Brand Building or Advertising?
In times of economic uncertainty, many businesses wonder if enlisting an ad agency to create a brand for their product is worth the time and expense. My response? It all depends on how successful they want to be, and for how long.
Print ads come in two varieties, the branding ad and the sales ad. Branding ads are those that try to position a company and its product in a specific niche. If successful, they should identify with a particular target market and reach out to those to whom the brand is intended. The sales ad works off of the brand positioning and makes specific product or service offers to a well-defined audience. Both types of ads are important parts of selling a product or service, but I would argue that the sale can’t come before the brand.
In my experience, too many companies try to jump immediately to the sales ad without spending the time building a brand. As consumers we see these ads every day. Unfortunately for the advertiser, few actually catch, or keep, our attention. The issue is that they are often generic—a heap of product with sale prices splashed around like confetti on a page. These types of ads do little to establish brand recognition, thus diminishing brand loyalty and long-term growth.
It is a mistake to believe in the power of the sale price; a sale alone is not enough to build a loyal customer base. Ask many local sales orientated advertisers what has happened to their per ad sales revenues this year and they will tell you that they don’t sell as much as they used to off of each ad. The reasons for this are many, and include: an increase in the number of competitors, national chains with larger ad budgets, consumer advertising fatigue, increased ad frequency and associated costs, and the fracturing of media into smaller audiences.
The smart advertiser understands that there will always be a competitor that can sell cheaper than they can, and that getting into the price reduction game is the surest way to go broke. Instead, they seek ways to spend their advertising dollars strategically by reaching a focused group of consumers who have a predisposition to purchase their products or services.
To help them identify those consumers, and target their message to them, these companies seek out an advertising agency or a branding company. They see the value in identifying a niche within their market, and that while they need to be competitively priced, they don’t always need to be the cheapest.
As an example, look at Apple computers. First, they are, on average, more expensive than a PC. Second, they use a completely different operating system from any other brand, requiring the consumer to spend time learning how to use them. They also have fewer third party companies making software for them. Yet Apple’s growth has been nothing short of spectacular. Why? Because they have positioned themselves as a brand that defines innovation, making products for those who perceive themselves as outside of the corporate cubical. In the eyes of many consumers, owning an Apple computer is to be at the cutting-edge of technology. And while this year’s round of Mac versus PC commercials are certainly creative, without a strong brand message backing them up, they’d be little more than cute.
So when you sit down to plan your own advertising campaign, I suggest looking at your corporate branding first. Think about what makes your company distinctive, different, and desirable. What do you offer that your competitors do not? What are you best at and what should you concentrate on selling?
It is in answering these questions that a branding or ad agency can be invaluable.
These professionals know the questions to ask and can guide you towards understanding how your brand needs to be positioned to take advantage of your strengths, exploit your competitors’ weaknesses, appeal to your target market and develop a brand that resonates deeply with your customer. If you’ve developed a good partnership, the result of this process will bring focus to your core attributes.
Once you are clear on your message and have developed an advertising strategy, you can move onto creating a great ad with compelling copy, engaging headlines and bold ideas. Great branding ads sell the advantage of your company over your competitors. They speak directly to the intended audience in a language that they embrace. These ads are difference makers; they are not interchangeable and they can only come from your brand.
Once a branding ad is created, an agency can then work with your in-house designers, who understand your specific industry and corporate structure to develop sales ads that carry the brand messaging forward.
I realize that sometimes it isn't feasible to seek outside help and that you must rely on your in-house designer to create your ad. Work together to get across a reason, other than price, that a customer would want to buy from you. I suggest that you keep the ad simple. Getting one idea clearly established will take you farther than a laundry list of benefits. Be entertaining, standout, from the crowd and don’t be boring. Less is more, don’t fill the space with copy, let the ad breath. Stay away from generalities like huge savings, (how big is huge?), exaggeration; largest selection (compared to what?) or over-used statements like personal service (all service is personal). Instead be specific, say; Save $45, 10,000 items in stock, or we’ll listen closely and work with you to find your individual solution.
Print ads come in two varieties, the branding ad and the sales ad. Branding ads are those that try to position a company and its product in a specific niche. If successful, they should identify with a particular target market and reach out to those to whom the brand is intended. The sales ad works off of the brand positioning and makes specific product or service offers to a well-defined audience. Both types of ads are important parts of selling a product or service, but I would argue that the sale can’t come before the brand.
In my experience, too many companies try to jump immediately to the sales ad without spending the time building a brand. As consumers we see these ads every day. Unfortunately for the advertiser, few actually catch, or keep, our attention. The issue is that they are often generic—a heap of product with sale prices splashed around like confetti on a page. These types of ads do little to establish brand recognition, thus diminishing brand loyalty and long-term growth.
It is a mistake to believe in the power of the sale price; a sale alone is not enough to build a loyal customer base. Ask many local sales orientated advertisers what has happened to their per ad sales revenues this year and they will tell you that they don’t sell as much as they used to off of each ad. The reasons for this are many, and include: an increase in the number of competitors, national chains with larger ad budgets, consumer advertising fatigue, increased ad frequency and associated costs, and the fracturing of media into smaller audiences.
The smart advertiser understands that there will always be a competitor that can sell cheaper than they can, and that getting into the price reduction game is the surest way to go broke. Instead, they seek ways to spend their advertising dollars strategically by reaching a focused group of consumers who have a predisposition to purchase their products or services.
To help them identify those consumers, and target their message to them, these companies seek out an advertising agency or a branding company. They see the value in identifying a niche within their market, and that while they need to be competitively priced, they don’t always need to be the cheapest.
As an example, look at Apple computers. First, they are, on average, more expensive than a PC. Second, they use a completely different operating system from any other brand, requiring the consumer to spend time learning how to use them. They also have fewer third party companies making software for them. Yet Apple’s growth has been nothing short of spectacular. Why? Because they have positioned themselves as a brand that defines innovation, making products for those who perceive themselves as outside of the corporate cubical. In the eyes of many consumers, owning an Apple computer is to be at the cutting-edge of technology. And while this year’s round of Mac versus PC commercials are certainly creative, without a strong brand message backing them up, they’d be little more than cute.
So when you sit down to plan your own advertising campaign, I suggest looking at your corporate branding first. Think about what makes your company distinctive, different, and desirable. What do you offer that your competitors do not? What are you best at and what should you concentrate on selling?
It is in answering these questions that a branding or ad agency can be invaluable.
These professionals know the questions to ask and can guide you towards understanding how your brand needs to be positioned to take advantage of your strengths, exploit your competitors’ weaknesses, appeal to your target market and develop a brand that resonates deeply with your customer. If you’ve developed a good partnership, the result of this process will bring focus to your core attributes.
Once you are clear on your message and have developed an advertising strategy, you can move onto creating a great ad with compelling copy, engaging headlines and bold ideas. Great branding ads sell the advantage of your company over your competitors. They speak directly to the intended audience in a language that they embrace. These ads are difference makers; they are not interchangeable and they can only come from your brand.
Once a branding ad is created, an agency can then work with your in-house designers, who understand your specific industry and corporate structure to develop sales ads that carry the brand messaging forward.
I realize that sometimes it isn't feasible to seek outside help and that you must rely on your in-house designer to create your ad. Work together to get across a reason, other than price, that a customer would want to buy from you. I suggest that you keep the ad simple. Getting one idea clearly established will take you farther than a laundry list of benefits. Be entertaining, standout, from the crowd and don’t be boring. Less is more, don’t fill the space with copy, let the ad breath. Stay away from generalities like huge savings, (how big is huge?), exaggeration; largest selection (compared to what?) or over-used statements like personal service (all service is personal). Instead be specific, say; Save $45, 10,000 items in stock, or we’ll listen closely and work with you to find your individual solution.
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