I believe effective advertising can be explained by one question: which dot gets your attention?
A category generally starts like this: a lot of dots looking the same, doing the same thing. It’s hard to choose one over another.
In attempt to get an competitive edge, one dot tries to differentiate itself. Which dot gets your attention?
In reaction, the some brands start to spend more media money to compensate. Others start to retreat. Still, which dot gets your attention?
Now some dots start to differentiate in their own way. Orange dot copies red dot, but not all the way. Hence, it is orange and not red. Still, most brands stay the same. Which dot gets your attention? (It should be a little tricker now.)
In attempt to regain its advantage, red dot tries to do something different: to add a little personality to itself. Which dot gets your attention?
Again, other dots try to add their own personalities.
Finally, red dot attempts the crazy. It tries to integrate itself into culture. To make itself culturally meaningful. In this case, let’s say, Americana.
Other brands find it difficult to the same. The position has been taken. They’ll have to find their own cultural meaning. But for now, which dot gets your attention?
A lot goes into creating effective advertising. But at the end of the day, just ask yourself a few simple questions:
- Are you obviously different?
- Do you have your own personality?
- Are you culturally meaningful?
- Are you a dot that gets attention?
- Why not?
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