Ad Strategy SBM 338 Lanny Wilke

Your Ad Strategy A plan of action that defines a goal and suggests tactics for achieving it. Provides direction for your advertising. Focuses your efforts.

Five Dimensions of Ad Strategy Identify the target market Define the product to be advertised Make a promise. (key benefit. Use a verb.) Support the promise with a feature – a rationale substantiating your claim Describe your tone Classy, funny, youth-oriented May vary from season to season, but should not change

Your Ad Strategy will take into consideration…. Your marketing strategy Your media plan The product or service Marketing perceptions Positioning strategy One thought to take away Image advertising versus response offers Your sales cycle The must-have list

Your Marketing Strategy Address the problem you’re aiming at by defining that problem. Maintaining the status quo is okay if that’s your goal

Media Plan What media will you use, how will you use it, and when will you use it? Ideally, it will be backed up by a media calendar and budget.

The Product or Service The uniqueness of the product or service you sell will fuel your search for a creative approach. Looking at the facts about the product accomplishes two goals Helps to spell out what the product is and does, and even its shortcomings Can help you find a dramatic selling slant

Market Perceptions Perception is reality in advertising. Start from where your customers are, then move them toward where you want them to be.

Positioning Strategy Summarized your strategy with regard to target market, key benefits, and competition. If you are not different from the competition, you still must choose a key benefit to promote. Challenge: find a rationale to support your claims.

One Thought to Take Away You want to change perception toward what? Make sure the ad communicates the key benefit. Features have no place here-the thought your customers take away must be a benefit they anticipate from purchasing your offering.

Image Advertising vs. Response Offers Image advertising Ads that communicate a feeling about your company Response offers Ads that convey specific news followed by a call for a specific action

Image advertising Aimed solely at creating a shift in perception. Usually used as part of a larger campaign Aimed at long-term results rather than immediate measurable response Expensive

Response advertising Also called item or order request advertising, or the news approach Poses the question: What exactly do you want your prospect to do? Close with a call to action. Often sweetened with a specific promise of reward, called the offer.

Your Sales Cycle Your advertising is just one arc of a great circle that leads customers to your store, fulfills their desire for what you’re selling, sends them away happy, and then brings them back for more. You need a plan for every phase. You ask for an action, then what? How will you track leads and sales? How will you keep up with the orders?

The Must-Have List Company & product names State how your company & product names and/or logos must be used in the advertising. Must be used consistently Tagline State how it is to be used and precisely what the wording is to be. Repetition

Contact information – be specific. Decide what locations & phone numbers need to be included, and exactly how each must be worded.

Legalities If you have made product claims that need disclosures or disclaimers, make sure you have the legal niceties taken care of. Permissions Copyrights Use rights Illustrations or photos Reproduction rights

Ad requirements Describe the ad placements you will contract for. Ad dimensions (height & width for print; run time for broadcast) Deadlines Other production specs from each magazine, newspaper, radio station, etc.

Checklist for Ad Strategy Key benefit defined Supporting rationale defined Tone defined Media plan summarized Product or service attributes described Market perceptions probed Positioning strategy completed

One thought to take away defined Image or response ad? Have you defined your offer? Sales cycle considered; response logistics worked out. Must-have list completed Company name Tagline use

Contact information Legalities and permissions Ad requirements

Design is the topic of our next meeting.