Tactics, shmactics. Before advertising tactics can be effective, you as a client must allow an environment for them to flourish. Otherwise, a bunch of good ideas and a whole bank account will swirl down the drain. Whether your advertising is done internally or you work with an outside firm, how do you become a memorable Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is … or a Just do it client?
More Picasso, less Einstein
Advertising is art with barely a dollop of science on the side. What’s effective one day, won’t work the next. It’s the nature of our culture. Most people think they have good ideas for ads. Go ahead and try. But, I wouldn’t attempt my own appendectomy.
The gist of advertising is that people have to believe you. They can’t believe you if they haven’t heard (seen, viewed) your message or don’t understand you. To do that, they have to pay attention to you, which they won’t if you’re not interesting. You won’t be interesting if what you say is not imaginative or fresh.
Communicate like you talk. If a pen in your hand causes you to sound like a senator during the Golden Age of Greece, your advertising is best left to others. There’s still help for you even if these hit close to home.
Ankle-biters of Advertising
Mounting Board clients … Art supply stores love these clients because ad people are continually showing another idea pasted up on mounting boards. These businesses like to talk about advertising, but never quite get around to doing any. Pots of coffee are guzzled at meetings, and a lot of good ideas never see the light of day. The real demons of the business are a lack of entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on not losing instead of winning.
Tell-Tale Heart clients … Like the beating of Poe’s tell-tale heart, the subtle pulse of fear and indecision shroud these clients — fear of taking risks, doing anything different, or challenging rules. Mediocrity is the yardstick, and “being in the zone” means staying in the existing comfort zone. Good ideas die from a thousand paper cuts. You’re toast if you hear yourself saying, “I’m not sure why I don’t like it, but I’ll know it when I see it.” Taking a concept too literally also is a sign: “Our pizza toppings really aren’t heavy enough that a forklift is needed.” We know; it’s called metaphor.
Quality service people persons … Do you have great staff? Are you dedicated to quality service? Are you a people person? Want to tell the world about it? Save your money — everybody has, and says, the same. Those things are expected by prospects, and if you don’t have them already, you should be out of business. Like electricity when I flip the light switch, I expect it to be there. Same when I deal with your business. Find another benefit that distinguishes you from competitors. Don’t have one? That’s probably the first management task before advertising.
Children should (not) be seen and not heard … When school photos, church plays, and the holiday season brag sheet aren’t enough, there’s advertising as an outlet for a client’s budding child star. Unfortunately, a squeaky six-year-old voice or a fifth-grader as a pirate doesn’t sell much product for the business. Just about all children in ads are cute, but unless we’re in the market for a fake pirate beard, the message is lost. And yes, I have children.
Research proves that research doesn’t prove much … Research on the front end to generate ad ideas is exceptionally valuable. Research used to judge ads is like insect spray that kills good ideas on contact. (Remember: more Picasso, less Einstein.) Stunning advertising breaks new ground. It’s a bit difficult, therefore, to judge something that’s never been done. You’ll have about as much success gauging how good an ad is by reading the bumps on your office manager’s head or how moss is growing on a tree’s bark.
Call 867-5309 … This works well for Tommy Tutone because you’ve heard the song about 3,000 times in the last 25 years. There’s no need, however, to repeat your phone number multiple times in ads. If you hear or see a phone number in an ad and don’t come to a screeching halt on the side of the road to write it down, you’re ok. The rest of the world doesn’t either. Politely direct prospects to find you in the phone book or visit your Web site.
Can we make the logo bigger? … Sure, if we want to ruin the ad. A layout is a matter of taste and balance. There are overt items like the headline and visual image. Then there are implicit elements that convey your product’s quality, personality, and distinction. Too much logo is like wearing too much plaid. Why not just make the whole ad the logo? Will your product sell better? Or, will you feel better? Big logos tend to say, “I’m not a very good ad, move on.”
What if, what if …
Deciding which creative approach is “right” is a bear. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel strongly both ways. What color? Which size? Do people really think this way about bunion ointment? There are 20 right answers for every question. It’s ok if after two hours you’re a blob of whimpering goo: “I really like this, but I sorta like that too. What if we made the parrot’s claws red?” What if, what if …
The Sweaty Palms Crowd (or, “we received a letter”)
Your business ran a couple of ads and radio spots in a market of 150,000. They look and sound tremendous, sales already can be attributed to them, and your teenagers even seem proud of you. But what’s this … four letters declaring impropriety. The ad bit has hit the fan. An 8:00 a.m. hand wringing meeting — Do we really think this is the best approach? Is there time to change the message? Can we slink out of the contract?
Relax and reinsert the spine, remembering that you’re a man, not a mouse … or a woman, not a mouse woman. You’re marketing to a large audience, not the capacity of your Explorer. Let the professional victims, whiners, and the oft offended practice their penmanship. We live in a land where majority rules. And hey, the chronically offended are reading/hearing/viewing your ads. Tons of others are too.
Warning Signs
You’re on the right track as a client providing an environment for marketing to thrive, but occasional regression might creep in. You’ll know the warning signs if phrases like these pass your lips:
- The approval committee doesn’t meet until next month.
- My high school daughter is a pretty good artist. Maybe she could …
- My brother-in-law didn’t get it.
- How will The Rolling Stones know we used their song?
- Our lawyer has some ideas …
- My wife has some ideas …
- Let’s use the echo voice like the car dealers.
- I did some radio in college — what if I do the voice over?
- We’re no different than our competitors.
- Is there room on the billboard for our mission statement?
Breathe deeply into a paper bag if you ever catch yourself uttering any of those.