Think about your favorite ad on TV. Can you remember it vividly? Now think of the worst ad that you were exposed to. Can you tell the part that made that ad specifically repugnant? It is interesting how some advertisements become a worldwide phenomenon while most others tank badly.

For example, Oreo’s twisting, licking, and dunking ad idea is exactly how the entire world now eats that double-sided biscuit. And then there are those ads that keep playing on repeat, yet fail to arouse even a tinge of emotional reaction.

The question then is what makes an ad memorable? What elements of an ad move audiences? Simply, what makes a good ad?

Marketers have dabbled into psychology of consumer behavior and influence to get to the bottom of these questions.

Before wasting your money on expensive advertising, you should look into the consumers and learn about their behaviors, so that you can craft a wise campaign strategy instead of letting the money do the work for you. You might end up with a glamourous and flashy ad, but it won’t help the sales.

Here, in this article, we are going to distill the wisdom of decades-old marketing research into the science of what makes an ad work.

Judging if an ad will tank or soar is a tricky business, but with help from the following marketing insights, we might be better positioned to make the right choices when it comes to developing good ads.

• Who is your Target Audience?

The first and foremost question to ask yourself is about your target audience. The target audience is that segment of the consumer market that has particular desires and needs and would be the most likely to buy your product. Each person is unique and displays unique consumer behavior when making a purchase.

An ad doesn’t have to cater to everyone. That’s not how advertising works anyway. When have narrowed your target audience down, you can create more personalized and relevant messages.

On the contrary, if your target audience is not determined beforehand, then your messages are going to be broadly designed, and appeal to no one in particular.

An interesting example of this is the Coca-Cola ad. Although Coca-Cola is loved worldwide, regardless of age groups and socio-economic demographics, its ad campaigns are specifically targeted at the 19 – 20-year-old, urban male demographic that belongs to a certain socio-economic status, and are trendy and outgoing.

Interestingly, the other demographics are draw to the Coca-Cola just because they aspire to be like the target audience. That is pure genius that only a Coca-Cola ad campaign can pull off.

• What is the Message that you want to Deliver?

Brands, at different stages of their development, change their messaging. A brand that has just been established needs to communicate the features and benefits of its product.

However, a brand that is already well-established doesn’t need to do the same because everyone knows about its products. But that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from ads any longer. Well-established brands often communicate their beliefs and values in their marketing campaigns.

The key takeaway here is to first analyze what position your brand holds in the market. With this information, craft a message in accordance with the position you aspire to. Your message needs to be precise. Don’t be all over the place. Communicate a specific message that is relevant to your audience.

• Make People Remember You

Did you know, that an average American is exposed to about 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements on a daily basis? This is how saturated the market is. Your role here must be to break through the clutter and captivate the audience’s attention enough for them to make a purchase.

How can you do that? After deciding on your target audience and the message that you want to communicate, you need to find an interesting way to communicate it to them.

Learn about the latest filmmaking and photography trends, and see if you can incorporate those into your ads. Up the production quality of your ad by adding pleasing visuals and catchy tunes. Mix in a little humor that your target audience can relate to.

Get as creative as you can get, albeit within the confines of the brand’s voice and image.

• Choose the Right Platform:

After getting done with shooting the ad, the final step is to decide the platform that will best carry the ad to your audience. Ask yourself, which platform your audience uses the most?

If your target audience consists of Gen-Z teenagers, then you must place your ad on platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, etc.

However, if your target audience consists of Millennials, then you need to place your ads on TV channels.

In short, research your target audience’s favorite online hangouts and target those platforms with your ad, which means you will be increasing the chances that the relevant audience gets to see your ads.

Conclusion:

Advertising is part science and part art. You need to be creative to come up with stellar ad ideas, but at the same time, you need to do your research on your target audience, your core message, and your brand voice and image. You need to have an understanding of how to use the latest technology and filmmaking trends, add a dash of humor here and there to connect with the consumer, explore the best platforms for exposing the ad to the right audience, and recognize your place in the market, so you don’t go overboard too soon with advertising budgets.

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