Advertising

Creating effective advertisements requires a joint effort between multiple departments within the organization and often external agencies. The process focuses on developing an ad that does not get lost in the mass advertising clutter the customers are exposed to and that will be remembered by the audience in the long-term. Setting principles that create an effective advertisement helps meeting the objectives of the campaign. A careful planning and collaboration can create a desired reaction from customers seeing the ad that will attain the campaign’s objectives. To achieve this goal their are 7 main principles of the advertising art should be followed:

Principle 1. VISUAL CONSISTENCY

Means to repeatedly exposing customers to a specific image or display. Repetition will embed the image into customers long-term memory. If the ads are not visually consistent then the content may not create a connection with target market. The importance of consistency cannot be stressed enough because most advertisements are glanced at for only a few seconds by viewers. An advertisement with visual consistency across numerous ads and channels they appear, will help to move the message from short-term to long-term memory. This makes the advertisement an effective marketing tool. 

Principle 2. CAMPAIGN DURATION

The duration of a campaign should be identified early in the development stage. As mentioned above, displaying the same ad for a set period of time will embed the message in long-term memory. However, just as important is determining exactly how long to run the ad. If you run it for too long it may become stale to your target, and they may lose interest. If you run it too short and often change the ads it may disrupt the viewer’s ability to retain the information.

Principle 3. REPEATED TAGLINES

Consistently repeated taglines go hand-in-hand with visual consistency. This is one of the most effective approaches. The advertisement can change, but repeatedly using the same tagline and imagery will help consumers to make a connection with their current knowledge of your brand.

Principle 4. ONGOING POSITIONING

When first developing a product an organization should put some time into how it will position its product in relation to the competition. This positioning strategy should be assessed frequently through the product’s life and used in all advertisements campaigns. If the positioning is stressing quality over price and convenience, then the advertisements should reflect that fact.

Principle 5. APPLYING SIMPLICITY

Simplicity should become a pillar of advertisements. Firstly, a simple advertisement is much easier to comprehend than a complex one. Creating a print ad should use a short tagline with limited copy. It will be much easier to read and remember than an overloaded ad. Also, avoid the temptation to tell viewers everything about your product. Use the advertisement to drive traffic to other places such as the website, where visitors can find more in-depth information about the offering. The simplicity of advertisements also directly applies to internet advertising, because if there is too much content or the page takes too long to load, viewers will leave.

Principle 6. IDENTIFYING THE SELLING POINT          

This is one of the most important aspects of any advertisement. The viewers must be able to quickly identify three things. Attempting to offer multiple selling points to viewers can confuse them by presenting too many ideas at once. Therefore, focus on one point for the campaign that will best sell the benefits of the product to your consumers is a must.

Principle 7. CREATING AN EFFECTIVE FLOW

All advertisements should lead the viewer to a desired action or conclusion. In print ads, the viewer’s eyes should be moved to the key point of the ad. Similarly, for television, the flow should be developed to end with your key point being the last thing viewers will remember. The same rule applies to online advertising and is describes as customer journey.

BMF Design creates integrated campaigns achieving the objectives set out in the strategies. We advise, create and deliver advertising that is functional and efficient.