Bryan Cox outlines the five key essentials marketers need to know about creating effective marketing strategies.
As marketers, we are always working to deepen the connection between our brands and consumers, with brand communications being a critical aspect of this effort. To foster brand growth, it is essential that our advertising resonates deeply with consumers, ensuring that our communications incorporate key elements known to drive successful campaigns.
RED C has extensive experience in helping brands create impactful marketing communications through our RED C advertising testing tool and, more recently, our online DIY ad evaluation product, RED C Direct. So, what have we learned? Here are the top 5 essentials for effective brand communications.
- Creativity
The likeability of your advertising is key; the more consumers enjoy watching a creative, the more likely they will be to want to see it again. If your ad is received positively by your audience, this lowers the risk of ‘wear-out’ on repeat viewing, extending the lifespan of your campaign. Peter Field maintains “Creativity in advertising helps drive long-term business success, providing a powerful antidote to the short-term nature of so much activity today.” Creative executions have the ability to resonate with consumers for a longer period of time, increasing the likelihood of your brand cutting through the noise and being present in consumers’ minds at moments of choice.
- Distinctiveness
As Karen Nelson-Field said, ‘We live in a constant state of ‘zombie’, so attention to ads is not sustained and certainly not undivided. This means it’s vital your ad at the very least drives brand connections. A strongly branded creative will make it simple for consumers to link the advertisement to the brand. The use of Distinctive Brand Assets (DBAs) in your brand communications helps consumers make these mental connections, while continuous reinforcement of these DBAs ensures that your brand is quickly and easily identifiable in your advertising. DBAs can come in all shapes and sizes, such as colours, logos, slogans, music/sounds, characters, celebrities, and any other asset that has the ability to get your brand noticed faster.
- Emotional Response
When choosing a brand, we rarely make careful and considered decisions; according to behavioural economist Gerd Gigerenzer, humans make “fast and frugal” decisions to arrive at “good enough” choices. Creating a strong emotional connection through your advertising helps to reassure consumers that your brand is a good choice at the point of purchase. Advertisements that elicit a strong emotional response have a greater propensity to resonate with consumers, and, as a result, assist in long-term brand building. As advertisements are typically short in duration, it is important to generate an instant, system 1 emotional reaction; the stronger the reaction, the more effective it is in creating emotional connections to the brand.
- Fame
Advocacy or ‘fame’ in advertising refers to how well a creative delivers on social interactions for the brand. Are consumers talking about your ad with their friends and family? Is it being shared on social media? Are consumers actively seeking out your advertisement online? Paul Feldwick has said “Fame is the driver of successful advertising and a social construct. It emerges from the interactions between people, the media, and each other.” Creating shareable content with high talkability helps to generate buzz around your campaign, with your advertising gaining traction outside of the traditional distribution channels.
- Brand Impact
At its most basic level, your advertising should aim to have a positive effect on your brand in the mind of the consumer; this impact can be emotional, which aids in brand building, or rational, which acts as a sales activation tool. When exposed to the ad, do consumers feel closer to the brand? Do they find the brand more appealing?
Driving closeness and appeal are key as they have a long-term positive impact on your brand. But rational elements are important too; does the ad make consumers more likely to use your brand? Does it drive a perceived advantage for your brand over competitors? Does it make them feel that your brand offers something new or different? While these more rational responses are less likely to have a long-term impact on your brand, they are crucial in driving short-term success. Pulling both emotional and rational levers in your advertising helps to balance short-term gains with long-term brand connections.
RED C Direct
RED C Direct is RED C’s self-service advertising evaluation tool that focuses specifically on these five key elements. It allows you to run a full diagnostic on your advertisement quickly, easily, and cost-effectively. Simply upload your stimulus, launch your survey, and receive results back within 24 hours. For more information visit www.redcdirect.com.
Bryan Cox is group director (product) with RedC Research
