TOP NOTCH ADVERTISING SIMPLE RULES FOR EFFECTIVE ADS by SCOTT TONEY Midwood Japanese Chin
H aving spent almost 20 years as a commercial marketing executive for a major bank, I have come to understand the value of an effective marketing and advertising campaign. A comprehensive marketing campaign is a multi-pronged endeavor encompass- ing advertising, public relations, media relations and community involvement, to name but a few. For the purposes of this article let’s examine the role of print advertising, and how you can ramp up the impact of your ads in vari- ous publications. PRINT VS. ONLINE ADVERTISING It’s no secret in the internet age that online publications and adver- tising have replaced many of our beloved publications including news- papers, periodicals and breed maga- zines. Internet advertising can reach a broader audience for less money, but it’s important to remember that the impact of an online ad can be fleeting. For example, if an online ad has a click- able “call to action” like directing you to a 20% off coupon or a website where you can purchase goods or services, it is very effective, but also very tempo- rary. For the type of meaningful, last- ing impressions we are trying to make
as dog breeders and exhibitors, noth- ing replaces advertising in print. BENEFITS OF PRINT ADVERTISING There is no better way to target a specific or narrow audience than print advertising. As dog breeders/exhibi- tors, we are fortunate thawt we can send our message to as broad or narrow an audience as we like. For example, we can market in all-breed ( Showsight ), Toy ( Top Notch Toy s) or specific breed publications ( The Orient Express ) mak- ing our audience as broad or as narrow as we’d like. Print ads not only target your specif- ic audience but are sustainable (publica- tions are permanent records, and often valued reference guides), delivered to loyal readers and can be repeated as often as you’d like. Your message can evolve from month-to-month as the sto- ry, history and wins of your dog grows. SOME SIMPLE RULES TO FOLLOW • Develop a look and feel for your “brand” and stick to it. As stated, you can create sustained impact by advertising on a monthly basis. Don’t lose your kennel or your dog’s identity by having radically different looks each month. Work
with a graphics person or the ad contact of your favorite magazine to identify key elements that you will consistently use in your ads such as a font (clear and large enough to be easily read!), color palette, logo, and boilerplate language. For example, consistently using the same signa- ture information such as: a. owner/breeder/handler info b. Logo c. Tagline d. Contact info including email address, web or Facebook URLs, etc. • Make sure you deliver pertinent information. What is the dog’s name? Who is handling the dog? What judge is pictured in the photo? Where was the dog shown?
“PRINT ADS NOT ONLY TARGET YOUR SPECIFIC AUDIENCE BUT ARE SUSTAINABLE...”
68 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2017
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