Convergence Marketing: Combining Brand and Direct Marketing for Unprecedented Profits

6

THE ASK AND THE OFFER

 

 

 

Let me begin by asking the $64 million question: What are you asking individuals to do when they see your advertisement? You must want them to do something, so why not use that beautiful image to drive them to interact? Let’s look at a few critical variables with better-defined ask to drive our marketing and advertising programs like they’re on steroids.

MORE MEANINGFUL HEADLINES

Meaningful headlines go a long way to stimulate the individual to get involved with your brand. Some use the double entendre, or a play on words. These can be creative, yet void of meaning. Don’t fall into that trap. We’re not using art for art’s sake. Use strong, emotional headlines that hit the prospect in the heart, not the head. Choose powerful words that do more than grab attention—they drive meaning. You don’t need to sacrifice creative because you want to stand out of the clutter, but keep it believable. The purpose is to pull the individual in and move them quickly to interaction. Here are a few examples:

Company: i-Opener

Headline: All the Fun of the Internet, without a Computer

Product: First home Internet appliance with instant on and web access

Company: Neodata (EDS)

Headline: Find and Keep Customers by Building Relationships

Product: B-2-B database provider to help electric utilities facilitate market share capture

Company: Pacific Power and Light

Headline: Dry Rot Mildew Mold . . . A Homeowner’s Nightmare! Only now there’s a logical low-cost solution

Product: ...