Apropos of my post on modern marketing, I saw the strangest thing yesterday.

A billboard on U.S. Route 1  in Lawrence Township. Advertising an Advertising and Marketing company.

A billboard is relatively expensive and it is designed to market to a large audience, so it is most helpful if your customers are well, everybody. Big users of the medium include Verizon, Coca Cola, Tylenol and Nationwide Insurance.

Let’s think about it: How many clients would a modest-sized advertising and marketing company need to thrive? 30, 50, 100? To get this many clients wouldn’t it seem reasonable to focus on say, 1,000 likely users of their services and market directly to them?

Based on their website this company creates artwork, copy, websites, direct mail and email campaigns for small-to-medium size businesses, schools and nonprofits in western New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Getting a list of these companies is cheap, as is direct mail and email newsletters or blogs. Joining a regional Chamber of Commerce-type organization is also cheap and easy way to get your name out. All it takes is a little creativity and trust building, because every small to medium size business could use at least some of their services.

So why spend the money to advertise to 50,000 cars per day?

The Advertising and Marketing company’s website mentions nothing about billboard advertising. Probably because it is too expensive and not effective for small to medium size businesses.

Ironically, the Advertising and Marketing company has the word Creative in its name.