In the course of human history, we have never been bombarded by more media than we are today. It’s an amazing record to break, and it will only be held for 24 hours, because there will be more tomorrow. How do you make sure your ad, your design, your voice stands out among the shouts of others?
The answer is simple. Literally.
Keep it simple. Keep it short. Don’t make your customer work, keep the copy minimal, and make the call to action simple. This may seem overly obvious, but it is the most forgotten rule of advertising. Below I’ll give you real, easy to implement steps to keep things simple, and ensure your messages cut through the noise.
Red Team
Too often marketers and designers get too close to the campaign, they are too enamored with their concept, or they start selling their idea and not the product.
It’s easy to read this as marketers and designers are self-absorbed egomaniacs, that is not the case. This is not a bad thing. You should want people to love their solutions and enjoy their work. So how in the world do you make sure your message is understandable and accessible to all? Bring in the Red Team.
The “Red Team” is a concept borrowed from defense groups and journalists, someone who poses as an antagonist against a plan, story, or idea. The antagonist in marketing is your customer. The real value of the Red Team is that they come in new, make sure they haven’t seen any of the material, none of the ideation boards, no sketches. They should view it for the first time once you are roughly 80% to 90% done. If they have any questions or issues, then their feedback should take precedence over everyone’s on the team. If it doesn’t work for them, it won’t work for the customer.
Billboard Rules
The other rule I use is one I developed while designing billboards. Billboards are consumed by customers going 70 miles an hour, while music is playing and someone is trying to merge in their lane. You have to keep billboard copy super tight, otherwise the customer simply won’t have the ability to read it.
What I learned was that your copy is most effective at seven words or less. A call to action should be three words. Anything else is too much for people to read in time. After applying these rules I learned they are true across all media.
Your customers are very distracted while driving. They are even more distracted while on their phone or on social media. Our mobile devices are the most distracting objects in the known universe, even to those aforementioned drivers. Digital media can be as long or as in-depth as you want, but just because it can doesn’t mean it should (thanks Dr. Ian Malcom). Your advertising shouldn’t ever test the patience of your customers.
The Inverted Pyramid
Here comes another tip from the news industry, the Inverted Pyramid of content. News articles are written with this rule. You must answer the following in order: who, what, where, when, why, and how. This formula puts the most important information first, then the least important information last.
The same should be true to any effective campaign.The most important info comes first (sale prices, product name). Pertinent information comes next (call to action, sale dates, product information).hen at the bottom is the catchy tagline, term limits and other copy. This will also establish visual hierarchy, making it easy to reach and catch your customers’ eyes.
These three simple ideas will make your designs sing: Red Team, Billboard Rules, and the Inverted Pyramid. What I like about these ideas is two-fold, one is that they are actionable and easy to implement, the other is that they are free. I believe ideas should be shared Like a good recipe, you should want to tell others about it. If you want to see it in action, fill out our contact form and let us show you how we create thoughtful campaigns and bring your ideas to life.