Target. Target. Target. Got that? Or should I repeat it?
Print advertising must visualize and address prospective buyers. It must immediately call out to prospects who are passing by (turning the pages).
“Hey, you. Yes, you. You’re the one I’m talking to. Please give me your attention for the next couple of minutes. In return, I will offer you some benefits and ways to solve some of your problems. But what I have to say isn’t for everybody. Just for you.”
This ad for OmniOutliner 3 doesn’t do that. It doesn’t call out to people who have the problem the company offers to solve.
We see a birthday boy cutting a birthday cake with a chain saw. A sticker on the cartoon says, “While he had some misgivings almost instantly, the full extent of his mistake became clear to Ed all too soon.”
Who is Ed? What was his mistake? Below this is the headline, “No matter what your task might be, using the wrong tool can produce frustrating results.”
What task? What kind of task?
Where is a hint that we’re talking about organizing thoughts and tasks?
Never mind that the body copy goes on to explain, more or less. While it goes on, the true prospect may also go on — to the next page of the magazine.
There’s also the problem of the cartoon illustration. One might say there are three styles of cartooning in this world: the polished (Al Hirschfeld), the pretend-amateurish (James Thurber) and the genuinely amateurish. Perhaps it’s going too far to call this cartoon genuinely amateurish. But it skirts dangerously close to that. And in doing so it projects a poor image of The Omni Group — whatever that is.
It turns out that The Omni Group is a software company selling outlining software called Outliner, and the latest version, Outliner 3.
Admittedly, it’s often a little hard to describe exactly what a piece of software is and what it can do for you. But at least the advertiser has to try. While I am not completely satisfied with my explanation of OmniOutliner 3, at least it deserves a T for Trying.
And my headline places the product in the context of a problem very familiar to most prospects.
Then I feature prominently a few lines of reviewer praise of the product. Remember, what you say in favor of your product or service is never as impressive or persuasive as what others say. So when you’ve got it, flaunt it. Don’t bury it on your Web site where it will be seen by fewer people.
As I am fond of pointing out, there are six “PRs” to consider featuring when designing print advertising: the product, the problem, the promise, the proposition, the price (value) and the proof. Not all six are necessarily relevant, but all six should be given some thought.
Sometimes the product speaks for itself. By presenting it clearly and persuasively, you attract likely buyers.
The problem is, of course, what your product or service offers to solve.
The promise is the advantage or benefit offered by the product, and important sales motivators.
The proposition is the deal you’re offering to make the purchase more attractive.
The price presents special savings if there are any. Or it justifies the price — comparable products sell for three times as much, etc.
And the proof overcomes hesitation, doubt and skepticism with awards, user raves, critical praise, etc.
I have already featured the product (“Today there’s Omni Groups’ Outliner”), the problem (“scribbled notes and messy outlines”), the promise (“organize your thoughts and plans”) and the proof (reviewer praise). I didn’t find a way to feature any advantage in price, although it might be argued that the product pays for itself by saving time and work.
That left the proposition. For that, I seized upon and displayed more prominently the “download free trial offer” included in Omni’s body copy. Suppose you do this for us and we do that for you? That’s a proposition.
Finally, I must step out of my copy chief role and say something about the unappealing typography of the original ad’s body copy. Small white letters against a tint block or half-tone illustration are very hard to read. And in this case the sin is compounded by setting the lines in a measure that’s too wide for the type size.
We copy chiefs and copywriters need to stand up to the advertising art directors of this world and say out loud, “I worked hard on this copy. Please work just as hard to make it readable.”
THOMAS L. COLLINS ([email protected]) has been a direct marketing copywriter, admaker, agency creative director and co-author of four books on marketing. He is currently an independent creative and marketing consultant based in Portland, OR.
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