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Super Bowl ads are great examples of how to create effective advertising, right?
Think again.
Averaging more than $ 3 million for a 30-second ad, most of this year’s Super Bowl advertisers displayed a knack for humor and entertainment, but they provided an example of lost money for owners. of small businesses struggling to make their own cash registers ring, a study found.
The study found that, with few exceptions, commercials ignored the three fundamental principles of creating effective advertising: 1) highlight the benefits of the product, 2) distinguish it from the competition, and 3) drive people to act.
In a nationwide survey of 525 small business owners, 94 percent said they would benefit from modeling their own local ads based on those shown during the Super Bowl. Rather than giving strong reasons to buy, those commercials subordinated their product to irrelevant, and often downright stupid, humor. Unfortunately, small business owners are often inspired by what the “big guys” are doing. It is a disastrous recipe to follow.
For example, CareerBuilder has a great website that offers an invaluable service to millions of people. And with the current national unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, finding a job is more important than ever. But spending 60 seconds showing nothing but an ad nauseam replay of underwear-clad office workers without a second on how CareerBuilder really helps viewers find satisfying and rewarding work is a publicity disgrace. It can generate laughter, but showing people out of shape in their underwear does not give motivation to visit the site and use your service.
To cite another example, Volkswagen burns millions of dollars in just 60 seconds showing people playing ‘Punch Dub’, hitting their friend or family member on the arm every time they see a Volkswagen pass by. Instead of giving entertaining reasons to buy their products, focusing on quality, safety, fun, or performance, they bore viewers for a full minute with archaic childish gameplay and say nothing about the car. This is especially interesting as VW Vice President of Marketing Tim Ellis announced before the game: “There is a bigger story to tell about our brand.” They had over 107 million people glued to their televisions during the game, so why the hell didn’t they say?
The classic ad hit formula, “AIDA”: Get attention … stimulate interest … generate desire … and call for action was largely ignored by Super Bowl advertisers, and is unknown to most independent business owners struggling to stay afloat. . Your goal is not for people to say, “What a clever ad!” Instead, you want them to ask, “Hey … where can I buy one?”
REMIND: Advertising is selling, first and foremost. And with the recession hitting businesses mercilessly in most industries, ads should focus on sales, not entertainment. Following the signs of Super Bowl commercials to create your own campaigns can be a fun way to exercise your creativity, but it’s a surefire way to flush your ad money down the toilet.