Barry Cohen of AdLab Media Communications in Clifton NJ spoke at our Hampton Roads Chapter of the America Marketing Association (HRAMA) last week. His presentation was passionate and his voice resonant with that of an experienced "ad man". Click on the title of his book to order via Amazon: "10 Ways to Screw Up an Ad Campaign"
A few take-aways (and some that are not very intuitive, either):
Curiosity-arousing ads work best. FALSE Express "benefit" 1st and "newsworthiness" 2nd, curiosity is 3rd.
A picture is worth a thousand words. FALSE A word is worth a thousand pictures.
The most important thing in an ad is the headline, followed by the caption under the photo or illustration. TRUE
People remember what they see better than what they hear. TRUE Think about all of those jingles you hear that just won't get out of your head!
To the consumer, perception is reality. TRUE Perception is culturally determined, too!
Celebrity spokespeople create better brand identities. FALSE
Companies that stopped advertising during recessions fared better than their competitors. FALSE
Price is more important to consumers than anything else. FALSE
Everyone who reads the newspaper will see your ad. FALSE Not everyone reads all parts of a newspaper; place ads in sections reads by your target market.
Outdoor advertising has the lowest cost-reach ratio of all major media. TRUE And, make certain your message can be conveyed in 9 words or less.
PR (Public Relations) doesn't drive sales. TRUE But, it does reinforce your expertise and raises your credibility quotient.
"Fish when the fish are biting." TRUE Every business has peaks and valleys. Increase promotion (fish) during those peaks (when the fish are biting) not during the valleys. Better peaks will get you through the valleys. Work smarter, not harder.
And, in my humble opinion....there is an exception for every rule!
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