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When I'm watchin' my TV 
And a man comes on to tell me 
How white my shirts can be…

Feature/Benefit advertising has been around for generations. So has our quest to learn whether or not those “Improve Your Life Today” clams are true. Our skepticism of advertising remains high while recall of specific messages continues to plummet.

When I'm drivin' in my car 
And a man comes on the radio 
He's tellin' me more and more 
About some useless information 
Supposed to fire my imagination 

The old advertising adage “Less is More” seems to have been replaced with “More, More, More”—more details, more comparisons, more information to sift through.

I can't get no, I can't get no 
I can't get no satisfaction 

As is usually the case, frustration leads to change. While consumers are willing to take the time to find the right product or service, we want to decide when, where and how we learn about things. We not only want convenience in making the purchase, we also want to weigh the pros and cons of the product or service at our convenience.

Studies show nearly 70% of consumers now consult online product reviews or consumer ratings before making a purchase. Stories about people turning to Facebook or Twitter to ask friends what they think before making purchases are becoming increasingly common. We want to hear about the good and the bad--the real story as told by real people.

Hey hey hey, that's what I say 

Customer testimonials have always influenced consumer behavior. Now, access to such feedback is more readily available. What can you do to maximize this opportunity? First, obviously, cultivate a group of loyal, satisfied customers. Ask them to provide testimonials so you can build your inventory of success stories. Make it easy for them by providing a draft testimonial they can review, tweak and approve. Then, spread the word through your customers’ words--online, in selling situations, via traditional marketing and advertising.

Let potential customers know that others like them are satisfied customers of yours.

Hey hey hey, that's what I say

If you have a song suggestion for Sounds of Marketing, please let us know by emailing SoundsOfMarketing@massolutions.biz

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David M. Mastovich, MBA, is the president of Massolutions, a Pittsburgh based Strategic Marketing firm that focuses on improving the bottom line for client companies through creative marketing, selling, messaging and customer experience enhancement.

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