A Lunchtime Lesson on Print Advertising

I promise youll be able to finish this article before you finish \r the first half of your PBJ. Are you sitting down? Good. \r Because I have some startling news for you.

Print ads are here to stay. Thats right. Those dusty, musty, \r fusty old relics of the century past are still with us. And \r despite the ubiquity of commercials on radio and TV; \r despite the onslaught of banners, pop-ups and all manner \r of intrusive online ads; newspapers and magazines are, \r and always will be, a mainstay forum for mainstream \r advertising.

Theres something about the readiness, the handiness, the \r heft and feel of a magazine or a newspaper that appeals to \r the nature of human beings. Yes, flat screens that glow with \r vivid colors are attractive. Especially when theyre displaying \r something we specifically asked to see.

But as we page through a magazine or a newspaper while \r enjoying our lunch or riding a commuter train, we dont mind \r at all if a surprising or intelligent or just plain appealing ad \r even one in black and white suddenly grabs our attention. \r We expect it. We secretly look for it. We even welcome it as a \r break from all the dull gray type weve been slogging \r through. Why? Because lets face it a really good ad is a \r delight to behold.

Is this the kind of ad your target audience is seeing? Do \r your ads stop them and make them smilethinktake in \r your message and make a mental note to look closer at \r your product or service? Maybe even go to your website for \r the kind of information that could lead to a sale?

Think carefully about this. If your ad doesnt stand apart, \r doesnt attract, appeal or grab; if it doesnt delight in some \r way, the readers you want to capture and bring into your \r world will simply turn the page and plow on through the dull \r stuff . . . until they bump into your competitors delightfully \r different ad. And then theyll stop and, unfortunately for you \r pay attention to the message.

So take a close look at your companys ads. Do they stand \r out from the crowd of other ads? Are they different from your \r competitors ads in a powerful and relevant way? And most \r important, do they convey your core message in an \r engaging, persuasive and delightful manner?

If so, let them run and run, because theyre bound to bring \r you business.

If not, better change your approach soon. Before the \r competition eats your lunch.

Gary Watson writes ads for companies that want to add to \r their bottom line. He also does product/service naming, \r slogans/tag lines, billboards, web content, sales letters \r (print and email), etc. etc. He can be reached at \r Gary@GWCopy.com.