DEAR ADVERTISER: DO YOUR ADS SELL?

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So … Super Bowl Sunday is history. How many ads do you remember? Out of those, how many products or services will you spend money on? And what the heck was Bob Dylan doing on TV?

Advertisers paid an average of $4 million for a 30-second commercial during the Big (boring) Game. Does the high-investment on a high-profile spot always turn into a high-return?

What about more mundane advertising, say, your typical billboard or newspaper ad – do these make an impression on you? (pardon the industry term) After all, isn’t this the central reason for advertising?

It’s a useful exercise to revisit every now and then: Your Ads Must Sell. Think about it.

Much has been said about viral marketing. It’s supposedly a low-cost way to create buzz around your product, but does this buzz translate into sales?

Last month, there was a viral video circulating the internet of a ‘Devil Baby’ terrorizing New Yorkers. While this was a creative way to promote an upcoming horror film, and many people saw the video, the stunt did little to help the mediocre reviews and low ticket sales for this flick, and it bombed.

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Riders of the New York City Subway were recently hit with strange ads about “Lucas.” Lucas did many mundane activities, such as going to dinner, having dreams, or (supposedly) knows what you did last night. Much was written about the ads, mainly about the vagueness, or how annoying they were. While the ads created a buzz for the app that Lucas was using, did the ads translate into downloads?

Seeing a commercial one time during a big event may bring about discussion for the next five minutes, but that message will be quickly forgotten as soon as the next big thing comes along. The same can be said for viral videos or stunts.

Here at PMD, I push my clients to do two things: Be Seen often, and use several types of media.

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After you see a preview for the latest installment of The Hunger Games on your TV, you read the paper on your iPhone, and another Hunger Games image pops onto your screen. On the way to the salon, you see a Windowposter™ in the corner bistro doorway. You have now been hit three times, in three very different locations, with different media. This is vital: multiple messages, in multiple mediums.

Chime in with your opinion – we would love to hear from you!

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