Found this through johnmoore’s Brand Autopsy:
13 Rules for More Effective Advertising
(1) I will avoid exclamation points.
Use an exclamation point at the end of an exclamation like Wow! or
Ouch! Don’t use it to gin up artificial excitement (Sale!). Exclamation
points are the grammatical equivalent of shouting, and shouting causes
headaches.
(2) I won’t say “make my logo bigger.”
You like your logo. You want to see your logo. But to your prospects
your logo is not yet relevant. If they notice it too soon they may turn
the page. Your logo should be the tasteful last point of a well-crafted
appeal.
(3) I won’t spam.
And remember that what constitutes spam is in the eye of the beholder.
(4) I will give my advertising a chance to work.
The average campaign’s life in the marketplace is just over two years.
By the time your advertising launches you may already be tired of it,
but resist the urge to change. Take inspiration from Absolut, which
launched it’s now-famous “Bottle” campaign over two decades ago.
(5) I won’t be all things to all people.
Bob Lutz, the visionary behind the Dodge Viper, Ram pickup and PT
Cruiser, led Chrysler to record profits in the ‘90s by designing
vehicles that were the first choice of a handful of buyers instead of
the second or third choice of everyone. He knew that the more broadly
you try to spread your appeal the less appeal you have to go around.
(6) I won’t project my media habits on my customers.
You may hate country music or subscribe to obscure journals, but
chances are your customers have different media habits. Just because
you never see your ads doesn’t mean that they don’t.
(7) I will be more open to taking risks.
If you want to stand out you have to do something different. But doing
something different is, by definition, risky. Don’t be afraid to take a
calculated risk with your advertising; it’s your only chance to
generate a big return.
(8) I will not discount.
Discounting is dangerous because it’s easy and it works. But
discounting is an addiction-once you start it’s hard to stop and you
need to continually go deeper to get the same results. If you feel the
need to discount, there are probably larger problems with your brand or
product that you need to address.
(9) I won’t use the word “quality.”
Quality is a great word, but its usefulness in advertising has been
ruined by too many abuses. If your product or service is of truly
higher quality there are plenty of other ways to say it.
(10) I will not promote my competition.
Whether you make comparative claims or spoof a competitor’s ads all
you’re doing is giving them recognition. Be who you are and let your
prospects make the comparison themselves. If you’re better, they’ll
know.
(11) I will have the courage to overrule the research.
Research said that the Sony Walkman wouldn’t work. Research said that
New Coke would. Nike and Volkswagen don’t pre-test their ads. General
Motors does. Enough said.
(12) I will not let lawyers write my copy.
No offense to attorneys, but their job is to help you avoid risk. See #7.
(13) I will not pollute.
Bill Bernbach, the father of the ‘60s-era creative revolution in
advertising, said, “All of us who professionally use the mass media are
the shapers of society. We can vulgarize society or we can help lift it
to a higher level.” There is perhaps no better thought with which to
begin the new year. Be it resolved.
Author: McKee Wallwork Henderson (December 2004)
Thanks for stopping by today.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or have the articles emailed to you.
Thanks for visiting!
You might also enjoy:
