Advertising, Creative, Marketing

Hi there! We need to talk. I couldn’t help but notice that your advertising is falling a bit flat these days. Don’t get defensive just yet: this happens to more companies than you might think. You fall into the same old, same old pattern that everyone is doing and eventually our fearless consumer can’t tell (or simply doesn’t care) that your product is The Best Product Ever!™ because they cannot for the life of them distinguish you between all the other noise they’re hearing on the daily. Look, buddy, I’m not even going to ask you how you got into my office. I don’t have the budget or creative genius required for high-profile advertising – I’m just trying to get my message out there! Fear not, I have good news. You don’t have to be a genius or have a huge budget to put forth some truly stellar work. Unfortunately, your refusal to believe that there are better ideas out there on the creative horizon are holding you back. Let me show you how to cut the cord and banish boring advertising copy to historical archives (where it belongs.)

Push a few boundaries.

I’m not talking about deciding to litter your copy with profanity or calling out your competition or any number of ways you may take this tip and twist it into an excuse to behave badly. I’m talking about playing on words – and to stop taking yourself so seriously! Geez! The last thing you want to do is cause an uproar and have your consumers clamoring at your office doors for an advertisement copy that brought you and your coworkers to tears (it was just so funny, you didn’t mean any harm!) a week ago. There is a very fine line between tongue-in-cheek-advertisements and now-society-hates-you copy that could land you, and your product, in hot water. This advertisement is clearly labeled towards the younger demographic but it’s also a clever play on words. It pushes a few boundaries but it offers a delicious alternative to America’s Favorite Pastime (wait, I thought that was baseball?). Make the consumer smile and shake his head. I need some camaraderie in these copies! Walk the fine line of pushing a few boundaries in your copy and you will reap the benefits.

Make ‘em cry

Okay, you say to me, I see where you’re coming from – but my product can’t be sold like that. I’m selling baby diapers, wrinkle cream, life insurance! This leads me to the second tip of the day: resonate with the consumer by going the sentimental high road. I’m a firm believer that if you are making the target audience laugh or cry you’re doing a good job. People remember the things that make them laugh, and the things that make them cry. https://youtu.be/Cjq50t_-JFo I have sobbed in public places due to the MetLife Hong Kong commercial. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. This is of course a large-budget kind of execution, but the sentiments are the same. If you can get your advertisement to resonate with the consumer you will not soon be forgotten. Advertisements that preach happy, generic smiling faces are advertisements that make me yawn, what else is around for me to look at? Here I believe is a two in one: pushes some boundaries with the imagery but also catches the eye and makes a person think about what the advertisement is really trying to say. They may stop, be intrigued, and want to learn more. If you are trying to speak upon the dangers of emotional abuse by showcasing a happy child who has already worked past their abuse, your audience will not be so captivated. After all, that child is safe and happy now, so why should they worry? Another cool example of hitting the sentimental button in a consumer’s brain.

Guerilla Marketing

This is easily one of the best, low-budget, high-recognition advertising strategies out there. And trust me when I say, it certainly won’t be boring. If you’re anything like me (and I hope you are not) when you first heard of Guerilla Marketing your initial thought was: What the hell is Guerilla Marketing? In which case my ever-patient professor went on to explain it and all was made clear. Therefore in this same knowledge-sharing spirit, let me explain Guerilla marketing to you. This is Guerilla marketing: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wordstream.com%2Fimages%2Fmr.clean-urban-marketing.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wordstream.com%2Fblog%2Fws%2F2014%2F09%2F22%2Fguerrilla-marketing-examples&docid=ITbQopbSaxkNXM&tbnid=sVC_qo5kUxXSiM%3A&vet=1&w=600&h=399&client=safari&bih=696&biw=788&q=Guerilla%20marketing&ved=0ahUKEwiH8ZqX6dHRAhVn6IMKHZSnAfwQMwitASgAMAA&iact=mrc&uact=8 This is Guerilla marketing: http://favbulous.stfi.re/post/1278/80-creative-ads-campaigns?sf=yoklopo And this is Guerilla marketing: Guerilla marketing is essentially displaying some ingenuity when it comes to your advertisements and the environment around you. It’s difficult to find advertisements more engaging than the ones Guerilla marketers come up with. Consider where your target demographic frequents and scope the area out. Now for the fun part: making use of those spaces.The park bench is now an advertisement, the floor you walk on, the wall you lean on. It’s hard to ignore. For a low budget campaign, Guerilla marketing can be a cost-effective option that reaches a lot of foot traffic. I hope with a little creative elbow grease you can finally ditch the boring advertising copy you have burdened yourself with and enter into the world of actually surpassing your sales quota. Alright, I know, a little harsh – but a good marketer recognizes that the world is saturated enough as it is with flashy advertisements. An advertisement that can make a person stop for even two seconds and think – “Huh” – is a brand that is on its way to success.