37 reasons your next ad campaign won't matter

Yes, advertising makes a difference. But it's far from the?only?thing that makes a difference.

Let’s start by clarifying one thing: I believe advertising matters. Ads that?adhere to proven principles?tend to sell, build brands, and make money.

Certainly, there are exceptions. An ad campaign that breaks every rule may be wildly successful. But the principles of advertising, like the house in Vegas, succeed thanks to?the law of probability. The house wins at the roulette wheel?more often than not. Campaigns that adhere to proven principles win?more often than not.?

That said, only a fool believes that a proven campaign?alone?is enough.

In the first chapter of his 1960's ad classic?Reality In Advertising , Rosser Reeves describes a group of marketers at lunch coming up with?37 reasons?results?could go up or down?– with advertising being?just one?of the reasons.

Unfortunately, Reeves didn’t list the 37 reasons. That piqued my curiosity:?could I?find 37 reasons results might go up or down – factors?outside of advertising?that you need to keep in mind when building your brand and business?

Turns out,?it wasn't that hard?- even as a solo exercise. I'd say it would be easy for a group of marketers today to come up with well over 100 legitimate reasons why results go up or down. The market has gotten more complex - and the factors dictating success have multiplied.

Thinking you can reduce success to a single factor reminds me of Winston Churchill’s observation?There are two reasons for everything: a good reason and the real one.?Advertising may be a?good reason?sales went up, but the?real reason?probably comes down to at least a few of the 37 reasons on this list.

My 37 reasons results might go up or down

1. The product has changed,
2. A product feature aligns with a new pain point,
3. A competitor’s product better aligns with a pain point,
4. The product is discovered, and mentioned by an influencer,
5. The product is mentioned in the press,
6. The product is mentioned by a retailer,
7. Consumers mention the product on social,
8. The product price is changed,
9. The product name is changed,
10. The marketer decides to go after a new target,
11. The visual language of the product changes,
12. The product is placed on a different shelf,
13. Or in a different part of the store,
14. Or above / below the cut on the ecommerce web page,
15. Distribution is changed – new retailers carry the product, old retailers don’t,
16. Inbound / outbound sales scripts change,
17. Friction points are added / eliminated in the buyer journey,
18. The product becomes easier / harder to use,
19. The product becomes easier / harder to understand,
20. The warranty changes,
21. The customer service experience changes,
22. Competitor warranties / customer experiences change,
23. Dollars spent on media change,
24. Where the media dollars are spent changes,
25. The unique selling proposition changes,
26. A new societal trend emerges,
27. Supply chains change,
28. Platform algorithms change,
29. Ecommerce websites knock off the product with an in-house version,
30. World events distract consumers,
31. Economic mood changes shopper optimism,
32. Redemption incentives change,
33. Employees change,
34. Management changes,
35. Shareholder priorities change,
36. Shipping changes,
37. Business models change.

How to deal with the 37 reasons?

Simple answer:?you can’t.?The market is dynamic, organic, and ever-changing. Trying to nail down?all the factors?is like trying to grab water: messy, frustrating and pointless.

What you?can do?is try to isolate a few factors that appear to have an inordinate impact on your success. One of my clients has products advertised in magazines, sold by inbound call sales teams,?and shipped directly to buyers. Regardless of their ad campaign, this client’s results could be positively or negatively impacted by the following?very obvious?reasons:

1. Sales scripts are changed,
2. Incentives for quick purchase are changed,
3. Global supply chain (aka product availability) is changed,
4. Competitor products change,
5. Product features change,
6. Product innovation changes,
7. Influencers recommend, or un-recommend product,
8. Shipping changes,
9. Instructions / customer support changes,
10. Pricing changes,
11. Warranties change.

I would recommend you take a moment, review the 37 reasons list (maybe add a few reasons I overlooked!) and think about your product. If you’ve been pinning your success on your ad campaign, it’s time to broaden your scope. Your ads are far from the only reason influencing your outcomes.

If you enjoyed this story, please forward it to a colleague who might enjoy it. If you'd like to improve your company's results, Marc is happy to chat. You can reach him at here .