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Blogs, Podcasting and RSS | eCommerce Impact
Blogs, Podcasting, and RSS Overview You probably have heard all
these terms an awful lot lately. You wonder about what these
technologies do? What value to they provide? If you aren't up to
speed on these new applications and how they are...
Brand Big--Deliver a Great Experience
How the experience you offer drives your brand
Want to Land Your Brand? Deliver a Great Experience. By Karen Post
How does Starbucks get away with charging $3.50 for a cup of coffee when there’s plenty of good coffee for a lot less all over...
Growing your Company in today's Chaotic Market!
I think we've all heard enough bad news to last us few months to last us several lifetimes! Our mantra for clients is "get over it" - cut your losses when where you can and focus on the basic building blocks to grow your business. Here are some...
The 5 W's of World Class Customer Service Training
The preamble to the United States Constitution begins, ¡¥we, the people.¡¦ I feel strongly that we, the people, are what make the difference in life, both personally and professionally. The interaction anyone has at any level with your...
When Do You Stop Marketing To Customers?
Are you afraid of alienating your customer with your marketing? Do you always feel like a stranger in their inbox? Do you have marketing strategies specifically designed to tell you when to keep marketing, and when to stop? Well, stop looking so...
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Is Your Ad Killing Your Brand?
by Karon Thackston © 2002
http://www.copywritingcourse.com
It’s funny to me how companies spend thousands of dollars to develop a brand only to wreck it when they create their advertising campaigns. They pour over colors, fonts, logo designs, Web site creation, USPs, and target audience analyses. But then, when it’s time to bring their message to the public, it all falls apart.
Case in point: a local technical college in my town has recently begun to run a television campaign. This institution previously had an image of providing cutting-edge training on technically based vocations. They have spent the last several years touting how high-tech their facilities are, and how leading edge their curriculums are. That’s why I can’t image what happened during the production of this ad.
The background music is slow and rather classical. The pictures are of smiling students carrying books, and of one of the oldest buildings on the campus. The copy did do its job. The copy mentioned how the workplace was changing and becoming more advanced day-by-day. It talked about how even the simplest of jobs now require at least some technological “know-how.” But the clash between the copy and the imagery was painfully obvious.
What would I have done differently? I would have chosen each element with the express purpose of supporting the brand. The music would have been more upbeat and modern. The images would have been of students working at computers, or in engineering labs. The closing shot would not have been one of the oldest, stodgiest building on campus, but of the new stucco and glass building they added 2 years ago.
The end result *could* have been an ad that
completely portrayed the innovative and advanced curriculums offered by this technology-based school. The copy, the visuals, and the music all working in harmony would bring about a much larger response, and would also reinforce the brand this institution has worked so hard to create.
When you create advertising pieces for your company, look for the branding aspects of each, individual element. As you work through the process, ask yourself these questions:
·What identity am I attempting to portray?
·Do the graphics reinforce that identity?
·Does the music support my brand?
·Is the copy descriptive of aspects related to the brand?
·Do the colors fall in line with how I want to be viewed?
·Is the medium itself appropriate to my brand?
When the final product (whether it be a piece for TV, radio, the Web, or print) is completed, show it to several people who are unfamiliar with your organization. Ask them to describe the “essence” of your business based on this one piece. If your combination is put together right, they’ll be able to do just that.
When you pay close attention to each element you’ll have a powerful end result. When everything works in concert, you will have a much more beneficial campaign that works to contribute to your branding efforts rather than destroy them.
About the Author
Copy not getting results? Visit Karon online at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or let Karon teach you to write like a pro! Boost your sales and your search engine rankings with The Step-by-Step Copywriting Course. Not just an ebook... a complete course including LIVE feedback. Get yours - and 3 FREE bonuses - today! http://www.copywritingcourse.com
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