When a friend selling spots on a local television advertising program approached them about purchasing a video ad, Dan and Debbie Mackey of Daniel Mackey Construction, in San Jose, Calif., signed up. The couple thought the program, Best of the Bay Television, would provide another avenue to further their brand, and they figured they could also use the video on their company's Web site and show it to potential clients.
The half-hour TV show consists of video advertisements for local companies. The advertising agency that sold them the spot helped the Mackeys create a one-minute ad in which Dan and Debbie discuss their remodeling philosophy. “The [ad] also shows our team working on a jobsite and a few photos of projects,” Debbie says.
The Mackeys have received one lead from the ad — something they did not expect. In addition, the agency that sold and created the ad placed it on YouTube, a Web site that hosts user-generated videos. Debbie says that only a few clients have seen the YouTube ad, as the remodeling company does not actively promote the site.
Mackey Construction also recently participated in Dream Home, a TV show that, unlike Best of the Bay Television, is not an infomercial.
The host of Dream Home, a local home show, emceed the Mackeys' National Association of the Remodeling Industry chapter's design awards. When she saw the caliber of entries, the host approached several Bay Area NARI chapters about including some of the design awards projects on her program. “This show will be more prominent — [it is] on at a better broadcast [time], on Sunday afternoons,” Debbie says. “[And] they have good statistics on their demographic, which includes women from [ages] 29 to 45.”
The Dream Home coverage features segments on selecting a contractor. In addition to the show coverage on this topic, the Mackeys and several other NARI members will participate in a NARI ad that features tips for homeowners on how to choose a contractor. The Mackeys have also purchased ads that will run during the program.
Mackey Construction has a page on social networking Web site MySpace as well. The Mackeys' daughter, who is the company's office manager, created the page. Though Debbie says that the younger demographic that generally gravitates to MySpace is not quite Mackey Construction's target audience, it is, nevertheless, an interesting avenue to explore — and it's free. “We have recently expanded our home automation product line,” Debbie says, “so we are trying to target a younger demographic,” though, she admits, perhaps not that exact age group.
The Mackeys do not expect to get direct leads from these media promotions. “It's more about branding,” Debbie says. “Our main motivation is to use our distinctive logo in different venues. From that perspective, we've accomplished our goal.”
