Best Billion Campaign Ever

It’s no surprise H&R Block has a certain open window to advertise. The use of that window this year and last, is so strong and so compelling that any average millennial will dive deeper into this offer. Kansas City, Mo.-based H&R Block is embarking on a “Get Your Billion Back America” effort, which is kicking off across media channels after debuting a few spots during the NFL playoff games on Sunday. The tagline is based on a study H&R Block said it undertook last year, re-checking 1,200 self-prepared tax filings for consumers to see how many missed out on bigger returns thanks to preparation missteps. More than half of them could request more money from the government, collectively adding up to more than $1 billion, per the brand.

The $1 billion they are referring to is “left on the table” by the 56,000,000 Americans who do their own tax returns. The math is simple. That’s an average of less than $20 back per return. Since it costs an average of $198 to have H&R Block do your taxes, that is a completely miserable return – a pay out of roughly nine cents for every dollar spent. Or put another way, if everybody who did their own taxes went to H&R Block to have their taxes done, they would spend over $11 billion dollars.

With all that said, the campaign itself is expertly executed across billboards, television spots and radio. Print is scattered and smartly placed. So you might ask yourself, how much is this costing H&R to get this word out-2013 was 183.8 million according to Ad Age DataCenter. 2014 predictions are 200 million. H&R is willing to give up 200 million on a gamble to bring in a billion. Would you or your company be willing to take that risk. That is marketing, that is the true meaning of measuring effectiveness and bringing in a profit.