How often do you hear consumers say ‘Wow, that was a great ad!’ when really, the goal should be for them to come away thinking, ‘Wow, that’s a great product!’ Adweek explored the evergreen topic of Brand ID this week in a piece by Martin Olesky, of the Ad Men Radio Show, titled “Why Does Your Brand Wait Until :29 to Show Up in Your :30? The perils of being late to the party.”
Communicus research has long recognized the instrumental role of brand identification in delivering a strong ROI. All too often, ads focus on entertainment, leaving the audience laughing, but without any knowledge of the brand. We can’t agree more with Olesky when he writes, “We all want to be clever, emotional, and even edgy. But if it’s at the client’s expense, then that’s a waste of the brand’s money — and the consumer’s time.”
Brand advertisers need to stand up to their agency partners and demand that the brand be inextricably woven into the story of the commercial. Yes, it is important to capture viewers’ attention, but the goal of the ad is to communicate the brand and its benefits – ultimately leading to more sales. How can you expect to convince consumers to buy your product if the consumer doesn’t connect your ad to the brand? Advertising is an expensive endeavor. Don’t kid yourself that the expense is about anything other than building the brand in the mind of the consumer.
Many advertisers are elevating their commitment to establishing strong brand ID. Brand advertisers are taking individual executions to the next level and implementing campaign-level brand cues. Our research has shown that this total campaign approach, when executed well, yields impressive results for the brand in terms of both ROI and overall brand health. Remember, advertisers pay good money for exposure opportunities, make sure that consumers can remember the brand being advertised!
