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Advertising Mistake #1- No Call to Action

It’s been proven time and time again that if you don’t ask people to buy what you’re offering, chances are they‘ll go to someone who does. But we must look deeper than that.

Does your call to action truly evoke desire in the mind of your target audience? Is there urgency? How honest is it?

It may not be possible to have all of these elements in every ad but the closer you get the stronger the ad will be.

Advertising Mistake #2- The Use of Superlatives

Believability and honesty are the two things people expect from companies they buy from. The use of superlatives distracts them from your main selling points and brings up a debate in the mind of your target consumer.

Words like: best, greatest, perfect, etc. make the human mind go around and around trying to decide whether or not the claim being made is true.

In most cases superlatives make statements un-provable and cause the target audience to distrust the company who made the statement.

Remember, honesty is your friend and if you can find a creative and honest way to make your product shine your target consumer will not only applaud your honesty but they’ll buy from you before they do with anyone else.

Advertising Mistake #3- Over-complicated Promotions

When you come up with a promotional motivator make sure it is easy to understand and extremely creative. “Buy one, get one free,” has become cliché but the concept is still nice and simple.

When people don’t understand a promotion it can actually scare them out of participating.

Advertising Mistake #4- Failure to Make a Logical Connection with the Target Audience.

This one is obvious but frequently overlooked. If you aren’t making it clear why your product is beneficial no one will want to buy it. No matter how creative your advertising is unless, of course, you are already a brand people are familiar with.

Let your audience know why your product is superior or necessary by connecting it to something in their day to day lives, or to a feeling they would cherish.

If creativity isn’t your strong suit, find people who can help. It can mean the difference between ads that get lost in the shuffle and ads that work.

Advertising Mistake #5- Failure to Make an Emotional Connection with the Target Audience.

People only spend time on things that they can connect with. If you can make an honest emotional connection with your target client they’ll not only take the time watch the ad but they’ll also buy the product.

Simple features and benefits are not enough to connect with the audience you’re selling to. You must evoke a feeling that makes your consumer connect with the advertisement.

Be as shocking or inspiring as you want but don’t forget to maintain honesty. Both your product and your target market must live up to the ideas in the ad.

Finding the right concept, the right words and so on, takes imagination and a willingness to go through a million ideas that don’t work to find the one that does. Its hard work but the results are worth their weight in sales.

If you can’t do it yourself find, people who can. You won’t regret it.

The human mind, especially in the fast paced 21st century, isn’t stimulated by anything short of amazing.

If you fail to stimulate the mind, you may as well be invisible.

When Reza out of our California office suggested I watch the movie Art & Copy I was intrigued but not too sure what to expect.

The film, through fantastic interviews, superb narration and clever editing, shows you the importance of creativity in advertising and the love advertising agencies give their work.

The filmmakers explain first hand the pitfalls most business owners don’t see when running a campaign and how good creative is set up to avoid these problems by connecting to the target audience more effectively.

The film, although not a perfect snapshot of this mammoth industry, is a very compelling piece of art in itself. I can see why this was the 2009 Official Selection at Sundance.

The agencies interviewed are those whose clients can afford large campaigns, something that is not always the case with Agencies who don’t work with giants like Nike and Apple. However it does show you how if you invest in good creative and placement you will recoup your expenses and then some.

Tommy Hilfiger tells of how so very embarrassed he was when his ad agency used a campaign comparing him (a nobody at the time) to the likes of Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Even so, he was able to go through with the pricey half page ads and expensive 7th Ave billboard in New York. And when he did, he soon became one of the most talked about designers in the U.S. sending his sales skyrocketing beyond his wildest dreams.

Despite the fact that the creators of the “GOT MILK?” campaign or the creators of the dancing silhouette iPod commercials talk about how they are pitting themselves against the giants in New York, they still aren’t necessarily feather weights either. In fact their facilities reminded me of something out of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, or maybe MTV Cribs.

Wieden + Kennedy in particular houses a basketball court, and a nice little practice space for bands, among other things! All of these luxuries are to help with the creative process because they know that good creative sells products.

This film lets you see the process agencies undertake to get a campaign. Everything from ideas to approved billboards and TV ads.
Relive the impact of the first Macintosh TV commercial. Re-experience the social movement created out of the JUST DO IT campaign, and learn the startling truth about where that line came from.

The importance of clever, responsible and creative advertising campaign’s that inspire rather than numb audiences comes to the forefront of the themes presented, and while it seems one-sided, the film does not flop.

To learn more about getting creative with your advertising watch this movie, and if you decide you need more help getting good creative remember that you can call on us any time.

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We’ve said it over and over again: the best way to increase sales is to find out what your competitors are doing; learn it, refine it, better it and then implement it.

Otherwise expect your business to wither and die.

It seems that the longer people are in business the more they forget to stay fresh and modern. You have to keep in mind that you and your business age but your target customer never does. As new people filter in, and old customers filter out, the expectations they have of companies like yours will change with them.

Which is why updating your company is so critical.

photos by Shahab Zargari

Downtown Las Vegas’ Golden Nugget, which was originally built in 1946, is one of the oldest casinos in the city and as we discussed just being around for a long time can mean next to nothing when doing business in a city like Las Vegas.

The Golden Nugget was in need of a makeover if it was going to attract customers and keep them coming back; especially when competing with new and exciting hotels that seem to pop up every year in this city.

Simple ideas can modernize a business

SO what did The Golden Nugget do?

They implemented the elegance and modern design of more recently developed casinos right there in downtown LV by building a shiny new 25-story tower.

I know you’re probably thinking: “That’s it? I could have thought of that!” and you’d be right. So let it be a lesson to you; simple ideas can also make businesses fresh again.

The Golden Nugget’s addition, which opened a month before City Center opened it’s doors, is the first new hotel tower to open downtown since former Golden Nugget owner Steve Wynn built the South Tower in 1989.

Just look at the elegance of our photos inside one of the Rush Tower rooms.

Does this look like the “Fremont Street Experience” you remember?

Marketing the new aspects of the business

This new addition has not only made the stay more enjoyable for patrons, it’s also added new marketing opportunities for the company.

Just think about it. You can stay at Aria for $200 a night on average or Mandarin for $600 a night on average; but if you stay at Golden Nugget’s new Rush Tower you are in a luxurious new hotel for as low as a hundred bucks a night? Amazing.

Can’t you just feel the deal-hunter inside you aching to take advantage of this deal?

Bravo, Golden Nugget. Bravo.

Now, it’s your turn.

Take a look around; are there things that show the age and dilapidation of your business? Well update them, and let every one know that you did!

In conclusion, a fresh coat of paint in a hip new color, a stylish new logo, the modernization of your online presence, or even updated designs on your marketing materials can be all your business needs to look and feel more exciting to potential customers.

Until next time-

Happy marketing!

Click on the image of the silly ad to see the full blog post at Ask a Copywriter blog!

Having a great promotion that has a strong call to action is a sure fire way to get people noticing your products. Today we’ll take a look at some fundamental promotion ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

The buy one /get one free

A great way to get people into the store, or e-store, and move products fast is to give something away. People love the word “free.” It gives them a sense that they got something for nothing. After all, who doesn’t like to get a gift? This works especially well with items sold in large quantities. Just make sure that you are still making profit regardless of what is given away.

Side note: Making simple innovative changes to the “buy one / get one” concept can give you fresh promotional ideas. Things like the two for one sale, giving a free gift when they spend over a certain amount and so on work just as good if not better. So make sure to put on your super-creative hat while reading this post.

Percentage discount

The percentage discount usually works well when you have a predetermined spending limit; for instance “get 10% off when you spend $100 or more”; “buy two and get an additional 5% off!” etc.

Promote an event

An event is always good sales tactic and there are many different ideas that can fall under this category.

Have a sale that lasts a day, week or month making sure to set a start and end date.

Get involved with the chamber of commerce and offer to have networking functions in your location.

If you have a good location for throwing cocktail parties or happy hour-style get-togethers flyer your local community and party with the locals.

You can also throw or sponsor a party at a night club. Just put your customers, prospects and fans on the guest list, maybe even give them free entry or drink tickets when they purchase something from you.

Charity as a promotional tool

Sure, Twitter microblogging and conventional blogging is aimed at showing your customers the human side of your company, but don’t forget that Charity does this too and much more!

Charity is not only good for the soul but it can better show your humble giving nature as a company and build the community’s trust in you. You can donate the proceeds from sales, hold a fundraiser or even just flat out donate cash to a good cause.

Just make sure you market it heavily and write a good editorial for your local papers.

Contests

Nothing gets people moving like a good contest. Find a product that benefits your customers or that can be used in conjunction with other products you sell and start advertising the contest everywhere!

Limited edition

When things are limited it gives people a sense of urgency that you can’t get with any other type of call to action.

If you take an already popular product and make it one-of-a-kind your customers will climb all over each other to get it.

You may only sell 50 units or less of the product, but the buzz you create for your store is priceless. Plus people will start checking back with you for the next opportunity to get a limited edition item.

Now you have some ideas to get you going. Try combining these ideas and make as many changes as you can to them. Make your promotions unique and original, people love fun ways to spend money, so offer a stimulating promotion and get a leg up on the competition.

Till next time

Happy advertising!

Reza