4 Steps to Create a Successful Ad Campaign

Successfully advertising in today’s market is a challenge. Everywhere you look there is some new campaign that pushes the boundaries of advertising. Wether its clever, funny, or controversial, these ads stay with you and get you talking. This is exactly what makes a successful advertising campaign. However, this isn’t easy. For every good advertisement you see, there are 10 bad ones. There is a science behind good advertising and in this article I will show you how I designed my advertising campaign for Jeep during my senior thesis.

This is just the tip of the iceberg that is advertising. I won’t cover all the techniques I used in this article but in the future I might write another list if this is popular enough.

STRONG STRATEGY

Before you begin messing around with images and headlines you need to have a solid strategy. You cant go into a campaign blind and expect to have a solid outcome. Before I even started designing my advertisements I planned a strong strategy. Research, research, research! You need to understand what you are trying to sell before you start selling it. I created a 115 page thesis book about Jeep, so I understood exactly what I was trying to sell (this might be a little extreme, but you get the idea). You also need to know who is the target market, who would you want to sell your product to? I wouldn’t be advertising Jeeps in a magazine target to “going green” because that isn’t Jeeps image. Also, you need to know how your product can stand out and beat its competitors in the marketplace.

     If the strategy isn’t defining the client and setting them apart, the creative probably won’t do it either.
    - Mike Shine

Approach

After you have a solid strategy, you need to find out what your approach is going to be. This is the part when you decide if you are going to sell a feature, category, or benefit of the product. You can also chose to sell the image, lifestyle, and attitude of the brand. A brand like Audi never used to be known to be as high class as Mercedes or BMW, but thanks to their new approach at advertising, their position shows the lifestyle of the brand. Now they are known to be among the elite car brands.

Here I chose to advertise a new feature for Jeep – comfy ride quality (about time!)

Entire ad campaigns are based around the position that is chosen. This is why it is so important to have a solid strategy and the right approach. These are the two fundamental principles to follow when creating any ad campaign.

HEADLINE

There is no formula on creating an effective headline. Everyone thinks differently so for some people they might not be able to come up with a headline at all, for others it might come to them with ease. A headline should emphasize ONE idea. Many people make the mistake to include too much in their headline. The headline should also compliment the imagery and visa versa, but never show the same thing. You wouldn’t have an ad about dog food and then have the headline describe that it’s dog food, we already know that. A good headline might have one sentence that undersells the product, or even have just one word. You can also overstate the product. By using a hyperbole, you are obviously overstating and getting attention, maybe even a laugh.

I overstated the imagery while understating the headline to create harmony in the ad
Some other techniques would be to use commands and punctuation. By using a command and punctuation the ad is calling you out, its talking to you and it has a sense of authority. Readers pick up on this because it stands out. By combining a few techniques you can create a really effective ad. I combined a short headline, punctuation, and saying the obvious (but not so obvious) in a Jeep ad.

The obvious is that the Jeep comes fully equipped with electricity, the not so obvious is that electricity (such as power windows and locks) is a newly found feature in Jeep Wranglers (2007).

BODY COPY

The body copy of an ad is extremely important. If the readers actually like your visuals and read your headline then they have made it pretty far. Once they start reading the body copy you are lucky. This is why it is so important, you have their attention, so make it worth their while!

I chose to have a tongue-in-cheek ad digging at hybrids but showing the capability of a Jeep.

The tone, style, and voice of the copy is important in selling your ad. You wouldn’t want dark, sarcastic copy for something that is playful and fun. The headline and body copy need to have the same style. With my “Get real” ads I showed a clever headline, then I followed up with witty body copy. There are many options on how to pick your “voice” for the ad. You can be a representative of the company, telling you the details and facts. You could also become a customer, designing the ad the way your customers would. Maybe you might choose to write in third or first person? Maybe use the power of a testimonial.

The particular style and even choice of words and details can come straight from all the research you did in the beginning stages. By selecting certain aspects of the company, you can highlight important points in an advertisement. Maybe you found out that your company was the first to create something, use that.

CONCLUSION

There are way too many tips to include in one blog post, so this is an extremely brief overview that should get you well on your way in creating a successful advertisement. Depending on your strategy and approach, your headlines and body copy may come out completely different from ad campaign to ad campaign. One campaign might rely on being witty or fun, the other ad might be straight forward and full of details. Each situation will be different and it should all reflect the brand. I created around 15 advertisements for my Jeep campaign and each one I wanted to be unique. I used all of these strategic approaches as well as many more during their creation. Each example I showed above uses other techniques that I did not describe, but if you are truly interested in designing ads, I highly recommend picking up Advertising Concept and Copy by George Felton. I learned a lot from this book as well as some of my other classes and most of what I said can be found in it.

I didn’t really touch on the imagery in this post, so next week I will dedicate a post to the importance of imagery and what to do and not to do.

Do any of you use these techniques when creating an ad?

Article from Kevin Dyke www.KD-Designz.com

What colors have you chosen for your marketing materials?

What were your reasons for making that particular choice? Was it because you liked those particular colors, or did you have a particular marketing message in mind? While visual appeal is an important consideration, your color choices could be sending a specific message to the people who view them. Are you sure you know what that message is?

You'd be wise to consider the psychology of color when designing your marketing materials. Be it business card, brochure, web site, posters or other material, you'll be making color choices. Colors not only enhance the appearance of the item -- they also influence our behavior. You will do well to consider the impact that the colors you use will have on your target audience.

For instance, have you noticed that most fast food restaurants are decorated with vivid reds and oranges? It's no accident that these colors show up so frequently. Studies have shown that reds and oranges encourage diners to eat quickly and leave -- and that's exactly what fast food outlets want you to do.

It's also no accident that you see a lot of reds and blacks on adult web sites. These colors are thought to have sexual connotations.

Ever notice that toys, books and children's web sites usually contain large blocks of bright, primary colors? Young children prefer these colors and respond more positively than they do to to pastels or muted blends.

Market researchers have had a field day identifying the colors and the likely effect they have upon us.

However, the effects of color differ among different cultures, so the attitudes and preferences of your target audience should be a consideration when you plan your design of any promotional materials.

For example, white is the color of death in Chinese culture, but purple represents death in Brazil. Yellow is sacred to the Chinese, but signified sadness in Greece and jealousy in France. In North America, green is typically associated with jealousy. People from tropical countries respond most favorably to warm colors; people from northern climates prefer the cooler colours.

In North American mainstream culture, the following colors are associated with certain qualities or emotions:

Red --excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, danger.
Blue --(listed as the most popular color) trust, reliability, belonging, coolness.
Yellow --warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness
Orange -- playfulness, warmth, vibrant
Green -- nature, fresh, cool, growth, abundance
Purple --royal, spirituality, dignity
Pink -- soft, sweet, nurture, security
White --pure, virginal, clean, youthful, mild.
Black --sophistication, elegant, seductive, mystery
Gold -- prestige, expensive
Silver -- prestige, cold, scientific

Market researchers have also determined that color affects shopping habits. Impulse shoppers respond best to red-orange, black and royal blue. Shoppers who plan and stick to budgets respond best to pink, teal, light blue and navy. Traditionalists respond to pastels - pink, rose, sky blue.

Want to test some of this out? Check out web sites belonging to companies with marketing budgets that allow for extensive research into what sells best.

Jaguar - A luxury car with a luxury web site. There's a predominance of black (sophistication) and silver (prestige). Jaguar markets to people with high incomes who view themselves as sophisticated and look for a prestigious vehicle.

So how can you put this information to use?

First, think about your target market. Let's say that you are selling books for young children, but you are marketing to grandparents. You'd probably design the books in bright, primary colors (reds, blues, yellows) to appeal to the children who will use them. However, the marketing materials (web site, brochures, etc.) would be designed with grandparents in mind. You might decide to go with blues (trust, reliability), pinks (nurture, sweet, security) and yellow (happy, playful).

Of course, you would test your ads and colors on a small market segment before rolling out a large scale campaign.

Give some thoughts to the message you want to send and to the psychology of the recipient. Then choose your colors accordingly.

Courtesy of June Campbell Sponsored By: Brand Aid

5 Tips to Stand out in the Social Media World

If all of your competitors are already on Facebook and Twitter, how do you set your small business apart from the rest?

The right social media marketing will help your niche business generate more leads, build a customer base, and reinforce your brand. In order for your campaign to work, you need to go beyond the basics. A combination of stellar content and social media marketing will set your business apart from the competition, and also help you build your customer base.

As a small business owner in the copywriting and marketing field, I work with other small business owners to create social media and content marketing campaigns; these projects involve more than just being active on Facebook or setting up a Twitter account.

Use these ideas to market your small business using social media:

#1: Reach out to Customers After the Sale

Find a way to reach customers on the social networks after a sale. Encourage new customers to find you on Facebook to snatch up a free gift for their purchase, or redeem some other type of offer. Simply reaching out to customers to say "thank you" via Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ will create a more memorable customer service experience. These connections will also give the customer a chance to engage with your company or brand in a new way.

#2: Create a Custom Facebook Landing Page

Facebook is no longer requiring people to "Like" your page in order to drop a comment. People who don't "Like" your Facebook page won't get any of your updates in their News Feed, so you need to create an incentive for each visitor. A custom Facebook landing page featuring a downloadable coupon or other freebie can encourage "Likes" and increase engagement. I work with a client who created a free report as an incentive for becoming a fan. You can hire someone to create this landing page for you, or use an online design tool to customize a template.

#3: Shoot a Video

Video marketing has a social element to it because many people are willing to share a video on Facebook, post comments on sites like YouTube, and share it across other social networks. Be creative and shoot a clever commercial or a showcase of products and services. Ask satisfied customers to do a short interview or video testimonial for you. Post the video on your website and encourage people to comment, rate, and share it.

#4: Encourage Check-Ins at Your Location

Several restaurateurs in my area are having great success with Foursquare check-in promotions. They encourage patrons to check-in for a discount on their meal or a free appetizer or drink. Check-ins on sites like these can get posted on the customer's Facebook Wall so the event is shared with their entire social network. Highlight these offers right at the front desk or entrance of your business, and also on your website. Check-in promotions can be a great way to generate buzz about your business and encourage patrons' friends to pay attention and get in on a deal.

#5: Share Other People's Ideas

Take some time to learn about other businesses in your niche and find them on Facebook, Twitter and even LinkedIn. If you're a spa or fitness club owner, look for the social accounts of brands you carry. If you're a law firm, look for service providers that complement your business. Take steps to share these contacts' content across your own social networks so that you're more visible. Facebook's new "Share" feature allows the poster to see who shared their content. Twitter's @ mentions are perfect for announcing that you shared something, without going out of your way to say you did so. Sharing other people's ideas can foster some relationships and your contacts might do the same in return.

article by Sabah Karimi.

Wise Words ..

Leo Burnett "When to take my name off the door" from Lobo on Vimeo.

How They Got Their Names!

Ever wondered about how famous brands got their names from? Here are a couple of explanations.

Article by stocklogos.com

How To - Link Building

What’s in a "Domain" Name?

Keys to Selecting the Best Domain Name for Your Website..

When Juliet (of Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s play) posed that question what was she thinking? …Could it be that what matters is really what something is, instead of what it is called? Perhaps in Shakespeare’s time neighborhood stores were called John’s Bakery or Mary’s Flower Shoppe.  A business could be named based on what it is since there wasn’t much competition and no Internet!  That was a great solution then.  Today while it certainly matters what something is, what it is called plays an important role if you want customers to find you on the Internet and not just in your local neighborhood. It all comes down to your domain name.

A domain name represents your online business. What you are called is an essential step in launching your website because you want people to not only easily find you but also to recall your website name.  It’s your internet identity and sometimes it may not be exactly the same name as your business.  Think about Mary’s Flower Shoppe.  That domain name marysflowershoppe.com is not available today.  If you are unable to get the name of your choice you may be wondering how to choose an alternate domain name.   The following tips can help you create a domain name just for you.

1. Develop 5-7 Top Keywords. Let’s consider what Juliet said:  what matters is what something is — so what IS your business?   If you cannot use your current business name, then a memorable domain name should reflect what you do.  To get started, create a short list of about 5-7 key words or phrases that best describes your business. Having some ideas written down will help reduce frustration when you begin your search..   For example Mary’s Flower Shoppe list could include: plants, flowers by, floral designs, blooming roses , colorful blooms, flower arranger, flower baskets —see what words or phrases you can create that reflect you and your business the best.
2. Easy to understand. Your URL should reflect what kind of site you are without having the visitor have to think too much about it. If I wanted to create a domain name for Mary’s shop, I would try taking the keywords list and incorporate her name, for example: flowersbymary, marysfloraldesigns, maryscolorfulblooms or marysplantsplus. Note that I’d be careful of marysflowersandplants because it could read as Marys Flower Sand plants.  Are you wondering if there are sand plants?  Yes they exist as this term is used in the Mining & Manufacturing Industries for machinery for sand washing plants!
3. Easy to Type & Easy to Spell. Try to avoid Hyphens and Numbers if possible– It’s better for your customers if the domain name is easy to type and spell.   People can forget to add hyphens.  And in Mary’s case, I would recommend staying away from using “arrangements” or “occasions” or u instead of you or 4 instead of four/for.  And if marysflowers.com was not available, I would not use maryzflorist.  Yes it’s cool today but think of how many folks will remember to replace the “s” with a “z? And when they don’t they would be visiting and ordering flowers from Mary’s competitor’s website. Maybe the customer realizes they are at the wrong website but can’t find Mary’s and then think she doesn’t have a website!
4. Try keeping the name somewhat short. You want it to be easy for your visitors to remember it and type it without typos. Maybe you want to try typing your domain name a few times to see if you can spell it without typos and perhaps you can enlist a friend to also help.  I thought of two companies that visitors are probably happy that they don’t have to type these companies’ entire names.   In 1965 a company called Florists’ Transworld Delivery was created, but we get to type FTD.com to order flowers.  What about AT&T? Imagine if we had to type:  amerciantelephoneandtelegraph.com instead of att.com?    And proflowers.com is a nice easy name to type and remember.
5. Be Original. It can be hard to come up with a unique name but try not to mimic another company’s domain name especially if they are well known.  Before finalizing your domain choice take the time to research your choice and ensure no one else has it. You do not want to infringe on anyone’s trademark. It’s easy to check this out and won’t cost you anything but your time.  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office enables you to do all the trademark searches you want.  After all, would it have been a good idea for Mary to pick 1800marysflowers.com or ftdmarysflowers.com as her domain name instead of marysflowerbasket.com?

In the end, your domain name should reflect you and your business.  It should be easy to type, easy to remember and most of ail it should be a name you like today and will like tomorrow.  Oh and one last tip! When you order your domain make sure you spell it correctly! Before clicking that order button please check your spelling and be careful of typing too fast and ending up with something like flowrsbymary or maryssflowersbasket. Good luck and here’s hoping you find your rose among all the possible domain name choices available to you!

Article by by Jean Hendricks Networking Exchange