When people think of marketing their mind immediately jumps to one thing: advertisements. And it’s easy to understand why - as consumers we are exposed to ads constantly in our daily lives, whether it be on the side of a bus or the side of a web-page. However, to create engaging ads that effectively drive consumer activity takes careful planning and consideration, and is a direct result of effective segmentation and targeting (*hyperlink to other relevant posts). Only after completion of this step should creating the ads themselves be considered, and in the constantly evolving online sphere this too requires strategising.
This is where creative strategy comes into play. Creative strategy is not simply choosing the colours, images and fonts you want to use in your advertising materials - these creative tactics come later. Rather, creative strategy looks at the larger creative idea behind an advertisement. When creating ads for the Internet, creative strategy becomes the key to success. In a landscape where product-switching is so easy, there are several key elements that eCommerce marketers should consider:
What is your USP?
What is your business’ unique selling point that makes it stand out from competitors? That is, why should a customer choose you? If you are unable to identify what makes you different, then chances are a consumer also won/t be able to. This is usually a good starting point for creative strategy as it gives you a chance to show where you can add value for a consumer.
Will you utilise a divergence or relevance approach?
A divergence approach looks at emphasising your business to be different and unique, whilst a relevance approach focuses on drawing attention to why their business is meaningful or valuable. Either approach can work, but eCommerce businesses need to consider which approach best aligns with their offerings.
Will you appeal to rationality or emotions?
In other words, how will you relate to your consumers? Rational appeals focus on a consumer’s practical, utilitarian need for a product or service. This type of appeal emphasises things such as convenience, quality, efficiency, and performance. Meanwhile, emotional appeals relate to a consumer’s social or psychological needs for purchasing a product or service. The emotions being appealed to could be fear, joy, pride, nostalgia, and so on. Choosing between the two generally depends on the product or service offering. Whilst selling a car may be more suited to a rational appeal, something like a perfume might be more suited to an emotional appeal.
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