Page 152 - Duct Tape Marketing

136 Part III: Creating and Placing Ads

By definition, advertising is how businesses inform and persuade potential
and current customers through messages purchased in various media such
as newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations, outdoor boards, and
Web sites.

Image versus product advertising

Marketers talk about brand advertising, product advertising, promotional
advertising, call-to-action advertising, and other terms capable of setting
your head spinning. Basically, ads fall into two categories: ads that promote a
company’s image and ads that aim to prompt a consumer action, as described
in the following two definitions:

If an ad’s sole purpose is to build awareness and interest, it is consid-
ered an image ad. Image ads are also called brand ads or institutional ads.
If an ad’s sole purpose is to present an offer and prompt a correspond-
ing action, it is considered a product ad. Product ads are also called
promotional ads, response ads, or call-to-action ads.

Image-plus-product advertising —
the have-it-all approach

Brand advertising is an indulgence that many small businesses, who need
every ad to deliver a measurable prospect action, can’t afford. Yet call-to-
action advertising works best if the prospect already has a favorable impres-
sion of the company — achieved through brand advertising.

It’s a classic catch-22, but one with a good solution.

Instead of choosing between brand ads and product ads, choose total-
approach ads that build brand awareness, present your offer, and prompt
consumer action. To create ads that do double and triple duty, follow these
steps:

1. Establish a creative strategy to reign over the creation of all ads,
brochures, and communications in your marketing program.
See Chapter 7 for step-by-step advice on how to define a creative strat-
egy and uniform look for your communications — and how to build a
strong brand image as a result.

2. Establish a creative brief to guide the development of each new ad or
other communication effort.