PERTH'S WESTERN SUBURBS STIRLING HIGHWAY STRIP HAS A BIG LITTLE MARKETING SECRET
There's a stretch of Stirling Highway between Claremont and North Fremantle running through Perth's leafy green Western suburbs that speaks volumes to one of the fundamental rules of success in marketing.
But it also points to a trend you may have seen pop up in your local neighbourhood over the past few weeks as we head into next month's state election.
It is the sudden spike in the number of posters and billboards featuring a giant image of a smiling face and a person's name. In this case, it is the face of your local Labor, Liberal or Greens member quite often, I suspect illegally, placed on the roadside or strung up on a fence (until the local ranger comes along and rips it down because it breaches council by-laws.)
A few people I've spoken to recently are pretty bemused by these posters. What on earth is the point of a poster with just someone's face and name and a bit of party branding in the background? Where's the information about their policies and what they promise to do if I give them my vote? Actually, the simple combination of a face and a name makes a LOT of sense.
Some years ago, I was talking to an operative from one of the major political parties. They explained precisely why all the major parties are so obsessed with splashing their local candidate's face and name all over the joint. The fact is that in the lead-up to election day, most people "tune out" to the relentless media coverage and the endless bantering of politicians trying to flog their wares.
Yes, I know we all whinge that politicians never talk about policies, but when you're a local candidate, that is mainly left to the party leaders. Also, despite the media focus on Roger Cook and Libby Mettam, unless you live in either Kwinana or down Busselton way, you can't vote for either of them as individuals. Ultimately, at least in the lower house of parliament, where the numbers determine which party gets to form government, you only get to vote for their respective local candidates.
And this is where any local candidate's first and foremost job is to make sure people in the local electorate actually know their name. It sounds ridiculous, but it is not. The fact is, whether you are buying a car or a vacuum cleaner, marketers have known for years that you are far more likely to purchase a brand you recognise.
Likewise, come election day, when voters walk into one of those cardboard booths at their local primary school armed with their pencils, they are far more likely to put a "one" against the name of a candidate with whom they are familiar. They've probably never met them and have absolutely no idea about their background, but they DO know their name – which makes it far more likely they'll win your support.
So, back to my Western suburbs road trip. I have a little challenge for you. Why not take a drive down Stirling Highway – through Claremont, Cottesloe, Peppy Grove, Mosman Park, etc.- and count the number of giant billboards featuring the faces and names of local real estate agents. Once you become conscious of it, I promise it will be quite hilarious. Face after face, name after name and pretty much the same underlying message: If you are considering selling your expensive Western suburbs mansion – Pick me! Pick me!
I am not being critical of these super-keen agents – I totally understand why they do it. They're not stupid. In fact, they are incredibly smart because if you are going to get a listing to sell someone's house, the first thing you've got to do is make sure people know you exist! (So they can Google you or look up your phone number). Invisible real estate agents don't get listings.
Funnily enough, whether it is rumour or fact, I've heard that some of the parties trying to create awareness of their candidates in and around the Stirling Highway strip are a bit frustrated by the fact that even if they wanted to secure space on one of these billboards for their local candidate, they are simply booked out. (Although, maybe for a hefty commission, one of the local agents might be prepared to sub-let their advertising space for a couple of weeks?)
The point is that if you are going to market anything, your first job is to build awareness. Or as one salesperson frustrated with the lack of advertising by his company expressed it in a client's sales meeting I attended one day: "Oh come on guys – you can't expect me to sell a secret!"
For more insights and ramblings on strategic business communications and marketing from JLCA Director John Le Cras, visit the JLCA Journal page.
