7 minute read
MARKETING Top three questions in 2022
withMarketing DOUG MACMILLAN
Doug MacMillan is president of The Letter M Marketing in Guelph, ON. To reach him, email doug@letterm.ca.
TOP QUESTIONS OF 2022 3
The marketing world moves quickly and for that reason, we have a bit of a love-hate relationship. These changes mean learning and adapting, which leaves a lot of marketers living on their toes. In just the last few years, marketers embraced digital transformation at a faster pace than ever as we adapted to changing virtual and hybrid business landscapes thanks to the pandemic. QR codes are back. DIY video rules. Content is warmer and fuzzier. What’s next?
I get a lot of questions about marketing. What’s dying? What’s coming? How do I this, or that? Mostly I scratch my head and say “if only I knew” but occasionally I can draw on my team’s knowledge and experience to share a nugget or two.
All in all, stay vigilant, stay informed, and stay curious. I’d love to hear more questions and explore the best answers in future editions. Feel free to fire over an email to doug@letterm.ca.
Is Facebook advertising worth the investment anymore?
It’s easy to think that Facebook has run its course. Who even uses it anymore? Isn’t it all old people? Well, no. With 29.8 million active accounts in Canada, it’s a lot of people – more than double the nearest platform (its sister company Instagram sits at 14 million). Facebook still holds its most significant marketing advantage: scale. It’s the world’s third most-visited website, only topped by Google and YouTube. If somebody is online, chances are they’ll check Facebook. Facebook is more a consumer targeting tool rather than a B2B targeting tool. Using Facebook’s targeting abilities, you can pinpoint who will see ads, and equally as important, who you don’t want to see your ads. By targeting the right people, you’ll get higher conversions and more qualified leads. The numbers have it: Facebook is still very much in. As with anything else in marketing, it comes down to audience goals: who are you trying to reach, and with what message? It’s a fallacy that Facebook skews older. While older folks are still a growth demographic, the largest single audience age group on Facebook is millennials: those in their late 20s to early 40s.
How relevant is print?
Print, in fact, is on a quiet resurgence: as the pandemic dragged on and people started to experience digital fatigue, tactile experiences with print material regained popularity. The global print media market grew about three per cent in the past year, reaching $316 billion in 2022. The odds are you’re holding this magazine, or at least leafing through a virtual version that provides the same experience (and shows you the same ads). Magazines such as Mechanical Business and other specialty publications tend to have higher trust and more loyal readers than web content. Readers spend more time with print publications and pass along readers expand like minded audiences far beyond claimed circulations. According to News Media Canada, 86 per cent of Canadians read newspapers over the course of a week in print and digital formats. The same study shows that newspaper content – editorial and advertising – is the most trusted of all media.
In my experience, the best strategy is a mix between traditional print and digital options. Studies have shown that print has a higher brand recall rate than digital media counterparts (77 per cent compared to 46 per cent, according to one study). Printed mailers generate a response rate that can be up to 30 per cent higher than email. Print should be in the marketing mix, but ideally used in conjunction with digital. Incorporating storytelling into your marketing efforts is a lot less daunting than it sounds. You might think you need to be some kind of author to produce effective narrative-centred content. The good news is that this really isn’t the case. Storytelling in marketing is essentially bringing a personal feel to your content – applying real-life scenarios and experiences to related information. Instead of simply explaining the benefits of a new high-efficiency furnace or sophisticated air purification system, mix in a story about how it’s helped someone in the past, or paint a picture that helps consumers relate to the information. It’s also pretty easy to have other people tell your story for you: employees and customers can speak of an experience with your business. We used to call them case studies, which is one of the oldest forms of testimonial-focused marketing, so in many ways storytelling is nothing new. Build a short questionnaire that captures the case study in story form: what was the problem, how was there drama or conflict, who are the main characters who solved it, how did they do it, and what was the result? Thread those answers together and voila, you are telling a story.
EMBRACING the past
BRINGING REFRIGERATION TO THE FOREFRONT
Fifty-four years ago, partners Bill Ohe and Alex Allen realized their dream to legitimize the refrigeration trade and provide an unmatched personal level of service to customers. Armed with an entrepreneurial spirit, a generous dose of tenacity, and a single service vehicle, they opened Gateway Refrigeration in Edmonton, AB in 1968.
From one truck to more than 250 vehicles and over 20 locations, Gateway Mechanical Services (as it is known now) has become a leader in the HVAC/R industry. The company also offers electrical and plumbing services. It handles new construction and retrofits, along with service and maintenance in the agricultural and ICI sectors. They also do artificial ice surfaces for recreation facilities, including the 400-meter speed skating oval in Salt Lake City, UT for the 2002 Olympics. The ice surface is still frequently referred to as “the fastest ice on Earth.”
Alex Allen (L) and Bill Ohe in 1968.
Mark Ohe, chairman (left), Bill Ohe (centre), founder and Jackson von der Ohe, CEO, in front of the timeline graphic created for Gateway Mechanical Service’s 50th anniversary.
BTN
BY THE NUMBERS
GREENING OUR HOMES
171,495
Number of applicants for Canada’s Greener Homes Grant program received through Natural Resources’ national portal, as of June 8, 2022. An additional 50,000+ has been received through Quebec and Nova Scotia portals. 700,000
Number of total grants the federal government expects to release under the $2.6-billion program. 38 million
Dollar amount in grant payments released to 10,300 homeowners as of June.
APPRENTICE REGISTRATION
Per cent that new registrations in plumber trade programs fell between 2019 and 2020, according to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s (CAF-FCA) 2022 Results Report. 32
Per cent drop of female new registrations in the 15 largest Red Seal programs in Canada. That compares to a 27-per cent decline for males.
LOST REVENUE
40
Per cent of Canadian subcontractors’ margin erosion that can be tied to rework, according to the 2022 Top Business Issues for Specialty Contractors Report from Dodge Construction Network. 39
Average per cent of revenue Canadian subcontractors lose due to change orders that are not invoiced. That compares to a 30 per cent global average. 53
Per cent of Canadian subcontractors who say more than half their projects are being impacted by labour shortages. 20
Per cent of time subcontractors report their employees spend on lowproductivity administrative tasks. 42
Per cent of Canadian companies who say they will have to turn down work due to shipping and supply chain constraints over the next 12 months.
SEASONAL SPENDING
1,520
Estimated dollar amount Deloitte Canada says the average Canadian household will spend during the holiday season this year. That’s a 17-per cent decline from 2021 spending. 76
Per cent of Canadians who say they’re reducing their holiday spending due to higher food prices; 67 per cent say they’re spending less due to inflation worries, and 60 per cent blame economic concerns. 41
Per cent of Canadians who say they plan to only buy what their family needs this holiday season.
394 Calories in one cup of traditional eggnog, with 19 g of fat and 150 mg of cholesterol.
