As we got closer and closer to the last quarter of the year, I wanted to motivate people about advertising. Whether traditional (press, television, radio) or social (Internet), the components of a great ad remain the same. I originally came across an article from The James Group that talked about 4 types of ad campaigns that have been selling for quite some time and have embellished it a bit based on experiences in traditional advertising.

5 components of a great ad:

1. Unique message. While you may have many products or offer a variety of services, promote 1. Think of the Diet Pepsi ads. They promote Diet Pepsi and not Aquafina or any other Pepsi product.

2. Catchy word / song / jingle. Growing up in New Jersey, the NY Lotto’s motto highlights “Hey, Ya Never Know.” The song that comes to mind is the Monday Night Football theme. No matter where you hear it, think MNF.

3. Memorable character. Orkin Roach. Although creepy it gets the message across and we identify with cockroaches and for that matter all insects and associate it with food.

4. Consistent design elements. Colors, logo location, typography, etc. These elements are very important for consumers to recognize at a glance. Absolute vodka. Same blue font in the transparent bottle.

5. Repeated theme. Similar to the unique message and consistent design element, but think Corona and the focus on the beer bottle. You know they are on the beach but you never see the faces or much more than the table, the bottle, the sand and the beach. Creating an emotional response to relax with a beer. No matter what the voice says, you know it’s Corona.

Traditional advertising is not dead. It has taken a back seat due to budgets. You still need to be heard. Social networks linked to traditional advertising give a stronger voice. Traditional and social advertising differ, but are still similar in that you need to know where your target market is. People still watch TV, listen to the radio, and are on the Internet.