Why Your Ad Failed > NetSparsh - Viral Content you Love & Share

Home
>
Advertising
>
Why Your Ad Failed

Why Your Ad Failed

So you spent good money on an ad, put it in a magazine or newspaper, and waited patiently for phone calls that didn't materialize. You're upset: you feel that you've wasted money and time, and now you're convinced that advertising doesn't work.

Advertising does work. Every day. So before you kick away advertising (or websites, or brochures, or any other marketing medium), first consider which of these four basic reasons applies to your effort:

Your ad wasn't created to appeal sympathetically to the correct customer need.

You can't force a sale, as much as you might want to. Your best, most reliable, most profitable customers come to your business because you meet particular needs that your competitors don't. Simple as that. These needs may be material, psychological or emotional, but when they present themselves, their owners come to you.

The goal of advertising is not to pitch a sale, but to establish name and brand recognition for your company by associating your name with your ability to meet special customer needs. This helps promote that "good gut feeling" that your best customers have about you but can't really explain.

If your ad isn't built around the right specific customer needs - not wants, not desires, not self-image, but needs - then it's almost doomed to fail.

Your ad doesn't establish your own credibility for meeting customer needs.

Etch this on your forehead: Credibility begins with evidence of understanding.

It's not enough to hit on the right need. You have to demonstrate in some way that you truly understand and can meet it. This step doesn't have to be fancy, and is often very subtle, sometimes involving no more than certain writing, visual design or layout decisions.

If your customers need a strong, professional company, your ad should reflect that. If they need to know that you come highly recommended, or that you have a certain degree of experience, or that your services are unique to your area, that should somehow be a part of your advertising.

Just don't overdo it, turning your ad into a sales pitch. Provide just enough credibility to satisfy those customers looking for it. Save the rest for your other marketing efforts.

Your ad wasn't placed in an appropriate medium that offered regular exposure to the specific customers you serve.

If your business sells luxury cars, the most carefully designed ad in the world won't accomplish a thing printed in a free newspaper that specializes in thrift classified ads. That's not an appropriate medium for your service, and your best customers aren't looking for you there.

If your ad properly recognized and appreciated your customers' needs, consider the possibility that the ad appeared where it wasn't appropriate. Why were your best customers looking for you there? How does your choice of medium speak to your credibility for meeting your customers' needs?

Consider time as well as position: a swimwear ad would face an uphill climb if it ran in a Michigan newspaper in December. Remember that customer needs often change as the seasons change.

You expected too much from your ad.

If the ad is solid, and the medium is appropriate, then the problem is you.

Advertising alone doesn't revolutionize profits. Like all marketing tools, advertising is a precision instrument, an individual tool designed to perform a specific task. Relying on only advertising - or only networking, or only cold calling, or only a website - to promote your business makes as much sense as an auto mechanic who uses only a hammer to fix your car.

Since human beings are complicated, so are sales problems. Complicated problems require the skilled collaboration of multiple tools, of which traditional print advertising is only one.

The role of advertising in a modern marketing campaign is to establish name and brand recognition for your company, not to pitch a sale. The idea is to make sure that your prospect has already heard of your company - and has a favorable "feel" about you - by the time customer need presents itself or your salespeople come calling. Advertising helps pave the road for your other marketing efforts.

If you expected sales to double last month because you ran an ad but did little else, you probably expected more than reality could provide. It's in fact possible that your ad did work, but that it provided benefits that your business didn't capitalize on because you expected different results. Next time you run an ad, do it as part of a coordinated marketing effort that includes the ability to follow up with the audience that was exposed to it. Take advantage of the good will that your advertising helps generate.

If your ad is written to appeal sympathetically to the correct customer need, establishes your credibility for meeting that need, and is placed in an appropriate medium that offers regular exposure to your most likely customers, your ad will do that job. Every time.

About The Author

Robert Warren (www.rswarren.com) is a Florida-based freelance copywriter specializing in the unique marketing needs of independent professionals.

[email protected]

In The News:

The Vast, Untapped Potential of Facebook for Advertising EntrepreneurSince the first telegram sent in 1893, to Mark Zuckerberg launching Facebook from his college dorm in 2004, technology has taken what can only be termed as ...

Tanya Dubash tops IMPACT's 50 Most Influential Women in Media, Marketing, Advertising list Exchange4MediaFaye D'Souza, Shereen Bhan, Priya Nair and Sonali Dhawan among other toppers this year in the list of the industry's top women achievers.

Advertising is Changing -- Know How to Lean into the Change EntrepreneurOpportunities are emerging as brands shift strategy for creating *content*, advertising and reaching consumers.

BE Exclusive: Creativity at test as FSSAI pushes new advertising norms ETBrandEquity.comUnder the new proposed framework, food brands are prohibited to advertise or make claim undermining the products of other manufacturers.

Addressable TV advertising market to hit $3.3B by 2020 FierceVideoOverall spending on addressable television advertising is poised for massive growth and could total $3.3 billion by 2020, according to the Video Advertising ...

Hershey Chocolate Company Joins Blockchain Advertising Consortium CointelegraphAmerican leading chocolate production company The Hershey Company has joined blockchain-based consortium AdLedger.

Meet 5 Recruiters Shaking Up the Advertising Industry AdweekRecruiters spend their time hunched over resumes and pouring over portfolios to make sure they find the perfect candidate for the company or the client they're ...

Why Tech Companies Are at Fault for Poor-Quality Digital Advertising AdweekAs low-quality ads clog the web and our feeds, brands have come under fire. The expectation is that they need to create better and more meaningful work, and ...

On the Adweek Podcast: Being a Woman in Advertising and Media AdweekIn honor of Women's History Month, we brought together a group of Adweek ladies to talk about what it's really like to be a woman in the media industry. On this ...

When It Comes to Advertising, Online Users Get It; Just Let Them Stay in the Driver's Seat Business Wire80 percent of British online users recognize the role advertising plays in keeping the internet free, says new research from eyeo.

Shilpa Kamath joins Network Advertising afaqsShilpa Kamath joins Network Advertising as Senior Vice-President, Client Services. Shilpa comes with an experience of over 18 years of leading the ...

Advertising for Japan's casinos to be limited to international arrival areas at travel hubs The Japan TimesThe government decided Tuesday it will allow casino advertisements to be displayed only in international arrival areas of air and sea terminals that are used by ...

Advertising stereotypes of women just won't cut it anymore gulfnews.comIn fact, the entire industry could do with a welcome dose of realism.

Top Digital Advertising Trends For 2019-Alex Khan BW BusinessworldAlex Khan - This year will see exponential growth in advertising revenues from augmented reality apps as immersive computing continues to transform online ...

How Mexican advertising featuring rich white people perpetuates racism and classism The Conversation - UKMexican advertising often portrays that to be white is to be rich, while to be dark is to be poor.

'TV and online advertising to converge' BusinessCloudCEO of company which handles majority of the UK's TV ads outlines plans for London firm following rebrand.

No Advertising, As Apple Announces New Video Subscription Service AdExchangerApple entered the streaming and original *content* space with a flourish at a special upfront-like event in Cupertino on Monday. But while Oprah was there, ...

Advertising Technology Leader Adam Heimlich Named President of Parsec Media MarTech SeriesParsec Media, the mobile ad network with advanced ad formats and cost-per-second metrics, is expanding its leadership team by adding media trailblazer Adam ...

Market View: Can You Prove Advertising Sells Anything? Food ProcessingAdvertising: Is it an expense or an investment? Marketing expert John Stanton talks about advertising and its importance toward brand equity.

Online now nearly half of global advertising spend: Zenith Which-50Online advertising spend is creeping slowly but surely towards the 50 per cent mark of total global ad spend, according to the latest forecasts by Zenith. It is now ...

Ensuring Compliance with Advertising and Promotional Requirements for Drugs and Medical Devices Course (Boston , United States - May 29-30, 2019) BenzingaDUBLIN, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Ensuring Compliance with Advertising and Promotional Requirements for Drugs and Medical Devices" training ...

Upper Funnel Advertising: How to Use Display & Video Ads to Boost Awareness Search Engine JournalLearn the common advertising tactics used to target customers at the top of the purchase funnel and build awareness of your brand, product, or *service* .

New Zealand advertising industry bodies call for Facebook to remove live streaming mUmBRELLA*The Commercial Communications Council and Association of New Zealand Advertisers have released a joint open letter to Facebook calling for the removal of.

APL Apollo sponsors team Delhi Capitals, hires Crayons Network for advertising afaqsAPL Apollo Tubes, producer of ERW steel pipes and sections in India has announced sponsoring team Delhi Capitals this IPL season. As a part of team ...

Two Top Medical Groups Call for Soda Taxes and Advertising Curbs on Sugary Drinks The New York TimesTwo of the country's leading medical groups on Monday issued a call to arms against the soda industry, urging legislators and policymakers to embrace taxes, ...

Adobe: 5 big predictions for digital advertising Business InsiderA new report from Adobe outlines the past 25 years of digital advertising and predicts future change in programmatic TV and more ad-tech consolidation.

Top Accenture Interactive exec reveals strategy to disrupt advertising Business InsiderAnatoly Roytman said he planned to create full-*service* capabilities with each acquisition, from technology and marketing to design and creative.

The Pitch: Advertising and marketing news for 3.26.19 RichmondBizSenseRocket Pop Media is handling branding and marketing for two of SNP Properties' holdings: a block of buildings between 5 and 27 W. Broad St. branded as The ...

Advertising and Media Insider newsletter March 27 INSIDERHello! Thanks for subscribing. If you got this newsletter forwarded, sign up for your own here. Apple revealed a new video *service*, news subscription package, ...

Kofi with a kayfabe save for WWE’s early advertising of his Mania match Cageside SeatsA man knows for his Rumble saves makes a storyline one.

Head of Advertising job, Johannesburg Bizcommunity.comMakro is searching for a Head Advertising that is HUNGRY, HUMBLE, ENGAGED, AND SMART AND FOLLOWS THROUGH.

United States Healthcare Advertising Market Report 2019: Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecasts 2018-2024 GlobeNewswireDublin, March 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "US Healthcare Advertising Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast ...

Shilpa Kamath Joins Network Advertising as Senior Vice-President, Client Services AdAge IndiaShilpa Kamath joins Network Advertising as Senior Vice-President, Client Services. Shilpa comes with an experience of over 18 years of leading the ...

Major Australian Telco Taps Marketing Evolution to Drive World-Class Advertising Capabilities Business WireOptus, the second largest telecommunications company in Australia and wholly owned subsidiary of Singtel, one of the leading telecommunications compan.

Amazon's Next Move to Boost Its Advertising Business Motley FoolThe e-commerce giant will ride the biggest trend in advertising in 2019.

Milan fashion houses are hitting the wrong advertising note | Opinion McClatchy Washington BureauMilan fashion houses are finding that their dramatic styles and remarkable statements are looking threadbare. A recent Gucci advertisement for a blackface tunic ...

In 2020, Native Advertising will be More Programmatic and Mobile - but Less Social Social Media TodayA report, recently published by eMarketer, presents its predictions by juxtaposing 2018 numbers with 2020 estimates. It concludes that in 2020, native ...

UK advertising powers ahead as exports hit £6.9bn The DrumBritain's stature in international advertising has been given a boost following the publication of new figures indicating that total exports rose to £6.9bn in 2017.

Slovenia's Digital Advertising Market Expected to Grow 25% in 2019 Total Slovenia NewsSTA, 25 March 2019 - Advertisers in Slovenia will increase investment into digital advertising by 25% this year, spending an average of EUR 290000 on...

Asia’s AnyMind pulls in another $8M and expands into outdoor advertising TechCrunchAsia-focused marketing startup AnyMind Group has landed a further $8 million in funding to close out its Series B round and expand into new verticals.

CarGurus Hires Spencer Scott as Senior Vice President of Advertising and Digital Marketing Solutions PRNewswireCAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CarGurus (Nasdaq: CARG), a leading global automotive marketplace, today announced that Spencer ...

AirAsia apologises for 'inappropriate' advertisement on Australian buses Stuff.co.nzAirline advertisements accused of "making light" of sexual exploitation in Thailand have been removed from all Brisbane City Council buses. A recent AirAsia ...

Google fined €1.49bn by EU for advertising violations The GuardianGoogle has been fined €1.5bn (£1.3bn) by the EU for abusing its monopoly in online advertising, bringing the total cost of punishments imposed on the search ...

Will advertisers ever learn from YouTube advertising scandals? EconsultancyContinued YouTube scandals beg the question whether greater introspection on the part of advertisers is warranted when their ads appear next to problematic ...

Amazon doubles down on TV advertising Marketing WeekAmazon is now TV's third-biggest spender, with total TV ad revenue reaching £5.11bn in 2018 thanks to increased investment from online businesses.

JC Decaux and the City Melbourne in fight over Telstra payphone advertising mUmBRELLA*The City of Melbourne is in a fight with JC Decaux and Telstra after the council claimed the companies' large format payphone ad displays could cost the.

WWE Already Advertising Huge Match For Survivor Series Ringside NewsSurvivor Series will be in Chicago this year and the show is not until November, but WWE needs to sell tickets. To promote the event, they have released a.

Coordinator of Advertising Systems SportsBusiness DailyWe presently have an opportunity for a Coordinator of Advertising Systems to join our Digital Revenue Operations department. This position will provide ...

Pinterest seeks to woo advertisers and international users as IPO looms - PR Daily PR DailyPinterest is aiming attract future stockholders by convincing marketing partners it can help them pin big profits with consumers. The visual social media platform ...

Air New Zealand will go back to advertising on Facebook despite call for ban from ANZA New Zealand HeraldAir New Zealand will continue to advertise on Facebook in spite of growing pressure from big advertisers to boycott the platform if changes to livestream policies ...

Advertising companies urged to do more to avoid upsetting bereaved people as Mother's Day approaches Independent.ieAdvertising companies could do more to avoid upsetting bereaved people as Mother's Day approaches, a British MP has said.

A Few Pioneering Women Every Advertising Industry Pro Should Know ForbesAs we celebrate Women's History Month and continue to work toward a more equal playing field for women behind the scenes and depicted on-screen, here's a ...

Blockchain In Media, Advertising, And Entertainment Market 2019 Emerging Trend and New Technology Forecast 2025 industryreports24.comThe Global Blockchain In Media, Advertising, And Entertainment Market Research Report Forecast 2019-2025: Is a valuable source of insightful data for ...

Teikametrics adds hourly bidding optimization for Amazon advertising Search Engine LandBoston-based Teikametrics announced the addition of an hourly bidding solution for Amazon advertisers using Teikametrics Flywheel campaign optimization ...

3 ways to lower your Amazon advertising ACoS Search Engine LandAmazon's advertising revenue topped $10B in 2018, creeping up right behind Facebook and Google, as the third largest ad platform in the U.S. The analysts ...

Advertising Week Europe Briefing: Audio’s coming of age DigidayBoth the proliferation of smart speakers and the popularity of podcasts are pushing advertisers to think harder about audio. Advertisers are now seeing voice as ...

Addressable TV Is Creating New Advertising Capabilities...And They Are Not Going Away ForbesFor anyone interested in the future of advertising, the capabilities of connected television (CTV) cannot be ignored. CTV is defined by ad software provider ...

Govt indulging in surrogate advertising through Khadi India: CPI to EC Business StandardThe CPI wrote to the Election Commission on Tuesday alleging that the government is indulging in "surrogate advertising" through institutions like Khadi India.

Ad Fraud - the Biggest Setback in the Growth of Digital Advertising According to Mobvista Outlook India(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) New Delhi ...

ANALYSIS: The advertising strategy during the NSW election AdNewsDr Andrew Hughes dives into the ads of the NSW election, explaining what worked and what didn't.

Hardware Stores Find "True Value" In Hyper-Local Advertising ForbesTrue Value Company is embracing a “marketing-as-a-*service*” model, offering hyper-local and highly targeted marketing to stores as part of a larger program to ...

Where have all the good ideas gone? - Dentsu Aegis Network Bizcommunity.com'Is it just me, or has science made advertising worse?' wonders DAN SSA Chief Strategy Officer, Michael Zylstra...

How is Snapchat's Advertising Business Doing? eMarketerSnapchat has been busy lately trying to woo marketers. While we predict that Snapchat will cross $1 billion in US net ad revenues in 2020, reaching this ...

YouTube is targeting TV advertisers with this year’s upfront pitch DigidayYouTube is focusing this year's upfront pitch on its most TV-like *content* in an effort to convince advertisers that it can compete with traditional TV.

Swedish gambling associations slam “impossible” advertising curbs EGR GlobalSweden's two largest gambling trade associations, the Swedish Gambling Association (SPER) and Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS), have ...

Facebook Announces 'Facebook Showcase' Premium Video Advertising Option Social Media TodayWhile Facebook's Watch platform hasn't yet become the traditional TV rival Facebook hoped it might, that hasn't slowed The Social Network's monetization plans ...

Entercom faces FCC inquiry over political advertising Philadelphia Business JournalA woman said Entercom stations overcharged her for ad buys when she ran for Congress last year. While no one can find someone with her name who actually ...

DuckDuckGo CEO testifies: Privacy legislation isn’t ‘anti-advertising’ Search Engine LandDuckDuckGo Founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg testified Tuesday morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee on online privacy. The committee was ...

Beerbower Advertising & Marketing (BAM) Has Launched a Social Mission to Support Kiva - a Microfinance Nonprofit PRNewswireAUSTIN, Texas, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Beerbower Advertising & Marketing (BAM), a women-led company founded by Kaci Beerbower and based in ...

Digital out-of-home advertising is fracturing into many channels MarTech TodayDigital out-of-home advertising is evolving so far beyond just being video billboards that, like mobile, the channel category may soon split into multiple channels.

Facebook Halts Ad Targeting Cited in Bias Complaints The Indian ExpressThe social-media giant will stop allowing advertising of housing, jobs or credit to be aimed at those of a certain race, gender or age group.

British advertising guru calls for Google and Facebook to be broken up Daily MailSir John Hegarty – the man behind the famous 1980s Levi's laundrette advert said companies such as Google and Facebook must be strictly regulated as they ...

Big Companies Freezing Their Advertising On YouTube Because Of Controversial Comments ForbesThere's a large number of videos on YouTube available to literary everyone, featuring the likes of children, mostly girls under the age of 13, practising ...

The Trade Desk Opens Doors for Global Advertisers to Reach Audiences in China Odessa AmericanLOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 26, 2019--In response to global marketers' focus on China as a key growth market, advertising technology leader The ...

You're being used to steal $50 billion in digital advertising Fast CompanyA new report says digital ad fraud is bigger–and more sophisticated–than the industry is prepared to deal with.

Advertising Week Europe briefing: Broadcasters slowly unite against platform threats DigidayAt Advertising Week Europe, it seems broadcasters may be showing a more collective front against platform threats.

Government spending big on merchandise and advertising in lead up to federal election Daily TelegraphThe Morrison government is spending 74000 a day on a taxpayer-funded advertising blitz to sell its spending on infrastructure projects around the country.

The definitive guide to what’s in and out at Advertising Week Europe 2019 DigidayAdvertising Week Europe is here and with it comes four days of panels, parties and networking. To preview all the comings and goings, Digiday has compiled a ...

AirAsia apologies for 'inappropriate' ads for cheap Thailand flights TravellerThe AirAsia advertisement was slammed by ALP councillor Kara Cook as "making light" of sexual exploitation.

New Zealand's biggest advertisers make global call for Facebook boycott New Zealand HeraldNew Zealand's biggest advertisers have written a joint letter calling on the international advertising community to join its boycott of Facebook advertising.

Casino news | Denmark clamps down on gambling advertising InterGameThe Danish Gambling Authority is to amend the Danish Gambling Act to limit the amount of marketing for gambling games, particularly toward children.

NBCUniversal, Sky team up to expand global advertising product Reuters(Reuters) - Comcast Corp is pooling the advertising power of its NBCUniversal and British-based Sky units to better target viewers worldwide, it said on Monday, ...

New Zealand shooting: Facebook faces advertising boycott over live-stream CBS NewsTwo business associations in New Zealand say companies should stop advertising on Facebook after an anti-Islam terrorist used the platform to livestream his ...

Avengers: Endgame - AMC Theatres Advertising an Epic Runtime CBRAMC Theatres and Fandango are reporting a runtime for Avengers: Endgame that's epically long.

Snap to drug advertisers: We're the friendlier social network CNBCTo win big pharmaceutical advertisers, Snap is positioning itself as a friendlier social network than Facebook and Twitter.

MannKind - Afrezza Scripts Still Flat Despite Advertising Seeking AlphaAfrezza scripts essentially flat week over week. MannKind 2019 advertising campaign has been active for 10 weeks. A request for more authorized shares at the ...

Facebook is going to stop letting advertisers target by race, gender, or age MIT Technology ReviewThe firm spent $5 million yesterday settling three cases that claimed Facebook's practices allowed employers to illegally exclude women from being served ads ...

The Kraft Heinz Mess Is A Warning To Advertisers: You Can't Cost-Cut Your Way To Growth ForbesThere's a limit to how much a company can cut, but top-line growth (driven by investment in advertising) is infinite, at least until a brand reaches 100% market ...

Tech Firm Plans to Transform Advertising on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Via Blockchain CointelegraphSponsored. Paying for the ultimate result of an advertising campaign, and not just impressions or clicks, has always been the dream of advertisers. There have ...

Advertising effectiveness vs. efficiency: what is important? RaconteurFocusing on short-term wins has led to a growing efficiency bubble, leaving long-term advertising effectiveness by the wayside.

Advertisers say Facebook outage led to 'chaos' in buying AdAge.comFacebook advertisers say the outage at the social network caused "chaos" in the market and cost them a whole day's work as they were frozen out of ads ...

Clio Awards have two jurors from India afaqsThe Clio Awards have announced their jury list and there are two Indian names on the list. The awards will take place on September 25th 2019 at New York and ...

Has the Native Advertising Market Matured? eMarketerThe typical native display ad is mobile, social and purchased programmatically—and that's not expected to change over the next couple years, as the native ad ...

Airline apologises for 'inappropriate' advertisement on Brisbane buses Sydney Morning HeraldAirline advertisements accused of “making light” of sexual exploitation in Thailand have been removed from all Brisbane City Council buses. A recent AirAsia ...

YouTube Facing Lawsuit That Alleges Toy Unboxing Videos Are “Abusive Advertising Practices” Aimed At Children TubefilterA Brazilian lawsuit filed against YouTube's owner Google is raising questions about whether toy unboxing videos are manipulating kids — and whether similar ...

Advertising rules not broken as signs of spring election start popping up CBC.caSigns of a spring election are popping up, literally, around the province. Big wooden billboards with nothing on them yet have been put up on many street ...

WHO urges governments to enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, including in motor sport World Health OrganizationWHO is urging governments to enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship at sporting events, including when hosting or receiving ...

The advertising industry has a diversity problem – apprenticeships can help The GuardianIt's really important that our workforce reflects the kind of people that we're advertising to, says Sue Frogley, UK chief executive of Publicis Media.

Kiwi advertisers want global support in calling for livestreaming change Stuff.co.nzKiwi advertisers slam 'platitudes' from Facebook after shooting and suggest Facebook advertising is pulled.

Adomni Launches First-Of-Its-Kind Platform Providing Audience Analytics for Digital Out-Of-Home Advertisers MarTech SeriesAdomni, an open online platform to find and buy digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, announced a first-of-its-kind update to its platform: the ability to buy ...

Why Your Ad Failed

Advertising Advertising