Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Four Aspects to Creating a Successful Marketing Tool

Four Aspects to Creating a Successful Marketing Tool


Although it is widely known that bad press is better than no press, bad advertising is worse than not placing ads at all. Whether print or media, a poorly crafted advertisement will reflected poorly on the product and all companies involved. Whether it is the message, the graphics or the venue, if the commercial isn't up to industry standards, it becomes a liability instead of an asset.

Advertisements have four features that need to be considered: message, graphics, technical quality and distribution venue. For the ad to be effective, all four need to emphasize the positive aspects of the product or service.

The message refers to the actual message. Whether print or audio, the message needs to be concise and complete within the time or space allotted. In both print and media, there isn't room for non-essential information. Print ads are limited to specific sizes. Over filing the space forces the print to a smaller font and crowds the space, making it difficult to read. For videos, if the audio is too complex or involved, it will make it difficult to keep the voice over understandable if the message spoken too quickly in order to fit the time. Yet the restrictions don’t necessarily have to limit the creative factor; it just makes it more of a challenge to the production team to be both unique and efficient in their thinking. The 1970’s saying--keep it simple stupid should be kept in mind at all times. By limiting the message to the most important information, it makes the final product more effective and in some cases thought provoking.

In print as well as video, the graphics need to be clear and accurately represent the product or service. Whether the company logo or an image of the product is used, the graphics need to be properly formatted to keep the original color and prevent distortion in the set up process. Not only does the ad need to be balanced to make it eye catching, but it also needs to properly reflect the product or service. Misrepresenting the size or abilities of the product will only lead to dissatisfied customers and possible legal issues.

The technical quality refers to the actual look of the commercial. Does the audio and graphics meet industry standards? Does the it positively reflect the product or service? The focal point needs to be the client’s message, not the cleverness of the production team. In print, the graphics and text need to be accurate and precise. Typos or smudges will not only affect the client’s reputation, but the venue’s as well. For both radio and television, the voice over levels need to be balanced so that the music enhances the voice over but doesn’t dominate it. Television has the added challenge of keeping the quality high in the video. Glitches or drop out will detract from the ad and lower its effectiveness. In addition, a badly edited piece with jump edits or badly shot video will make the product detract from the quality of the product or service as well.

Proper ad placement will also determine the effectiveness of the message. Placing a commercial in an improper venue will only waste time and money. Knowing the reader or viewership will enhance the effectiveness with the target audience, making it an asset to the client. Placing an ad for Harry Potter in a Christian venue will not reach the target audience, nor will placing a Christian ad in Charmed; No one will be converted by the message, but the more than one will be annoyed by it. However, placing the Harry Potter ad in the Charmed show would be accepted by their common audience, who would be more likely to buy the book or see the movie.

The whole point is to tell widget buyers about much better the client’s widgets are than their competition and how they can be purchased. An ad that successfully meets these four standards will be a benefit to the client’s product, thereby increasing sales.

Valkyrie Publishing represents its clients with effective press releases and video trailers for online distribution. For examples of what they can do for your product or service go to http://www.youtube.com/user/Tirgana. For services and fees go to www.theresachaze.com

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