Two’s Views

Are your advertising dollars getting you the return you are hoping for? If every ad you place isn’t bringing in new customers, your ads are getting overlooked. The problem isn’t where your placing your ads but that they are simply getting lost in the crowd. People are inundated with advertising everywhere they look.

Your ad needs to grab their attention and make your business memorable. Please note that I said make your business memorable not your ad. Super Bowl TV commercials leave people remembering and talking about the ads but almost never does anyone mention the company that spent all that money for that spot. These ads are often more about the awards the ad agency receives and less about selling a product. In fact historically these ads have little return on the capital spent.

So just adding more dazzle or novelty to your ad may not bring your more business. Every ad you see has hearts in February and a leprechaun or a pot of gold in March. You don’t need a new theme every month, you need to create a brand. A brand that stands for integrity and quality and service or whatever it is that sets your business apart from the competition.

Do you have a company logo that represents your business? Where did the logo come from and what was the thought process behind it?  Does it convey to the consumer the image you want them to have about your business?

If you’re using plain text or clip art for your logo, you may not be getting your point across. In fact, using clip art makes your business look amateur and using stock photos make you look like just one more uninteresting business. Neither of these types of graphics will set you apart from the competition. They won’t make your business memorable. I don’t know how many promotional items from magnets to key chains I’ve received over the years that have had no logo and were printed with the phrase “You tried the rest now try the best.” Truthfully I can’t remember the name of any of those businesses. A true waste of advertising dollars.

Your logo is the first step in creating your brand. It needs to catch the eye of the consumer and instantly tell them what you’re all about. Take a few minutes and quickly look through the newspaper or yellow pages that you advertise in. Make note of what catches your eye and makes you look twice. It may be some bold type offering you a great deal. Well-written copy can do that. Once you’re done, try to recall the name of any of the business that caught your attention. Chances are the ones you remember have an eye-catching logo.

Think of all the major successful consumer brands. I bet you can associate the name of the business with the logo whether you see the logo or the name of the business first. Read this series or names and I bet you’ll see their logo in your mind: McDonanld’s, Nike, Tide, Apple, NBC, Chevrolet. Did you see them?

So how do you make your own memorable logo? Start by making a list of words that describe your business. This list should include words that describe what your business does as well as what your business stands for. Ask your clients, your employees and even your family and friends who know you and your business to add to the list. Now read through the list and see what images come to mind. Make a list of these images.

The goal now is to marry these images with your business name in a creative and memorable way. This is where you want to get the help of a professional graphic artist. She can help you put your ideas on paper and create number of concept drawing for you to consider. Elements from these designs can be modified and combined until a single strong concept is developed. After a little refinement you will have a truly representative logo that people can easily associate with your with business and your product or service.

Now you have a one of a kind image that you can use to start creating your own unique brand. You also have the beginnings of a marketing and branding strategy that will help you get noticed and bring a return on your advertising dollars.