Advertising Today

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="133285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Highland Llamas</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Highland Llamas"><B>home</B></A><B>          </B><A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Published Articles"><B>Published Articles</B></A><B>          </B><A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing"><B>Marketing</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Leveraging Your Marketing $ part one">Leveraging Your Marketing $ - part one</A>   |   <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Leveraging Your Marketing $ part two">Leveraging Your Marketing $ - part two</A>   |   <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Distributing Your Llamas">Distributing Your Llamas</A>   |   <B>Advertising Today</B>   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Making Your Advertising $ Count">Making Your Advertising $ Count</A>   |   <A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Promoting a Stud Before He Comes of Age">Promoting a Stud Before He Comes of Age</A>   |   <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Farm Ranch Displays">Farm & Ranch Displays</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="132d2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <B>An Aggressive Response is Required from You in Today's Soft Market</B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B>Advertising Today</B></I></div> <div> <I>by Dan and Marilyn Milton</I></div> <bR> <div> Recall the beer commercial that featured the dog Spuds McKenzie. Ten thousand people a day wrote Spuds a letter. What does that tell you about the American advertising public? It is scary--but scarier still is that those people who wrote letters actually expected an answer. </div> <bR> <div> Well, what is an advertisement? It is a collective term for public announcements designed to promote the sale of specific commodities or services. Advertising is a form of mass selling, employed when the use of direct, person-to-person selling is impractical, impossible or simply inefficient. It is to be distinguished from other activities intended to persuade the public, such as propaganda, publicity and public relations. </div> <bR> <div> What's in It for Me?<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> According to the <I>Starch Tested Copy</I> people, the biggest advertising mistake we all make is the failure to let the reader know, "What's in it for me?" The Starch people, after testing thousands of print advertisements, conclude that too many advertisements are <I>advertiser oriented</I>. The advertiser's concerns are more important than that of the reader. In addition to telling the reader, "What's in it for me," we must follow the age old advice: "Don't just tell me, show me." </div> <bR> <div> Are Creative Advertisements Effective?<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> All clients want effective advertisements. Only about half care whether the advertisement is an award winning one or not. The common perception has been that award winning advertisements do not result in increased sales.</div> <bR> <div> To determine whether this perception is true, Donald Gunn, director of creative resources for the Leo Burnett advertising agency, began a study to examine 200 of the most honored TV commercials from 36 competitions held around the world in 1992 and 1993. The conclusion of the study surprised Mr. Gunn: 86 percent of the commercials, "were associated with marketplace success," he said. Marketplace success included measures of market share, sales and favorable image ratings. For those in the 14 percent that did not show marketplace success, one of the culprits was incorrect target audience. </div> <bR> <div> Making Advertisements Effective<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Another very common mistake that many of us make is talking to ourselves in advertising. It's easy to do. To avoid that, it's important to identify who the target audience is and what its priorities are, and then figure out how to best direct messages to that audience. </div> <bR> <div> Directing messages specifically to our target audience is both cost-effective and necessary when a soft market limits one's available financial resources. There are other equally important criteria that may impact your advertising campaign including establishing credibility, using creative advertisements, writing attention getting headlines, using testimonials ethically and advertising cooperatively. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>Most breeders pull back and curtail their advertising in a soft market; the few that don't, capture an increasing market share...</I> </div> <bR> <div> Professionals with years in the advertising business have determined, after testing hundreds of thousands of print advertisements, what makes for an effective advertisement. Even though the following may not work all the time or in all cases, these techniques should help your advertisements be more effective: </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The advertisement must offer an advantage or <I>benefit</I> of purchasing the animal or the service from <B>you</B>. Specific, rather than general, terms must be used. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The benefit presented must be clear and easy for the reader to understand. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The attention-getting element in the advertisement should draw attention directly to the benefit. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Be sure there is a direct relationship between the reader and the benefit. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Be sure the advertisement is logically organized so that the reader can follow the points quickly and easily. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The advertisement copy (i.e., the textual portion) must create a desire on the part of the reader to own the animal, or use the service, advertised. </div> <bR> <div> Always ask yourself, "Is the reader going to accept what I am saying?" Here are some additional hints for writing a more effective advertisement: </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Do not talk down--assume the reader is intelligent. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Do not insult or degrade others in your advertisements. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In your advertisement copy state what you do well, not what others do poorly. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Just as food is judged 50% by how well it is prepared and 50% by how well it is presented, the effectiveness of an advertisement is 50% message and 50% layout. </div> <bR> <div> Planning for Effective Results<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Advertising success will depend on how well the advertisements have been planned. Certain items are basic. First of all, advertise <B>only</B> those animals for sale, or services provided, <B>that have merit</B>. Unless the animals or the service is good, few customers will make repeat purchases no matter how much advertising is done. </div> <bR> <div> Everyone as a rule, <B>should treat their messages seriously</B>. Humor is risky as well as difficult to write. Be on the safe side and tell people the facts about what you have for sale or the services you provide. </div> <bR> <div> Another basic element in planning advertisements is to <B>know exactly what you wish a particular advertisement to accomplish</B>. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Plan the advertisement around one idea.</B> Each advertisement should have a single message. If the message needs reinforcing with other ideas, keep them in the background. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Identify your ranch or farm fully and clearly.</B> Make sure your advertisements identify your sponsorship as fully and frequently as possible without interfering with the message. Logotypes and signatures (or trademarks) in visual form should be clean-lined, uncluttered and prominently displayed. Give your address and telephone number. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Pick illustrations that are similar in character.</B> Graphics--that is, drawings, photos, borders and layouts--that are similar in character help people to recognize your advertising immediately. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Pick one type face and stick to it.</B> Using the same type face helps people to recognize your advertisements quickly. Using the same format or kind of type and illustrations consistently from ad-to-ad also allows you to concentrate on the message rather than the layout. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Make copy easy to understand.</B> Printed messages should be broken up with white space to allow the reader to see the lines quickly. Put the main message in the first sentence, if you can. Sentences should be short. Be direct. Go straight to the point. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Gaining Attention Through Your Headline</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Successful advertisements are structured to communicate as follows: </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19323ae0.png" border=0 width="291" height="174" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The most important element of your advertisement is the headline.  This is how you gain attention.</div> <bR> <div> All good headlines have certain things in common. First, a good headline appeals to the reader's self-interest and stresses the most important benefit of what you are selling or the service you are providing. When you arouse the curiosity of the reader or present startling news or suggest a quick and easy way that the reader might obtain an important benefit, the stopping power of the headline is enhanced. </div> <bR> <div> The second characteristic that good headlines have in common is the use of key words that are psychologically powerful in attracting potential readers. In <I>Confessions of an Advertising Man</I>, David Ogilvy says, "The most important of these key words are <I>free</I> and <I>new</I>, but there are many other powerful words." Following is a list of some of the key words that psychologists have discovered to be powerful in stopping readers and getting their attention: </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="19212ec0.png" border=0 width="274" height="236" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> Credibility is very important in making your advertisement effective. Regardless of what you say about the benefits or advantages of what you are selling, if your potential customer does not believe what you say, he or she will not call you. </div> <bR> <div> Better Photographs for Your Layout<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Automatic focus cameras have made it easier for us to take pictures of our llamas and alpacas. Yet, many of us are not happy with the results. Bad composition, unattractive background and improperly exposed subjects are just a few of the problems. Here are some ways to help take better photographs... </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Think about what you want to say with your photographs before you take them. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Compose your layout through the camera lens<B>.</B> </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Be aware of the background before you snap the shot. Many people do not notice unattractive buildings, irrigation equipment or utility lines in the background until their photographs are developed. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Be patient. Wait, with your camera ready, for the ears to be right or the posture correct. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">On sunny days, photograph early or late in the day. Low sun behind your back onto the front of the subject almost always produces good pictures. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">To avoid silhouettes at sunset, use your flash and stay within about four feet of your subjects. You get some nice effects this way. </div> <bR> <div> The Power of Just One Word<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Can one word help you to persuade people to give you what you want? According to Dr. Robert Cialdini of Arizona State University, the answer is yes (note 1). </div> <bR> <div> His theories, based on research of "con artists" and others, contend that people respond automatically and without thinking if given the proper trigger stimulus. As an example, he cites the following research by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer: </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">When Langer asked people waiting in line to use an office copier, "May I use the Xerox machine because I'm in a rush?" 94 percent agreed. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">When she merely asked, "May I use the Xerox machine?" only 60 percent agreed. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">When she asked, "May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make copies?" 93 percent agreed, even though she gave no real reason for her request. </div> <bR> <div> According to Langer, the single word that triggered automatic compliance was <B>because</B>. </div> <bR> <div> Advertising's Hidden Persuaders<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> What motivates particular consumers to buy, challenges the imagination and ingenuity of the seller. Motivational research attempts to probe the unconscious impulses that motivate buying decisions. Even after all the research, the motivational persuaders still rely mainly on basic appeals that have proved successful over the years. These appeals include hope, security, popularity, social advancement, improved appearance and better health. </div> <bR> <div> The many techniques of persuasion are limited only by the ingenuity of the creative mind. Some of the most common persuading techniques are repetition, trademarks, quality, price and fear. Price appeal probably motivates more decisions to buy than any other appeal, and the magic words <I>sale</I> and <I>bargain</I> are directed at consumers with great frequency. </div> <bR> <div> <I>"The exercise of a fundamental freedom, which is essential for advertising, requires a statuary framework. There can be no freedom without commensurate responsibility." ... argues Jacques Bille</I> </div> <bR> <div> Use Testimonials Ethically<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Testimonials can be a very persuasive sales tool, especially when used right. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has established the following guidelines for testimonials and endorsements to help protect the consumer from fraudulent advertising claims: </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A testimonial must portray the honest beliefs or experience of the endorser. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">An endorser may not make a statement or representation that the advertiser could not make. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">An advertisement that states that an endorser uses a particular product can run only if the endorser actually uses the product. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">An expert or celebrity can serve as an endorser only as long as he or she continues to subscribe to the views presented. </div> <bR> <div> Even though these FTC guidelines were established to protect consumers of retail products, it would be worth our effort to follow these same guidelines in our advertising whenever we use testimonials, whether the advertising is for the animals we are selling or the services we are providing. </div> <bR> <div> Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Advertising<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Even one advertisement can result in the sale of a specific animal and attention for you ranch or farm. You should remember, however, that a series of advertisements that are related will result in sales over a longer period of time than the campaign lasts. Your ranch or farm name will become much better known. Your expenditures for advertising therefore, should be scheduled over a period, of say, 12 months. </div> <bR> <div> What Results Should You Expect?<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Because your budget is limited, you, as an owner-manager of a ranch or farm, in a soft market, must see that your advertising does the job you require. The difference between just advertising and effective advertising is getting the phone call that leads to the sale. You must maximize the effects of your advertisements to continue advertising aggressively during soft markets. By doing so, those that do will capture the market. </div> <div> _______________________________ </div> <div> Note 1: <I>Source:</I> Victoria A. Seltz and William A. Cohen, writing in <I>Business Forum</I>, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032. </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>