There are many different types of marketing, but the one you are probably most familiar with is ‘image branding’. Usually, when I say “marketing,” people think of expensive Super Bowl ads, car commercials, and billboards. This is what is known as “brand image”, one of the most common (and ineffective) forms of marketing. Don’t get me wrong, branding works for big corporations like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. And if you have millions of dollars and decades of time, it will work for you too. Unfortunately, if you’re like most, you don’t have the same resources and time as those large corporations.
Most image brands simply state the company name, location, etc., with a “catchy” logo and tagline. None of these are compelling reasons to do business with them versus anyone else. This type of advertising does not advocate the products or services you are selling, and it certainly does not direct the potential customer to any wise buying decisions.
On the other hand, direct response marketing is designed to elicit an immediate response or buy (sell!) decision from the prospect. It has often been described as “print salesmanship” and is focused on making dollars right now, not a decade from now. Direct response marketing tells a complete story presenting facts or reasons why the company or product is superior to all others. It gives your prospects a reason to contact you, instead of waiting until they need your service or product and hoping they remember your name.
Direct response includes benefits that are relevant to the prospect and produces a sales message that helps your prospect solve a problem or avoid a loss. These are the real reasons people will choose your product or service, not because you have glossy print ads. And best of all, unlike image branding, direct response marketing is trackable so you can find out exactly how much each marketing dollar is earning you.
When placed side by side, there are many differences between brand image ads and direct response ads. Typically, a direct response ad will be wordy, usually in fine print, with: 1. A headline at the top (to draw the reader in), 2. Lists meaningful details, not vague generalities, 3. A promise or guarantee, 4. at least one offer, 5. exact instructions on what to do next, and 6. an additional reason to act immediately. Now, open any magazine or newspaper you have on hand, and you’ll see that almost none of the ads have these features. They all look pretty much the same with empty “white spaces” and bright images with no titles and very few words. This is how you will differentiate yourself from your competition.
By the way, some people really think that people won’t read ads that have a lot of words in fine print. However, the opposite is true: people want as much information as possible before they give someone their money. You’ll find that the more information you provide to your prospect, the better chance they’ll respond. That’s why all that “white space” in ads is a waste of money.
Direct response marketing, compared to branding, is the clear winner. Simply put… direct response marketing is designed to put money in your pocket right now, while image-based/traditional/institutional marketing is designed to make money over time; plus it costs you a lot of money in the meantime. Unless you have vast amounts of money and time, you shouldn’t attempt any branding, instead stick with results-based advertising that provides trackable ROI.
