I'd Like to Order a Pizza

The flyers came in the mail today. I have to say, there were many terrible pieces that I immediately threw out... but I looked at every one of those pieces and examined them like a hawk - a sexy hawk might I add. Most were busy, loud, irritating pieces that didn't stick, didn't resonate on any level. Believe me, I had the kids and husband around analyzing and quizzing them to the point of shame.

 

 

One flyer out of all of them made an impact on all of us. The Pizza 73 piece. Now, I want to mention here, as it is completely relevant, that I am both lactose and gluten intolerant, so the thought of pizza does absolutely nothing for me, but the font (both colour and font) captured my attention, and so did the photos (large, delicious looking, and simple) and the lack of tons of text - all made it an easy read that I wanted to review. Their marketing director has the magic formula because it wasn't just me who thought this was a captivating piece, but my step son and husband who commented on the size of the photos and the lack of text. Simple, clean lines, you didn't have to think about it.

This is the key to advertising, make it simple. One point at a time - if you have more points than that let the story evolve over time but don't lay it all out at once... that's advertising rape. That's offensive.

The next time you see an ad that resonates take a closer look. Chances are it was simple, with some eye grabbing graphics/photos that made you interested in looking further.

How Far Can FREE Get Me?

Over the past two weeks I have been meeting with clients who have burned holes into my ears about "FREE" and how far they feel it will get them. I have a good photo to capture that:

 

Beautifully illustrated.

 

The term which has become short for social media, is plaguing the world because people believe - as they have been led to falsely believe, that all their marketing needs can and will be met through the use of this FREE channel. *insert sigh here*.

 

Social media, when used properly can absolutely be effective at creating awareness, and increasing reach and visibility to an entire world of consumers. When improperly used though, you're just vomiting a bunch of shit into a digital pool and praying that it resonates with someone. So in a sense, improper use of social media equals spam, but instead of someone just deleting your spam, you can bypass that so they are forced to unfollow you because you've frustrated them. #Fail

 

FREE is a lot of hard work. It's all about engaging with your audience, keeping them posted, giving them content to consume which actually matters and is compelling. There's nothing worse than going onto Facebook and learning that a friend's baby just fudged their Huggies. It becomes irritating. Content has to educate, has to inform and create a new perspective around an idea that is unique and captures the imagination.

 

To create such content I normally work with clients to help them plan a month to month digital strategy for what they want to say and what context they can create around their content. How they will respond to comments and inquiries from their followers and how they can build an online community that feels loyal. It helps them understand where to start and how to stay focused on their goals and vision.

 

So just remember, FREE can equal a sad little picture and not a piece of creative genius, when executed improperly and not given the care and focus it requires. When in doubt, spend some time watching other companies that do it well and see if you can keep up. If you can't, cut your losses and allocate some funds to a company that can do it for you, properly.