Five easy steps
to a great ad campaign
5 easy steps to a great ad campaignWe all know that a good advertising campaign can create consumer awareness and build brand recognition.
A great advertising campaign can go further—building demand for products and services, and increasing not just awareness, but sales.
But a phenomenal advertising campaign has the ability to turn an industry on its head. If you are charged with the responsibility of putting together an effective advertising campaign, here are five essential secrets to help you make a great impact on your market.
1. Start at the end.
Communication is an essential part of being human and one of the most important skills we possess. The same is true in business. To communicate your business, product or service successfully, there are two things you must first discover: who are your customers, and what are their buying reasons? When you know this, you can begin to craft your campaign strategy.
Strategy is a key ingredient for any successful advertising campaign. Unless this essential fact is understood and applied properly, even the most visually exciting, witty and informative advertising strategy will fall short.
A solid strategy will lay the foundation for your campaign to captivate your customers through effective and powerful advertising.
2. Use powerful visuals—with no words.
This ad is a perfect example of the power of visuals. We know exactly what is being said here—this is a powerful, tough car (so tough it's just driven through a mountain...). There's no need to read reams of information to get it. Big visuals demand attention.
How effective would this ad have been if the agency attempted to create emotion and impact using paragraphs and paragraphs of copy, describing how tough the car is? Humans are visual creatures. Smart, powerful visuals can instantly tell your customers what you're all about and is one of the best advertising techniques for standing out, grabbing attention and getting people talking.
3. Use smart copy—with no visuals
Cutting through the clutter and communicating your message clearly doesn't always mean hard–hitting visuals. The same profound impact can be achieved using only words.
A combination of smart design and short, clever copy can be a potent mix and a hugely effective way of gaining attention in the market.
4. Use less of the booked space
Too often, businesses fall into the trap of trying to cram as much information into their ads as space allows—which means the message gets completely lost. This is the polar opposite of what you are setting out to achieve.
Distilling the essence of your product or service and letting clear, to–the–point messages jump off the page is a far better use of the space. This approach takes care of the emotional impact; the hook. Let your website and sales tools handle the rest.
The VW Think Small campaign is a perfect example of presenting the essence of a product to generate incredible attention. This campaign resulted in record sales in the US market and is considered one of the greatest advertisements of the 20th century.
5. Think outside the medium
How good is this advertisement? Here's proof that placement does not necessarily mean media buy in a popular magazine, newspaper or website.
Carefully considering where your creative campaign is placed is a crucial early component of your campaign. Placing your ad in a unique environment can drastically improve your campaign and generate a massive amount of attention. Think about the possibilities!
Of course, it takes more than these five steps to create a successful ad campaign.
If you've done your homework and you know there's a demand for your product or service within a defined target market, then you can implement the killer combination of market strategy and powerful, intelligent creative. You'll be well on your way to getting people talking and getting people buying.
These techniques don't need big bucks behind them to make a big dent in the market. They need time, thought and creative minds.
To make the most of your advertising dollar, consider these factors when planning your next ad campaign:
- Insightful strategy
- Big, attention–grabbing visuals
- Smart, punchy copy
- Intelligent use of booked space
- Creatively ad placement
By applying some or all of these secrets in your next ad campaign you'll be on your way to exposing the market to your business. Remember, successful campaigns must achieve one main outcome—gain maximum attention and convert brand awareness into sales.
Like to know more?
If you would like to know more about making a great ad campaign, or would simply like to discuss your next ad campaign, get in touch. We are more than happy to answer any questions you might have.