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Advertising Strategy

Advertising, Design & Creative Aspects of

Marketing Communications

Chris Price-International Director, MJD Consultancy


If you dont do any advertising/marketing promotions (with good creative) something terrible happens

NOTHING


What you are trying to do.


What you are NOT trying to do.


OK, but first we need to understand channel management as this affects creative and design aspects to a large extent..


Creating awareness though marketing communications

Customers see and hear all sortsof messages

TV commercials Press ads Direct Mail packs Posters Telephone Calls Radio ads Banner Ads Email messages

What do we mean?

More than just having a few channels More than just having matching creative Looking for real synergies Looking for the media multiplier The balance between on and off line Using each channel at their best The ideal marketing mix


Understand your target audiences preferences..

But note this can be nationally specific!)


Integrating marketing communications

They dont care about lines

On or off? Above or below? To them, its all just marketing noise

So lets forget about all the lines

The Internet Advertising Bureau issaying

Smart marketers integrate their campaigns,with online advertising working in partnershipwith TV, print, radio and other channels


Whats really important is standing out from the crowd

Any Multi-channel communications strategy needs strong, creative and purposeful design and thats why this is important! Otherwise you can spend serious $s that could be wasted and usually is.


What makes a good advert with strong creative?What makes a good advert with strong creative?

Communicate with your audience in a way they wish to be Communicate with your audience in a way they wish to be

communicated too (so get to know them!)communicated too (so get to know them!)

DonDont state the obvious (education institutions often do!)t state the obvious (education institutions often do!)

Understand format effects design (banner, tower, pop up,?) and Understand format effects design (banner, tower, pop up,?) and

placement (classified, run of paperplacement (classified, run of paper top, side, embedded?)top, side, embedded?)

Remember AIDARemember AIDA-- the classic formula used by advertisers and itthe classic formula used by advertisers and its well s well

worth remembering. worth remembering. AAttention, ttention, IInterest, nterest, DDesire, esire, AActionction

Strong Strong calls to actioncalls to action

Your HEADLINE can be the most important part of your advertYour HEADLINE can be the most important part of your advert


HEADLINESHEADLINES

In the ad itself the most important element is the headline. In the ad itself the most important element is the headline. The headline is either the heading that goes at the top of thThe headline is either the heading that goes at the top of the ad or if theree ad or if theres no heading its no heading its the s the first words of the ad. first words of the ad. If you're on the radio it's the first thing people hear. If iIf you're on the radio it's the first thing people hear. If it's TV it's the first thing they see and hear. t's TV it's the first thing they see and hear. The headline needs to grab peoplesThe headline needs to grab peoples attention. One change in a headline can produce a 50attention. One change in a headline can produce a 50--100% 100% increase in response.increase in response.

One of the biggest challenges that any print advertiser faces isOne of the biggest challenges that any print advertiser faces is getting people to read their ad getting people to read their ad let let alone for the ad to produce a result. So the main purpose of thealone for the ad to produce a result. So the main purpose of the headline is not to sell your product headline is not to sell your product itits just to get people to read your ad.s just to get people to read your ad.

The headline should be about your readers The headline should be about your readers not about you. If your headline has the name of your not about you. If your headline has the name of your business in it, you are probably losing out. Imagine you owned abusiness in it, you are probably losing out. Imagine you owned a company selling $20 fire alarms. company selling $20 fire alarms.

Which of these headlines do you think would be most likely to geWhich of these headlines do you think would be most likely to get the readert the readers attention:s attention:

Simpson Fire Alarms Simpson Fire Alarms -- Your Guarantee of SafetyYour Guarantee of Safety

OROR

Is your Family's Life worth the price of a round of Drinks?Is your Family's Life worth the price of a round of Drinks?


REMEMBER AIDAREMEMBER AIDA

If you follow this formula in every ad that you write or produceIf you follow this formula in every ad that you write or produce, you will greatly increase your , you will greatly increase your chances of success.chances of success.

Attention Attention the first thing your ad needs to do is grab the readerthe first thing your ad needs to do is grab the readers attention. You achieve this s attention. You achieve this with your headline.with your headline.

InterestInterest once youonce youve got their attention, you need to create an interest in your pve got their attention, you need to create an interest in your product or roduct or service.service.

DesireDesire There is a big difference between being interested in a productThere is a big difference between being interested in a product or service and desiring or service and desiring it. You need to convert the readerit. You need to convert the readers interest into a strong desire for what you are offering.s interest into a strong desire for what you are offering.

Action Action -- Even if someone desires what you have, it is not enough until tEven if someone desires what you have, it is not enough until they take action. At the hey take action. At the end of the ad you need a call to action. Tell people exactly whaend of the ad you need a call to action. Tell people exactly what they need to do to follow t they need to do to follow through and make it easy for them to do so. This is where many pthrough and make it easy for them to do so. This is where many people go wrong. Even if you eople go wrong. Even if you

have a good ad, you still need to tell people precisely what to have a good ad, you still need to tell people precisely what to do do -- how to take actionhow to take action.Think creatively in terms of calls to action i.e. landing pages (www.city.ac.uk/cpm/visits2009) guerilla campaigns (canwehaveourballback.co.uk)


The Creative Approach/ProcessThe Creative Approach/ProcessDifferentiation is key. Differentiation is key.

A strong creative that addresses important decision factors is gA strong creative that addresses important decision factors is going to stand oing to stand

you apart from your competitors. you apart from your competitors.

Important that your creative neatly sits alongside the other mesImportant that your creative neatly sits alongside the other messages sages

communicated by the institution something that many other communicated by the institution something that many other organisationsorganisations

find difficult to achieve through a lack of understanding of marfind difficult to achieve through a lack of understanding of markets. kets.

Have a coordinated creative approach that appeals to a diverse aHave a coordinated creative approach that appeals to a diverse and nd

demanding student population. demanding student population.

The Brief The Brief be explicit and have aims and objectives.be explicit and have aims and objectives.

Allow Allow creativitycreativity within boundaries (but within boundaries (but anything goesanything goes to start with. You can to start with. You can

always drop overly radical ideas later)always drop overly radical ideas later)

Brain storm ideas and test them.Brain storm ideas and test them.

Understand the levels of involvement required by you and your crUnderstand the levels of involvement required by you and your creative eative

team.team.

Ask for options or if you are involved in the entire process theAsk for options or if you are involved in the entire process then synthesise n synthesise

the ideas into an outcome.the ideas into an outcome.


What makes a good creative design for advertising?What makes a good creative design for advertising?

The The branding brainstormbranding brainstorm

-- The The Value Value Proposition(sProposition(s)) finding differentiationfinding differentiation

-- Corporate guidelinesCorporate guidelines

-- Images and IconsImages and Icons

-- Keep it simple but be Keep it simple but be creativecreative

-- Differentiate (avoid saying what everyone else does!)Differentiate (avoid saying what everyone else does!)

-- Be consistent (for branding)Be consistent (for branding)

-- Test your ideas and on your students not yourselves!Test your ideas and on your students not yourselves!


Exercise- publications review


Example of creative development from cluttered to bold


Example of creative development using focus groups


Example of creative design integrated for on and off line campaigns


Flag of Netherland and Netherland in Chinese

Leader Board (Ad space)

Study Abroad Sub channel Name

Recommended Readings

Tool

Bar

INHolland Banner

Guidance

for choosing school

College

profile

College Ranking

How it looks on the page


The Results? Case Study of success In Holland- targeted on line positioning campaign with good creative/branding

Campaigns running in; India, China, Germany, Russia, Poland & on key global and local specialist aggregators.Results (annualized); 18m Page impressions and >21,000 leads generated


Busy markets: you need to stand out Sensitivity to international markets Works with UK communications

creativity

MJD creative campaign example

working internationally


Conclusions- Some final tips from an insider

What are you trying to achieve?

If your Advertising isnt working STOP IT! And go back to the drawing board.

Only use Direct Response Advertising- unless you are doing purebranding or launching new products

Metrics- testing and measuring

Never pay the full rate for advertising

Benefits, Benefits, Benefits

Dont follow the competition

Dont buy into the myth that advertising is essential for your business success- its important but only a part of the marketing mix

Get the services of an insider (ensure they are cash back MJDs 30-40% rule)