How to create response advertising

By John Foust
Raleigh, NC

In general terms, there are two types of advertising: Image and Response. Image advertising is designed to create – and maintain – the personality of a brand in the marketplace. The objective of an image campaign is to give consumers a good feeling about an advertiser, and help them remember that company when they make future buying decisions.

On the other hand, response advertising tells consumers, "Buy now," instead of, "Remember us when you're ready to buy." There is a sense of urgency in response advertising.

Both types of advertising belong in your marketing toolbox. However, when times are tough – and when advertisers are demanding immediate results – it is wise to focus your attention on response advertising. Here are two key points to keep in mind:

1. Make an offer. In the first "Godfather" movie, Marlon Brando's Don Corleone character said, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." Although that line had nothing to do with advertising, it is worth remembering when creating a response campaign.

To put it simply, an offer is an incentive to take immediate action. It is a deliberate effort to turn passive readers into active participants in the marketing process.

I know of a men's clothing retailer that is ringing up big profits in spite of a difficult economy by frequently selling upscale merchandise at bargain prices. Most of the inventory is discounted for these sales, but at least one item serves as an irresistible offer – $295 cashmere sweaters for $69, for example. This cashmere sweater is known as a loss leader, an item which is sold at a loss to attract shoppers.

Some advertisers like to offer special pricing (early bird specials, coupons, multiple-purchase discounts). Others rely on giveaways to generate business (free market analysis, free sample, free installation). And others have found success with special events (celebrity appearances, contests, new product introductions).

An offer should have an expiration date. If consumers think they can take advantage of the offer whenever they want, there will be no feeling of urgency. You want them to buy now, not later.

Scarcity is a powerful way to create urgency. If you are selling a finite inventory (real estate, for example), let your target audience know that selection will never be better than right now.

2. Test and measure. How will you know which offer will produce the maximum response? The only way to find out is to conduct tests.

A business might run a "buy one, get one free" coupon during one sales cycle, then follow it up with a "half price" coupon (both represent virtually the same benefit to consumers). A real estate developer might run the same headline and copy – but different photographs – in separate test ads. A car dealership might feature different incentives in back-to-back ads.

The purpose of testing is to measure response from each ad, so you can tweak your approach for the next round. Eventually, you will get a good feel for what works best.

It's all about getting results.