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Brutal simplicity is the best way to make your ad easier to understand. The term
brutal simplicity is actually a well-known mantra of Rich Silverstein, the executive
creative director of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. That quote is plastered on his
door that serves as a reminder to his creative team to make sure they simplify their
ideas before they present it to him. It is also a well-known principle in Hollywood.
All writers or directors are required to simplify their idea to one or two sentences which is called the “logline” or the “pitch”. In most cases, whether or not their idea will get through will depend on their logline. It also works that way in summarizing a novel or a book, there always has to be a one to two sentences. This is the same principle you should follow in designing your campaign, promo or ad. Brutal simplicity is the best way to making your ad easier to understand, thus, making it more effective.
Tip #1: One Simple Message
I probably said this tip in as many blog entries and, sorry to disappoint you, I will keep on saying it because small business owners must understand this and apply it. To this day, small business owners still keep the belief that they must maximize their investment by saying as many things as they can in their ad materials. What small business owners should realize is that it is the wrong way to maximize an investment. Stuffing multiple messages in an ad material will bury everything you are saying.
Say only one thing and one thing only.
The other struggle is knowing how to determine what to say, when to say it and how to say it. We’ve also encountered many small business owners who thought they were saying one thing when they are actually saying nothing at all or they were actually saying many things.
The best way to do it is by applying something we learned in the third grade, use a simple sentence which means simple subject and simple predicate. Fill in the blanks below.
(Name of product) is (insert product description).
Examples:
*Green Shield is the first organic disinfectant.
*Hippie Cars sells classic cars.
Whatever it is you want to say, say it one sentence with a simple subject and simple predicate using simple words.
Tip #2: Be Specific
It is, of course, not enough for you to say something simple and single-
You have to know exactly what it is you want to say. “Launching durable running shoes”
won’t cut it. Have you ever heard Nike or Adidas saying their shoes are durable?
They talk about climacool, having shock-
Be as specific as possible.
Of course, you also have to be unique and relevant but that’s another post.
Tip #3: One-
There are so many promotions that require people to go through several things before getting the prize they offer. For example, a certain company is giving away free tickets to a concert but people who want it need to:
1) Buy a product where they will find a code.
2) Go to the company’s website and sign up using the code.
3) Answer several questions.
4) Wait for a notification if you win.
Really? You made me buy your product, go to your website, sign up, answer a question and I’m not even sure if I will get the tickets. Dude, I have better use of my time. If you want to give me something, ask me to do one thing and only one thing and I assure you, I will remember your product better.
With that said, you should have one call to action too. Don’t say ‘Go to www.mysebsite.com’ and ‘Buy now.’ Make up your mind on what you want to happen and maybe the customer will do it.
Tip #4: Use only one device
Simplicity applies to designs and other elements in your ad too. Use only one device or element. Let us say you are launching a new brand of accessories. You want to show everyone that anyone can be pretty with your products and because you want to catch attention, you decided to use cute cats and dogs to wear your products instead of humans. Then stick to the animals. Don’t use humans on one ad and animals on another.
Another example is if you are a local bank and you want to tell everyone that you support small businesses. You want people to know that your bank supports dreams and you decided to make your employees dress in genies and faery godmothers and other entities known for giving wishes, then stick to that device on all your ads. Don’t use the fantasy feel on and then go serious on others.
Remember to always keep it simple. The best test is for you to strip your ad from anything and everything. If you have nothing left but a white paper and you are to write what your product can offer, will your ad be attractive?
Brutal Simplicity: Making Your Ad Easier to Understand
Article by: smallbusinessadvertisingstrategies.com
