Designing Better Ads – Stop Readers In Their Tracks
I recently attended a webinar on Designing Better Ads conducted by Susan Down, Director Marketing at the Canadian Newspaper Association. Susan inferred from extensive market research and readers’ surveys by epic advertising research organizations. She advised on what generally works and makes print ads stand out from the clutter. Many of us would be aware of the points she highlighted and may be putting some of these in practice. It was, however, useful to get an affirmation and systematic refresher. I share the information with you, as I gathered, adding my two cents’ worth on few points.
Ad Size & Color
1. Ad size matters. Full page ads are noticed 48% more than smaller ads
2. There is no difference in the visibility of ads between right hand side and left hand side page positions. If the ad is attractive, it will get noticed on any page.
3. Color ads are noticed 33% more than black & white ads. The impact of color ads has grown over the time. Susan showed a bar chart to highlight this fact. She also informed that women notice color ads more than men.
Creative
4. Simple creative with one idea (message) per ad works better than putting several ideas in one ad. Similarly, shorter headlines catch readers’ attention.
5. Make ad topical. News is fresh so keep the ad current too. Leverage current events and developments. I see this strategy is being used often these days by alluding to the economic downturn in ads.
6. Match your message with the editorial section of the newspaper. This, I believe, reinforces the message of the ad and also increases the probability of it being noticed by the reader. A person who is reading an article will possibly notice the relevant ad in the same section.
7. Link the message with the brand. There should be a clear connection between ad message and the brand. The tone and feel of the ad should reflect the DNA of the brand. For example, if a brand promises good health or fun, the ad should reflect this through use of aspirational copy, candid graphics and bright colors.
Visual
8. According to the research shared in the webinar, visual makes an impact on readers because mind retains visuals 30% more than text. Bigger visual works better and one visual per ad is recommended.
9. Visuals of children, celebrities and animals work better. Though there should be a clear connection between visuals, copy and the advertised brand.
Ad Appeal
10. Build curiosity in your ads because newspaper readers are information seekers. However, as copy increases the notice-ability decreases. Thus a balance is needed in using the right number of words to present a story. People generally crave for food, health and sex. These elements could be used to enhance ad appeal. Add color to increase ad appeal. Moreover, the research showed that ads with contrast colors grab attention.
