Book recommendation

I just finished "Unthinking--The Surprising Forces Behind What We Buy" by Harry Beckwith. I found this to be an excellent book for those of us in sales and marketing. Beckwith touches on many psychological and cultural factors that affect the way we see the world and make buying decisions. He makes this information approachable to the layman by using real world case studies. This book can help the sales person understand the psychology of buying and how design affects the response to an ad. I strongly recommend Beckwith's book.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim B.

The eight techniques of stopping power

I found this in a copy of "The Young & Rubicam Traveling Creative Workshop" which I picked up recently at a local library sale. This may be the best $1 I have ever spent as this book is packed with great ideas on selling and designing powerful advertising.

Here are the techniques they use to get people to read your ads My thoughts on each are in blue:

1. Open-minded narrative (picture or thought) in which the resolution is not presented. "The biggest problem in America today" Curiosity makes you read on.


2. Ironic twists on ordinary behavior. "Man bites dog" makes you want to know the rest of the story.


3. Play on words in the headline. "You have to believe it to see it."


4. Incongruity of visual elements and/or words by unusual juxtaposition of elements. This is Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" idea. We are attracted to things that break expected patterns.


5. Exaggeration "Without a doubt this is the best blog ever written" You want to read on to see if this is true or more likely to prove the writer wrong.


6. Simplification. A good example of this is lots of white space in a generally cluttered publication.


7. Shocking visual and/or headline. A local heating and cooling company is running ads headlined "You wife is hot!" in large type over a message in small type that says "buy her a new air conditioner" Gets your attention."


8. Participation visuals (e.g. tests, games, multiple visuals) Everyone likes to be challenged.

I think these are all great ways to grab attention for your customer's ad.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Balance in an ad

I was just working with one of my reps and a "Cash for Gold" client. Their ad has a lot to offer. The have multiple location, offer fair prices and have a good reputation and BBB rating. The problem is that their ad as no dominant element. When readers look at the ad 5 or 6 large elements compete for their attention. This can be very distracting and cause the reader to move on without acting on the ad. Keep the AIDA formula (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) in mind when designing an ad. Use a dominant element such as a bold headline or graphic to draw the reader's attention into the ad. Once you have grabbed them by the eyeballs make sure the flow of the copy leads them through the ad (and the AIDA process) The copy should flow from left to right and top to bottom like the page in a book. It should grab their attention, tell them why they should be interested, increase their desire with an offer and then encourage action with a phone number or a coupon. Making the ad easy to follow and using this process will generate far better results for the advertiser.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

The test of a great ad

Customer's are famous for placing their name at the top of an ad in huge type. They then like to fill the every remaining square millimeter of the ad with 6 point copy. The end result is a grey blot on the page. Customers will argue at they can read everything in the ad. This is true when you are focusing on the ad in the paper or on a print out. This does not replicate the experience of your readers. They are flipping through your paper or reading through the line ads. To attract their attention the ad must shout out what it is promoting. A way to simulate this is to hold the page up and walk 8 or 10 feet away. Can you easily recognize what the ad is selling? Does the art or the headline tell what it is about? Holding the ad at a distance simulates the experience of the reader hurrying through the paper or just glancing at the ads. If you can't immediately identify the subject of the ad at a distance the typical reader will miss it as well. Try this with your customers. (It is a good idea to have some examples of good ads picked out so you can demonstrate the difference)

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Consistant varety

Today I saw a piece on CBS Sunday morning about the team of artists would design the "Google Doodles." These are the creative treatments of the Google logo that they feature on their home page. This is a good illustration of what I call "consistent variety." We tell our customers about the benefits of consistency but the downside is that the ad can get boring. Like the billboards we pass everyday, after the first time or two they fade into the landscape. I like to use a standardized format for an ad using a logo and the same basic layout. This makes the ad easily recognizable to the regular reader. The key is to change our the offer to keep the ad fresh. Using this combination helps the reader to find the ad quickly and makes them to want to find it by offering them something new. If it is good enough for Google, it is good enough for your advertisers.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim B.

What's important to the reader?

I was helping a rep work out the copy for a customer's ad. The customer felt that the headline should tell readers "Family owned since 1949." The customer was very proud of the longevity of his business but is this a good lead for the ad? Do readers really care how long a business has existed? Will they look at the headline and think "So What!" or even worse think "They're probably out of date." An ad should speak to the reader and tell them how our customer's business can help them. Our job is to create the best ad for our clients. Sometimes we need to confront our customers and challenge their assumptions. Remind them that we are the advertising experts and that we know what we're talking about. They can still tell people they've been in business for 60 years, but they need to tell customers why they are better than the competition if they want to survive for another 60.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Put a face on your ads

According to a NAA study ads which feature a photograph of a person draws 25% more attention than ads without one. We are naturally inclined to look at other people. A face on photo that simulates eye contact is particularly effective. If the person is attractive and appears to be enjoying themselves the ad will pull even more.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Constantly Collect Ideas

I am blogging tonight from the rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I am on my way to teach at the AFCP annual conference in Tucson. Today I walked the south rim of the canyon, bought a few souvenirs for my grandson, took a lot of pictures and bought every local paper I could find. Whenever I am out of town or even out on calls in my own area, I pickup or buy every paper I see. When I get a moment I will go through the papers page by page looking for good ideas. I look for promo ideas, good ad layouts, powerful headlines and anything else i might be able to use. I keep an "idea" file with ads filed by business type plus sections labeled "promos", "headlines" etc. When I need an idea I consult my file and usually find something I can adapt to my need. (I also include design and copy ideas I find in national publications and magazines) Creativity is nothing more than having a stock of good ideas in the bank and knowing which one to pick.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Where is the "Why"

I may have just found the worst print ad in history. It is a full page process color ad for a restaurant. The name/logo of the establishment takes up approximately 25% of the space. The phone number and address plus a huge Free Delivery take up about another 15%. The balance of the ad is their entire menu set in about 6 point type against a dark beige background. My middle age eyes can not decipher this copy even with the aid of my bifocals. While the ad lists and describes every item on the menu, one thing is notably missing from this ad--the "WHY". The ad doesn't tell a potential customer why they should give this restaurant a try. No where does it tell them that the "food is delicious" or that the "prices are unbeatable". There is nothing that distinguishes this restaurant from its' competitors. A strong benefit oriented headline would make this ad much stronger. As it stands the ad is a very expensive way to deliver a menu to their existing customer base.

Keep Smiling Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Get the customer involved

Most business people hate advertising but love ads. They hate advertising because it costs money and requires them to make a decisions. Often, they feel like they are out of their element because they don't fully understand the advertising business. They love ads because their ad tells the story of their business. Everyone like to see their name in print. People also enjoy working on their ad because it gives them an opportunity to be creative. I have seen busy people linger over small details in an ad because they are engaged by the design process. You need to keep control of the process (You are the advertising professional) but get the customer involved. Ask questions about what how they want the ad to look. Praise them for good suggestions. If you get the customer involved in the design process, they will take ownership and are more likely to be pleased with the program. They may even look forward to your visit.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

"Angling" to get your ad read

People notice things that are out of the ordinary. When you scan a page of any publication, most of the elements on the page are either perfectly horizontal (Lines of Copy) or perfectly vertical (Columns). If you want to standout break this pattern. Try placing a major element of an ad on an angle. Place the headline through the center of the ad, angle an illustration. This takes a little more work but will really make your ad stand out.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Make It Easy on the Reader

Here are some tips from Steve Cone's 2005 book Steal These Ideas--Marketing Secrets That Will Make You A Star.

Cone suggests following these rules to make you ads easy to read:

1. Always use serif type. Serif type means the each letter is finished off with a little foot that helps the eye literally finish seeing the letter
2. If you must use sans-serif type, apply it to bold headlines only
3. Always refuse to use reverse type, it is simply too difficult to read
4. Always imagine that your readers are 55 or older and choose a type size that is kind to their eyes.

Mr. Cone's book is well worth reading and packed full or valuable ideas. I would add a couple of points to his comments on "readability". I think a lot about contrast. The easiest thing to read is black type on a white background because of the great contrast. I recently saw an ad with purple type on a light red background, very artsy but almost impossible to read. These two colors are much too close on the color spectrum. Also small type that is clear on white bond paper from your computer's printer may blur when printed on newsprint.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks--Jim Busch

What's working in Pittsbugh

At the Pittsburgh Pennysaver we sell a lot of print & deliver inserts (3.5 million in the avg. week). These are available in a variety of sizes and papers. We do a lot of restaurants, pizza shops and other businesses that like to do coupons. One design is particularly popular because it highlights the coupons and gets a great response.

We sell an 11 X 17 flyer that is folded twice. The key to this design is that the first fold is made 2" t0 2-1/2" off center. In other words, instead of making the fold at the 8-1/2" point we make it 11" from the end. When the piece is folded again, this time in the center, a 2-1/2" tab is created. We lay out the piece so this tap is where the coupons are located. When a reader opens the piece the coupons "Pop". This effect can be enhanced even further by printing the coupons in a contrasting color.

Here is a diagram that may help. Please note that I obviously do not have a graphics department.

On several occasions, this idea has helped me to close a sale.

Keep smiling, keep selling.

Thanks Jim Busch

Give it a glance

Ads should clearly communicate what an advertiser does for a living. You should be able to glance at an ad and tell from the art and/or a prominent headline what they do. I sometimes will hold up an ad, back up 5 or 6 feet and ask a customer to tell me what the ad is about. I believe this simulates the way consumers view our products. While we carefully review an ad, they often skim through our publications. If they are in the market for auto repairs an ad that features an illustration of a mechanic under the hood will grab their attention and they will read further. The artwork should shout out what the customer's business does. Remind customers of the AIDA formula: Attention--Interest--Desire--Action. They might think it is cute to put their dog's picture in an ad, but unless they own a pet shop, this is the wrong message to send your readers. Ads should say what they do with just a cursory glance.

Keep smiling, keep selling

Thanks--Jim Busch

Photos in an ad.

A few weeks ago one of the reps I work with asked me to visit an advertiser with him. The client was ready to cancel their ad because it wasn't generating a response. I talked to the client, the owner of a middle eastern restaurant, and reviewed her ad. The ad was a small version of their menu. It listed virtually everything they sold but was lacking one important fact...it did not mention anything about the quality of their food. I convinced the customer to cut back on the details and insert a photo into the ad. This photo of a smiling satisfied customer was captioned "I love XXXX's restaurant, the food is delicious." After two weeks of running the new program their sales significantly increased.

I believe the photo is largely responsible for the success of the ad. Scientists have recently discovered the existence of "Mirror" neurons in the human brain. These neurons keep us tuned in to the actions and emotions of those around us. (This explains why when someone yawns in your presence, you feel compelled to do the same) This is an important survival skill for social creatures like us. By including an image of someone enjoying the cuisine at the restaurant, it made the readers want to share this experience. Think about this when an advertiser wants to use a photo of their building...a picture happy smiling customers will be much more effective.

Keep smiling, keep selling.

Jim Busch