Sometimes we focus so much on ad layout and strong marketing pitches that we forget one of the most important questions regarding advertising. When? That’s right, the timing of your marketing efforts is just as important as the how’s and why’s. With that in mind let’s take a look at some of the times you should consider a new ad campaign.

Launching a New Product - Darwinists love to tell you “change or die,” but you’ll find most customers are resistant to the idea of change. Whether they’re already using your now out of date product or whether they’re using your competitor’s product, to get them to take the leap and give your new offering a shot you are really going to have to sell them on it.

Think about what deals or incentives to buy you can reasonably offer your customers and draw up some new color printing to notify them. Try to sell the newness of your product and convince them that they need to be the first one on their block to own one.

Entering a New Market - Absolutely the most critical time for advertising is when you are opening a new location or moving your existing business. Either way, customers in your new market may not know about your company and its offerings and, more importantly, they likely won’t have an sense of trust and familiarity established with you. That’s why you have to hit them with everything you’ve got, be it flyers, posters, or a guy in one of those horrible mascot outfits standing on the corner waving people in.

Tax Time - Ok, I’m not winning any friends by mentioning the tax man, but its important to remember that you’ll be paying taxes on your inventory when that time rolls around again. While its always important to keep enough product on hand to meet your customer’s needs, if you find yourself with shelf upon shelf of inventory that isn’t moving, consider running promotions and sales to divest yourself of your overstock before you have to pay good old uncle Sam for it.

Really, there are as many reasons for launching a marketing campaign as there are businesses and products out there. If you aren’t considering the timing of your ads or, worse, are neglecting to advertise at all, you are effectively handicapping your potential. A little color printing at the right time can make all the difference, though.


Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in color printing industry and how these improvements can benefit small to medium-scale business.