Last weekend I wandered into a fantastic furniture and homewares store on a quest for inspiration for my under-construction home. Later that day, I saw the same store advertised on TV – which completely confused me. The ad portrayed this store in such a way that I would never dream of entering it, but the store itself was simply fantastic. As a customer potentially willing to spend an entire first home buyers grant on home furnishings, the ad was completely lost on me. From a marketing perspective, this is great example of why perception is everything when it comes to advertising.
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Advertising and branding is all around us from the time we wake up to the time we sleep. We all know that our eyes are being bombarded by visual signs telling us that the mobile phone we use is a ‘Motorola’ or ‘Nokia’ etc. The label on the can of deodorant we put on this morning reminds us that it is ‘Lynx’. (Interestingly I don’t use ‘Lynx’, but when I thought what brand would I use as an example here, ‘Lynx’ instantly popped into my head, now that shows the power of their marketing).
Having been exposed to the ‘behind the scenes’ side of advertising for years and having studied the persuasive techniques marketing companies use, I guess I am a little more cautious when it comes to advertising than most people. I analyse advertising and try to decipher what the advertiser was trying to achieve and what techniques they have used to do this, rather than just absorb it passively. To a degree I assumed this is what most people must do but after a discussion with some friends the other day I was proven very wrong.
Food manufacturers, supermarket chains and even the fast food giants like McDonalds have all tried the ‘where did my product come from’ tactic to either expel myths about overseas production, an overdose of preservatives, or to create a level of authenticity. The ‘fresh market updates’ we are all now seeing on TV are a prime example of Woolworths trying to break down the ‘national supermarket giant’ perception. I’d like to introduce you to one wholly Australian owned company implementing the grass roots concept so well that we could all learn from them, Woolworths and McDonalds included.
At some point during their marketing efforts almost every business will need to use imagery in the form of photographs. The choice of images can make or break a design piece or advertisement so it is essential to choose images that convey the appropriate message, are technically suitable for the job and work within the branding.
The first rule of advertising to achieve maximum impact is simple – ‘Keep it simple stupid’.
Make the message short, straight to the point and don’t clutter the visual space.
There is no denying that many businesses are feeling the ‘cash flow pinch’, one of the more obvious indicators of this economic crisis (not recession) that we’re all experiencing. One way to alleviate some of the problem is to look at ways to guarantee a steady monthly or weekly income from areas which require relatively no outgoing costs or maintenance. Many businesses know that advertising costs them money, but what about making some money from advertising for a change? Read on for some great ideas that any business can implement.