99+ Characteristics of a Successful Advertisement

Characteristics of a Successful Advertisement - Many small businesses don't get success they want from advertising due to availability of very little resources. The results are simply flat due to lack of good ideas for improvements. Whether the ads are put in a local newspaper or are printed in the famous periodical or posted on a website, the money invested should gain the desired outcome. There are some common mistakes small businesses and professional service providers do when designing and posting the advertisement, which leads to the failure of the advertisement.

Bigger is better is believed in by many. That's exactly what some of the small firms think when they want to advertise their product. They think bigger and select a medium where they need to invest a lot of money, but do not reach the targeted market. Like if a company specializes in designing diet plans and want to help out people who had disappointing results from their individual diet plans, and the company chooses to advertise a full page in the local paper instead of running advertisement in a health magazine, obviously not many of the dieters will notice the advertisement and the advertisement doesn't get the desired attention.

Characteristics of a Successful Advertisement

So the point is to come up with the best campaign, which will increase the probability of the ad getting viewed and the right customers trying to buy the product or sign up for the service. Studies and research can be carried out on the market and targeted audience can be narrowed down. Once getting the list of newspapers, magazines and magazines meant for the customers in mind, find out how many readers they have and the cost they ask for posting the ad. Special deals are offered by them from time to time and can only be found by watchful eye.

It is estimated that everyday people are subjected to around three thousand commercials. That is a huge number and if someone desires to be noticed, he should certainly be different. Not only the services and product sold should be unique in the market, so should be the advertisement.  For example, if a business selling mattresses says, "We sell mattresses", it will not make a statement and will be passed off as any other mattress advertisement. But if they say, "Our mattresses are of the finest quality", it will make the advertisement stand out in the crowd. Other catch lines are "Are you suffering from back pain? Probably you must try our mattresses ", are more specific and will catch the fancy of the people who are suffering from back pains since a long time. The advertisement should also focus on the uniqueness of the product and how it is better compared to the competitors' product.

Focusing on the problems of the customers and giving a solution for them, is what a customer demands. A customer does not buy a product; he buys benefits in the form of a product. The real value of the product should be realized and a clear picture of it should be presented to the customer so he will be able to relate with the product. If the advertisement doesn't specify the solution it can provide, the customers will never know of it. So focusing on the customers problem is what some ads miss.  

The last thing missing in most of the advertisement is motivation for the customers. If the advertiser has designed the advertisement and the customer had read the advertisement, all efforts and money invested will be wasted if he doesn't get up and do something about it. It shouldn't be assumed that the customer knows what to do; instead the advertisement should influence the mind of the customer and should tell him what to do. Call of action is the final job of the advertisement. It should call for information, or visiting the store or even visiting the online store. The message should sound confident and clear.

The Qualities of a Good Advertisement

If it hasn't happened to you yet, it's probably only a matter of time: You and your team are reviewing ideas for advertisements to serve as the anchor of a new marketing campaign. The proponents of the campaign are enthused and are talking so fast that they're barely pausing between sentences. Other members of the team are nodding silently, while others are showing no visible reaction at all. You wonder, "How can this team – the people you hired – register such different responses to the same set of ideas?"

If you believe advertising is art, and art represents an attempt to communicate, then the evaluation process is also somewhat subjective. Unfortunately, this high-minded notion may leave you, the small-business owner, with a tough decision to make: How do you reconcile all these subjective viewpoints? In this case, you'll be relieved to know that good advertisements feature certain qualities, with some overlap between print, TV and radio.
Grasp the General Characteristics of Advertising Media

Your own experiences as a consumer are a good launching point for your learning curve on effective advertisements. Whether you grew up reading newspapers and magazines, watching TV or wading through the internet, think about what attracts you to advertisements, regardless of the medium. Your instincts should serve you well as you review potential advertisements for your business.

In all likelihood, the advertisements you remember and/or liked best:

    Connected with you in some way.
    Provided information quickly and succinctly. Were memorable. Were easily recalled (and perhaps even imitated).* Included a call for action.

As a small-business owner, the advertisements you green-light must complement your marketing strategy; otherwise, you'll undertake an exercise in futility – and a costly one at that. As marketing professor Jef I. Richards has said: "Creativity without strategy is called art; creative with strategy is called advertising."
Grasp the Characteristics of Print Advertising Media

David Ogilvy might have agreed with that pithy assessment. As one of the most influential key players in the field, he offered practical advice to writers of print ads who worked for Ogilvy & Mather: "On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar."

So the headline in an advertisement – much like the headline over a newspaper article – reigns supreme. The font size should stand out, and perhaps be boldfaced too. Effective print advertisements also:

    Attract attention. Insiders refer to it as the "pull factor," or the ability of an ad to pull readers in. But there is no secret formula to mixing a pull-factor cocktail. A winning ad could contain many elements, or it could be relatively sparse. (Blank space draws attention too.) If you or your team happen to find the right blend, you could be tomorrow's next millionaire.
    Hold that attention, at least long enough for the reader to absorb the contents of the ad. Yes, sexy images sell, but humor does too.* Are anchored by an irresistible image (a photo or an illustration).
    Emphasize benefits rather than features.
    Include color, though strictly black-and-white ads can be appealing if there is symmetry with the product or service.* Are simple to understand, with one compelling message that stands out.
    Include a memorable feature, such as a tagline (which many people also refer to as the slogan).
    Contain a call to action, either in the form of a directive (which is assertive) or an invitation (which is more subtle) to take the next step.
    Complement a company's brand. Sometimes even big companies make the mistake of thinking that consumers will enjoy a daring/controversial/racy ad that flies in the face of their corporate image. But this usually isn't the case. It's one thing to be bold and take an occasional risk with advertising; it's another to draw controversy that reflects so poorly on your good name that you must cancel an ad and then apologize for it.

Grasp the Characteristics of TV Advertising Media

Peter Drucker knew a few things about corporate missteps. Regarded as the "father of modern management," he also made some memorable observations about marketing and advertising, such as: "The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself."

This may sound as though the process of ad creation is easy. But that isn't what Drucker meant. Like good actors, good advertising looks effortless. Effective TV advertisements also:

    Forge an emotional connection with viewers. Of the three mediums, TV stands the greatest chance of creating such a connection because it merges the power of print (words and images) and the influence of radio (audio) with live action. Two emotions are especially effective at triggering such connections, says the the Nielsen Corporation, a global marketing research company. And these two emotions are humor and empathy.
    Tell a story, sometimes in a series of commercials. Part of the reason content marketing is dominating the marketing world is because marketers have learned that consumers respond well to stories – "success stories" about products, stories about consumers just like themselves and stories of hope. Such stories help forge an emotional connection with a company, which in turn can instill customer loyalty. Clear, simple and upbeat stories seem to register best with consumers.
    Are memorable if not mimicable, helped along by either a provocative message, a catchy jingle or a popular celebrity. Effective TV ads get people talking, especially on social media, and can be a huge boon for the small business owner.

    Celebrate a brand in the form of showcasing a logo or corporate mascot, and doing so early and often throughout an advertisement. TV viewers are both distracted and fickle, so if they're not drawn to an ad in the opening seconds, they're unlikely to engage with it at all. With repetition, these images become familiar –

    and familiarity breeds recognition that gets attention.

As Nielsen says: "A strong ad that builds emotional and behavioral connections with consumers will not only help drive sales for the brand, but can also drive long-term brand loyalty and equity down the road."
Grasp the Characteristics of Radio Advertising Media

Radio is the toughest venue for building such connections, which is precisely why many writers prefer creating ads for this medium above any other. The demands of radio keep them focused on creating a "lean and mean" ad that literally cannot afford to mince words.

As Leo Burnett, the creator of such icons as the Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger and Charlie the Tuna, said of benefits versus features: "Don't tell me how good you make it; tell me how good it makes me when I use it."

Effective radio advertisements also:

    Capitalize on the opening lines with a "hook" – an attention-grabbing device.* Harness listeners' visual skills, if not their imagination. There really is no choice here; unlike print and TV, radio features no visuals. And radio listeners often are busy with other tasks – working, driving, paying bills – while they're tuned in to their favorite station. If this sounds too daunting, try drawing some inspiration from your favorite songs. At some point, they captured your imagination.
    Exude simplicity. Words in radio ads should be simple to understand. Sentences should be simple to decipher. And the overriding message should be simple to follow. But simplicity shouldn't be confused with being simple-minded_._ If anything, consumers are getting more sophisticated and expect polish and finesse in advertising, both of which will reflect well on your business.
    Feature an offer and a call to action. Some marketing professionals might put the word "urgent" before "call to action," but everyone has heard annoying radio ads that overdo the message. The key, again, is balance.

Over time, you and your team should develop a clear idea of the type of advertisements that are most effective for your business. Tracking the ads will help, but it pays to remember that consumers usually need several "touches" – a marketing term for "encounters" – with a company before they act. In other words, they may say that, yes indeed, your clever radio ad prompted them to pick up the phone and call you. But they also may have seen one of your print ads and heard a neighbor put in a good word for you too.

As you find your "advertising voice," it's better to make an occasional misstep than to stop advertising your business. Missteps can be corrected, and they're also how you learn. Besides, as Henry Ford said, "Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time."

7 Salient Features of a Good Advertisement 

Salient features or characteristics of a good advertisement copy are: (1) it should be simple (2) it should be capable of holding the reader's attention (3) it must be suggestive (4) it should have conviction value (5) it should educate the people (6) it should have memorizing value and (7) it should be true!

The advertisement copy refers to the written contents of the advertisement including its text and head line. It can be referred to as the heart of advertising and should be drafted with utmost care; otherwise all the money invested in carrying out the advertisement campaign will go waste.

In the words of William J. Stanton "The copy in an advertisement is defined as the written or spoken material in it, including head line, coupons and advertiser's name and address as well as the main body of the message". Simply stated advertisement copy means the total structure relating to the message which the advertiser wants to convey by using any medium of advertisement.

The advertisement copy should be prepared in such a manner as to leave ever­lasting impression on the reader. The job of drafting the copy should be entrusted to an expert. The reader should not only read but understand and believe the contents given in the advertisement copy.

It should be properly worked and cover every detail with regard to the product. Various considerations or essentials of a properly drafted advertisement copy are as under. These are also known as salient features or characteristics of a good advertisement copy.
(1) It Should Be Simple:

The first important ingredient of an advertisement copy is that it should be written in simple language. It should be capable of proper understanding. It should not use ornamental and tough words rather short, simple and properly understandable words.
(2) It Should Be Capable Of Holding The Reader's Attention:

An advertisement copy should be capable of holding the attention of the reader. It should be presented in such a manner which attracts the consumer immediately.

The following methods may be undertaken to hold the attention of the reader:

(a) Headlines should be properly worded and attractive. It should be short and easy for the reader to remember.

(b) Use of pictures and sketches should be in direct relation to the product to be advertised. A good sketch and drawing will be greatly helpful in explaining the product.

(c) Attractive border may be inserted around the advertisement copy in order to distinguish it from other advertisements. Underlining the key words and leaving blank space at the bottom of the copy are also helpful in drawing the reader's attention.

(d) Quoting the price of the product in the advertisement copy is also helpful in holding the attention of a reader. This would be more helpful if the price of the commodity is low.

(e) The insertion of reply coupons in the advertisement copy is also helpful in attracting the people.
(3) It Must Be Suggestive:

The advertisement copy should be capable of suggesting the reader about the utility and use of the product. Effective slogans can be used to give suggestions to the people.

For example, in case of camp Cola, it is written in the advertisement copy that 'life is full of camp cola times', similarly in case of State Bank of India, it is advertised, 'protect your future with State Bank of India'. All these slogans have suggestive value. Suggestions may also be given with the help of certain pictures in the advertisement copy.
(4) It Should Have Conviction Value:

The advertisement copy shall be able to have ever lasting impression on the reader, if the suggestions are backed by convincing arguments. The reader should not have any doubt on the quality of the product. He should be fully convinced and satisfied.

Exaggeration in explaining the qualities' of a product must be checked. An appeal with regard to outstanding features of the product must be made. It should be stated in simple language so that the reader could understand easily. In the case of Chelpark fountain pen ink, it is written that it cleans your pen while writing, contains clean x for better pen protection.

Similarly in case of Forhan's tooth paste, 'it is ideal for the gums' and protects your teeth' some organisations assure 'money back guarantee' to convince the people with regard to quality of the products.
(5) It Should Educate The People:

The advertisement copy should tell the people about the use and operation of a product. It should also impart new uses of a product with which the people are not familiar. An advertisement copy containing information with regard to use, sources from where the product can be obtained, price and services available along with the product is greatly helpful in enhancing the demand and enlarging the sales.

For example, in case of Hawkin's pressure cooker a booklet is also given to the buyer containing methods of preparing various vegetables, soups and puddings etc. with the help of the cooker. Similarly in case of a refrigerator, a booklet containing various directions with regard to proper use and preservation of the refrigerator are given.
(6) It Should Have Memorising Value:

The advertisement copy should be prepared in such a manner that a reader gets ever lasting impression about the product. It can be successfully created by repeating the advertisement time and again. Repetition projects the permanent image about the product on the reader's mind.

Trademarks and brand names can be used successfully for achieving this end. Dalda, Thums-up, Bournvita and Surf have successfully achieved memorising value. The names of these products are very common among the people.
(7) It Should Be True:

An advertisement copy should be truthful. It should not misrepresent and conceal the true facts about the product. Rather it should clearly lay down the limitations in the product. For example, a cloth merchant should clearly specify about the fading of colour and shrinkage of yarn, if it is so.

If these limitations are not brought to light, the buyer eventually comes to know about them after using the product. This will definitely shatter the confidence of the buyer in the product and the very aim of the advertisement is defeated.

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