The best ads are about the consumers, not the product. – David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy’s words are accurate because people are willing to pay for something only if it appears to make their lives a bit easier. No wonder he was said to be the father of advertising.
Advertising entails crafting and delivering information or messages, it is usually designed to inform, persuade and remind the audience of the value of what is being offered while nudging them to take a desired action.
Imagine randomly scrolling through social media on your phone, passing by a billboard or using your laptop, surrounded with this symphony of sights, sounds and content—from aesthetics to captions to vibrant colors, all carefully put together. Suddenly, a piece of content or an advert catches your eye, a complete masterpiece; the story being told, the perfect tone of voice, the ideal background and choice of words all resonate perfectly with your current need. This is what effective advertising embodies, capturing your attention and engaging the viewer within a few seconds of contact.
Storytelling In Advertising:
Advertising is like knitting narratives together so that they resonate with a certain group of people on a deep emotional level. These adverts are meticulously curated to leave the target audience either nostalgic, emotional or excited. These emotions are great motivators driving your customer loyalty and customers to perform your desired action.
Advertising is more about creating connections with your audience than selling products or services to them; remember, consumers are bombarded by ads and campaigns daily, standing out means you are consciously curating ads that are authentic, efficient and very relatable. People want to see themselves in the brands they support, they want to see your brand’s ‘why’ not ‘how’ and this is the measure of relatability of the campaign. Additionally, studies have shown that people love relatability, authenticity and transparency, this is why ads that tell real-life scenarios often strike a chord with the audience.
Digital Advertising:
It is true that creativity is the blood of advertising. With creativity, a mundane message can be transformed into something extraordinary. Creativity is not just about putting together flashy visuals; it entails understanding your audience and innovative ways to speak directly to them.
Whether it is a funny TV commercial or an emotional social media campaign or an email campaign or newsletter; creativity ensures your message not only reaches but engages the right audience.
Advertising with digital tools is fast-paced and continuously transforming in unimaginable ways. From optimized social media platforms to SEO, digital advertising now offers precision in targeting the right audience. Also with analytical tools, advertisers can track campaigns in real time and ensure ads make maximum impact.
Automation of advertising with digital tools have significantly aided the publication of strategic campaigns and ensured they reach the right audience. A typical example is the strategic partnership between L’Oréal’s CeraVe and Canadian actor Michael Cera, which resulted in the Super Bowl campaign that every skincare enthusiast likely saw. This campaign was unexpected, unconventional and brewed anticipation in the audience by playfully hinting at an implied link. This is a demonstration of data-driven advertising where algorithms use search history to connect producers to consumers.
Understanding the psychology behind advertising is very important for tapping into consumer behavior, this is because this helps in crafting of connection-centric campaigns that resonate deeply and personally with the audience. As an advertiser, you are a storyteller so you need to understand the user ‘s perspective, and tailor your advert to suit and answer their “why” question. Your ads should tell your audience why it should be your brand not others. By grasping what drives your audience’s choice and using the right keywords, you will be able to create more effective and persuasive campaigns.
Ready to explore the power of advertising psychology? Start applying these insights today and see how they transform your advertising.
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