Why didn't that ad work?

Sometimes a client will want to run an ad in a newspaper once to "see if it works." It sounds reasonable: test the waters before spending a lot of money on multiple ads. But in reality, placing one ad is almost 100% guaranteed not to work. Why? In advertising, "frequency" is one component of a successful campaign. People just aren't programmed to notice that first, stand-alone ad (unless it's a full page, but that's another story). But start to repeat the ad without changing it up and people will notice it. Support that print ad with a corresponding ad in a different medium or two, and your response will improve even more. For example, a newspaper ad campaign supported by a couple of e-blasts and a direct mail post card. Or a billboard complemented by a radio ad campaign. Bottom line--don't spend your money on a single ad and wonder why it didn't work. Save your dollars for a few months until you can afford a campaign. You won't waste money on an ineffective ad, and you'll start seeing the results that a targeted campaign can bring.