With the tightening of household budgets worldwide, it is more important than ever for advertisers to target their message as efficiently as possible. Wasted ad dollars will inevitably result from a failure to target your audience at the most opportune time or identify the best channel for your message.

To be effective, advertisers must peel back layers of consumer insights. This includes lifestyles, behaviors, preferences, patterns and any other factors that prove relevant to getting the message in front of the consumer at the most receptive moment.  Thorough and meaningful analysis of relevant research data is available from the many syndicated tools and research resources.  This information allows advertisers to get closer to the consumer’s purchase cycle rather than simply putting their ads out there and hoping the message reaches the target consumer at the right time.

Empower MediaMarketing recently took such an in-depth approach with client Stanley Steemer and confirmed the critical times when consumers are in the market to have their carpets cleaned, including the pre-holiday season.  Our research showed that the client’s target consumer is a time-starved mom who is both watching TV and going online.  Empower’s findings also helped identify HGTV as the right media environment to partner with in reaching the target.

The result was Stanley Steemer and HGTV’s “Make Life Simple” Room Makeover sweepstakes, which reaches the target consumer through both TV and online (www.hgtv.com/stanleysteemer).  Offering the winner a $15,000 room makeover, the integrated sweepstakes is designed to boost online orders during the company’s busiest quarter, while generating a database for future direct marketing efforts.  The promotion also provides Empower and Stanley Steemer with a number of “Never Been Done Before” elements, such as using HGTV on-air talent (Get It Sold star Sabrina Soto) in an on-air Stanley Steemer carpet cleaning tip.  This includes a 10-second tag at the end of the tip, explaining the sweepstakes and driving viewers to the HGTV website to learn more and enter.  The room-makeover sweepstakes is the first sweepstakes promotion ever run by Stanley Steemer.

Customizable research like this can be used to enable new and engaging consumer intercepts for all brands, clients and consumer categories.  Advertisers can more effectively connect with their target consumer by taking the time to identify the target, discover when the potential buyer is most receptive to the message and by finding the optimal way to reach them.  This is the best way to make the most of your advertising dollars – at a time when it is more important than ever.

By: Maria Topken, Senior VP Media Strategy