 I seem to be getting more and more useless ads on my Facebook page as of late. Many of them seem to have "Gotcha" headlines that are trying to grab my attention. The wording of many of them are "You aren't going to believe how..." or "Wait until you see..." The real teasers are the ones with "I couldn't believe #7 was real!" Now I want to click the link to see what #7 is. Maybe it IS that amazing! Or maybe it was just a headline written to get me to click the stupid link. Brilliant! Although this style of online advertising is a bit of a new trend, this isn't new to marketing. Businesses have been making claims and promoting with teasers and misleading taglines for decades. Many use Weasel Words. Weasel Words are words that pretty much cancel the words that follow. Some of the most common ones are "up to," "can be," "like," "helps," etc. This mouthwash "can be" as effective as every day brushing! |
Another advertising favorite, the Unfinished Claim, makes a product sound better than something, or nothing. "Sony gives you more!" More of what? "You can be sure if it's Westinghouse." Great! But I'm not sure what I'm sure of.
There's the Water is Wet claim, where the advertiser claims their product does something that every product in their category does. "Mobil: the detergent gasoline!" Apparently, all gasolines act as a cleaning agent. "Great Lash greatly increases the diameter of every lash." Yah, but isn't that the point of any mascara? There is a local company, Rog's, that has billboards around town advertising their crane service. Their tagline is "We lift things up and we place them down." If I need something heavy lifted, you better believe I'm calling Rog's, since this is exactly what they do!
Did you know that "Geritol has more than twice the iron of ordinary supplements?" With the So What claim, the advertisers want us to know that this is a GREAT reason to buy this product. But, do I need twice the iron? Is this even good for me?
The Testimonial is a good, effective one. Many times, a celebrity or an expert opinion can boost the effectiveness of this type of tagline. Ellen wears Cover Girl? I love Ellen! This must be pretty amazing makeup. Rachel Ray uses Pyrex bakewear? Well, that's the brand for me! J.D. Powers liked the Kia Soul. So, yes, I bought one because of this. Really.
There's the Scientific or Statistical Claim, using real numbers to make the products even more exciting. Nine out of 10 dentists recommend Crest! Lipitor reduces risk of a heart attack by 36%! Duracell Quantum batteries last 35% longer than the next leading competitor's brand!
One of my personal favorites is the Rhetorical Question. Do I want to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks? Do I want to sleep better at night? Do I want better rates from my cable provider? Heck yah!
One that seems to be on a downward cycle from a few years ago is Sex Appeal. For a while, so many commercials used beautiful people doing suggestive things in various states of dress that the hubby and I would make bets on what they were actually selling. Jeans! No, Coke! He's definitely selling that Lexus! Website hosting! No, wait, it's...shoes.
So are you using some of these in YOUR marketing? I know I don't advertise like this as much as I could. Part of it is wanting to make sure my business is really as good as I'm claiming it is. "My clients are 27% more pleased with the final product than other designers' clients in the area!" I don't know that they are, although it'd be nice, I suppose. "My logos are colorful and have your business name included in the design!" Well, yes, that IS the point though. "Better than other designers!" Maybe? Should I use "gotcha" tag lines like my headline at the top? Well, I suppose if it got you to read all of this, then it might be worth exploring a bit more.
Cheers - Kelly
There's the Water is Wet claim, where the advertiser claims their product does something that every product in their category does. "Mobil: the detergent gasoline!" Apparently, all gasolines act as a cleaning agent. "Great Lash greatly increases the diameter of every lash." Yah, but isn't that the point of any mascara? There is a local company, Rog's, that has billboards around town advertising their crane service. Their tagline is "We lift things up and we place them down." If I need something heavy lifted, you better believe I'm calling Rog's, since this is exactly what they do!
Did you know that "Geritol has more than twice the iron of ordinary supplements?" With the So What claim, the advertisers want us to know that this is a GREAT reason to buy this product. But, do I need twice the iron? Is this even good for me?
The Testimonial is a good, effective one. Many times, a celebrity or an expert opinion can boost the effectiveness of this type of tagline. Ellen wears Cover Girl? I love Ellen! This must be pretty amazing makeup. Rachel Ray uses Pyrex bakewear? Well, that's the brand for me! J.D. Powers liked the Kia Soul. So, yes, I bought one because of this. Really.
There's the Scientific or Statistical Claim, using real numbers to make the products even more exciting. Nine out of 10 dentists recommend Crest! Lipitor reduces risk of a heart attack by 36%! Duracell Quantum batteries last 35% longer than the next leading competitor's brand!
One of my personal favorites is the Rhetorical Question. Do I want to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks? Do I want to sleep better at night? Do I want better rates from my cable provider? Heck yah!
One that seems to be on a downward cycle from a few years ago is Sex Appeal. For a while, so many commercials used beautiful people doing suggestive things in various states of dress that the hubby and I would make bets on what they were actually selling. Jeans! No, Coke! He's definitely selling that Lexus! Website hosting! No, wait, it's...shoes.
So are you using some of these in YOUR marketing? I know I don't advertise like this as much as I could. Part of it is wanting to make sure my business is really as good as I'm claiming it is. "My clients are 27% more pleased with the final product than other designers' clients in the area!" I don't know that they are, although it'd be nice, I suppose. "My logos are colorful and have your business name included in the design!" Well, yes, that IS the point though. "Better than other designers!" Maybe? Should I use "gotcha" tag lines like my headline at the top? Well, I suppose if it got you to read all of this, then it might be worth exploring a bit more.
Cheers - Kelly
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