to get started. As they say, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.

Are production costs included in your fees?

The Wizard of Ads® for Contractors Creative Lead will create the ad copy, cast the voice actors, source the production house, direct the performance, pick the music bed, manage all the edits, and provide you with the completed ad for final approval before sending to air on your behalf. This is included in our fees.

You pay for the production house, actors, royalty-free music, and jingles directly to avoid any potential for markups, commissions, or management fees.

We have many friends in the industry that give our clients good deals due to the large volume of work we provide them. We will introduce you to them.

How long before a brand-forward strategy starts working?

In approximately three months of activation, we’ll just be getting live on air. In six months (3 months on air), you’ll be getting anecdotal feedback from people that you are being heard, but there will be no direct line to revenue.

After 6 months on the air, you’ll think you made the biggest mistake of your life signing up for this branding nonsense. After 9 months on the air (12 months in) you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

At 12 full months on the air, you’ll know why you did this branding thing. Two years from now, we'll be clinking champagne flutes as you wonder why you didn’t do this sooner.

How long before we’re live?

The general guideline is 70-120 days, depending on the level of production needed and if there is a name change to your business.

This includes an onsite visit, a deep dive into research, and getting things created, negotiated, approved, produced, and live on the air.

Uncovery - 15-30 days based on travel. 1-2 days onsite.
Research - 30-60 days based on the scope of work.
Creative and Media Buy Process - 45 to 60 days
Offline Production - 15 days for radio. 30 - 60 days for television.
Online Production (if switching) - 60 days

This means planning for roughly 90 to 120 days in the proper development and production of a completely unique Marketing Strategy before anything hits the airwaves.

Are you exclusive?

Creatively, yes. During the term of this Agreement, all Creative Partners assigned to your Account shall not engage, directly or indirectly, as an employee, officer, manager, partner, consultant, agent, owner, or in any other capacity, in any competition of the client, including any company engaged in marketing consulting.

For clarity, the Creative Partner is defined as the individual Wizard of Ads® Partners who is responsible for creating your creative strategy and ongoing creative copy. Competition is defined as companies that engage in the same industry and business units (e.g., HVAC, Plumbing, etc.) as you. The market area is defined as the area where the marketing message naturally reaches through DMA or 60 miles from the city center of the client's service area(s).

Naturally, we exclude any potential future competition in markets where you are not currently active at the date of signing.

We do not limit Media Buyers in any market. Media Buyers get better deals for larger volumes, making it beneficial for the client to have the Media Buyer available to do as many buys as possible to secure the best deals on the client’s behalf.

Do you do digital marketing?

In rare circumstances, Wizard of Ads® for Contractors will provide specific digital marketing solutions. Wizard of Ads® has very specific Partners that provide digital services that serve Residential Home Services effectively. Under no circumstances will digital marketing services be offered without Wizard of Ads® for Contractors' core solution.

It is most likely that Wizard of Ads® for Contractors will work with your existing digital partners and suppliers. If you do not have a reliable digital provider, we would be happy to introduce you to a number of great providers that play nice with Wizards.

Do you do jingles?

Wizard of Ads® for Contractors can assist you in getting a jingle for your business. Like any other tactical element of a marketing strategy, we do not produce a jingle for the sake of a jingle.

If you do not have a story or a strategic reason to have a jingle...or an ad campaign to tie it to, do not waste your hard-earned money on a jingle. You are wasting your time and money.

When you do build a single unified marketing strategy that incorporates a jingle for a specific (often scientific) reason, we have a Jingle Wizard who has studied the art and science of jingle design.

He will score you an original, royalty-free jingle, including professional singers, musicians, and producers. He will not knock off a generic jingle from a publicly available music bed that sounds like everyone else's jingle.

Your jingle will serve a very specific reason and produce a very specific result. Have you guessed how much we love jingles yet?

Who owns the copyrights?

Wizard of Ads® for Contractors owns your copyright for two very specific reasons. We also provide a fair use clause in all contracts to ensure you are in no way limited to the access of your creative works, whether you are working with us or not.

The first reason we own your copyright is to ensure that we do not have to go up against our own creative works in other markets we serve. This means you are not allowed to lend, give, borrow, tweak, rent, lease, or sell your creative works to any other company at any time.

The second reason we own your copyright is that we can establish a one-time value for your creative works in the event that someone steals the content. Upon selling you the copyrights, you can go after the perpetrator for theft and make a considerable bounty in a slam dunk case.

Here is how Wizard of Ads® word the fair use of your copyright for as long as your business is in operation:

All writing and/or marketing materials we create for you are not works-for-hire. Wizard of Ads® for Contractors hereby irrevocably grants you, and your successors in interest, the non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferable, and worldwide right to use the Works in connection with the marketing of your business pursuant to the Marketing Strategy for so long as your business is operational.

How do I measure brand results?

There are a number of interesting ways to measure results. Some people like to get unique identifying telephone numbers, or create branded URLs that redirect to landing pages or the website. However, much of this is a waste of time and energy as it never tells the true story of the brand journey and how it affected the decision-making process.

Other indicators of brand effectiveness include tracking new customers, reactivated customers, or running a brand equity survey to get a sense of your share of mind. Digitally you will see direct search increase, which cannot be affected by anything digital, as well as branded keyword inquiries increase. You’ll, of course, need to get your digital people to add these to your campaigns if you hope to see an increase in conversions.

Wizard of Ads® for Contractors tracks the simplest of indicators. Top line revenue. When your branding takes effect, and the company responds in kind from the phone call or form fill-on, top-line revenue will increase. Efficacy is plotted on a T12, and total lead volume from all sources is tracked.

12 things you should know before signing up.

Quality relationships take time. Branding is a long-term strategy. That’s why most contractors do it wrong, or not at all. There is always a lag between the start of the new campaign and the time it takes your customers to connect the dots. You MUST BE READY, WILLING, AND ABLE to endure this lag period. In our experience, the lag is typically 6 to 9 months, depending on how competitive the marketplace is, your company’s reputation, your budget in relation to reach, and the eight uncontrollable environmental factors. During this time, we will be helping you implement a transition plan to ease the pain. The good news is that this lag only happens once.
Decisions by Committee. We completely reject the notion of decisions by committee. We work with a single, courageous decision-maker. We welcome decision influencers, but we only look to the Owner for the final decision. All decision-makers and influencers must be involved in the Uncovery and Marketing Strategy Presentation if they want to offer input in the future. It is critical that we have a 100% fully approved plan that can be defended and championed by all leaders in the organization.
Proven Strategy. That means we are not the low-cost provider. With nearly 200 home service clients and a book of strategic devices, tools, and tactics, this isn’t a guessing game for us. We know what to do to make your externally triggered grudge purchase appealing to your potential buyers. If you can deliver the goods, we can continue building relationships. If you are uncomfortable with the idea that you are paying us less now so that you can pay us considerably more once revenues allow, please do not commit. We intend to be your true partners, in sickness and in health...so long as you own your business.
Automatic Payments. Everything is on automatic payments. If you struggle with managing cash flow, figure that out in your business first. We accept all major credit cards and ACH payments.
We Cause Problems. If you don’t have a capacity issue now, I promise you will in about 9 months. Let’s deal with recruitment out of the gate as part of your comprehensive marketing strategy.
We Own the Copyrights. All writing and/or marketing materials we create for you are not works-for-hire. We irrevocably grant you, and your successors in interest, the non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferable, and worldwide right to use the Works in connection with the marketing of your business pursuant to the Marketing Strategy for so long as your business is operational.
Brand Building. We will be steering you to limit the use of discounts, rebates, coupons, and sales to attract clients. We know this feels counterintuitive to many, and we will clarify our reasoning. Rest assured, we have considerable experience in creating similar offers that are not damaging to your profitability, your brand’s integrity, and your preferable long-term client relations.
Creative Authority. We must have creative authority over the words. You can accept copy as written or reject it outright, but you cannot modify the words yourself. If you do not like something as written, we are happy to discuss it and make the necessary change to maintain the integrity and intention of the words chosen. Alternatively, we will scrap the concept and create new copy that you are happy to get behind 100%.
Proprietary Algorithm. The media buy must be structured in a very specific way, including running a full 52-week schedule. It is based on brain chemistry, not P&Ls. Once we have committed to the buy, it’s important to avoid adjustments unless they are calculated additions.
Knucklehead Factor. You should expect knuckleheads. For example, when you start running ads that are certain to get attention, you need the courage to continue running those ads, even when you receive complaints. We celebrate complaints. It means we’ve made people feel.
Digital Weasels. In about three months from the time your advertising campaign hits the airways, your digital marketers will show you a marked increase in direct and organic traffic. Some Digital Marketers will mistakenly claim this success as their own. Done properly, you can continue to spend less and less on digital lead generation by increasing your branded keyword online presence.
Annual Marketing Meetings. Travel permitting, we prefer to hold Annual Marketing Meetings (AMMs) outside your city. Years of experience have taught us that we get better results when decision-makers are outside their sphere of influence, away from the day-to-day distractions of the office.

Ready to transform your world?

(do it - you
deserve this)

Become the next household name