The average person will see around 5,000 ads a day according to Joe Pulizzi from the Content Marketing Institute. That is a LOT of noise. But is every message worth hearing? No, which is why we filter what we pay attention to. If the message isn’t enticing, you move on. This is an issue for the marketers and advertisers that want to position themselves in front of you, the consumer. So it is time to think outside the box.
Advertising Without Names
Do you recall the Doritos ad where they never once said the company name or really showed their logo? Everything was based around sensory experiences that they have heard their community use in reference to their product. It was revolutionary since it shattered every expectation of a traditional ad. Yet it was one of their most successful ad campaigns. This is because it was not focusing on the brand name or even truly the product. They were focusing on sensory experience, which in turn engaged another part of the brain’s attention. It was new, exciting, and yet relatable and authentic. Doritos did it right when they said that they could hook an audience without needing a namedrop.
Purpose Before Product
Consumers do not care about your product. They care about their feelings and solving issues in their lives. This means that no matter what a company says they can offer unless they prove that they can and help make the consumer more knowledgeable, the attention won’t stick. Apple ads never talk about the product, they talk about why the company is worth working with. They think outside the box, they are committed to eco-friendly tech, they have the best user experience, but nothing about a computer. This is what consumers want to hear, it cuts through the endless hustle and bustle of the same message regurgitated over and over again.