I’ve settled on a simple formula for crafting a promotional message. The approach is to engage the target audience on a basic emotional level plus a rational intentional level, then have a single obvious next step for them to take. Granted, some promotions may be simpler or more complex, but for the vast majority fit this formula. The benefit is that it really gets to the core of what not only captures a person’s attention, but then causes them to follow through and respond to the ad.
The first and most impactful aspect of the promotion should be an immediate emotional hook. The best way to craft this is to get inside the head of the person and understand what are the emotional buttons for this subject matter, and aim for one directly (I’m talking about doing a little ethnography here). Chances are the people you talk to will not consciously be aware of these emotive buttons and you’ll need to look deeper than their surface explanations. This is the part that makes the person really genuinely want to engage. For example lets say the promotion is for a phone – here’s where you provide an image of style, status, dating or suchlike. There’s no rational argument, it’s just a raw emotional “I need that” pull.
The moment after you’ve caught their attention, the person’s conscious thought processes will catch up and they’ll be looking for a sound reason to back up their initial instinctive response (an ‘albi’ in Clotaire Rapaille’s lingo). Here’s where you need to present the offer, argument or statement that will carry the person on to take action. For the phone, this is probably a price point or new feature that makes rational sense as a cause to engage further. This needs to be as simple as possible – one idea, one statement, not a laundry list of stuff. Simpler gets you more memorable and understandable.
Finally, now that you have their attention and engagement, give them one thing to do next. In marketing jargon this is the call to action. Phone this number, go to this website. Again, something simple and memorable. You really want them to do this one thing after all, right?
The hard part in all this is translating the insight about the emotional hot-buttons into a relevant, appropriate design. You can’t beat having a talented creative involved who understands the nuances and how to address them with design concepts. The rest is just a matter of discipline and not cramming in unnecessary junk!
Filed under: creative delivery, method, user-centred , ads, formula, marketing, promotions
Recent Comments