| There are
many promotional techniques available to businesses, and you
normally need a mix of several of them. So advertising should
only be a part of your overall strategy. It can and does work,
but it is possible to spend a lot of money for little payback.
The key to getting value for money is making sure you get
your message to the right people, in a way that engages their
interest and encourages them to act on it.
Why advertise?
To begin with, consider why you are advertising. Advertising
can do a range of things but one advertisement may not be
able to do everything. To be effective, it must be designed
for a particular purpose. For example, an advertisement may
aim to:
- Inform potential customers of something new (a product
or a product change, perhaps).
- Increase the frequency of purchase.
- Increase the quantity purchased.
- Increase the period of potential purchase (for example,
lengthen a season).
- Increase the use of the product.
- Present a promotional offer.
- Change or build the image of a particular product or your
business as a whole.
- Support retail activity (or that of any other intermediary
such as a distributor).
- Maintain or increase customer loyalty.
- Stimulate enquiries.
- Provide or reinforce information.
Advertising may aim to do several of these things at once,
but overreaching is a danger – you could end up meeting
none of your objectives well.
When you start, set yourself clear and specific objectives.
For instance, 'This advertisement is to persuade existing
customers to buy again and give them reasons for doing so
more often,' rather than, 'This advertisement is to tell everyone
all about us.'
Also link your advertising to realistic financial targets:
'In the month following this campaign we aim for sales to
rise by eight percent.' This advertisement may not be the
only reason for change, of course, but this should not stop
you setting targets and measuring results.
Who to target
Most markets are segmented and you may sell to several kinds
of people. You need to know who these are. For example, among
other things, you need to know:
- Whether they are consumers or business people.
- How old they are.
- What gender they are.
- Where they are located.
- How affluent they are.
- How much they usually spend on products and services of
this kind.
- How much they know about you already.
With this sort of information, you can link the objectives
of your advertising with your target(s). Ask yourself:
- Are your objectives the same for everybody?
- Is the same message right for all types of people?
- Are these types of people different? For example, do you
need to advertise to retail purchasing managers to persuade
them to stock something, and separately to consumers to
persuade them to go in and buy it?
Link this sort of thinking to the next area – deciding
which is the best place to communicate with your chosen groups.
This is because you must direct your advertising at clearly
defined groups of people. Trying to make an advertisement
all things to all people is likely to be a mistake.
Where to advertise
To be successful, advertising must be placed in appropriate
media if it is to reach the target audience cost-effectively.
You are unlikely to reach many teenagers in Saga Magazine,
or consumers in a trade journal. These examples are extreme,
but fine differences are important too. You might have to
decide between advertising in the local Chamber of Commerce
magazine or the business supplement of a local paper.
The problem here is compounded by the multitude of media.
These include the press (local and national newspapers, colour
supplements, magazines, local and national radio and television,
email newsletters and websites); posters; the cinema; and
many more: from books of matches to litter bins, from freesheets
to footballers’ shirts. There are few places that do
not have advertising potential.
Think about where to place your advertisements in conjunction
with your objectives. Saying, 'Let’s try posters!' is
not precise enough. However, a few strategically placed posters
(for instance, where people come out of a cinema to direct
them to your pizza bar) might be a better decision.
Select media that precisely fit your target audience. Every
other consideration is irrelevant, even cost. It doesn’t
matter how much – or little – you spend on your
advertising campaign; if none of your potential audience sees
it, it will be worthless.
There are three further points to consider:
- Location – Mass markets demand
mass media and massive budgets. As a smaller business, you
need to find exactly the right medium and exploit it effectively.
But be careful – below a certain exposure level, your
advertising effectively becomes invisible. It is often better
to place fewer advertisements that are well located and
noticeable, rather than many that are not. Remember that
those selling space want your order. Check what they say,
and then negotiate hard if you want value for money. The
way you book space, the size, the position within the newspaper
and even on the page, the timing – all these are negotiable
and can form part of a package that gives you what you want,
saves you money and maximises value.
- Continuity – People’s memories
are very short and there are thousands of other messages
constantly directed at them. A one-off blitz can be useful
(to launch something new for instance), but a regular ongoing
lower-key message may pay better dividends. You need to
look at advertising as a continuum, rather than a series
of one-off spurts to be fitted in as and when.
- Measurement – Although measurement
is difficult it must be done, or you will never know which
advertisement or medium was most effective. Train your people
to ask every single customer: 'How did you hear of us?'
If possible, use advertisements that allow measurement –
for example, a coded coupon to cut out and return, a code
to quote over the phone or a specific action to take, such
as, 'Bring this leaflet to XYZ Shop for your 20 percent
discount.'
The ideal advertisement
There is no one formula guaranteed to create a perfect advertisement.
Some things are essential however. Most good advertisements:
- Provide information – This may
be detailed, technical, or just a word or a name.
- Aim to persuade – You need to focus
on the needs or desires of the customer and sell.
- Differentiate the company from the other suppliers
in the field – Usually with a unique selling
benefit.
- Reinforce – They are designed to
add to people’s understanding and perceptions rather
than start from scratch.
The format of an advertisement is not fixed. One might be
a three-part serial on television (like the Gold Blend coffee
advertisements), while another is a full page packed with
text, or a picture with one line or even one word beneath
it.
However, the aim is always to engage the reader in four different
ways: first, grab their attention, then generate interest,
then create desire, and finally, show them how to take action.
- Attention – Use a strong headline,
or a picture with a headline. Your business’s name
or the name of the product is not a good headline –
it simply does not attract attention. Instead, incorporate
your strongest benefit into the headline and make it exciting.
- Interest – Give people some information
about the features and benefits of your product or service.
Tell people how your offer affects them, make a promise,
offer solutions, communicate quality (or value, or both).
The key is to involve people’s emotions and desires.
- Desire – You want your audience
to say, 'Yes, I want that now!' Reinforce and personalise
interest. Show how your product or service is specifically
right for them, enthusing, adding credibility (for example,
by using testimonials), reassuring them (for example, by
making a limited offer) and building the case whilst remaining
clear, simple and believable. Focus on benefits or image,
not features.
- Action – Tell people precisely
what to do next. Sometimes this is implied – it is
clear that action takes place later, say, next time they
visit a supermarket. Sometimes it is direct – return
a coupon or make a telephone call now.
An advertisement may do all this in a great variety of ways.
Much of it may be visual (or, in the case of radio, an evocative
picture may be painted). It may provide all the details, or
highlight one or more in a way that differentiates a product
from its competitors. And with many consumer products, it
may include an exciting image around the product – sometimes
with image being more important than the product! The audience
must want to be associated with that image and all it implies.
When you advertise, convey a clear message, but do it creatively
to make it interesting and memorable. If clarity and cleverness
are in opposition, clarity is always more important –
people will not buy what they do not understand and you have
only seconds to make your point.
Creating the copy
There is no reason why you cannot write a good advertisement
yourself. Many people do so very successfully. The skill lies
in not being introspective. Much small company advertising
reads like a catalogue: 'We are… we do… we have…'
all put over in a relentless way, often replete with jargon.
If one thing characterises great copy writing it is a focus
on the customer, their needs and desires. So start thinking
along the lines of what’s in it for the customer.
People buy something because of what it does for them (the
benefits), not because of what it is (the features). What
they get may be tangible or intangible, but it is for them.
For example, employers do not want a recruitment service.
Instead, they want a short list of perfect candidates, saving
them time on interviewing and enabling them to appoint the
right person quickly and certainly. So a recruitment agency
advertisement would emphasise the hassle employers normally
face and the effect on productivity of making a rapid appointment.
If you just tell them how the service works, you may lose
them. However, tell them what these details mean to them and
they will pay attention.
Essentially, such principles are simple and common sense.
The technique is in combining them creatively so that your
advertising does a good job. Think carefully about what you
put in your advertisements – ideally share ideas in
a group – and they will be relevant and attractive.
Advertising as part of the promotional mix
Advertising is just one of many promotional mechanisms. This
mix includes: press and public relations, direct marketing
(which is a specialised form of advertising including direct
mail, email and SMS), online media; sales promotion (including
competitions and special offers), sponsorship, merchandising
and display, and a range of simple devices, from leaflets
and newsletters to promotional events and exhibitions. It
all depends on what you are selling and to whom, because some
methods are not right for some businesses. Three things are
important, though, whatever your strategy:
- The mix must be well-balanced, with the right things included
and the amount of each appropriately judged.
- Everything must be effectively conceived and implemented
(from the simplest brochure to the big overall campaign)
to maximise its impact. Woolly marketing is worse than none.
- The range of activities must be well co-ordinated so that
each part adds to the rest and there are no conflicting
messages.
If you can find approaches that combine something informative,
memorable and attractive all at once, you will have something
very effective. This applies equally to a whole campaign and
to any one element.
Your advertising checklist
- All print advertisements need a headline, body copy and
a response mechanism.
- The four responses your must elicit are attention, interest,
desire and action.
- Stress what is unique about your product and service.
- Lead with benefits. Use the bulk of your body copy to
tell the reader what’s in it for them, and answer
possible objections, concerns or worries about the product.
- Be credible, Sticking to the facts is both a legal and
a practical requirement. Keep your promises believable.
- Keep the style simple. Make every word count. Use bulleted
copy as a way of highlighting benefits.
- Keep your copy chatty, avoid pomposity and speak directly
to the reader. This is more compelling than using the third
person.
- If you want a direct response, make it easy.
Advertising in practice
Take a look at the lineage advertisement in the next paragraph.
At just 50 words, it’s succinct and grammatically correct.
It’s not bad – but it’s not nearly as powerful
as it might be.
Starry Windows at staff prices. Are you concerned about heat
loss, cold draughts, condensation, maintenance, security and
noise nuisance? Starry Windows is one of the country’s
largest and longest established window companies. With no
obligation, ask Starry Windows to quote for the best in windows
for your house. Tel 0800 XXXXXXX
People don’t really care that the company is called
Starry Windows. And ‘staff prices’ is non-specific
and doesn’t tell anyone much. However, most people might
have stopped to read a headline that read ‘Save 10%
on heating bills – NOW!’ This is punchier, still
factually correct and includes a benefit: it tells the reader
immediately what’s in it for them.
The main body of the copy is a prime candidate for bullet
copy. For example:
- Heating bills sky high?
- Condensation rotting your windows?
- Harassed by noisy neighbours?
All to the point and made more effective with emotive words.
Next, we need to establish desire by reiterating the original
promise. Now is the time to say who you are and why you are
the best. How about, 'Starry Windows has been solving thousands
of homeowners’ problems for 27 years. Call now for a
35 percent discount on normal prices whilst stocks last!'
Lastly, make it easy for the customer to act, 'For a free
quote call 0800 XXXXXXX'.
Save 10% on heating bills – NOW!
Heating bills sky high?
Condensation rotting your windows?
Harassed by noisy neighbours?
Starry Windows has been solving thousands of homeowners’
problems for 27 years. Call now for a 25% discount on normal
prices whilst stocks last! For a free quote call 0800 XXXXXXX.
Just a few changes here and there, but it is now a much more
persuasive advertisement in the same number of words.
This is just one suggestion and you might need several versions
for different media. For example, the company’s research
showed that women were less concerned about maintenance because
they see that as 'the man’s department'. A typical comment
from women was that windows 'make the house feel as though
it wraps around you'. Each publication has a typical reader
profile, which you can only gauge by reading a couple of copies.
You need to match your benefit to the desires of the likely
readers. So if this company were advertising in women’s
magazines, it might bring out the emotional and aesthetic
aspects instead.
Preparation
It may sound obvious but do make sure you can actually fulfil
the promise of your advertisements. Don’t run more advertisements
offering free consultancy until you have responded to the
leads from the last campaign. If you announce a great offer
and a number to call, make sure you have the capacity to answer
the expected number of calls. Make sure your team is properly
briefed and with diaries clear on the day the advertisement
appears. Make sure you have (or can quickly obtain) sufficient
stock to satisfy all the new customers you hope to attract.
It is a complete waste of your money and effort if you are
not prepared at all levels to meet the demand you hope for.
These considerations are especially true of online advertising,
which can be accessed globally 24/7.
Useful contacts
- Advertising Standards Authority
The ASA publishes a series of guides and codes of practice,
relating to all media, on its website.
Mid City Place,
71 High Holborn,
London,
WC1V 6QT
T: 020 7492 2222
F: 020 7242 8159
W: www.asa.org.uk
-
Mail Order Protection Scheme (MOPS)
MOPSacts as a guarantor for advertisers. It protects
consumers buying by mail order if an advertiser covered
by the scheme collapses. However, MOPS only covers cash-off-the-page
advertising in national daily newspapers.
18a King Street,
Maidenhead,
SL6 1EF
T: 01628 641930
F: 01628 637112
W: www.mops.org.uk
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