Use the Newspaper Ad’s “Image” to Attract The Right Prospects

How important is the ad's "image"?  VERY.  Based solely on image, readers  decide to read an ad or not in 1/20 of a second. In less than the blink of an eye, readers make a "read" or "no read" judgment.

So how do photographs, graphic elements, colors, typefaces, white space or clutter, cause the life or death judgment of the ad? If the image in the ad matches the self-image held by the reader, they'll more than likely read the ad. Like attracts like. But if readers determine the ad's image is "beneath" or "above" their self-assessed social status, they won't read the ad. That's why you must correctly identify the "self-image" of your prospects.

Untrained sales reps can "churn" advertisers...

When the owner of a large flooring center came to my ad workshop, he weren't happy with the leads generated by the paper. He showed me the ad. Yup. It was bright, busy and cartoonish. So I asked, "Who's the ad attracting?" "Aggressive bargain-hunters", he said. And then added, "They're not the right customer." The newspaper sales rep wasn't trained to ask who the ad should attract. And the artist at the paper, (without information from the rep), couldn't portray the store's visual merchandising of products in the ad. Their inability to put their finger on the prospect's image produced this result:

Ad Before Makeover

So by simply asking the owner the right questions,  I learned the target was:

• Wealthy women.
• Sophisticated / classy.
• Knowledgeable about products.
• Value conscious-but willing to spend money.

In a walk-thru, I saw the store was:

• Well organized.
• Modern.
• High-end products.
• Bright / well-lit.
• Spacious between displays.

With this information I worked with the newspaper's sales rep and artist; together we produced an ad that projected...

The right "image" that saved the newspaper an advertiser

Looking at both ads, you wouldn't think it was the same store. The new changes brought sophisticated women spending more money per transaction. In fact, this ad generated over $180,000 more revenues than their best-ever sale ad from the past. And that's the power of targeting using "image" to attract the right customer.

Ad After Makeover

Call or drop me a line if you'd like me to:

• Speak to your group or convention.
• Conduct ad training programs for your sales reps and advertisers.
• Send you information about using my "How to create effective print ad" videos on your publication's website.

David Fowler: 760-822-2133 or email: gofinddavid@gmail