Ad reps love image ads. Image ads are the ones you see in national magazines that build Brand Awareness. Their purpose is to make the consumer feel better when they think of the brand name. Examples are ; “Have it your way” by Burger King, Prudential Insurance’s “Own a piece of the rock” , Chevrolet’s “Like a rock”, and Motel 6's “We’ll leave the light on for ya”.
(Thanks to Selling Air by Bob Diamond for the examples)
Brand awareness ads work.
These ads pre-condition the consumer to more easily accept local ads that actually sell the products.
Image ads sell the company name. Response ads sell the product. Which would you rather sell, if you were the client?
Ad reps love this type of ad for a reason: The sales can’t be tracked...because the ads create no sales. So the advertiser continues to buy the ads...without expecting an immediate result. Also ad reps (and ad agencies) get to concentrate on being creative rather than producing sales results. Frankly, this type of ad is just more fun for the ad agency.
National companies, with dealer networks, like this.
The dealers in their network then advertise with response ads locally, and the image ads help the response ads work better.
The problem is that occasionally, you’ll met a business owner that thinks that brand awareness ads are what local advertising is. So they run these ads, get no sales, and then blame...you.
Response ads are where the prospect responds to the ads by coming into the store, calling on the phone, or going online (depending on what the ad directs them to do). Generally, the purpose of the ad is to cause the reader/listener to come in the client’s store/business and buy.
These ads create sales. The results can be measured. Here’s another difference; Image ads don’t generate sales, but response ads will generate a positive brand image almost as well as the image ads themselves....and at the same time, pay for themselves and produce a profit for the client.
All infomercials are response ads. All QVC or Home Shopping Network ads are response ads.
Almost all of your clients will be local. Almost all of your clients will be dealers looking for sales.
Response ads that also create the desired image...are where the money is...for the client.
