Session Goal : Gain ideas and insights into characteristics of high-performing print ads

Creating Attention-Getting and Motivating Advertising in the IT Market. Presented by:EDUCAUSE Reviewand Jack Semler, Readex Researchwww.readexresearch.com

Session Goal: Gain ideas and insights into characteristics of high-performing print ads Our agenda will provide a: • Brief overview of the research that we have done for EDUCAUSE Review • what is measured in this research • how to interpret the numbers from actual ads in actual studies. • Review of the methodology • List of key characteristics in good advertising • Memos • Ad contrasts and “Which Ad Scored Best”

Definition of Terms As we look at our series of ads, you will see references to ad scores, actual scores from actual studies: RS = Recall Seeing RR = Recall Reading The average score for one page, four-color ads over the two studies from which examples will be used is RS 65% and RR 24%.

Methodology

Executive Summary: 9 key elements to powerful print advertising 1. Present one central selling proposition. Avoid clutter and extraneous ideas. 2. Support the basic proposition with all elements of the creative. The headline, illustration and text should work together. 3. Appeal to the reader’s needs and self-interests. “What’s in it for me?” 4. Show the product in use. Help the reader imagine using the product or service. 5. Design the ad for easy reading. Don’t make it a chore to get through your ad.

Executive Summary: 9 key elements to powerful print advertising 6. Sell the merits of the product or service. Why should the reader buy? 7. Emphasize benefits, not facts. Facts are what the product/service is....benefits describe what the product/service does. 8. Use humor carefully. What you think is funny may not be to others. 9. Finally, don’t be shy about frequently repeating a successful ad.

1. Present one central selling proposition. Avoid clutter and extraneous ideas. RS 64% RR 31%

2. Support your basic proposition with all elements of the creative. The headline, illustration and text should work together. RS 81% RR 34%

Idea: Avoid asking a question in your headline that can be answered with a “No.”

Poll • In your next fiscal/budget year, how do you expect your overall marketing budget to change compared to your current year? • Significant reduction • Modest reduction • Stay the same • Modest increase • Significant increase

3. Appeal to the reader’s needs and self-interests. Answer the question: “What’s in it for me?” RS 66% RR 30%

4. Illustrate the product in use. Help the reader imagine using the product or service. RS 61% RR 24%

Idea: You have an average of four seconds to connect with readers. Make sure you do this as quickly and clearly as possible.

5. Design the ad for easy reading. Avoid reverse and creative tactics that are fun and playful but make it hard to read what the copy says. RS 67% RR 21%

6. Sell the merits of your product or service. Why should readers consider buying the product or service? RS 61% RR 15%

Idea: Pretend the headline for your ad is the first thing your sales representative would say on a call.

Poll • What percentage of your current marketing budget is dedicated to digital channels AND online advertising? • Less than 10% • 10%-19% • 20%-34% • 35%-50% • 51% or greater

7. Emphasize benefits, not facts Facts are static points about what the product/serviceis. Benefits describe what the product/service doesfor the reader. RS 58% RR 16%

8. Use Humor Carefully While this ad is not, in my opinion, designed to be humorous, there is a playful element which can go one way or the other. RS 62% RR 20%

8. Use Humor Carefully

Idea: Testimonials.

Final Idea: Keep the copy flowing outwards: You versus We

Final Idea: Keep the copy flowing outwards: You versus We. 11 You-0 We

Executive Summary: 9 key elements to powerful print advertising 1. Present one central selling proposition. Avoid clutter and extraneous ideas. 2. Support the basic proposition with all elements of the creative. The headline, illustration and text should work together. 3. Appeal to the reader’s needs and self-interests. “What’s in it for me?” 4. Show the product in use. Help the reader imagine using the product or service. 5. Design the ad for easy reading. Don’t make it a chore to get through your ad.

Executive Summary: 9 key elements to powerful print advertising 6. Sell the merits of the product or service. Why should the reader buy? 7. Emphasize benefits, not facts. Facts are what the product/service is....benefits describe what the product/service does. 8. Use humor carefully. What you think is funny may not be to others. 9. Finally, don’t be shy about frequently repeating a successful ad.

9. Repeat a successful ad Following are two charts which track the same ad over eight different exposures:

Location Percentages calculated based on data from over 22,000 ads measured in Red Sticker recall studies from 1999-2011.

Size

From a March 2013 Study of B2B Media Users, Conducted for American Business Media-Regular Usage of Media Channels Nearly two in three are using mobile-optimized websites and/or apps base: all 6,682 respondents (multiple answers)

Now for the fun! • In the next three slides are ads from EDUCAUSE that were run by the same advertiser • two different creative approaches.... • different results • The final three slides will present – • “Which Ad Scored Best?” • Your task is to guess which ad scored highest, the right or left?

Ad contrast RS 56 RR 20% RS 68% RR 16%

Ad contrast RS 69% RR 15% RS 74% RR 37%

Ad contrast RS 75% RR 26% RS 64% RR 16%

Which Ad Scored Best????

Which ad scored best? RS 59% RR 20% RS 70% RR 21%

We hope you have found our presentation, “Creating Attention-Getting and Motivating Advertising in the IT Market”, informative and useful. Thank you for attending.

Session Goal : Gain ideas and insights into characteristics of high-performing print ads