Get out all the ads you ran last year. Go ahead. Tear them out of your magazines or newspapers (if you're lucky enough to have proof sheets, so much the better). Tear out you.competitor's ads too as many as you can get your hands on. Next,
fold th.company names, addresses and logos out of view. If th.company names are in the headlines block them off with paper and tape. Now tape them up to the wall, putting yours on top, you.competitors' below. Now back off, at least five feet. We're going to gradually close in on the most effective ad in the group (hopefully one of yours).
The SEye Test View
First, and this is very important, don't read any of them. Instead give them a quick, visual once over what I call the SEye Test. Do your ads stand out? Or do they dissolve into the mush of sameness? Remember, your audience will see your ad, not in a vacuum but with dozens o.competitive ads in the same or similar magazines or newspapers. If your ads stand out, you're ahead by a length.
Step in, Feel the Image
Now move in a little closer to your ads. Close enough to get the feel or image they project Like a new salesperson who walks through the door, the first thing people react to is the overall image he or she projects. It's the same with advertising. The colors, the design, the typeface should be consistent with the image of you.company. A tennis shoe salesperson can wear a referee shirt and a whistle around his or her neck, a medical sales rep can't. If your ads are in sync with the image of you.company, you're a step closer to your audience and a sale.
Are You Projecting a Consistent Look?
Nex.comes an equally important aspect: consistency. All your ads should project the same image. No, they don't have to have the same visual or the same headline. They should, however, look like they al.come from the sam.company. After all, this image is your Sfamiliar face in the crowd. It's also something you worked very hard to create. And it's uniquely yours, no one else's. Just like a good salesperson who finally got in the door to make that first sale. You wouldn't dream of switching salespeople after that. If your ads look like they came from several differen.companies, your audience might assume your product does. If your ads pass this test, effective advertising is within your reach. Which is exactly where you need to be for the next step.
Arm's Length for Positioning
An arm's length away from your favorite campaign of ads. The object of this test is to see how well you've positioned yourself. Yes, you can now read your ads, but not for details. How you position yourself should be fairly evident by the time you finish the first paragraph. Positioning is basically how your audience perceives your product, service o.company. For example, businessmen, engineers and students all nee.computers, yet each has a different idea of wha.computers can do for them. Advertise .computer to a businessman and you might do better to position it a management or accounting tool. Students might respond better to an ad showin.computers as a writing and study aid. And engineers would be better persuaded to buy .computer if you positioned it as a design or research tool. In each case, the products are the same but the positioning generates the unique appeal for any given market. And the greater the appeal, the greater the sales. If you've done your research, your positioning should bring the reader a little closer to your ad and your product.
Move in to One Ad
We're now going to concentrate on one ad. So pick your favorite one and move in close enough to read it i.comfort. The headline and visual should answer the question Swhat's in it for me. If it doesn't do that quickly and effectively, your audience may gloss over it without ever bothering to read it. Some of the best salesmen in the world start their pitch with a directhe bottom of your ad. Close enough to read your call to action, which should be short and direct, leaving no doubt in the reader's mind what to do after reading the adcall, clip a coupon, circle a bingo card. It should also be clear as to what the reader can expect to receivemore information, arrange a demo, have a salesperson call, get a trial sample. The reader shouldn't have to get too close to read this either (don't put this or your phone number in fine print). Remember, when a salesperson asks for the order or gives his or her phone number, it's always loud and confident, never a whisper.
There are obviously many market, demographic and personal factors we haven't considered. But if you meet the key objectives we've introduced, your audience can't help but close in on your adand your product. And that's what effective advertising is all about.
About the Author
Alex Kecskes is a former ad agency Copy Chief who has created effective copy and concepts for a wide range of ad agencies, Fortune 50.companies and startups. As owner of ak creativeworks, Alex provides strategic copy for brochures, mailers, multimedia, articles, newsletters, PR and web content. He has published articles in a variety of publications about health, business and technology this includes copy for over 130 different products and services. He has won such national awards as the Andy, Belding and One Show. For more information and samples, please visit:
akcreativeworks.com
