Companies are competing not just against their competitors, they are competing against non-competitors their target audience’s attention, and money. The biggest challenge facing advertisers is getting in front of their audience. With so many ads on so many platforms – television, radio, print, online and mobile – how can your brand stand out?
Today, your consumers want the information instantly; if you cannot tell them why your product or service is right for them in under 30 seconds, sometimes even less, failing to get their attention, you have failed.
There are ways you can get your target audience’s attention and stand out from the direct and indirect competitors. Of course, much depends on the medium you are using, but they all have the same goal – to connect with your audience.
Simplicity. In his play Hamlet, Shakespeare has Polonius say that brevity is the soul of wit, Polonius himself not being brief. Advertisers need to keep their ads simple and brief. You need to instantly connect with your consumer. Images are best if you can get your message across – “show, don’t tell” writing applied to advertising.
Quality. Instead of cluttering the air with tons of different ads, stick with one high quality ad, which consumers will attach to your brand. Unless you are going for a specific campy style, quality ads, whether online, television, mobile or print, quality in your advertising will show that you care about your brand and its message.
Focused. In advertising, message is the key and consistency in messaging is vital. Keep your ad focused on what you are conveying, which is your message. At the same time, keep it consumer-focused – if you want your customers’ attention, you must first give them attention, as in any relationship.
Emotion. It is true that consumers make emotional decisions. Let your ad work in a way that lets your brand make an emotional connection with your target consumer. Consumers will rationalize, but the final decision to act is emotional.
In the end, whatever you are selling and your brand is promising, you must deliver on that promise, because a brand is an honest promise, and no one likes when promises are broken.
