Advertisement Campaign Prime Objective “Communicating The Relevance”

When it comes to advertising there are number of things that an organization, a business considers to communicate, promote to its target market, like a new product/service, its features, benefits, quality, discounts, brand image, brand information, company/business information so on and so forth.

Now the question is what should be the prime objective of an advertisement strategy/campaign. To me the prime objective should be as such that result in the desired outcomes (sales, brand awareness etc).

I believe that instead of just communicating what you want your target market to know, to hear from you, to become aware of, why not with all that communicate something that your target market wants to know, to hear from you because that helps them in making buying decisions about your product/service. Like communicating information that will help your target market to make smart, feasible, reasonable buying decisions.

Big Question

Now the big question is what they want, what kind of information they need when it comes to your product/service. You would suggest well, let’s communicate (through advertisement campaign) to them our product/service features, quality aspects, benefits. 

Okay but let me ask you what features?! what if you deal in big stuff like automobiles, bikes or what if your product/service has loads of features like smart phones, computers etc, likewise what quality aspects (like quality in terms of durability, intended function of your product, quality in terms of country of origin or COO, Quality in terms of efficiency, energy consumption, quality of the core ingredients or components so on and so forth). The same is true for benefits that your product/service may have; too many to count.

The Answer

So what’s the answer, what should we focus on in our advertisement campaign, what should be the prime objective of our advertisement campaign. The answer is an easy one, communicate your “unique selling proposition/offer” or USP⁽¹⁾ related to your product/service.

Okay How can I know, what is my product/service USP

 

Well the answer is easy but a bit lengthy, your unique selling offer is based on market situation like what the target market prefers, considers in terms of quality, cost, benefits etc when it comes to products/services similar to yours or your competitors.

Now in order to know what your target market prefers/consider while taking decision about products/services similar to yours, you need to do market research (like secondary data collection regarding the target market in terms of their preferences, considerations, things that they give vital importance when buying similar products or competitors products and on the basis of that data doing primary research so to find more about those “preferences, factors that are considered” by your target market while making decision about similar product/service.), surveys, interviews etc.

Next Step

Compare the collected data (the data collected via research, surveys, interviews etc regarding the preferences, factors that are considered by your target market in taking decision about products/services) to competitors, find out where they stand in terms of communicating (advertising) those “preferences, factors, considerations” and how can you go a step further than them (competitors) via a given advertisement campaign. 

Once you get done with that, it’s time for you to find those similar aspects in your product/service and communicate them to your target market in better way than your competitors. This is what I meant by “communicate something that your target market wants to hear from you when it comes to similar product/service” in your advertisement campaigns about your product/service.

This makes your target market aware of what you have that others (competitors etc) don’t have, this is your unique selling proposition/offer, a valid, good reason for your target market to consider your product/service.

And the more they know about your different, USP’s the more reasons they will have to consider your product/service because that’s what they expect, they want to know, they consider while taking decision about similar product/service. And this should be your advertisement strategy/campaign prime objective to inform, make aware your target market.

You may also like to read "An Anatomy of a Perfect Ad". 

That's it, I would really appreciate suggestions, thoughts, criticism, be my guest in comments :). 

References:

1. Frazer, C.F. (1983), “Creative strategy: a management perspective”, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 36-42.