Advertising Examples: How to Captivate and Sell

Advertising is putting buyers and sellers together. It’s where creativity meets strategy. The best advertising creates an indelible brand message that people remember and converts them from prospects to buying customers.

Your advertising is more than a cute character, clever logo, or slogan. It consists of your branding, digital campaigns, traditional media, service, deliverables, customer experience, and your credibility.

Effective advertising plays a crucial role in the success of your business. It includes traditional media and digital platforms.

Creative advertising examples serve as benchmarks for what you can achieve and the history of advertising showcases the evolution from simple shop signs and town criers to elaborate digital campaigns.

I’m known as the “Wealthy Bag Lady.” I owned a business that produced custom-printed shopping bags for trophy clients such as Disney, Nissan, Pepsi, IAMS Pet Food, Mattel and Sony.

I needed to be scrappy because if I didn’t advertise my business, I didn’t eat.

We’ll look at the history of advertising and how you can apply proven methods to skyrocket your success.

Key Takeaways

• Successful advertisements are a combination of strategy and creativity.
• Advertising has changed throughout the years and the basic selling strategies are evergreen.
• Branding, ethics and credibility are integral in successful advertisements.
• Don’t be a me-too business. Tell people how you are different than the competition and the unique benefits you provide.

What’s the History of Advertising?

Advertising has been shaped significantly since its inception throughout the years. In this section, you’ll see how early forms of advertising have morphed into the omni-channel marketing platforms that businesses use today.

Early Advertising

At the beginning of advertising, street vendors came up with catchy phrases to shout on the boulevard and bring customers to their stalls. Sellers became town criers. Then the printing press was invented and it changed the world of modern advertising forever. In the 17^th century, people could print flyers, labels, and ads in newspapers.

Evolution of Adverting

Literacy rates increased and technology became more advanced. Iconic ads such as Rosie the Riveter and the Campbell Soup Kids became de regear. Alka Selzer won many awards for their television ads, one of them featuring a bloated man in bed saying, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

Spokespeople became prominent such as Madge the manicurist for Palmolive and even a “spokescat”, Morris for Friskies Cat Food.

Technology in Advertising

In the late 20^th Century, companies used technology in advertising that went beyond having their own company website. They used social media platforms to personalize ads to specific audiences and geographic clusters.

Types of Advertising

In an age where attention is a currency, advertisers utilize a variety of platforms to communicate their messages. Each type of advertising offers distinct advantages to reach audiences effectively.

The advertising landscape became cluttered and it became challenging for marketers to get attention and rise above the mediocre middle.

Print Media

Traditional advertising is not dead and it should be added to your marketing mix. This includes print media such as magazines, newspapers, flyers, directories, and brochures. The shelf life is longer and you can be more creative. Readers perceive print ads as more credible than other forms of advertising. Direct mail is effective for some businesses, especially non-profits soliciting donations.

Broadcast Advertising

Broadcast advertising is another form of traditional media that includes television and radio. These ads give you extended reach at a low cost per person. Radio ads are more effective on talk radio and podcasts than on music stations.

Don’t worship creativity as the gold standard. Many television ads are creative, but people can’t recall what brand and don’t become buyers.

One of the most effective ads I’ve seen is Aflac, which has a high brand recall. The advertising agency got the Aflac account and then ate their lunch at a park that had a duck pond. They kept saying “Aflac” and realized that it sounded like a duck. The Aflac duck was born. Now the duck even has his own social media pages and gets lots of fan mail.

Digital Platforms

When I ask people how they will get the word out about their company, they usually talk about social media because the cost is extremely affordable. Social series are effective because they are targeted and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Campaigns are based on users’ online behaviors and preferences, resulting in immediate and measurable responses.

Other forms of digital marketing include email marketing, videos, search engines, and websites. These give you great engagement and detailed analytics so you can customize your messaging.

Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor advertising is often referred to as Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising such as public spaces, display ads, billboards, theatre ads, and transit ads. The key feature is visibility, broad messaging and brand awareness.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships is partnering with a property, which could be a person, event, influencer, athlete, business or non-profit charity to take advantage of their goodwill and extended reach. Sponsorships are more targeted than traditional ad spending because you can target distinct audiences and get more bang for your buck. Sponsorship is also called partner marketing.

Advertising Strategies and their Benefits

Successful advertising strategies are essential for brands to communicate with customers in compelling and effective ways. Each strategy is tailored to objectives such as increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or engaging a customer base.

Successful advertising strategies are essential for brands to communicate to customers in compelling ways. Check out which strategies appeal to you.

Lovemarks: Emotional Advertising

Lovemarks are brands that people have emotional ties to and they recommend them to others. A woman that I know uses Pantene hair products because her mother and her grandmother used them. Other Lovemarks include Zappos, Dove and Whole Foods Market. Lovemarks often remove pricing considerations. People shop at Whole Foods Market even though they know they are paying more.

Bandwagon Approach

The Bandwagon Approach to marketing uses the powerful strategy of social proof. You’ll see testimonials and endorsements from trusted people. This taps into the consumer’s fear of missing out (FOMO) and the desire to be part of the majority.

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP))

Your Unique Selling Proposition sets your brand apart from your competition. Your USP focuses on how you are different and better from the other players in your marketplace.

Celebrity Endorsements

Endorsements from celebrities involve utilizing the fame and brand created by public figures to promote your products and services. When a celebrity endorses a brand it increases its credibility and star power. It’s the easiest way for the everyday consumer to get closer to a celebrity. You can also try influencer marketing, leveraging the persuasive power of a person who may not be an A-list celebrity, but is known in their niche.

When I was doing my event, the Women’s Small Business Expo, I hired women who created businesses that many people knew about to speak and get the word out. The person wasn’t a celebrity, but people knew the brand. It’s a way to get more out of your advertising investment.

Check Out These Creative Advertising Examples

Creative advertising campaigns serve as blueprints for compelling storytelling, innovative engagement with the audience, and they are fun.

Iconic Ad Campaigns

What are your favorite iconic ad campaigns? I’ve always liked “Just Do It” by Nike. It’s succinct, motivational and memorable. Another great campaign is from Avis Rental Car, “We’re Number 2. We Try Harder.”

Viral Advertising

Everyone wants their messaging to go viral. It needs to connect emotionally with consumers and be easy to remember and repeat. An example of this is “Real Beauty for Real Women” by Dove. Instead of choosing stick figure models, Dove displayed large women with curves in their tidy whitey underwear. Showing real women was considered revolutionary at the time and it amplified the sales of Dove products. Now Dove even has a Self-Esteem Fund for Girls.

What’s Guerilla Advertising?

Guerilla advertising is often used by small businesses and start-ups. It’s a low-cost alternative for getting your message out. One great example of Guerilla Marketing was the Pepsi Challenge, that used low-budget production and real consumers.

Corporate Social Responsibility Advertising

A classic example of corporate social responsibility advertising is Tom’s Shoes. When you buy a pair of Tom’s Shoes, they would donate a pair of shoes to people in need. Tom’s also promoted a “Day Without Shoes” campaign.

How Do You Evaluate Advertising Effectiveness?

After you do your ad campaigns, it is critical to evaluate the effectiveness of your ad spend and use the information to create future advertising.

What Are the Metrics for Advertising Success?

 Here are some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for assessing how your advertising meets your objectives and goals.

• Reach: The total number of individuals.
• Frequency: The number of times people have seen your marketing messages. Frequency is also called “touches”.
• Impressions: The total number of times the ad messaging were displayed, clicked, liked and shared.
• Click Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of viewers who click on your ad, link, social media, website or landing page.
• Conversion Rate: This may be the most critical measurement. It’s about the percentage of people who take action and buy

How to Analyze Consumer Engagement

Analyzing consumer engagement provides insights into buying behavior and these interactions are measured through:

• Social media interactions: including likes comments, mentions. Shares are the best kind of social media activity.
• Time spent on page: The level of interest generated by your ad and how long people read your messages.
• Bounce rate: How often new visitors navigate away after only viewing one page. This may indicate that your messaging is not “sticky.”
• A/B testing: Trying 2 different variations of a message to see which one pulls better.

What’s Your Return on Investment (ROI)

Evaluating the return on your advertising dollar is critical to the success of your business.

• Cost analysis: Measuring the total spend on your marketing campaigns
• Revenue attribution: Linking the sales revenue directly to the specific advertising campaign.
• Profit margin: The profit that is generated from the campaign after your expenses.
• Surveys: Asking customers directly about their demographics and buying preferences.

How Does Your Brand Influence Your Advertising?

Your brand is the foundation of your advertising, website, traditional marketing and digital platforms. It should communicate to customers how you are different from the competition.

Building Your Brand Identity

Me-too businesses are usually not the most successful. You need to build a strong identity including your visual branding, promises, company values and credibility.

Storytelling and Your Brand

Brand storytelling is strategic and connects emotionally with your audience. This includes powerful narratives that make your brand memorable. Compelling stories resonate with consumers, often influencing their perception of your company and buying habits. One of the most read sections of your website is the about page, so make it compelling.

Customer Loyalty Programs

Customer loyalty programs were pioneered by the airline industry and now many other businesses use them. They promote repeat orders and foster a deeper connection. When you use your loyalty program at the grocery store, the store gets real-time information about the products you buy. This lets them create customized offers based on your purchases.

Ethics in Advertising

Maintain honesty and responsibility in your marketing and don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

Avoid Deceptive Practices

Try to avoid embellishments and puffery. A classic example is a weight loss advertisement that says “results not typical”.

Advertising to Vulnerable Populations

As a marketer, you’re responsible for protecting vulnerable groups of people. This includes messaging that exploits children and people who are naïve.

Regulatory Compliance in Advertising

Make sure you don’t flagrantly violate FTC regulations or defined standards for your industry in your advertising. Consumer privacy is a hot topic now. If people sign up for my email marketing, they know that their information will not be traded, rented or sold…period.

What’s the Future of Advertising?

Technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Personalization and Virtual Reality are some new trends in advertising.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is drastically reshaping advertising in real-time. The algorithms enable you to target messaging. You can also use predictive tools to anticipate decision-making, engagement and buying habits.

Personalization in Advertising

Personalization is possible in new and innovative ways. It’s becoming more sophisticated and tailored to your customers past behaviors, preferences and even their current mood. This hyper-targeted approach is likely to be more relevant, impactful and will produce higher conversion rates.

Emerging Platforms and Strategies

The landscape of advertising is ever-changing. Short-form video content is dominating social media engagement. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are opening up avenues for immersive experiences.

With virtual reality, you only see what is in your device, usually a virtual reality headset. With augmented reality, you can also see everything around you.

I recently saw a fashion exhibit. They had an augmented reality experience, where you looked into a special mirror and saw yourself in a high-fashion look. You could even take a photo, download it to your smartphone and share it with others. I couldn’t wait to share the photos of me in a high-fashion look and user-generated viral content is king.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a good advertisement?                     

A good advertisement resonates with your target audience. It also communicates your value proposition and tells people how you are different.

How can you create an effective ad campaign?

Creating an effective ad campaign is all about speaking directly to your target audience. You also need unique messaging, the right platform and brilliant positioning.

How can I create creative advertising?

Creative advertising is memorable and stresses your unique value proposition. Give your audience some guidance and have a compelling call to action.

What are the different types of advertising?

Businesses use various advertising strategies such as online, endorsements, emotional connections and urgency.

In marketing you test, test, and then test again to see which are the most powerful strategies for your audience. Use these advertising strategies and reap.