Designing Advertising that Works to Your Farm s Advantage

Designing Advertising that Works to Your Farm s Advantage Direct Farm Marketing for Success VII Using Advertising to Your Farm s Advantage March 2014 Megan L. Bruch Marketing Specialist

Advertising should Be developed to reach your target audience Designed to portray the desired image of your product, service or operation Portray a consistent image across materials

Before you begin Know and understand your target customer and their values What benefits are they seeking? How do they make purchasing decisions? What information do they need to make purchasing decisions?

Six Point Advertising Strategy Use to help plan and focus ads Develop comprehensive ad Effectively communicate with customers

Six Point Advertising Strategy Worksheet Enterprise Name: Product: Type of Ad Developing: 1. Primary Purpose What results do you want or expect from the advertising you are developing?

Six Point Advertising Strategy Worksheet 2. Primary Benefit What unique benefit can you offer customers (consider your unique selling propositions)? 3. Secondary Benefit What other key benefits will customers receive from your product or service? 4. Target Audience At whom (what target audience) are you aiming this ad?

Six Point Advertising Strategy Worksheet 5. Audience Reaction What response do you want from your audience? What do you want them to do? 6. Company Personality What image do you want to convey in the ad?

Designing Advertising that Works to Your Farm s Advantage Direct Farm Marketing for Success VII Using Advertising to Your Farm s Advantage March 2014 Amy Ladd, Lucky Ladd Farms

Advertising Communications Advertising messages should be: Clear Concise Convincing Consistent Advertisements should be able to answer the following questions: WHO are you? WHAT you do? WHAT market do you serve? WHAT is special about your business? WHERE can I find you? HOW do I initiate business with you?

Standard Design Principles Typeface and Fonts Do not use more than two typefaces Limit your use of bold, capitalization, underline and italics Align text to the left Dark ink on light back grounds are best

Standard Design Principles White Space is good Space on page without words Create by use of illustrative material, short paragraphs, headings, spaces above and below headings and lists Photographs Quality is key Show the experience Crop photographs to showcase best light

Designing Print Advertisements The Headline is the most important part of the advertisement Three types of headlines (listed in order of best performance): 1) Self-interest headlines appeal to reader s selfinterest and contain a personal benefit to the reader 2) News headlines provide news they can use 3) Curiosity headlines arouse curiosity; to be most effective they should be combined with self-interest or news

Designing Print Advertisements The first paragraph of the copy must captivate the reader by using one of the following: A startling statement News A quotation A story The first paragraph should be short, continue the thought of the headline and state the most important benefits of your product or service

Designing Print Advertisements The body of the copy should state the benefits of your product or service and emphasize how they are different, or better than you competitors Unique Selling Proposition

Designing Print Advertisements To strengthen your body copy do one or more of the following: Mention the offer in the first paragraph Emphasize no obligation and/or use the word free Use testimonials Create a sense of urgency Include a call to action Use a simple writing style Make it easy for the customer to reach you and include the: Phone number, mailing or physical address, web address to a landing page

Designing Print Advertisements Layout Considerations Simple Layouts Use the Rule of Thirds Short, powerful headline, copy that is easy to read with a few words to explain the benefits, include and image that tells the story quickly and contact information Inverted 6 Technique Principle based on the fact that Westerners read from left to right, starting at the top of the page and moving to the bottom. Place elements contained in your ad on your page starting with the most important information at the top left. Place other elements starting clockwise, as if you have flipped a number six and are following its line.

Designing Print Advertisements Photos of people can create empathy with readers Women respond better to other females Men respond to sex in advertising more than women Use a border to define your ad

Example of Print Advertisement

Designing Billboard Advertisements Simple Layout Less is more Clear express on one idea Short copy Use simple words with quick and easy comprehension Limit or eliminate punctuation Use seven words or less Consider Viewing Time Does your message effectively communicate within 5-10 seconds Typical audience is traveling at 65 miles per hour

Designing Billboard Advertisements Large fonts and text You want your ad to be read as far away as possible Bold, straight fonts work best Avoid cursive, script or thin fonts Sans Serif is easiest to read Allow adequate spacing between letters, words and lines to improve visibility Drop shadows can help readability

Designing Billboard Advertisements Contrasting colors High contrast is key Colors that work best: black, white, red, yellow and blue Black text on yellow rates best Colors to avoid: brown, earth tones and pastels

Designing Billboard Advertisements Use a single image One large image to attract reader s eye is best Example One bottle verses six Take small object ad enlarge rather than make large object small Example jewelry verses house Simple background Background should not interfere with image, copy or logo Too much blank space is not necessarily better; fill space with larger fonts, image and logo

Designing Billboard Advertisements Call to Action Clear and concise Is the necessary information provided to respond Balanced Logo Create a balance between the image and the logo Logo is typically not as big as image Allow no less than 1/8 of the board size for logo

Example of Billboard Ad

Designing Radio Advertisements Use straightforward language What you say is more important than how you say it Focus on customer benefits Make believability your goal Avoid bragging your boasting Be authentic Select a single topic as the focus of your ad Then load on the features and benefits Create a storyline with your ad Tell stories to illustrate and explain your points

Designing Radio Advertisements Use specifics Listeners believe and respond better to specific statements than to generalities Product A is designed to do X is not as strong as saying Product A does X Write to the pace people talk 30-second ads should run about seven to eight lines or 60 to 70 words 60-second ads approximately 14 to 16 lines Include pauses Cut extra verbiage Rewrite elaborately constructed sentences Tell listeners what to do Create a sense of urgency with a defined call to action

Radio Ad Rules to Remember Use radio to complement other advertising Look for our coupon in Friday s paper Make sure your name is repeated three times Match your ad to the format of the stations you are airing on You wouldn t use new-age music in the background of an ad on a country music station Avoid using clichés and overused phrases Makes your ad seem contrived and artificial

Radio Ad Rules to Remember Don t expect the ad to make the sale; use it to make the contact Don t advertise products with a bunch of disclaimers Don t fast-talk the prospect Don t use weak attempts at humor Don t use incomprehensible jingles Don t talk to yourself We ve been in business 25 years We re excited over our new inventory We re open until 10 PM ; instead turn every statement into a consumer benefit such as Shop til 10 nightly! if you want to hold the listeners attention

Examples of Radio Advertisements Buchan s Blueberry Hill - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7xoe1khrok Upland Farmers Market - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut_yphi- _gc Finger Lakes Wine Country - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gbjh5ao_us Cobblestone Farms - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3dx9s7bpwu Greenbelt Farmers Markets - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbjsrckavrc

Designing Television Advertisements Represent your brand clearly Both verbally and visually Create a storyline The best commercials don t just sell a product or service; they tell a story. Stories can be heartfelt, or contain humor and satire; the important thing is to create a storyline your audience can relate and connect to Develop a signature character or theme These should be used consistently throughout your ads Keep it simple Keep overall concept and storyline of your commercial simple since you only have 30 to 60-seconds to get your message across Don t cut corners Quality is an essential element of an effective TV ad Don t break the bank but do use a professional film production team

Designing Television Advertisements Appear in your own commercials Show your enthusiasm and passion Consider comfort level if one person from your business appears in the commercial but their communications seem forced or unnatural then select another person to be the spokesperson or representative. You may discover that neither you, your employees not anyone else in your family can sell your business they way you envision and then it may considering hiring a professional Highlight your place of business Action shots of your business operations, footage of customers shopping in your store or hauling products to another location

Designing Television Advertisements Focus the camera on your product or service You can never go wrong by showing an item and price in a TV spot. Line your products up in an attractive display, use computer graphics to show the prices and use a voiceover to explain your unique selling proposition and benefits Consider what products will you make the most profit on Consider what products you are trying to move the most of

Basic Elements Used in TV Commercials Audio Audio is the sound track that augments and enhances the visuals, the sell copy, description and story you want to tell. Voice-over On-camera actor Background music Sound effects

Basic Elements Used in TV Commercials Video Video is the visual component of the commercial. These pictures are what the views see. The goal of your visual component is to capture the eyes and attention of the viewers. Video can be of virtually anything Action shots of your business operations Footage of customers shopping in your store Hauling products to another location Be careful not to get carried away and detract from your message

Basic Elements Used in TV Commercials Computer Graphics Computer graphics are the final elements to a TV commercial. Can be used to emphasize certain key points Words Prices Logos Website Can flash on and off, wipe or crawl across the screen, spin or explode into the frame or do any number of eye-catching effects Be careful not to get carried away and detract from your message

Shooting Commercials Decide where to shoot your commercial On-location or in studio The location you choose depends on what your selling and determining what location(s) can add the most visual appeal to your commercial If shooting off your farm such as at the local farmers market then make sure in advance that you don t need permission Preparing for the shoot Scout locations for the best camera positions and backgrounds before the video crew arrives Who makes up the video crew The video

Shooting Commercials Who makes up the video crew The video crew of a local TV station may consist of a production assistant and the cameraperson If you hire a professional crew then it may consist of a director, a cameraperson, a sound technician and perhaps a grip or two The filming process The camera person will film footage of the different locations you have already selected Scenes may not be filmed in order; you may start with the final scene and work your way to the beginning Some of the scenes filmed will contain either scripted or unscripted appearances by you or someone else representing your business

Editing Commercials Video editing is a very technical and precise talent therefore editing a TV commercial is best handled by a professional The video editor, has a copy of your script and will assemble all the pieces of audio, video and graphic effects into a finished commercial The video editor is there to make you look good so listen to their suggestions

Examples of TV Advertisements Highland Farmers Market - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjf03u3et4w Farmers Market - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdchau7wr-o Valley View Farms Garden Center & Nursery - https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=501647063181044 Tsugawa Nursery - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo8hv7i1dou White House Fruit Farm - http://vimeo.com/61535721

Designing Online Advertisements Text Ads Simple links with a few lines of text provided along with the link Designing a text ad mainly involves writing one or two lines of compelling copy to provide users with an incentive to click the link Display Ads Generally graphic ads that display on a website within a designated area May contain a graphic, a video or a Flash animation Identified by the size and shape of the ad

Designing Online Advertisements Types of Display Ads Banner Ads span the width, or portion of the width of a web page Skyscrapers ads that are taller than they are wider and are displayed vertically, generally in the left or right sidebar of a web page Box Ads rectangular or square box ads appear in various location within a web page Pop-up and Pop-under Ads appear either on top of or under the active browser window and are generally not optimal in terms of user engagement as they are often targeted by pop-up blockers Interstitial Ads ads that appear between requested web pages

Designing Online Advertisements Popularity of Display Ads Display ads that are 300 x 250 have the highest click-through rate Banner ads measuring 728 x 90 come in second Ads measuring 468 x 60 have the lowest clickthrough rate

Designing Online Advertisements Effectiveness of Ad Placement Google AdSense developed a heat map to demonstrate the most effective placement areas on a web page for display ads The most effective area is the top center of the page body The hottest are for ad placement is just above the primary content of the page, centered directly above the content Other effective areas include the top half of the left sidebar area, the area within the page body to the immediate left of the primary content and the area just below the top navigation menu The least effective areas are the top right hand corner above the top navigation panel and in the lower area of the right sidebar

Designing Online Advertisements Keep copy simple and un-cluttered with visuals Loud banner ads are jarring and unappealing to users Make sure your display ad has a clearly defined frame Extend graphics to the edges If your ad is white, then put a 1 pixel gray border around the ad If your ad is color then still put a subtle border around the edges Keep file sizes small According to Google Adwords, under 150 kb, the smaller the better Use correct file formats.jpg,.png,.gif, or Adobe Flash files Keep in mind that flash banner ads are not supported on all devices

Designing Online Advertisements Make text readable Make headline and body copy different size Headline and copy should be four lines or less Avoid use of cursive, script or extremely thin fonts Make sure the design is consistent with your other branding A banner ad should be visually similar to the site they direct users to Stay on brand with colors, fonts and copy Use imagery well, but only when you need it Choose relevant images, graphics or photos to enhance your message and that are directly related to your product or service

Online Display Ad Elements A value proposition A value proposition showcases your product of service and provides attention with special offers and prices such as: High Quality, 50% OFF, Limited time offer, or Free! It should take up the most space in your ad and be the first thing that your viewers eyes are attracted to

Online Display Ad Elements Your company s logo Should be visually dominant but not as dominant as your value proposition Call to action Usually made of text or a button with phrases like: Click Here, Learn More, Watch Now, or Register Here. It should be a standout focal point of the ad, prompting viewers to click it A banner ad s value is determined by the number of clicks it generates; therefore, it s incredibly important to incentivize users to engage The best banners have a clear call to action that explains to users EXACTLY what they should expect when they click the ad Use bright or contrasting color for your call of action

Example of Online Display Ad

Summary for Advertising Design Include a Call to Action Branding is Important Continuity Across All Advertising Mediums Keep Messages Short and Simple Link to a Dedicated Landing Page Use Consistent Colors, Images and Messages Images Should Support Message Hire an Expert When You Need One

Buying Advertising that Works to Your Farm s Advantage Direct Farm Marketing for Success VII Amy Ladd Direct Marketing Consultant Lucky Ladd Farms Email: amy@luckyladdfarms.com Phone: (615) 274-3786 Website: http://luckyladdfarms.com A program of the In cooperation with