“I can get it for you wholesale…really”
advertising’s dirty little secret

In an episode from the old television series, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Buddy Sorrell tells Rob he should not pay retail for a new fur for his wife. Buddy, played by the hilarious Morey Amsterdam, takes Rob on a ridiculous journey through the absurd.

Thankfully, Buddy Sorrell doesn’t work at COCO+CO., but you can still take advantage of a little secret of the advertising industry and receive 15% off your purchases of cable TV advertising, radio commercials, print ads, billboards and more.

When advertising agencies were first created, the firms really were “agents” for the media and were compensated with a 15% commission. By the time radio and television emerged, an agency would absorb the expense of creating a commercial, but the 15% commission amounted to millions of dollars as the commercial aired numerous times. Unfortunately, many advertisers were talked into excessive media buys not because the additional media and time slots benefitted them, but rather because the agency collected additional premiums.

Because of this inherent conflict of interest, COCO+CO. does not accept media commissions, but rather passes on the savings in the form of a discounted media bill to client partners. In many cases, the savings more than cover the costs of strategy, creative and production. Take, for example, the nominal $5,000 for an outside billboard. Buy the space through COCO+CO. and save $750. After paying $500 for design, you actually pocket $250.

Not all media provide commissions, but those that do recognize their own savings since they do not have to write copy and produce designs. Before buying media directly, consider calling COCO+CO. and reap the savings for your organization.

ADDENDUM: Commissions are available only to “recognized advertising agencies” and may only be redeemed while that agency is being actively retained. Two additional caveats: 1) If media bills are not paid on time, the commission may be revoked, and 2) The media may withhold commissions entirely if a company has already negotiated a deal without using an advertising agency.

Submit your comments to creative@cocoboston.com.

the marketing/operations disconnect
customer service: “warm and fuzzy” or “take a number”

Part 3 of 5

about this series Part 1: Overview of the marketing/operations disconnect Part 2: Prospect, we hardly knew ye Part 3: Customer service: “warm and fuzzy” or “take a number?” Part 4: Customers who’d rather be “outta here” Part 5: Reassembling the broken pieces

Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, COCO+CO. sought to discover why a marketing program at one company generated $100 million in new business, while a similar program at a substantially comparable firm was an abject failure. COCO+CO.’s “Beneficial Benchmarks” revealed startling disconnects between what certain businesses believe they offer and what end-users actually experience.

Your company no doubt believes it offers customers something better than the competition. Your employees have a better understanding of clients’ needs, have deeper local roots or simply provide “personal service.”

Your marketing and sales people have crafted messages based on this “edge” your business offers, but what do customers and clients actually find?

Marketing Says...	Customer Discovers...
Personal service	In-person: No one took the time to learn or announce the customer’s name, key staff is not available, defensive “customer service” representative takes issue with the client’s concern and/or no one has the authority to resolve the matter.
	Telephone: Auto attendant answers and phone menu is confusing or lacks option to reach a live person, call is immediately directed to voice mail, disconnected upon call transfer or no one returns call.
	Web: Contact names, telephone numbers or addresses are missing or out-of-date; there is no comment/inquiry form.
Dedicated staff	Representative says he/she is leaving work soon and advises customer to come back tomorrow or staff member says she/he is frustrated by company policies and is, in fact, looking for another job.
Attentive to your needs	Staff member fails to make eye contact, checks his/her watch repeatedly and/or interrupts conversation by answering personal cell phone.
Fast response	Representative: “Stand over there and someone should eventually find you” or “You’ll need to see Mr. Jones and he is booked up for weeks.”
Prompt dispute resolution	“Denied…see how fast we are.”
Everything is handled in-house	Staff member: “Um, well that is actually done by our outside processor and we don’t have any control over that.
Professional	Staff members have turned “Casual Fridays” into “We Don’t Care What We Look Like Fridays.”
One-stop shopping	Actually, there are three or four stops because customer service representatives did not take the time to ascertain all of the client’s needs on the first stop.

No organization is perfect. Take the time to test your systems and eavesdrop, if necessary. You may also find your commission system inadvertently places profits ahead of trust.

Outsourcing certain operations is common and frequently necessary, but check to be certain your vendors’ policies are consistent with yours. Consider changing marketing messages if they do not accurately reflect conditions “on the ground.” Most customers understand restrictions but will not be forgiving if they believe they were misled.

Also, don’t forget that your competition may have individual employees with their own followings and reputations for superb service. You may try recruiting some of these people to work for you.

Next time, Part 4: Customers who’d rather be “outta here”

To learn more about COCO+CO.’s “Beneficial Benchmarks,” call (800) 374-4103 or (978) 374-1900. Submit your comments to creative@cocoboston.com.