Advertise Like Nike – Consistently

Last week we discussed how a lack of advertising reflects poorly upon your business. A study from research firm Ad-ology showed that nearly half of adults in the US consider a lack of advertising to be a sign that the business is struggling.

Even if consumers don’t associate your lack of advertising with a failing business, you are still missing out on the trust and credibility that advertising can bring to the table. You need to advertise consistently.

That is the subject of a recent BusinessWeek article by Steve McKee. He says, "Brands that are setting the world on fire make people feel more confident about (and perhaps even more intelligent for) doing business with them. And one very visible signal a brand can send about its momentum is how consistently it advertises."

"Visibility leads to credibility," says McKee. He uses Nike, Michelin, and Verizon as examples. He says we don’t know that these brands are better than competitors, but we entrust at least some of our judgment "to the momentum these brands appear to have in the marketplace."

He’s got a point. Whether trust is deserved or not, it tends to accumulate over time as the result of good branding campaigns. Imagine if long ago Michael Jordan had signed a contract with British Knights rather than Nike. Things might be different today.

To be honest, I couldn’t tell you whether British Knights or Nike makes a better shoe. I would say Nike by instinct, but that is without doing any research. That is without trying both for myself. I can’t tell you the last time I owned a pair from either brand (in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever owned a pair of BKs).

I bet if you ask most people that question, you will overwhelmingly receive Nike as your answer. Is it really because the quality of shoe or because the brand that Nike has established for itself throughout the years? When was the last time you saw a BK ad? Some of you might be surprised to learn that they’re even still around.

Nobody is forgetting about Nike though.