Chamber Advertising & Marketing Survey Results          
         
           
           
           
May 18, 2009 10:35:11 AM          
         
1.  Which of the following methods of advertising and marketing have you used in the last 2-3 years to promote your business?     
    Number of Response(s) Response Ratio    
Print advertising 27 71.0%    
Television advertising 11 28.9%    
Radio advertising 16 42.1%    
Outdoor signs/billboards 17 44.7%    
Networking with others 22 57.8%    
Direct mail 23 60.5%    
Email 21 55.2%    
Trade shows 16 42.1%    
Online ads 3 7.8%    
Website 24 63.1%    
Customer referrals/word of mouth 29 76.3%    
Newsletter 10 26.3%    
LinkedIn, Facebook or other social networking 9 23.6%    
Telemarketing 2 5.2%    
Cold calls 7 18.4%    
Phone books ads 13 34.2%    
News releases 8 21.0%    
Special events 12 31.5%    
Promotional items/ad specialties 9 23.6%    
Sponsorships 11 28.9%    
Other - See Details tab below 5 13.1%    
Total 38 100%    
         
         
2.  Please rate the effectiveness of each type of advertising/marketing.  Again, which methods have YOU found work best for YOUR business? 
Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom % is percent of the total respondents selecting the option. Very Effective Effective Slightly Effective Not Effective Have not used or don't know
Print advertising 2 13 9 4 5
6% 39% 27% 12% 15%
Television advertising 2 3 5 3 12
8% 12% 20% 12% 48%
Radio Advertising 3 6 4 4 9
12% 23% 15% 15% 35%
Outdoor signs/billboards 3 8 5 2 10
11% 29% 18% 7% 36%
Networking with others 6 19 3 1 3
19% 59% 9% 3% 9%
Direct mail 1 8 8 1 10
4% 29% 29% 4% 36%
Email 0 11 7 1 10
0% 38% 24% 3% 34%
Trade shows 0 5 9 2 10
0% 19% 35% 8% 38%
Online ads 2 3 2 2 14
9% 13% 9% 9% 61%
Website 7 7 11 0 7
22% 22% 34% 0% 22%
5 Comment(s) - See Details tab below    
         
         
3.  CONTINUED FROM QUESTION 2: Please rate the effectiveness of each type of advertising/marketing.  Again, which methods have YOU found work best for YOUR business? 
Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom % is percent of the total respondents selecting the option. Very Effective Effective Slightly Effective Not Effective Have not used or don't know
Customer referrals/word of mouth 27 10 0 0 0
73% 27% 0% 0% 0%
Newsletter 3 4 3 3 14
11% 15% 11% 11% 52%
LinkedIn, Facebook or other social networking 2 1 5 3 17
7% 4% 18% 11% 61%
Telemarketing 0 3 1 0 21
0% 12% 4% 0% 84%
Cold calls 0 4 6 3 16
0% 14% 21% 10% 55%
Phone book ads 1 6 5 5 12
3% 21% 17% 17% 41%
News releases 0 6 5 3 14
0% 21% 18% 11% 50%
Special events 1 8 7 3 9
4% 29% 25% 11% 32%
Promotional items/ad specialties 1 1 6 2 16
4% 4% 23% 8% 62%
Sponsorships 0 6 4 4 14
0% 21% 14% 14% 50%
5 Comment(s) - See Details tab below    
         
DETAILS  
1.  Which of the following methods of advertising and marketing have you used in the last 2-3 years to promote your business?  - Other responses
  Answer  
voice and fax blasts  
Post Cards  
membership to associations  
sports, schools, newspapers,  
Face to Face customer calls  
2.  Please rate the effectiveness of each type of advertising/marketing.  Again, which methods have YOU found work best for YOUR business?  - Comments
  Answer  
Referrals from existing customers and word of mouth seems to work best for us  
voice and fax blasts,chamber email and mailers I feel are effective  
Outdoor signs are a very good source of advertising for us and getting involved with the camping world is great. We are planning to have a new website soon. Over a period of 45 years in this business, we have used many types of advertisment. Most of them helped keep us here for this long.  
Most of what I have attempted has fallen into the "Guerilla Marketing" category. I find it to be somewhat effective. I say somewhat because I am not as dilligent as I should be. Like many others I am swept up so much in trying to save money albeit I realize that that is not the best mentality to have my uncertainty of the economy unfortuneatly dictates my mindset too much.  
Our staff page gets tons of hits on our web site!



http://www.handwtrucking.com/Ourstaff.html
 
3.  CONTINUED FROM QUESTION 2: Please rate the effectiveness of each type of advertising/marketing.  Again, which methods have YOU found work best for YOUR business?  - Comments
  Answer  
Word of mouth is by far my most effective mareting tool  
Telephone Ad was great until one full year the wrong number was published. People complained but still was able to call our business lines from word of mouth. We are very well known in and around Ohio. Our customers come from all area's.  
Right now because we are small, we haven't needed to advertise. It has been all word of mouth and is still continuing. We do use business cards and give to our current customers. So far, it's been a very effective method. There is only 2 people working and we are booked up until July with jobs. We will be expanding with more employees when we have the extra money built up.  
I'm listed with Yellow Book this year and am very disappointed. Service folks are great - but not a nibble from being listed.  
It's all a shot in the dark.  Sometimes something works, other times it doesn't.  So much competition and of course, the "Walmart mentality."