Chapter 8. Approach
What is the approach?
You have the appeal. The question is: How are you going to bring it to life? The answer is: You need an approach.
The approach isn’t the idea (that’s the next section), but it forms the kind of ad you’re going to have: serious, humorous, declarative, or something else.
Program note: This Approach section will focus on types of approaches. The Idea section will concentrate on how to create ideas.
Choosing the approach
You have choices to make.
Forks in the river
Selecting approaches is like making your way up the Mississippi. You come upon a fork in the river, and you have to select one branch or the other. You progress, see more forks, and make more choices. When you look back after a long trip, you realize this was quite a singular adventure for you. Relatively few others have traversed it the way you did. We’re going to make a similar journey.
Here are pre-notes that aren’t worth reading.
This? book doesn’t have every kind of approach.
You may? want to combine different approaches.
Many of? these approaches are similar. As we move along in our journey, the choices will be narrower.
Some of? the upcoming approaches are presented as “the best way to go,” but don’t take those statements seriously.
Zig and zag
This is the importantest choice you need to make. Defining the two:
Zig...is going it straight. You use the same general approach as many other advertisers, but you do it significantly better.
Zag...is being unusual. You take a different approach than everyone else. You go your own way.
We’ll start with types of zig approaches, and zag ones begin after that.
Zig
Four choices
There are four main ways to zig. You can be...
1. “Straight.” Types of those begin in a moment.
2. “Informative,” see page 96.
3. “Emotional,” see page 97.
4. “Exciting,” see page 100.
1. Straight
Go direct
“What does it all come down to?” Answer that for the prospect, and make her happy. Random notes follow:
When you state your message clearly, it contrasts with all the overblown stuff out there, and you get the prospect’s attention.
Those who are direct usually say they’ve tried to promote this product in creative ways, but the straight approach is unmatched.
When you hit an extremely high level of simplification, you have it right. Reason: Your prospect isn't paying attention. You make your message so easy to absorb it’s impossible not to.
Say, “Here’s the point.”
Being direct is the opposite of being subtle. Here is a typical subtle idea: “We’ll show a lone wild stallion, and it’ll signify our independence.” Unfortunately, few prospects will pick that up. Most will see this ad and think, “There’s a horse.” So, rather than being subtle, be obvious. Make the prospect highly conscious of your appeal.
Is being direct being dull? Not if it gets results. The ones who responded weren’t bored, and they are the only ones who count.
Easy to-do: You see a new product campaign, and it’s creative but confusing. Remember it. In eight months, it will probably be replaced by a direct campaign. This is because the confusing one didn’t catch on. At best, it befuddled people. The company radically switched gears and went for the straight message.
Return to high school
Recall how you and other high schoolers would describe something (keeping it G-rated). For example: “It’s stupid.” Or: “I can’t stand it.” Use these phrases in your ads.
Flag down
You need to signal your audience. The quickest way is to ask. For example, ask this: “Do you have gray nose hairs?” You can even shorten it: “Gray nose hairs?” This is better than, “There is hope for those embarrassed by gray nose hairs.” Shorter is better.
The point: The prospect wants you to get to the point about his problem. The sooner you arrive at this point, the better off everyone will be.
Ask a question
This is a short section on a high-priority topic.
Questions draw the reader in, so ask them. For example, you can make a challenge: “Are you ready for a new cure?”
Alternatively, you can get him to connect. For example: “Leg stiffness?”
Give and take
For example, say this: “Our competitors are good. But we’re 34% better.” You gave a little in the first part (good competitors), and you took a lot in the second part (34% better). The “give” adds to your credibility.
Command
You tell people to buy your product. Here are two places this can work:
1. As rockem’ sockem’ retail, and we’ve seen that countless times.
You yell, “Get it!”
2. As a zag. Everybody else is sweetly asking, and you’re sternly barking. “Get this life insurance!” This is risky, because it may generate ill will. But if you’re in the “no guts, no glory” camp, start commanding.
The do it drum
If you’re experimenting with three different ads, try one that bangs the do it drum incessantly. Throughout your ad, you include declarations like these:
Get the? free trial.
You? need to experience this firsthand.
Don’t? hesitate!
What? are you waiting for?
Tell us? you want the free trial.
Now is? the time!
Why beat the drum so often? Because if you tell someone to do something enough times, you might get him to act. It finally – finally – hits the prospect that he should do something about his problem. “All right!” he says. “I’ll do it.” And he’s happier for it…just as you are when you finally accomplish something.
Look at successful direct mail pieces, because many are beating the drum: “Try this,” they say. “You have to try this.” They promote this way because it works.
Here is a way to check the potential drumbeat-effectiveness quotient: Show your ad around. Someone says, “Whew, you’re going overboard with the ‘get it’ message. I think you’ll turn people off.” This is good. You’re beating the drum well.
Moral: Often, it has less to do with being rational and more to do with repeatedly asking for the order.
State the reason
Try this: Start your headline with, “Because...” Then fill in the rest.
For example: “Because you’re sick of being sick.”
Perhaps your final headline won’t start with Because, because Because isn’t the strongest way to get your message across. But Because helps get you there.
Become solemn
For example: “There is a serious issue in our industry.”
Are you giving the prospect convincing reasons?
Ask yourself that. Go ahead.
Fetching
Countless ads come off like good dogs – ready to fetch and eager to please. For the most part, this is a smart way to go. Reason: Providing top service is central to your cause. Therefore, hang out with dogs and get inspired.
Say an old saying
Wise old sayings can form outstanding ads. For example: “You’re known by the company you keep.” The prospect gets your drift and sees where you’re going. The all-important connection is made.
Reference: “Twist the tried and true,” on page 106.
Use jargon
The industry you’re selling to has its own terms, and you should use them. For example, you’re writing an ad for anniversary diamonds, and it’s going into financial newspapers. Your headline: “Delivers a 3-time love ROI.”
Corporatize
If your competitors run amateurish or otherwise crummy ads, try going corporate. Make everything classy. Run headlines like, “The intelligent choice.” Give the prospect someone he can feel confident about.
Caution: This approach can easily look dull, and that won’t help anyone.
Aspects of straight
Let’s get all this straight.
You can write straight
If you say you’re not a writer, be glad for the straight approaches.
You can write them, because the emphasis is on content, not style. You’ll find an audience out there saying, “Give it to me straight. Don’t flower it up.” And that is true in every industry.
Straight starts grand relationships
Bad scenario: The advertiser hires a writer, and the writer puts together clever approaches. However, the approaches don’t fit the advertiser’s vision. This causes tension, false starts, and unhappiness. The writer got off on the wrong foot, and he might never get up to speed.
Promising scenario: The writer should have also developed excellent straightforward approaches, because that’s where the writer and advertiser will probably find common ground. Reason: The advertiser can focus on the ad’s content. He says, “I like what we’re getting across here, and that we’re saying it clearly.”
Why does this help the writer? Because he isn’t trying to accomplish two separate objectives: content and style. Going direct reduces the style issue, so everyone can devote energy to content.
Notably, the final ads could have a lot of style in them. The direct approach was only a starting place. The writer and advertiser became comfortable together, so they could explore creative ideas without tension.
Focus on content
If you’re nervous about creating an ad, there is one fantastic solution: Focus on the content. Say to yourself, “This isn’t about me and my writing style. It’s all about what this product does for the prospect.” Here is the secret you can’t tell yourself: While you’re shaping up the content, flares of writing inspiration will come to you.
Straight doesn’t mean boring
Clear writing will be interesting. You give the prospect your direct message, and that’s what he wants.
“Let’s just show the product”
If there’s nothing outstanding about the product, don’t expect it to stand out on its own.
However, in some cases, it might be smart to show the product by itself. Then, don’t be reasonable and normal with the perspective.
Use an extreme close-up, because it catches the eye. Limit your viewpoint to a distinctive part – like the label.
2. Informative
Deliver the news
If you have something new to say about your product, say it loudly in your advertising. Also, don’t obscure your news with a clever headline or convoluted text. Overwhelm people.
Lay out the facts
For example: The competition only provides assistance 12 hours a day, and you go 24/7. Tell, tell, tell people.
Provide testimonials
Give ’em a whirl! However, they won’t necessarily make an impact, because even Benedict Arnold could scrape up a positive testimonial for himself.
Also, if it’s a testimonial from your client, don’t play up the client's name so big it looks like an ad for them rather than you. It’s easy to confuse the prospect, so use care.
Relate
What is relevant is better than what is big. Let's say your company saves the American workplace a million hours each year. That’s a good selling point. However, a better point is to say, “We can save each of your employees one hour a day.” In other words, instead of throwing big numbers at the prospect, connect with her real challenge: saving employee time.
The “one million hours” point should be used in the copy, because it establishes you as a player.
3. Emotional
Appeal to the emotions
Clearly, affecting the feelings can sell every product under the sun.
The bond forms when you move the prospect. You make him laugh, cry, or something similar. Then you and the prospect are a few steps away from a response.
If you’ve written short stories that make people laugh or cry, congratulations. You’re the kind of person who can write emo-effective ads (that’s a new term you’ll never see again).
Side note: The emotions topic is scattered all over the book. For example, there’s “Driven by reason or emotion?” on page 40.
Show the irony
For example: “He’s a gruff man, but he nursed that abandoned bird back to health. And what water was used for the bird’s bath? Wsprhmpsg Bottled Water, of course.”
Latch on illogically
Your coworker Scrooge says, “We need to show people drinking our bottled water, not pouring it in birdbaths.”
Your friendly reply: “Oh, come on, Ebenezer! This is imagery – an emotional grab. Don’t extract all the joy out of life, Eb, because all we’ll have left is flat crud.”
Tip-off: A cynic looks at your ad and says, “This is so corny.” It’s a sign you’re onto something good.
The truth is: There is an inverse ratio between emotion and reason. You’re trying to attract the emotional side, so don’t worry about using much reason.
Mother the prospect
Turn your prospect into a small child that your product will mother.
This requires a sensitive and maternalistic approach...something that implies this: “There, there, rest your head. Let our product take care of you.”
To be sure, the prospect isn’t expecting an ad to cradle him. However, he runs everything else in his life. If a product wants to take over part of his life, fine.
Become homespun
Give your ad a down-home tone.
Take a slice of life
The ad shows two people sitting at a table having a discussion. One person says, “I have this problem.” The other replies, “I have the solution.”
Many people say these ads are ghastly, but they can work. The prospect sees himself in the ad. He connects and responds.
Note 1: This is contradicted in “Talk with prospects,” on page 17.
Note 2: Direct marketers use these kinds of ads because they get results.
Not for the long haul
The slice of life approach is not recommended if you want a long– term image, because this advertising is so forgettable.
“But our slice of life ad will be remembered,” says one creator. “We’ll make it so beautiful that everyone will hold it in their memories.”
Eh, forget it. If the basic structure is blah, adding window dressing won’t help.
Uncover nostalgic feelings
At one time, your prospect was determined to be a multimillionaire, but that never happened. However, he earned big stockpiles of gold – golden memories. They fill up his heart. Put spirit in him. Make him glad about his life.
How this pertains to you: If you make him nostalgic, those nice feelings can turn into a response.
Side notes:
? Nostalgia isn’t just for octogenarians. Anyone over 10 years old can enjoy the past.
Use? poise, deftness...those kinds of things.
? Nostalgia is easy to overdo, and then it won’t work. The prospect will reject anything too schmaltzy. For example, avoid the “making cookies with Mom” scene. Nobody cries at that anymore.
Use borrowed interest
The fastest way to jumpstart a campaign is through borrowed interest.
Here, your product latches onto the long-established image conveyed by something else, such as a mountaintop, red rose, or sports team. You show a mountain, talk about making it to the top, and you could have a winning ad.
The trick is to make the mountain’s qualities rub off onto your product, rather than lose your product in the peaks. In other words, you’re not selling mountains.
Tell stories
The prospect loves reading stories, but you won’t see many storytelling ads. Reason: Advertisers want the product to be the centerpiece of the message, not the story. And that’s understandable.
However, if you want to stand out from a crowd of product-centric ads, tell that tale.
Tell second person stories
For example: “You’re heading off for another day at work.
Suddenly...”
Suddenly what? What happened to me?
Forge a relationship
In this type of ad, you try to secure a bond between the reader and you.
One way is to imagine the prospect as your friend. Your copy comes out of that.
Saying this another way: Typically, an ad makes a few good points, flashes around the product name, makes an offer, and it’s done. Relationship ads don’t do that.
Go off on a whim
The ad looks like you dashed it off, and that has energy.
Note: It’s difficult to get these ads through the organization, because an organization’s role is to sharpen ads up.
Get sincere
Don’t fake it. Or, be good at faking it.
Use levity
A touch of humor is golden, because it can draw the prospect in.
Should you write a fall-down funny ad? Ninety-nine percent of the time, no. It won’t be right for the product; it won’t come off as funny; and it wouldn’t form a long-lasting image. If you have something to say, blurt it out. Don’t cloud it in comedy.
Your approach
You speak and walk in a certain way. Likewise, you naturally develop certain kinds of ads. Be glad of this, and let yourself prepare them. Look at something you create and say, “That’s a ‘me’ ad. It’s the kind I do like nobody else can.” Just don’t say this aloud, or people will call you a snoot.
Aspect of emotional
Imitation is the sincerest form of failure
Ape Chimpanee says, “People love our competitor’s ad. We can do something similar.” Ape, you can’t recreate the competition’s magic. Instead, perform some of your own. A rip-off campaign will probably go unnoticed, because...
? Originality is a key reason the competition’s ad succeeded
The? imitation will have too little heart and too much mimicry
4. Exciting
Creative people are always developing ideas, and that’s fantastic. However, most of the winning ads out there don’t contain ideas. They succeed by having a lot of excitement in them. This is a huge deal, and we need to pause a moment for it in order to reflect. … We’re creating excitement instead of ideas, and we’re getting results. Fascinating.
Excitement is its own world, and it hasn’t been mapped out yet. We’ve all seen, “Wow! You’ll love this product!” excitement in an ad, and that’s fine. But there are many kinds of excitement, such as showing the problem in a dramatic way.
What comprises excitement? Here are three examples:
1. A thrilling design
2. A clever headline that says it all
3. A picture with action in it
Let’s look at some different types of exciting approaches.
Yell
You have to cut through all that advertising noise. If you feel you’ll
succeed by screaming even louder, go for it.
Extra point: You don’t have to make perfect sense. For example, yell this: “Huge Taste!”
Don’t be part of the harmonious background
Some advertisers are happiest when their ad looks like most others in the publication. Borne Follower says, “We match the competition. Now we’re in the game, and that’s great.” Borne, that’s not enough! You have to get out in front of the others. Immediately. One big jump ahead.
Pow
With this approach, you come right out with it. Your visual shows the situation in stark fashion, and your headline, goodness – you’re pounding the message. For example: “KABOOM!”
This type of approach will wake everyone up, because you take charge...alarm the prospect...show capability...make competitors look sterile.
To hammer out a powerful headline, answer this: How could you say exactly what you want to in five words or less? Also, one of the words needs to have action in it.
Summary: If you want a knockout campaign, start punching.
Jolt
For example: “You could lose your house tomorrow.”
Man, there’s a jolt. What could be so serious?
Shake it up
Your prospect needs to get shook up. He’ll say, “I don’t like these ads that get in my nose.” But most times, don’t believe him. Get right in his nose, jostle him around, and let him be thankful later.
Your goal should be to skyrocket the response or go down in a blaze. The result will probably be neither extreme, because readers won’t react negatively as feared. However, your boldness can earn a 30% better response.
Thoughtful extra: Rise to the challenge. The prospect knows you’re advertising a mundane product. She wants you to impress her. Come up with a stunning ad...for her sake.
Stop the march
Thousands of people are filing past your ad. Find a way to yell, “Halt!”
Tell the cold truth
Here, a whole bucket of truth is thrown in the prospect’s face. For example: “Are you terrible at love?” That’s a tough ad. However, if the prospect is ready to face this problem and resolve it, you’ll probably get his response.
Addendum: It helps no one to tiptoe around problems.
Deep question: What is the truth of it all?
Declare the world’s end
Get ultra-serious. Go ahead.
Sure, you want your ads to be intense, because the prospect is more likely to pay attention.
Announce the popularity
Thousands of companies push the message, “We’re so popular.” And they are right to do this. The prospect is comforted knowing that masses of people are buying the company’s product.
Also: You can communicate that people are switching to your product. Because unless sales are nowhere, people are switching.
Hype it
Make your ad larger than life.
Turn it up
For example, you’re advertising gronoflizers. You could show people reveling in the speed, but that’s too easy and overused. Rather, apologize for making it so fast. “Because we exceeded the requirements by significant amounts, our gronoflizer will be too powerful for some.”
Show an obsession with the product
Your coworkers will adore this approach. More important, the prospect will probably respond, because you’re showing product popularity.
Take a stand
Enlighten the prospect. Tell her the popular way isn’t the right way.
Bust into your ad
Take the ad you’re currently running and drop in a loud announcement.
Make an unthinkable offer
Advertise a promotion that makes the competition’s jaw drop.
“Read this”
Demand extra attention from the prospect. It’s your moment – use it!
Zag
A zag advocate speaks:
“All the ads you see are the same, same, same. Why would you ever want your ad to get lost in the crowd like that? Let’s do something different!”
Four choices
These are listed from the most “normal” zags to the most radical. You can be...
1. “Unusual.” That’s coming right up
2. “Odd,” starting on page 105
3. “Unreal,” on page 106
4. “Extreme,” on page 107
1. Unusual
Be illogical
The organization agrees to a rational approach, but something tells you to forget that. The reason: Your prospect doesn’t want logic. Instead, he craves illogicalness. Here are two examples:
1. The learning center
You’re advertising for a learning center – an after-school program that helps kids who need more academic help. Here is the logical ad: “Your child can’t keep up?”
Unfortunately, this ad doesn’t get to the heart of it, because parents won’t believe their kids are inferior – as well they shouldn’t. An unconventional but better approach is to say, in effect: “Your child is smart, but somehow he isn’t in synch with what he is taught.” Explain how the center can help bring the child and grades together.
2. Paperclips
You’re selling generic paperclips. It’s logical to scrape up whatever advantages you can (“ours hold more paper”) and hope for something. But the prospect won’t care about lackluster appeals. He knows they are regular old paperclips.
So, make your paperclips the cool paperclips. Design the ads so they look like teenage consumer product ads. They will stand out in the dry office product world. Then, purchasers with a sense of humor can say, “Look, I’ve got the cool paperclips. And you don’t.”
Note: You should be able to explain the logic behind your illogical approach. For example: “The paperclip is simply delivering some fun to the user. And who doesn’t need more fun?” If you can’t explain the logic, your ad is probably too wiggy.
Raise curiosity
For example, ask the prospect: “What is the only ball bearing that exceeds federal government safety requirements?”
A curiosity-inducing ad can rake in responses, because you engage the reader. Then, you can guide him to a response.
Find the right opposite
Let’s say your competitors look too corporate. Everything is stuffy.
To counter that, you ask your six-year-old nephew to draw pictures of people using your product, and you run those drawings as the visuals in your campaign.
You’re taking the “right opposite approach.” In this case, you’re using charm to outdo your uptight competitors.
The wrong opposite approach would be for you to draw pictures and run them, because nothing is heartwarming about adult scrawls.
U-turn the thinking
For example: Show businessmen protesting.
2. Odd
Go off the wall
For example, mail each prospect a loaf of bread and say, “Any way you slice it, we’re better.”
Your prospect will remember receiving a loaf of bread. Also, the way to his heart is through his stomach.
Use something familiar
Your ad has more power when you tap the energy of well-known general advertising.
For example: You sell a business-forecasting tool in a dull industrial market. You liven things up by making your campaign look like a “talk with a TV psychic for $3.99 a minute” ad. The point: You’re connecting business forecasting with psychic power.
Play dumb
You come up with an ad so likeably oafish the prospect has to smile.
And respond.
Use cartoons
If we took a photo of someone experiencing a blizzard of paperwork, it would...
1. Cost money and time
2. Look phony and staged
However, an imaginative cartoonist will make the funniest paper blizzard you