craigdailypress.com

Justin Jenison was shocked by the results.

The owner of Jenison Custom Builders didn't expect so much room to grow. But in a recent survey conducted by TOMA Research, 72 percent of area residents polled couldn't name a building contractor. Eighty-four percent didn't know a roofing contractor.

"I was surprised with how open some of the categories were," Jenison said after a Craig Daily Press-sponsored presentation by TOMA Research President and Co-founder Mark Rood on Thursday morning at the Holiday Inn of Craig. "I thought there was more name recognition there."

The survey polled 300 people in Craig, Meeker, Hayden and Maybell and Baggs, Dixon and Savery, Wyo., in February and asked them to identify businesses in 37 industry categories ranging from auto repair to insurance and plumber to veterinarian.

Jenison ranked No. 2 in the building and roofing categories, but sees an opportunity for his business to grow.

"I was glad to see in six years I was able to get on (the survey) and I hope to grow on those ladders," Jenison said.

Rood said capturing Top of Mind Awareness - or TOMA - is what his work and Thursday's presentation are all about. When companies have TOMA in consumers' minds, they are more likely to patronize those businesses.

Rood suggests simple, short, clean ads in print or on the air, to build a customer preference for a name brand.

"In your first month, run more ads than you ever will again," Rood said. "Then, cut back to what you're willing to maintain."

He suggests targeting a company's top attributes and creating straightforward ads that help build trust with consumers.

"What is the No. 1 thing about your business and what is the No. 2 thing about your business and your name?" Rood asked. "That's all you need."

Kristen Morris and Bonnie Frank, both of Craig, said Rood's message about a simple campaign hit home with them. The two women are launching a children's party-themed business in the coming weeks.

"Less is more as far as advertising," Morris said. "And it really does pay off to get your name out there."

Frank said Rood's message will be useful to them as they market their business.

"We shouldn't overkill when we start advertising - simple works best," she said.

Rood suggests spending more money in print and broadcast media than in the Yellow Pages, as businesses can reach a large audience instead of waiting for a customer to search for them in the phone book.

"People do not get up in the morning with their juice and coffee and read the Yellow Pages," Rood said.

He recommends running smaller print ads more frequently - and even multiple times within the same day's newspaper - to garner attention.

"You've got to be creating an image," Rood said.

And that image should be quality-centered, not just price-conscious. He describes two types of consumer - transactional buyers who focus on saving money and relational buyers who prefer to shop with companies they trust.

Rood contends most people are "closet relational buyers" and that local businesses that target those customers - particularly in Craig - will be more successful.

And with many categories with a high "no response" rate - as high as 88 percent - on the survey, Rood said local businesses have a wide margin of opportunity to grow.

"You don't have the dominance of major category-killers that most markets have," Rood said about Craig. "It is inevitable that someone will own these categories, and I prefer it be someone local instead of the national chains."

For more information on Craig's TOMA survey or Mark Rood's advertising strategies, call Renee Campbell at the Craig Daily Press at 875-1781 or e-mail her rcampbell@craigdailypress.com.