Are you planning to create Ads for your brand?
Twenty years ago, when there was no digital marketing to speak of, the public's view of advertising was very limited. At times, they presumed (including my own family) that I probably made hoardings. Their simple-minded imagination did not even reach TV campaigns or radio.?
Over the years, I have understood that the general audience only sees the tip of the iceberg when they experience an ad on TV, radio, newspaper, or social media.
The real work behind its lengthy execution takes multiple man-hours, lots of brain exercise, physical labour and someone's genius craft. This intricate process is not for the faint-hearted but for those who are up for a challenge and intrigued by the complexities of advertising.
An Ad campaign requires Research, Deep Thinking, Creativity and Skills.
Let me share how an average Ad campaign is layered:
To keep it simple, I will explain an example of a business SaaS tool for logistics management (a recent project I researched).
1. Business plan/Idea: It all starts with a business idea. Please do not confuse it with an ad campaign! A business idea refers to the solution the client aims to market to earn revenue. It is the product/service one must communicate to an audience.
XYZ has launched a company/ startup with a? SaaS-based solution to sell a Business Idea
2. Client/ brand: Next, we establish the brand. If the brand is new, then a whole brand identity is created with a logo, tagline, brand colour guide, and assets.
If it is an existing brand, then one must audit the brand assets, creatives, etc., and suggest whether it requires a facelift. At this stage, it is also important to establish the chain of command and know the layers up to the final decision maker, i.e., the end buyer.
It is essential since much time is wasted managing non-decision makers' expectations, whereas the CEO may want something else altogether.
3. Product/ Service: Again, understanding the product/service is crucial. What looks simple and obvious has various layers of specialization and expertise that differentiate you from others, something the customer may identify with.
Simply put, it is essential to identify the specific product category you belong to.
For example, SaaS—software as a service—is a wide-open subject, but a logistics solution SaaS becomes more specific, further expanding the viewpoint to what specific problem the product solves.
4. Competition: Study, study, and study the competition to find a space in your specific niche. For example, One Logistics SaaS only solves marine transport issues, while others may discuss fleet tracking and maintenance.
5. Target Market: A well-defined product category paves the way for identifying the target market; it helps us deep dive into the specific customer one wishes to address in their communication.
The target market is often misunderstood, and that's where the plan begins to fail in most marketing campaigns. However, by truly understanding the target market, you can empower yourself with the knowledge to create effective and impactful campaigns.
Talking to multiple customers will reveal many reasons why they bought your product in the first place, and that is the first step in understanding the target market.
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6. Advertising objective: The sixth step is the Advertising objective. Now, we have started working on advertising campaigns. However, if the first five steps are noticed, then the campaign will also be strong.
?In simple terms, AO means specifying the communication needs and directing the creative team on the brand's expectations. A clear understanding is laid out of what the client expects the advertising campaign to deliver—brand awareness, leads, a discount offer, push sales, educate the market, or build a database. The objectives can be one or many. By setting a clear advertising objective, you can stay focused and determined in your campaign efforts.
The most effective campaigns address one objective at a time only.
Many eager brands try to do an 'all in one' campaign, failing miserably.
7. Proposition/ Benefit: USP – Aunique's selling proposition for the product means brand voice. What makes my brand stand apart from other brands in the market? What is the emotional benefit that each ad campaign shall harp about? Like in the case of Logistics SaaS – the USP is the quickest turnaround time in case of a breakdown.
A creative campaign will go behind the emotion of QUICKEST and pick up threads on how the end consumer experience breaks down, their challenges, monetary loss, etc., and then showcase a creative way to solve the problem their brand offers.
There can be various angles to one 'Unique selling proposition' of Quickest.
This is an advertiser's —good creative will make you consider multiple angles of one USP and have another 100 ways to communicate it creatively.
The idea of good advertising is to be "outstanding" -? stand out from the crowd. Do not blend and get lost.?
Unfortunately, many brands only do what others are already doing. What has worked for others will work for me as well.
8. Tone of Voice: Then comes the point of Tone of voice; it's the unique expression you give to your brand. As a SasS brand, ask the Tone of voice you pick –
Am I an expensive and exclusive brand?
Or Am I mid-segment solving multiple problems in a low band category
Or Innovative 'Out of the box' solution.
Who am I?
When we ask these questions, we can clearly define the look, colours, language, choice of words and expressions for the campaigns.
9. Campaign: As we reach the end, we now package the campaign flow. The campaign's subfactors are budget, media choice, and execution. The client may have a digital-only mandate, a low media spend, a cap on creative execution, or other restraints. Only 1 in 1000 give a free hand to the agency.
Ad agencies cry out loud that it kills creativity, but honestly, many times, these constraints are genuine, and it doesn't mean great ideas cannot be nurtured within constraints.
Hope the article helps in understanding the creative process and you succeed with amazing campaigns.
22+ yrs Brand Marketing. B2b marketing champion. Personal Brand Strategist. Help entrepreneurs become great Marketers
5 个月Thank you Amit Gupta? and TECHGINIA