Business advertising

Are your advertisements “creative”? By the term “creative”, I mean do they really stand out on the page or in the listener’s ear? Are they noticeable, memorable, and impression-making? In order for your ads to be productive for your business, they have to be first noticed, then understood, then accepted as valid or valuable, then acted upon. They eventually should result in making sales of your product or service. Do you remember all those dot.com television ads on the Super Bowl a few years ago? Each of those thirty second spots cost more than $ 2 million to air. Granted, this was the largest audience in the world, so the advertisers’ reach was the farthest possible. But who were they reaching? How much of that money was wasted because only 40% of their target group was watching or couldn’t buy? Our focus here today, though, is with the creative aspect of the ad. On the day after the telecast, who remembered the ads? I only remembered the “dog puppet” driving in a truck. It might have been the most creative spot; but who was the sponsor? [I know that it was Pets.com, but most people tested after the telecast, couldn’t recall what the sock puppet was about. Where is Pets.com today? Go ahead, click on it and check it out.] It’s not enough to have an ad that is noticed and even remembered, if you don’t link it up with the company paying for the ad. This sock puppet ad wanted us to remember this funny, creative ad in direct connection with Pets.com…a place to buy everything for your pet. They probably succeeded better than all the other dotcoms who spent huge sums to get some attention.
When you are planning your ads either with the media representative or your own advisors (such as an ad agency or creative house), give them explicit marching orders and directions as to what you want to accomplish with your ad. Be precise in terms of how many and what goals you want to reach. Remember that most ads are not capable of accomplishing all your goals in one ad. Some ads may be designed just to get attention and link you as the sponsor. Others may be part of an ongoing “campaign” building on each other to continue actions on the part of the prospective consumer. Still others are produced to elicit a very specific response: immediate sales. Some call this “retail” advertising. This is supposed to stimulate immediate action on the part of the customer to buy something...now. An example would be a special sale that has a definite beginning and end. “One day only. Derf’s is offering all shoes in their Main Street store at 70% off regular prices. This is truly a gate-crasher’s special. Remember, the sale ends precisely at 6 p.m. tomorrow!” This is obviously designed to produce the immediate sales of shoes.
Sometimes it’s wise to have a brand-building ad in front of your audience every week, so they know you are still a pillar of the community; how to reach you; what you stand for; where you’re located. This type of advertising is usually only suggested when you have a long-established brand name that you’ve developed over years. You can then afford to simply “announce” your continued presence. Don’t try brand image advertising if you’re a start-up, or you have not yet built a strong reputation in the marketplace. Use announcement and informational ads to establish your identity and advantages. This can be where a great web site comes in handy. Use your print, radio or television ad to direct visitors to your web site. It should go without saying, that in every ad you produce from now on, always include your web site address