Anatomy of an Effective Ad
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In today’s brave new world where social media appears to dominate, advertising through traditional means is still a viable strategy for creating brand awareness and selling product. Of course, the ad must be executed well to be effective. The average American is exposed to hundreds, if not thousands of marketing messages each and every day. Therefore, creating an ad that will “break through the clutter” can be a daunting task. Understanding the anatomy of an effective advertisement will increase the probability for achieving these objectives: getting noticed, being memorable and persuading action.
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Talking to your target and being heard
Working within the children’s category, it’s understood that for most companies the consumer target is “mom.” However, mom is a very broad target. Moms are women with varying tastes and behaviors. There are a number of strategies that can be successful when reaching out to mom. With Huggies, or example, they needed to talk to mom in a way that was going to get her attention. Competing against a brand whose recognition was so strong its name was interchangeable with the category, the company really needed to be creative. Here is a situation where product efficacy is a category requirement and it would be difficult to convince mom one product is more efficacious than another. Huggies took a different tact. Using an emotional insight that only a parent would “get” and imagery that compelled most people to stop and take a second look, Huggies embarked on an ad strategy that not only captured the attention of mothers, but also convinced a great many of them to purchase their products.
You only have a few seconds to make an impression
Anyone who’s every flipped through a magazine knows that if the content doesn’t grab you, it will be overlooked. Dependent upon the publication, there could be upwards of 50 advertisements vying for attention. The element that’s going to stop someone cold from flipping past your ad is the imagery. Dependent upon who the target is will determine if the imagery will reach out to them or not. The imagery needs to speak to their sensibilities and interests, information that can be revealed through market research. A stark image of the product alone, with some exceptions, will not achieve this goal.
In our sample ad, Huggies chose to use the image of a baby with an expression not usually seen in infants and a pose that is reminiscent of an adult. This visual contradiction causes one to pause to understand the context of the image. This pause is exactly what you are seeking, because now the viewer of the ad has been intrigued and will spend a few more seconds reviewing the advertisement.
What to do now that you’ve got their attention
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but most likely you will need to do a little explaining to communicate your desired objective. You’ve been granted a couple more seconds of your consumer’s time, so don’t overwhelm the reader with paragraphs of text. Short, succinct copy communicating one important message is your best bet to ensure that your message is received and internalized. The copy should support the imagery and be in a font that is legible.
Huggies “Don’t irritate your new boss” copy is both insightful and clever. It’s insightful because as a new parent you feel like your newborn is now your boss. It’s clever because it uses the verb irritate as a double entendre given the featured product is for sensitive baby wipes. Most people will get that irritate is the key word and then look to find the company logo to see what product the phrase is about. Attracted to the imagery and copy, mom will most likely remember this advertisement. Next time she is shopping for sensitive wipes, there is a good chance she will recall this ad. The probability of her purchasing Huggies over the competition is now greater because she has an associated positive experience with the brand, having seen the ad and being intrigued by it.
Ad anatomy in review
The Huggies ad is effective because it caused mom to stop her flipping due to the striking imagery. Mom was able to read the copy because it was short and succinct. She wanted to understand the context of the copy so she looked for the product it was referring to and was able to do all this in a matter of seconds. Now, the next time she needs to make a purchase, the probability of purchasing the featured product has been increased since mom now has an associated positive experience with the brand/product. In a world with no guarantees, effective advertisements do not ensure a purchase but they certainly promote awareness and affinity towards a brand/product, which then amplifies the probability for increased revenue.
About Insights Discovered
Penny Redlin of Insights Discovered is a guest expert on The Giggle Guide™. She is a regular contributor to the “Business Sense” feature, sharing insights about business planning and marketing strategies. To read more articles by Penny Redlin, see http://thegiggleguide.com/biz/features/business-sense
Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Insights Discovered was founded by Penny Redlin in an effort to share her professional expertise within the children’s product category. The company’s mission is to give every mompreneur an opportunity for success. Insights Discovered exclusively services children’s products brands. The specific industry focus demonstrates a strong dedication to the unique needs of children’s products companies. Insights Discovered offers strategic planning, market research and traditional marketing services.
For more information, visit www.insightsdiscovered.com or call 702.218.5707
