T.O.M.A
Are You Building It?
September/October 2008

What is T.O.M.A.?  Is it a detective show from the 70's?  Is it a health condition I should be worried about?  Although it is not a health condition, it is something to be concerned about.  It is an acronym for "top of mind awareness".  What is this?  Pretty much like it sounds...it's the first thing that comes to your mind when you see or think of a certain subject.  You know, kind of like those ink blots you see shrinks use in the movies.  You say "shoes", I say "Nike".  You say "TV", I say "Sony".  You say "Brittney Spears", I say "social services".  Marketing departments for corporations, such as Nike and Sony, spend millions if not billions of dollars on their ad campaigns to develop TOMA.  Do you think they would do such a thing if it didn't work?  You don't need me to tell you the answer to that one.  You know it works because your choices of products, as well as mine, reveal that it works.  When you go shopping you look for the brands that you have heard of.  These companies know this and that is why they spend the amount they do to bombard you with their ads.  Now do you need to spend millions of dollars to create TOMA?  In a word, no.  In fact, most of us don't have these kinds of resources.  So, what can you do as a small business owner to develop TOMA?  Let's start simply.  Do you have a logo?  Is your logo well designed and effective for your business?  If so, is it being used consistently?  Is it on every sort of advertising you have?  Is it on your letterhead, envelopes, business cards, invoices, yard signs, yellow pages ad, vehicles, storefront sign, website and tattooed on your wife's ankle?  By taking advantage of the resources you do have you can still develop TOMA.