A Cahners Publishing Co. CARR Report highlights what is important in selling mouse traps or any other product. This report reviewed the correlation of awareness to brand preference. First, a minimum threshold of awareness must be reached before a brand will begin to see a conversion to preference. Second, as higher levels of awareness are reached, the conversion to preference comes more quickly. You need to tell the world you make mouse traps.
Advertising is expensive and it is necessary, but there are other way of creating awareness.
One of the most cost effective means of promoting a product and creating awareness is the Product Release. Product Releases therefore have instant credibility. Someone else, the Editor of the magazine, is telling the world yours is the better mouse trap. This is done by publishing technical articles on mouse trap design and construction. They are not reading the publications for ads.