How to Create an Advertising Campaign
Advertising is more than just writing catchy slogans. Even a single ad must fit into a larger marketing plan. Advertising supports the marketing function, and creating an advertising campaign that works centers on communicating a marketing message. Before you start planning your creative, review your product's position, target customer and brand image to create a campaign that will increase your sales.
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Instructions
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Learn your target customer's age, gender, income and educational levels. A good ad doesn't focus on the product--it touts the benefits. The customer should be the focus of your ad creation and media buying, so learn as much about your customer as possible to start your campaign. Knowing that most of your customers are women isn't enough. Women age 25 to 45 may account for most of your sales, but even that may be a misleading fact. You may need to target women age 25 to 45 who have children.
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Emphasize the benefits of your product or service, not the features. Consumers buy for a reason, and it's not because you've been in business "over 30 years," or use high-quality materials. Those features may help narrow down a consumer's choice to your product, but you'll need to ask yourself why the consumer started searching for this product in the first place. Car makers sell safety, mileage, reliability, status or affordability first, then tell consumers the added benefits their safe, reliable or prestigious car offers.
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Match your media to your audience. You may think that "everyone" watches TV or reads a particular glossy magazine, but you may be paying for many readers or viewers who don't use your product. Use your market research to find the exact media your customers use. Do this by asking for media kits and matching readers and viewers to your target customer. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Test different media before you make your final buy. For example, try a few spots on three different radio stations, then make one large buy on the station that got you the best response.
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Identify a problem or need consumers have, as you create your ads. The ad should then give a generic solution. It should then show how your product or service provides that solution. For example, rather than starting an ad talking about your great convenience food, show a frazzled consumer who doesn't have time to make healthy, tasty dinners for her family. Tell her that a one-pot meal with many healthy ingredients is easy to make, nutritious and tastes great. Tell the consumer you have a line of healthy, easy-to-make, one-pot frozen entrees.
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