Rules of effective advertising for brands

Advertising: a word some of us love, and some of us hate. It makes some of us zap to other channels on the TV, or start humming a jingle that sticks in the head for days. Believe it or not, advertising is a powerful tool that leads many to buy products they may never have tried otherwise. That is why big companies spend millions of dollars on creating effective commercials. For many companies, no advertising means no sales. How can they expect people to buy products if people simply are not aware that their product exists, while competitors aggressively advertise their own brand?

Here are a few characteristics we should find in an effective advertisement:

Memorable
If consumers do not remember anything about an ad, then it is a waste: for a product, a company, and for its consumers. No recall means consumers will not buy.

Positive message
Nobody loves negativity. The world is harsh enough. Consumers do not want to be reminded of the negative aspects of life. Instead, advertising should be positive, happy and bright. It should give hope and sell dreams to consumers.

Values
The advertisement should be the perfect example of the brand. It should contain the values of the brand, and keywords. It should also share values with the consumers the brand wishes to attract.

Understandable
If an advertisement is not clear or understandable, consumers will not be attracted to the brand. That is one reason why markets are often segmented: each advertisement is carefully planned to target the consumers that a company wants for a specific product.

Visual
Visuals work well in advertisements, since many people function with visual memories. 65% of the world consists of visual learners, meaning they perceive the world by seeing.

Engaging
If the ad does not have a “wow” effect, or does not connect with potential consumers, then they will probably find it boring. Nobody likes boring. Advertisements must be creative and engaging.

Viral
It is no surprise that viral videos are one of the most efficient ways to clearly communicate a brand, usually people do not even know they are watching an advertisement. Viral videos have the added advantage that they can be shared online and can reach millions of people in the world within seconds.

Tells a story
Advertisements should have a plot. They should tell a story to consumers. Our brains are more effective in remembering an action rather than a single name or picture, in the same way that we remember our dreams.

Here is one example of effective advertising:

The story, which revolves around two engaging characters played by Jude Law and Giancarlo Giannini, is designed to be positive and memorable, while enticing the audience with attractive visuals that include references to brand values and characteristics (references to being a 'gentleman', touches of the same blue as the brand label...). The storyline is easy to follow and engaging. People want to see how Jude Law's character goes about winning such an incredible bet, and one can see how the video could go viral. The story also closes with a counter-bet, which opens the door to an advertising 'sequel'.

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/11_16/gogetit/parents/helping.shtml

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