How Not To Construct An Advertisement

Creative Business Ideas

Xpert Advisor ad

When I read this ad, I was confused what exactly was being offered. I didn’t notice the headline (“Turn up the heat.”) because it was graphically weak (compared to the image on the left). The first text I read was, “IF VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE, CONSIDER FRIEDMAN’S THE HABANERO.” But what does this mean?

Spending more time with the ad made is clearer that Friedman’s has staff who can help give you ideas for kitchen remodels. The creative idea was to somehow connect hot peppers (“habanero”) with a “hot” kitchen.

It appears that the basic marketing strategy for this business:

For local homeowners
who need a kitchen remodel
we have friendly advisors
to give you up-to-date information
unlike other big-box retailers
our offering makes it easy to get great results

Okay, so how to change the ad? Use the strong image of a fancy kitchen and change the ad’s copy to read, “Let us help design your dream kitchen” (focus on results/service).

Alternatively, integrate the kitchen’s “before shot”. The copy could read, “Go from old to Oh-My easily” or “Make Remodeling Your Kitchen A Dream”.

Television Secrets for Marketing Success

Book Reviews

Buy Television Secrets for Marketing Success

Joseph Sugarman is probably best known for his BluBlocker™ sunglasses, which he sold in print, by infomercial, on QVC, and retail. Although this book is ten years old, his key insights are still relevant today.

The book is written autobiographically, sharing the lessons he learned by doing. On the way, he developed 21 theories for TV marketing. Many of these are also appropriate for print marketing as well:

Theory 1: An infomercial is simply a three-act screenplay whose purpose is to cause your prospects to exchange their hard-earned money for your product or service. He further names the acts (“Entertainment”, “Selling”, and “Closing”) and the play (“How May I Serve You?”). This is an abbreviated form for any sales system. First, you need to get your prospect’s attention. Then you need to tell them about your offering. Finally, you need to tell them how and why to get it now.

Theory 5: If you have a number of segments to present in an infomercial, present the humorous portions early in the show. Once people are entertained, they stick around, hoping for more entertainment. By leading with a tease, you get their attention.

Theory 9: The desire to belong and identify with a group of people who own a specific product is one of the most powerful factors in why people buy. This is true for B2C (when selling directly to consumers), but is rarely true when selling to other businesses (B2B) or government (B2G).

Theory 12: When you pick the show format, you also pick the demographics of your audience. Since everything in your marketing message causes reactions, ensure your marketing strategy is aligned with your marketing actions.

Theory 17: Every time you run your direct response commercial you are conducting a test. You are testing that commercial in a specific market at a specific time during specific financial conditions and during specific news events or political conditions at a specific place in time and space. The key to marketing success is paying attention to the whole feedback cycle. Be curious about everything in your marketing. Be willing to spend the necessary time to evolve your message, and be willing to change it over time as your audience changes.

Generate Your Own Business Name

Creative Business Ideas, Names + Taglines

Someone contacted me recently looking for a name for a new high tech business. They specifically didn’t want a name that conveyed any details about what the company actually did. They simply wanted a name that sounded cool. So I referred them to Dot-a-mator. For example, here are some of names it generated for me:

  • Linkjam
  • Rifftube
  • Tambee
  • Yotz
  • Kicero
  • Ore
  • Aitz
  • Cogivee
  • Jetware
  • Chatblab
  • Zoonder

If you want to narrow down the list further, you can ask it to mix/match prefixes/suffices using its built-in groups of words: boats, bugs, cash, charts, color, critters, etc.

What’s particularly clever is that the generated names can be checked (in bulk) for domain name availability (by Dotster, presumably the company that produced the tools).

Another simple option is Wordlab’s name generator.

As a rule, I don’t recommend meaningless names for your business. Because the name doesn’t immediately mean anything, then people seeing your name won’t connect who you are with what you do. You’ll instead need to spend time/money educating people of your offering (“LinkJam specializes in repairing sewers using robot inspection”). The generated names might instead be ideal for “code names” for internal projects.

After creating your own business name, you might also want to create your own logo (for free). Take a look at LogoYes. The logos are generic, might might be just what you need if you don’t have the funds to hire a graphic artist to design something custom. Alternatively, you could use eLogoContest, where graphic designers compete to create a custom logo that you like. You can get a logo for $25 and up, and only pay if you’re satisfied.

What Is A Good Name For Handmade Chocolate?

Names + Taglines

I’m starting a homebased business in making made-to-order handmade chocolate candy and also other desserts using vanilla/cocoa. Therefore I need name/tagline that represents that the main ingredients used are cocoa. Furthermore the name must be easy to remember. Customers pay for the taste that they will remember and make they come back for more.

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Jay’s Answer:

  • Nuts For Cocoa
  • CocoaNuts
  • Cocoa Addiction
  • ChocoLots
  • CocoaLove

How Can We Promote Our Hospital Community Event?

Clubs + Associations, Publicity

We are a not-for-profit hospital and are kicking off a Prescription Drug Disposal Program for the entire community. We will also have have other health and wellness related information, activities for families/children, but the main draw is the disposal program. We need to use the acronym’s of the group that developed the program, but would like to have something that would draw attention and of course something “catchy”.

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Jay’s Answer: Create a mascot “Rx” (pronounced Rex) with some theme like: “Keep Rx Safe”, “Curb Rx”, or “Pill-ease Keep Rx On Leash”, etc.

You could create some games: a medicine bottle toss, find the expired meds (beat the clock), or even pill (non-med) arts & crafts.

What Is A Good Tagline For A Mobile Car Repair Business?

Names + Taglines

I’m starting a Mobile mechanical and Brake business called “Brake & Mechanical Mobile Repairs”. Could I ask what you think may be Great tagline please?

I’ve come up with

  • It’s the extra mile that counts
  • You’ll Stop at the right place

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Jay’s Answer: A tagline should focus on a key benefit to your customer.

“It’s the extra mile that counts” hints at your extra service, but isn’t strong enough.

“You’ll Stop at the right place” is backwards: you come to them, instead of them coming to you. The pun about “stopping” is a little obscure

Here are some ideas:

  • Reduce Your Exhaust-ion. We Come To You. – The key benefit is reducing car owner’s stress.
  • A Day Spa For Your Auto (Car) – The spa/car gives you room to add additional service (for example auto detailing)
  • I Improve Your Local-Motion – Another pun, but focuses on what your benefit is.

How Can I Become An Expert At Search Engine Marketing?

Services

I am the marketing director for an IT consulting business. What would be the best source of learning material to achieve expert level status on SEM? Not so much the SEO portion but the PPC and CPA and other options. I recently read Perry Marshalls book on adwords twice. Have searched online but came up with nothing except expensive courses in far away places. Is there a book you could recommend? Or an online course?

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Jay’s Answer: After you’ve read a little, invest some money in your learning by doing. Work on a real website (yours or a friend’s) and start learning what works in reality. Really understand: how long it takes, which keywords, which geographic area, the offer/copy, etc.

As you create these various experiments, document them well. They’ll become the basis for your own “bible”. As you have problems, post the questions to SEO forums to get input. Real questions are much more valuable than theoretical ones.

What Is A Good Concept For a Business 10th Anniversary?

Publicity

I have a client that I am pitching not only a new logo but a new 10th anniversary “concept” to capitalize on their anniversary year. This business deals province wide in the promotion of business, economic and community development through various partnerships of over 200 communities. I am one of 6 invited to submit a proposal, so it has to be good. They are kicking around the tagline of “growing together” but are open to other options. What can I incorporate “10” into that would create a buzz? What would it take for other businesses, as well as provincial, municipal and industry partnerships to pay attention to this special year? Any great ideas??? Help!

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Jay’s Answer:

Simple logo: (10 interlocks with growing together)

grow1ng
   t0gether

Since I don’t know the details of your client, it’ll be hard to come up with something specific. But the process I’d use would be to look at the success stories that the company has had, and extrapolate them forward. Have they eliminated homelessness? Have they improved the happiness quotient of residents? Have they taught people how to save money? Focus on the key benefits – that’s what others will care about in the promotion, not that they’ve been around for 10 years.

Perhaps you can get attention by having an essay contest for communities. Have them write a 100-word essay on why your client should help them, and the client would provide a year’s free service to the community. That’ll generate PR, and get the community working together for the goal.

Advice on Presentation Style For My Ad Agency?

Starting Out

I run an ad agency which collaborate with universities in implementing advertisements into their year book. Basically I run the whole print production, getting advertisers to advertise in the year book, basically everything.

I already have 1 University which has collaborated with my company in this concept of inserting advertisements into year book which in return with the fees received from the advertisements placed in the year book we’ll be able to subsidize the cost of the year book and then some. So it’ll be a win-win for Universities in cutting cost as they doesn’t need to pay anything for the year book and to advertisers which will be able to reach their targeted teens demographic.

My previous success of getting co-operation from University in accepting this concept was largely due to I have a cousin who works in the university’s student council department therefore I was able to run it easily. Now that I’ll like to expand this concept further to other universities (without any insider’s help) I’ll need a really solid presentation during the face to face meeting with other universities management.

I have compiled a list of information, introduction of our company, how does this concept benefits the university, how it’s going to be done, what my company will be handling and what minimal effort is required from the university for the presentation. However I have rather limited experience in presentations which I really hope to get advice on, particularly on the procedures/steps in presentation.

Such as:

1) Meeting the management, make any small talks prior to the presentations? (Would it be a good idea and if yes what sort of small talks should I get into when meeting the university’s management student council)

2) After small talk, do I introduce my company directly via verbal or is it recommended that I do a print ups as well so they can read as I speak

3) Is it recommended that I print up the information (introduction, benefits, what we provide etc, what we won’t do such as credit card ads is strictly not allowed etc) and hand it to them and then go through point by point with them verbally?

What is the common procedure/steps needs to be taken and consider in order to ensure a good presentation. I want to go in the presentation more of in a position of a partner/friendly rather than proposing a business idea (corporate)

What should I do to win the hearts of the university management and establish a friendly business/partner relations with them.

I’m hoping to write up a contract which will be mutually beneficial to both parties such as university management will get the final say on whether the ads gets put up or not, and more importantly can I state/request this collaboration to be at least 2 years minimum and not just a 1 time thing.

Lastly since I’m running the company alone and doing basically everything, I’m not sure meeting the university management as well as advertisers with the title of C.E.O or President of the company is a good idea. Due to several reason, I’m quite young, my lack of experience my convey any unprofessionalism etc. I hope to be advised on a suitable title for my job scope when meeting university management as well as advertisers. Something high ranking but if I screw up a little it doesn’t affect the impression towards the company heavily. Maybe Business development director? Project executive? etc.? My brief job scope will be meeting universities in getting approval of this concept and meeting advertisers in presenting our concept and convincing them to advertise with us in the year book.

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Jay’s Answer: A great presentation is short, and focused on your prospect, showing specifically how you can help them. Keep to your time limit, leaving lots of time for Q&A.

Hand out paper after you talk, otherwise they’ll be looking at the paper and not at you. If you can help it, don’t use Powerpoint – tell a compelling story about using your services. Your handout can go over the actual numbers. You want them to want to know more about you.

Don’t read to them what’s written. That’s a waste of everyone’s time. You can refer to it, but don’t use it as your script.

You’re not at a meeting to make small talk. Before the meeting, do your homework about the university. Perhaps start the meeting by relating a recent university event to your business – it’ll show that you’ve done your homework.

Your goal for the meeting is to get them interested to find out more and for them to be open to a formal proposal.