Consumers are inundated each day with
messages vying for attention. This constant "shelling" by advertisers means that
for your ad to be noticed and acted upon, it must be crafted in such a fashion as to
'stand out from the herd.' If your Radio or Television creative is not out of the
ordinary, it becomes "audio/video wallpaper;" it's there, but no one will pay
any attention to it. Also, the more imaginative your broadcast commercial is, the greater
the chance that it will be played first or at the front of a stop set, when attentiveness
is at its highest. This is because the station is also trying to hold the
listeners’ attention and keep them from punching the buttons/hitting the remote when
commercials come on. With print advertising, the layout/design is critical; fonts,
graphics, colors, white space are important considerations. Great care should be taken to
insure that your ad doesn't blend into the page.Plan your creative as you did your
marketing plan. Who am I trying to reach? What message will "strike an emotion"
with the consumer and make them respond to my message? What is the
demographic/psychographic of the media outlet; Radio station, TV program, Print
publication? Make sure that the style and substance of your message reflects the audience.
Remember the purpose of any ad is to gain attention for your business, fulfill a need and
sell something.
Whatever you say in commercials make sure its true. "I'm in the store all the
time, ask for me." "We don't haggle, the sticker price is absolutely the lowest." Realize that people are skeptical about advertising claims to begin with; don't
give them a reason to doubt you or your claims. Also, if you are fortunate enough that
your advertising (message) works, and people try you out, fulfill your promises.
Advertising can get them to the door, but it's your responsibility to take it from there.
Creative is not an area where you want to be humble. "Blow your own horn" and
point out all the positives. What you have to offer, why it is better than the
competitions, years in business, reputation, etc.
Although some outlets will offer to produce your ad as a part of the buy,
remember...you get what you pay for! Don't skimp on your creative expenditure. The success
of any campaign is predicated on your message being seen, heard, and acted upon. The image
of your business and how it's perceived is also determined subliminally by the quality of
your ads. Hire good writers, book competent talents, produce your TV spots on film rather
than video and spend the money for top graphic designers for your print assignments. The
dollars you spend for production are a wise investment that will pay huge rewards in the
impact of your advertising campaigns.
How do I find talented people to create my advertisements?
Listen to the radio, look at print ads in newspapers or magazines, watch TV, check out
billboards, save direct mail pieces you like. Find out who produced them and hire them!
With radio, expect to pay 8 to 10% of your placement dollars for a well-crafted
commercial. Print ads 10 to 12%, dependant on the specifics; color separation, velox fees,
etc. With Television commercials, it's difficult to come up with the norm, as fees are
determined by many different factors; the complexity of the spot, film or video, studio or
location shoots, actors, props, editing fees, etc. Since the costs for Television
commercials can vary greatly, get bids on your project from two or three different
companies. Make your decision based on the quality of their work versus the cost.
Don't loose sight of your goal when creating an ad. Make sure the message is on-target,
The objective is to expose your product or service and sell something; it is not to
win awards for the creative team! ALWAYS approve the script, layout design and the
finished product prior to release. Once the ad has run, it's too late. Also, ask for
audio, video and graphic copies of your ads. Keep them on file for future use and
reference.
