An edited version of this article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2005 edition of Retail News Magazine, Ask an Expert column, written by Harp Arora. This is the full-length version of the article, answering the question in greater depth.

Designing an Effective Ad

Q: What do I need to know about designing an effective advertisement? What are the dos and don’ts?

A: Because retailers are in a highly competitive marketplace, they need to be extremely diligent in ensuring the best use of their marketing and advertising dollars. Before you jump in to the specifics of your ad content and graphics, it’s critical to step back and ask yourself a few key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What is the objective for the ad?
• What do you want people to do once they’ve read the ad?
• What is your brand, or the image you want to project?
• How are you unique from your competitors?
• What’s your budget?

The answers to these questions should drive the decisions on where and when you advertise, what you say, how you say it, and the look and feel of your ad.

Choosing the Right Vehicle for Your Ad

It is imperative to understand the people in your target market before you start thinking about placement. You should know every detail of your prospective customer group – age range, gender, education, income level, leisure activities, career stage, number of children, etc.

This will help you understand where to best reach them. For example, if you’re targeting educated, high-income women in their fifties, then repeatedly advertising on a hip-hop radio station is a very bad idea, despite what the charming salesperson might tell you.

There are dozens of options when in comes to advertising, including: daily newspapers; community newspapers; radio; television; news magazines, consumer magazines, or specialty magazines; billboard or transit advertising; the Web; or direct mail such as postcards, flyers, etc. The key is knowing who your target audience is, and then placing your ad where it is (a) most likely to reach your prospective customers and (b) meet your budget needs.

The Content

The content must reflect your objective for the ad, and not everyone will have the same objectives. For example, are you:

• the owner of a new store wanting to inform people you’ve opened?
• an established retailer attempting to entice certain existing customers to your store for a preferred-customers-only sale?
• trying to establish your name and brand in a crowded marketplace?
• wanting to drive traffic to your website?

In addition to reflecting your objectives, your content must clearly show why the audience should be interested in your company, products and services. And of course, it should always reflect your brand – if you say you’re about customer service, please don’t advertise your store hours as 11-3 Tuesday and Wednesday. Wherever possible, use the professional services of a copywriter who has the marketing expertise to present a compelling message that meets your objectives.

Design and Layout

Depending on what vehicle you choose to advertise in, you may have the option of accessing graphic design services from the organization that’s placing your ad. As with many things in life, you get what you pay for. I strongly suggest you opt instead to use a graphic design professional, who understands how to present your message in a way that engages your target audience.

Do’s

1. Have some urgency in your message. Explain why people must act now. For example, do you have limited or seasonal merchandise they need?
2. Ensure your brand message is consistent along with your brand identity (logo, tag line, colours etc.)
3. Make sure your content is clear, concise, consistent, and compelling to the reader.
4. Present your information from the customer perspective – what’s in it for them? What differentiates you from your competitors? Create content that directly relates to the needs and interest of your target audience.
5. Give your clients as many ways to contact you as possible, at their convenience – local phone, 800 number, email, web address, street address, etc.
6. Wherever possible, use the services of a reputable copywriter and a graphic designer. These people specialize in developing high-quality marketing material that gets read.
7. Use client testimonials whenever possible.
8. Make sure you have a plan in place to effectively handle the demand generated by your ad.

Don’ts

1. Don’t include even one extra word in your ad that’s not essential to your message.
2. Don’t add unnecessary images – use them only if they enhance your ad, speak to your target audience, and still allow the ad to look clean and clear. One per ad is usually plenty and may even be too much.
3. Don’t create ads that are just like your competitors. Express how you’re different and unique, and why it matters to your customer.
4. Don’t assume running one ad is your “marketing program”. All of us are inundated with thousands of marketing messages a day. People generally need to be exposed to the same message seven times before they’ll remember you, your company, your product or service. Be consistent in your marketing efforts and don’t give up.

In addition to advertising, there are many other valuable and effective ways of marketing your products and services. Think of it this way – a marketing program is an investment in your future. Treat it just as you would a financial investment – make sure you’re getting the best value and return on your dollar. And ensure you have a marketing strategy and plan in place for the short term and the future. It can mean the difference between success and failure.

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