Advertising has changed. A lot. Customer attention spans are nil. We want what we want, not what you want us to want. So how do you advertise when people want what they want when they want it, and will ignore you otherwise? You take a lesson from street signs. Provide concise, accurate information for the people who are seeking it.
When I need to find a parking spot, the first sign (advertisement) that serves this need gets my attention. If it is concise, it motivates me to take immediate action.
Change your advertising so that when I need you, I can find your ad fast. Then, make your message concise. Super concise. And point me in the direction of the next step. Simply put, here are the 3 steps to today’s advertising:
1. Be where I look for you.
2. Deliver your message concisely and obviously.
3. Give a simple and obvious next step.
I think the STOP sign is the best to learn from… its one of very few signs that is fully red, and it is the only one shaped the way it is. Different gets noticed.
Here in Korea they have a saying… “The nail that sticks out gets hammered” as to say, don’t be different. However, I think of it more as “The nail that sticks out also grabs your shirt and makes you look at it and take some sort of action.” Standing out and getting attention. The best advertising strategy.