Effective Advertising: Understanding When, How And Why Ads Work.

Day-in and day-out, we are bombarded with advertisements. From our phones, TV sets, in traffic on the high way and even from our very own friends. We have short attention spans as a result and are always aroused from our states of relaxation because, well, that is the purpose of advertisement; to grab your attention for the longest possible time. In this regard the mere concept of ads may seem the bane of our existence but this is not always so. Of course advertisements have this special kind of effect on us, that help us decide which option really, is better for us. In the world of marketing, where we hope to promote a brand’s positive image, it is important to understand the nuances of advertising, as well as how to better harness its incredible power. This article provides a short summary on effective advertising; understanding when, how and why ads work. So stay tuned as we delve into a world of Marketing and PR.

Table of Contents

Advertising to Consumers

The Effectiveness of advertisements depend on Consumer Satisfaction, Endorsements through Word-of -mouth, the price, mediums of advertisement and carryover (the delay in the effect of the advertisement over a period time, eventually unfazing consumers).

Branding

A Brand is a Distinguishable Name, easily noticed and considered authentic in the eyes of consumers. Tips to successful advertising include creating needs, repetition (1-3 exposures) and humour. A brand’s ability to be pervasive while eliminating competition by offering improved products determines its success.

Furthermore, brands with subliminal (subtle) advertising, a a clear appeal with strong arguments and a memorable slogan ensure a short advertising carryover (people tend to remember the product or brand for longer periods). Alan states in his book that Novelty is the key to effective advertising, together with emotional appeal and endorsements. Also, the fact that ads affect loyals and non-users differently should be taken into consideration .

Why We Advertise

We advertise when supply exceeds demand, when knowledge of the brand is low and when people have low confidence in the brand.

What Causes Resistance

Selective attention, perception, interpretation and retention.

Ways of Measuring Ad Effectiveness

Reach, rating, frequency, total rating points, state of mind and the intensity of ad exposure.

Also, advertisement intensity depends on ad weight (budget) and level of behavioural change.

Advertisement Elasticity

This refers to the percentage of change in success, or market share for a 1% change in advertisement. Ad frequency relates directly to the budget and in turn affects exposure. Established brands elicit a different response as compared to new brands.

Persuasion

Ability to evaluate a message, motivation, strength of an argument and exposure increase the preference for a product.

Soft-Sell Ad

These are also known as subliminal ads. Repetition frequency increases familiarity (knowledge, experience and loyalty). Message novelty is also effective because it deviates from the same old ads people see. When messages are complex and rich in ambiguity, they require multiple exposures which in turn promote familiarity and trust. Also, conditioning influences more than they realise, especially when they are consistently exposed to certain stimuli in order to help form a certain relationship or association with a product.

Argument

Brands appeal to consumers by clearly stating that they will defend their costumers from impending danger. Also, framing makes competitors seem less desirable to consumers. Finally, supportive arguments make use of enunciating attributes of a brand without comparing rival groups.

Emotion

Emotion is a powerful tool which can either turn a friend into a foe or an enemy into an ally. One can either use implicit, explicit or associative emotion arousal techniques. Implicit methods are unconscious and subtle without making direct claims whereas explicit methods use stimuli e.g. graphics to bring to surface, emotions such as anger, joy, pride or guilt. On the other hand, associative methods involve linking brands to emotions that have no business dealing with each other. For instance, a Nike sneaker associated with warmth, belongingness and pride.

Ways of conveying emotions

Drama, story, demonstration, humour (painless ambiguity), music and leisure convey emotions effectively.

Endorsement

Endorsements make a lot of difference in our world today. People follow celebrities eagerly, wanting to be like them and picking up habits along the way. They trust said people, holding their interests and endorsements in high esteem. Therefore it is important to collaborate with high-ranking members of society.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the whys, hows and whens of advertisements. We learned that we can convey the right message when we associate a brand with desirable emotions, practice advertisement repetitions, use humour in our arguments and endorse our products in the eyes of consumers. These tips can be used in any life sphere; be it business or personal.

Thanks for the read and see you next time.

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