The Worst Advertising

It never fails, every time I hit the highway I see a billboard that boldly states…

"Does advertising work? It just did!"

I bet you've seen a similar billboard on your daily commute — proudly displaying it's pointless message in a horrible combination of fonts and colors. It is designed to serve one purpose and that purpose is simply to get everyone's attention. This, my friend, is advertising at it's worst. Why would I suggest that getting attention is bad advertising? Because it congratulates itself on having produced a result, but the result was nothing more than me reading the message. The advertising was in no way relevant to me as a consumer. Getting my attention acheived nothing. The simple fact is that the billboard company would be doing itself a huge favor if they would simply state, "Your message here." with their phone number prominently displayed. This would have addressed a potential prospect's need while providing a call-to-action. Their message does neither.


Just Be Relevant

You can impress your audience with a bold, cutting edge style. You can even wow your audience with a really creative concept. Your ad could show off every incredible feature your product offers and you can have the lowest price in town. But, if your message is not relevant to your target audience, no amount of persuasion is going make it sell.

The first thing you must do is make sure you are talking to the right audience. The second things is to make sure you show them how your product is going to meet their needs or fulfill their desires. For example, help them make or save more money, save them time, allow them to avoid doing stuff they don’t like, help them feel better about themselves. Whatever the case may be, make sure your message is relevant — and your product lives up to your pitch — and you'll be on your way to producing the best advertising ever!

Howard L. Theriot
Catch Light Productions
http://www.catchlight.com