Tasha Mazza-Kelton: Here's a Compelling Ad....
Blog 11: How “You” can Drive your own Brand Awareness
I am sure you have all seen it or heard about it lately…that is, this new found obsession with YouTube, myspace.com and now facebook.com. These free, on-line distribution channels are enabling not only small businesses to gain exposure to prospects and customer audiences, but corporations are also jumping on the bandwagon and experimenting with this new medium among its tech-savvy customer segments.
The latest example I have to share with you is an on-line commercial by Philips to promote an innovative shaving product specifically geared to men who want to take care of their business “below the equator”. You have to witness a sample of this ad at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhZ8pyOAeO4 to understand what I mean about creating an advertising message that, without the internet, would not have been possible. And the results Philips has achieved are far greater than expected. This is the future of marketing and brand awareness.
For small businesses, these free online marketing mediums are providing an incredible opportunity that did not exist even 2 years ago to provide product information or demonstrate a service offering with minimal cost. Historically, small business operators had limited options like taking out an ad in a trade magazine or spending big dollars on billboard ads that were just not financially feasible in a company’s infancy. So, now there are incredible outlets for driving brand and product awareness for entrepreneurs, but don’t think you are the only one with this idea.
Even more importantly now is the content that goes into these creative pieces or marketing campaigns. Because of free distribution channels, viewers have to sort through more unwanted information than before. So the fight is on for really good content. You can’t rely on advertising gimmicks or whiz-bang features. Your content and the way it is presented have to be compelling and relevant to a particular customer audience. So, a) understand your segments, and b) invest the time and effort required in developing world-class content, otherwise, you will just be adding to the buzz of these marketing channels with no desired results.
Which are the most compelling ads you have seen recently on YouTube or other online channels? I doubt you can find an example more attention-grabbing than the one I listed above.
Tasha Mazza-Kelton, Partner
www.torquemi.com
You're right Tasha -- I don't think I can provide a current example more attention grabbing than that - great post! I'm enjoying your weekly articles - excellent marketing insights.
Posted by: Meredith Lamb | March 28, 2007 at 09:03 AM