 Ready, Fire, Aim: Why Some Ads Miss Their Mark.
While “creative” gets most of the
attention, it’s not necessarily the most important part of a communications
program, especially to a business audience.
Everyone wants to do exciting mailers and clever ads, but a VP of Sales or
an IT manager won’t open your mailings or read your ads for entertainment.
They’ll read because there’s something worth reading about.
Which brings us to strategy. You can’t hit your target unless you know where
you’re aiming.
A simple form can work wonders.
Over the years, I’ve learned to rely on a simple communications strategy
form to guide my creative work. This is not my invention; most good agencies
and writers use such a form. They differ in details, but all good strategy
forms include the basics:
-
What is the objective of this project (leads, awareness, education)
-
Who is your audience and what do they care about
-
What is the primary message (in as few words as possible, summarize the
single main point to be made; this should be in the form of a benefit,
unique claim, competitive advantage, etc.)
-
What facts support this message
As
simple as this approach seems, it does work. For one, it enforces discipline
in the marketing process, requiring a company to clearly define the project.
It also avoids misunderstandings which can result when the only direction
given a creative team is an input meeting.
There’s one catch: you have to use it. Make sure the stakeholders in the
company review and approve the completed form before creative work begins.
It’s far more efficient to change the strategy at the beginning than it is
to change copy and layout down the road.
And it’s far better to deliver a message that’s on target, than to spend
money on great creative that misses the mark.
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