The opinion consumers have of your company's products or services is important.
What you may not realize is that they start forming this opinion even before they
buy anything, when they first see your ad. You want your ad to make customers
think: "hey, maybe I should buy my next accounting package from Sage Software
BC" not: "no way am I giving those unimaginative idiots my money."
To keep your company image in the former category, here are some questions you
should ask yourself when you're thinking of designing an advertising campaign.
What kind of image do I want to create for this product?
Advertising is all about forming customers' opinions for them, so the
first thing you need to do is decide what you want them to think. "Arlington
TX townhouses are good" is too broad a statement. You need to keep it
simple, so focus on one particular element that gives the customer some sort
of reference point. Like "Arlington TX townhouses are more affordable
than Dallas TX townhouses" or "Arlington TX townhouses are a better
investment than Arlington TX rental apartments."
Who is my target demographic?
The tone and message of your ad will be different depending on who you're
trying to reach. To sell downtown Toronto townhouses you want your ad to appeal
to mature people with high annual incomes, so you wouldn't hire a clown
to deliver your message. Therefore, before you decide on the content decide
who your product is for. Children? College students? Retirees? Low-income single
mothers? Whoever it is, write the content in a way that will appeal primarily
to that group of people.
How Can I Make This Original?
Originality will go a long way toward making your ad stick in people's
minds. Common techniques like testimonials and simple presentations of the product
are just that: common. People will forget ads like this while they're
still looking at them. To hold their attention, come up with a unique yet appropriate
spin, like a fake reality TV spot where an electronic design consultant gives
companies feedback on their blueprints like they were applicants on the Dragon's
Den or a delivery boy who braves a hurricane to deliver a pizza on time. Bonus
points for making people laugh, so don't take yourself too seriously.
Where will I run this ad?
Use your common sense. You wouldn't advertise your Ottawa job search
engine on the AARP website, because obviously retirees don't need jobs
anymore. This is sort of an extension of the target demographic question, because
obviously ads aimed at different age or interest groups will be more effective
in different media. For instance, tech-savvy teenagers are more likely to respond
to internet ads while literary minded older people are more likely to read ads
in the newspaper. Try to affix your ad to a website, program, or publication
that is in some way related to your product or service in order to reach the
maximum number of people who may need it.
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