Creating an advert that strikes a chord with the right audience is a thing of genius.
The best marketers in the world make huge amounts of money, but that’s nothing compared to the money they bring in for the world’s biggest brands.
A great advertising campaign can transform the success of companies, both large and small.
However, there are certain errors that can undo all of that hard work.
Whether you’re working in the niche field of immigration labor advertising or among the masses in retail advertising, it’s so important to avoid the following mistakes.
1. Misleading material
If adverts mislead readers in any way, it can destroy the trust that a brand has built up among the public. Although the misleading information may have been added to a advert completely innocently, this may not be assumed by the public. If a brand is judged to be deliberately misleading customers, this could spell a PR disaster that could be really difficult to recover from.
It’s good practice to have all advertising material checked over by a legal expert before publishing in order to reduce the likelihood of misleading material being reported by the public.
2. Wording that can be misinterpreted
Accidental sexual innuendos. Accidentally insulting a certain demographic. Patronising your audience. If any advert’s wording can be misinterpreted as offensive in any way, it’s unlikely to be worth the risk of publishing it.
No matter how good your product is, it’ll be tough to overcome the bad publicity that an offensive advert will bring your brand.
3. Taking the shock factor too far
While the misinterpretation of wording is often achieved innocently, there are many brands that have received a ton of bad publicity by pushing the shock factor too far. Yes, it’s important to stand out, but if you do so by pushing the boundaries of acceptable communication too far, it’s only going to end badly for your brand.
4. Being too bland
The most common marketing mistake is not pushing the boundaries far enough. A bland advert will be ignored by 99% of people. Brands should aim to be inspirational. If the underlying message of your marketing is that ‘we’re the same as everyone else,’ it’s going to be difficult to make an impact.
5. Aiming your adverts at the wrong audience
It’s crucial for advertisers to target the right people with their marketing. The biggest brands will spend huge amounts of money researching and profiling their customers, ensuring that every element of their marketing appeals to that demographic. The wording, imagery, and the placement of the ad should be done in a way that gains a certain demographic’s attention. That’s the secret sauce of great advertising. Failing to do this is the best way to ensure your campaign flops.
It’s good practice to have a small team checking for all five of these errors. They can be so destructive not only to an ad campaign, but the future of a brand. Do whatever it takes to avoid them.
