The Best.
We all want to own it. Enjoy it.
But when it comes to advertising in 2014 America, how does a brand or business know what is “the best” form of advertising to employ?
The answer is simple. Yet increasingly complex.
If that sounds like a riddle, it’s really not. The truth is that we live in an era, environment and society where things are ever-shifting, fast-moving and increasingly fragmented. And in the spirit of tried-and-true American capitalism, many, many viable and valuable options abound when it comes to advertising and marketing avenues, vehicles and platforms today.
So logic would dictate, then, that there is really no one “right answer” to any and all questions about “the best form of advertising.”
It all just…depends. On many factors.
Such as your business or brand. Your industry or market segment. Your product or products.
As well as your target audience’s age range. Your target audience’s ethnic breakdown. Your target audience’s gender composition. Your target audience’s preferences.
And maybe most of all, your target audience’s media consumption habits, patterns and tendencies.
In other words, the best form of advertising is the one that best captures and engages your target audience – in a location, medium and manner in which they are best represented and most comfortable. All for the specific service, or particular product, that you’re advertising.
That might mean posts on Twitter or Instagram. It might mean display and banner ads on a popular website. It might mean email blasts to a carefully cultivated email distribution list. It might mean video ads designed to optimize mobile-savvy consumers.
It might mean more “traditional” avenues, such as television, radio, outdoor or even point-of-purchase/point-of-sale (aka POP or POS) executions.
Or it might mean a smart media mix – of all or many of the above.
When it comes to impactful and successful advertising, the “right answer” is always the “smart answer.” And the more research and testing you conduct on your target audience and their consumer and media habits, the smarter – and more successful – you can be in your approach and execution.
This might all seem like common sense. A “no-brainer,” if you will. But in today’s frantic, fast, furious, follower-obsessed environment, things common sense and smart study can often take a backseat when it comes to advertising and marketing practices.
Of course, great advertising has always involved creative work and executions that cuts through the clutter. Stands out from the crowd. And says and sounds and does things a little bit differently than what people are used to hearing and seeing from your competition in your industry.
So why not stick to this tried-and-true approach when it comes to advertising and marketing in 2014 America? If everyone else decides to reflexively and rapidly “zig”…why not patiently and intelligently “zag”?
Go ahead. Take your time to get to know your target audience. Find out where and how they consume their media and peruse their news and entertainment.
And then meet them where they tend to congregate and meet. And approach them with a message that resonates with them on a natural, deep level.
Oh, and it always helps to hire experienced and talented professionals to help you get the job done right.
If and when you’re ready to find out how we can help you in your advertising and marketing efforts, give us a call. Reach out to us on our website. Or find us on social media channels like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
We look forward to speaking to you soon. And helping you wow your audience where and how they’ll remember and appreciate you best.
