Some define the Five-Second Rule as a momentary lapse in food-safety etiquette. However if you’re a small business, this principle can breathe new life into a faltering marketing plan.
The number one complaint of many advertisers is they’re receiving anywhere from a mediocre to lukewarm reception of their ads. It’s a real possibility that some of these ads fail due to the fact that they’re not built for today’s environment. As you look at your marketing, keep in mind that the world of communication is moving at a mind-numbing pace. The strategy of sending out pawns first while venturing into a slow, laborious spiel no longer works. On the contrary, it is absolutely critical to unleash your very best at the outset.
Five seconds is the maximum amount of time given to make this initial impact. Think of it as your first impression; should you capture the undivided attention of your audience in these precious moments, chances are they’ll hang around to hear the whole story.
Let’s explore the Five-Second Rule in the following areas:
Billboard or Outdoors
ADVERTISEMENT
Brevity is the soul of wit. Nothing is truer, especially when your audience sees your ad while doing 55 on the interstate. A few tips:
-Limit your text to one line (even better - 4 words or less)
-Use a large, rounded or block typeface/font
-Avoid redundancies between text and images
Television and Radio
Remember that viewers/listeners are constantly tuning in and out. In addition, they’re spot-hopping with the latest DVR technology (this is now true for radio).
Try one of the following:
-Begin with humor, an educational fact or something surprising
-Mention offers and deals at the beginning
-Start with a jingle
Direct Mail Piece
Unlike other media, direct mail is tangible – a major plus. However, this does not guarantee success. Go a step further and present your best offer while avoiding junk mail-status.
Some ideas:
-Feature an unbelievable coupon on the outside of the mailer
-Avoid bait-and-switch tactics (i.e., making pieces look like real checks or IRS letters)
-Create a piece with non traditional dimensions
-Upgrade your paper product to a heavier weight or premium texture
Email Marketing
The email marketing world is a volatile place; even the most prestigious of companies can sometimes find themselves being
ignored or worse – sentenced to the spam folder.
So carefully consider your approach with the following in mind:
-Know that the subject line is king – focus your energy on making it great and brief
-Before sending your email, run it through a free spam checker (search online)
-Avoid too many images (long load times may destroy your 5-second window)
As you begin to hash out ideas for your next marketing endeavor, spend the bulk of your efforts on what your audience will see, hear or experience in the initial moments. Remember, all brilliant ads must first pass the litmus test of the Five-Second Rule.
Walter R. Dailey is a former ad agency partner and experienced marketing professional. He is the lead consultant and executive producer at Dailey Sound Vector Media, a creative services organization that specializes in developing commercials, jingles and marketing campaigns for small businesses throughout North America.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Friday, December 18, 2009
Culture Crisis...Not Health Care Crisis.....
Not billboard related but, insightful.
Please meet Dr Starner Jones from Jackson , Mississippi. His short 2-paragraph letter to the White House accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis" Its worth a quick read:
I am a seventh generation Mississippian and wanted to come back here after going somewhere else for college and medical school.. My extracurricular interests are golf, hunting, fishing and college football.
Dear Sirs:
"During my last night's shift in the ER, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient with an expensive shiny gold tooth, multiple elaborate expensive tattoos, a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and a new cellular telephone equipped with her favorite R&B tune for a ringtone. Glancing over the chart, one could not help noticing her payer status:Medicaid. She smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and, somehow, still has money to buy beer.
And our Congress expects me to pay for this woman's health care? Our nation's health care crisis is not a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. It is a crisis of culture ˜ a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. A culture that thinks "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Life is really not that hard. Most of us reap what we sow. Don't you agree?
STARNER JONES, MD
Jackson , MS
Please meet Dr Starner Jones from Jackson , Mississippi. His short 2-paragraph letter to the White House accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis" Its worth a quick read:
I am a seventh generation Mississippian and wanted to come back here after going somewhere else for college and medical school.. My extracurricular interests are golf, hunting, fishing and college football.
Dear Sirs:
"During my last night's shift in the ER, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient with an expensive shiny gold tooth, multiple elaborate expensive tattoos, a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and a new cellular telephone equipped with her favorite R&B tune for a ringtone. Glancing over the chart, one could not help noticing her payer status:Medicaid. She smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and, somehow, still has money to buy beer.
And our Congress expects me to pay for this woman's health care? Our nation's health care crisis is not a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. It is a crisis of culture ˜ a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. A culture that thinks "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Life is really not that hard. Most of us reap what we sow. Don't you agree?
STARNER JONES, MD
Jackson , MS
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Recency Theory
Out of home advertising is a frequency medium that provides multiple exposures to a message throughout the full duration of a campaign period.
According to Herbert E. Krugman, the manager of corporate public opinion research at General Electric, repeated exposure to advertising can lead to changes in the perceptions of what is important about a brand without the conscious or verbal recognition on the consumer’s part. This can also be considered in terms of top-of- mind awareness. Repeated exposure to advertising creates top-of-mind awareness and recall.
Defined in the book When Ads Work by John Philip Jones, recency reminds people who are already in the marketplace that a brand, store or service is a good choice. To avoid memory decline, multiple design executions for a campaign should be implemented simultaneously or introduced at appropriate intervals during the campaign period.
According to Herbert E. Krugman, the manager of corporate public opinion research at General Electric, repeated exposure to advertising can lead to changes in the perceptions of what is important about a brand without the conscious or verbal recognition on the consumer’s part. This can also be considered in terms of top-of- mind awareness. Repeated exposure to advertising creates top-of-mind awareness and recall.
Defined in the book When Ads Work by John Philip Jones, recency reminds people who are already in the marketplace that a brand, store or service is a good choice. To avoid memory decline, multiple design executions for a campaign should be implemented simultaneously or introduced at appropriate intervals during the campaign period.
The Creative Challenge
Designing out of home advertising is visual storytelling. The expression of an idea can surprise viewers with words or excite
them with pictures. Through the use of humor or drama, out of home designs can influence consumer decisions and sell products.
Out of home designs depicting positive product or social benefits will achieve better recall responses among viewers than designs with inaccurate or misleading product information. A call to action is an effective technique for engaging a viewer. Out of home displays that include Internet addresses, telephone numbers and special offers can produce impressive results.
“You know you’ve achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Artist
Pedigree | Dogs Rule
them with pictures. Through the use of humor or drama, out of home designs can influence consumer decisions and sell products.
Out of home designs depicting positive product or social benefits will achieve better recall responses among viewers than designs with inaccurate or misleading product information. A call to action is an effective technique for engaging a viewer. Out of home displays that include Internet addresses, telephone numbers and special offers can produce impressive results.
“You know you’ve achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Artist
Pedigree | Dogs Rule
Advertising & Children
The outdoor industry protects children by observing a 500-foot buffer zone around schools and other places where children congregate (no ads promoting products illegal for sale to minors). Further, the power of outdoor formats is used to advance public health by promoting healthy activities, urging smokers to quit, and encouraging young people not to start smoking. The courts have ruled that commercial speech is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitutio
Billboards Bash Biden in Delaware
From eNewswire:
Billboards, addressed to Senator Joe Biden, have been strategically placed in Delaware to call on him to make the pending re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) gender neutral so that all victims of domestic violence can benefit from the funding. Over 835,000 men report being victims of intimate partner violence annually, this number reflects 36% of all victims, yet the billions of dollars in VAWA funding can only be used for services to help women and children.
Billboards, addressed to Senator Joe Biden, have been strategically placed in Delaware to call on him to make the pending re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) gender neutral so that all victims of domestic violence can benefit from the funding. Over 835,000 men report being victims of intimate partner violence annually, this number reflects 36% of all victims, yet the billions of dollars in VAWA funding can only be used for services to help women and children.
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