But First, Ideas.
Class #3 with Stephie Coplan
Okay, so you have your insight. Now what?
Make your point in an
interesting way.
Show life before the product, and then after.
(Or with it, and without it.)
This is also known as a “side by side.”
1a. Before only.
Show life before the product and let the consumer’s imagination run wild with what their life will be like with the product.
1b. After only.
Show life with the product.
A ton of ads fall into this category, broadly speaking.
2. Advice.
Give your consumers advice, help, or hacks related to the product.
3. Knowledge.
Teach your consumers something about the product.
4. Empathy.
Show your consumers that you know what it’s like to be in their shoes.
5. Demonstration.
An interesting way of showing how your product works.
NOT to be confused with the kind of cheesy demonstration you see in infomercials.
6. Testimonials.
Use a famous or non-famous consumer to report their positive experience(s) with the product or service.
7. Heritage.
Lean into the brand’s unique history.
8. Owner/Staff.
Use the client or staff to sell the product.
Note that this only works if your client is interesting, or if the idea is interesting.
9. Product Positioning.
Pick a thing, and position your product as that thing in comparison to its competitors.
99% of good ads do this, usually with one of the other strategies employed as well.
10. Product Repositioning.
Pick a new direction for the brand to go in.
This only works if the new direction actually makes sense and is marketable.
11. Competitive/Comparison.
Compare your product directly to the competition.
12. Challenge.
Ask the consumer: do you have what it takes?
13. Negative to Positive.
Take all the negative aspects of the product and turn them on their head.
Note that this is not the same as Before & After.
14. Logic.
Ask: “You wouldn’t do this, so why do that?”
Or “You do this, so why don’t you do that?”
15. Honesty.
Show self-awareness in a likable way without disparaging the product.
Note that this is not the same as negative-to-positive.
16. Brand Action.
Get the brand itself to deliver on its promise and walk the walk.
This week’s assignment:
10 MORE ideas for your brand.
Extra credit:
Write down your approach along with your work, if you can.
Q&A