The law of three is dead.

In 1990, when I was taking college advertising courses, my professors taught the law of three in relation to effective advertising: "A person needs to hear an ad at least three times. The first time they barely hear it, the second time they will hear it, and the third time they will take action."

Sounds clean and crisp: Buy three ads, get results! But did that ever really work? Was it that simple? That was before the days of wrapped buses, e-blasts, 600 TV stations, pop-up ads, text messaging, podcasts, satellite radio, e-newsletters, banner ads, sophisticated event marketing and "The Apprentice."

Do you dream of going back to the simpler days of three choices: print, radio and TV?

Well wake up! The media world is so fragmented today that it's virtually impossible to reach someone with only three messages. It's war out there, and the law of three is dead.

Today, you need to drill down to a very specific audience and then hit them from many different angles. It's not just about frequency anymore; it's about the message and your offer.

Strive for friendliness

By just saying what a great product you have and listing the benefits, you are essentially spewing the company Kool-Aid all over your prospects—and they are not ready to drink it yet.

Today’s smart advertisers attempt to become objective resources for their prospects and customers.

In their ads, instead of saying, "HEY LOOK WHAT WE HAVE!" they might say, in a roundabout way, "Hi there, friend. I understand you may be interested in a product that we offer. I hope you'll consider buying it from us, but in the meantime, here is some objective information that may help you decide if that product is right for you."

That's a different approach, and it's very effective. Instead of pushing your ad down their throats, you are reaching out to prospective customers as a friend who understands their needs.

How it works

Let's say I own a store, Mammano's Bike Shop. (Hey, that has a nice ring to it!)

The first thing I am going to do is research who my heavy users are. Who are the 20 percent of my customers who are going to make up 80 percent of my business? This is called "drilling down." I am going to drill down until I find my oil.

After this step is completed, I am going to launch a guerilla advertising campaign to get them to come into my store.

I can do one of two things to accomplish this:

1. Vomit the company Kool-Aid.
2. Make friends.

Let's explore option number one. First I'll invest in a bunch of radio, TV, print and Internet ads. My ads will trumpet a huge sale and mention that I have the best bike shop in the world. Then I'll spend a lot of time telling more facts and figures about how great Mammano's Bike Shop is.

I'll lose your attention in about three seconds flat.

Now for option number two. (Cue the lovely piano music.)