Advertising is about creating assets.
I’ve seen different businesses. Usually, there are three types of attitudes toward advertising:
- Advertising is an expense.
- Advertising is a support function (everyone does it, so I do it too).
- Advertising is an investment.
If the first group considers advertising risky and tries to minimize it (I’m talking about paid channels), the last group understands that advertising involves risk but also potential reward. That’s why they’re willing to invest money in advertising their products or services.
This is a kind of faith in luck. And it’s strange (both the first and third attitudes). The second group just hasn’t matured yet.
Now, let’s look at it differently. Do you want a broader perspective?
Business is about creating assets. There are many assets inside a business. Some are less noticeable, some more obvious.
People are an asset. Products are an asset. A new production technology is an asset. And now, pay attention—advertising is also an asset.
If you start treating advertising as an asset, working with it becomes much more interesting.
I’ve literally seen hundreds of times how a good advertising campaign brings in customers for years. What else would you call an asset?
Of course, any asset needs to be maintained: improved and developed. So advertising isn’t something separate or self-contained. Good advertising depends on many factors. That’s why strong assets are connected and influence each other.
Good advertising → for a good product → with good service.
Three powerful factors. Should you keep viewing advertising as something external, unpredictable, and separate from your business? That’s up to you. You may disagree. But recently, when people ask me what I do, I answer: I create advertising that brings in clients for the long term. I create assets.
