"The single biggest problem in communication…

…is the illusion that it has taken place” – George Bernard Shaw.  This is one of my favorite quotes because it drives home a point that we all struggle with when it comes to advertising.  Why hasn’t our message been heard?  Why aren’t people picking up the phone and calling to place orders?  Chances are, because the communication hasn’t taken place.  To borrow another line from a friend of mine, we all have this huge mind eraser that we experience every night called sleep.  After being bombarded with thousands of messages everyday we eventually fall asleep and forget at least 99% of them.  That’s why advertising sales people advise their clients to sign up of for a repetitive schedule.  Sure, they also want the repeat business, but in order for them to gain the repeat business, the program has to work, or their clients are going to be those claiming that advertising doesn’t work!  It does work, but please don’t spend  you’re entire budget running one ad with the expectation that your communication has taken place.