Consumers don’t see your ad in isolation.
They don’t hear a radio commercial with a script in front of them, scanning the words like it’s a Disney Read-Along from when I was a kid. “You will know it’s time to turn the page…”
Drivers – who in this context are potential consumers and purchasers of your brand who just happen to be in a car – don’t stop and focus on each billboard they pass. It’s just another piece of information to process (or ignore) among many when you’re behind the wheel.
Ads in print appear alongside articles and other advertisements. On TV ads come in clusters. Even targeted digital ads are part of the wider online experience and not a natural focus point for the attention of browsers skimming news, videos or the socials.
And this is obvious. We all inherently know it.
But too many marketers forget this basic truth when they create a campaign. And this isolationist approach to consumer messaging diminishes your end product. If you haven’t considered the environment in which the message is being received by the intended audience, you haven’t done your job properly.
Our role in writing, crafting and delivering marketing communications is to make it clear and memorable. Be relevant. Be concise.
Be efficient with the extraordinarily limited time you have to make an impact.
Here’s a tactic I use when presenting radio scripts to clients: I read it aloud, but I don’t give them a copy. No reading, just listen.
Then I encourage them to do the same, even if just to a business partner. This gets them a step closer to understanding how the ad will work.
Does it make sense when you simply listen? Is the impact there? Do the words fall in a way that sounds right? (And from the radio advertising practitioner inside me: Would it be stronger if they didn’t, creating a jarring effect for listeners?)
In truth, media professionals are understandably reluctant to tell a client their ad or campaign will be battling for attention.
But as professionals we should recognise the situation, and do all we can to ensure it is as effective as it can possibly be within any existing constraints, regulations and parameters. Which means considering how the communications will be consumed.
If we can’t do that much, we risk poor returns for clients.
Consumers don’t see your ad in isolation. Use that knowledge to make what you create better.