Ten Golden Advertising Rules by David Oglivy
David Mackenzie Oglivy, known as the father of advertising, authored many books on how to effectively run successful advertisements. But, the most popular one is, Oglivy on Advertising.
This book is a must read for any type of marketer. And, in this age of digital marketing, it is necessary for advertisers to look back at some of the fundamentals of advertising.
Let us look at some of the golden advertising rules published by the father of advertising himself. Extracted from Oglivy on Advertising, these points are very much relevant in digital marketing today.
Research is the ground work for success
You don’t stand a tinker’s chance of producing successful advertising unless you start by doing your homework. ~David Oglivy
This is what Oglivy has to say about research before advertising. Oglivy clearly states in his book that there is simply no substitute for research.
Study the product
Knowing about the product is the first step towards generating a great idea to sell it. The more you know about the product/service, the better it is for the campaign ahead.
If the product you are trying to sell is technical or hard for the consumers to understand. It is your job as a marketer to decode the complex technical aspects into plain English.
No matter how complex the science behind the product is, a marketer must go through all the technical content, talk to experts, clarify confusions and learn as much as he/she can about the product as possible.
Because, it is absolutely essential for a marketer to understand every aspect of the product/service before making an attempt to sell it.
Positioning your product
In any type of advertising, simplicity is the key. According to Oglivy, positioning your product is all about telling your audience ‘what the product does, and who it is for’.
For example, Oglivy in his book mentions that, he could have positioned Dove as a detergent bar for men with dirty hands, but instead, he chose it as a toilet bar for women. The success of Dove as a beauty soap is still valid to this day.
That is why, it is very important to position your product correctly. The level of research done in the first step also affects your product positioning. Therefore, it is critical to position your product/service on merit, as it will ultimately define your target audience.
Define a brand image
What is a brand image exactly? According to Oglivy, it is the personality of your product.
Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place. ~David Oglivy
The personality or brand image of your product is defined by its name, the way you package it, its price, the style you adopt for advertising, and most importantly, the nature of the product itself.
Or to put it simply, the name, packaging, price, and advertising style should reflect the nature of your product.
Once a good brand image is defined, every advertisement you produce should be an addition to that brand image.
It should be consistent in appealing to your target audience defined during the brand positioning phase.
A good brand image works well with the audience, and it definitely helps sell your product.
Because, people don’t choose products, they choose a brand image.
Big ideas attract people
No matter how good your research is, you cannot sell your product unless you come up with big ideas.
You can do homework from now until doomsday, but you will never win fame and fortune unless you also invent big ideas. ~David Oglivy
Big ideas are rare in advertising. And, there is no systematic way to invent great ideas. But, one needs to be informed & wait for the right moment.
New & unique ideas can substantially add to the success of your campaign. A great idea stays relevant over the years and solidifies the brand image.
Make the product the hero
Product should always be the hero. Making it the center of attention all the time should be the aim.
If you think the product too dull, I have news for you: there are no dull products, only dull writers. ~David Oglivy
Making the product appealing & interesting should always be the top priority of the advertiser.
According to Oglivy, assigning a writer who is personally interested in the product will surely give good results.
Adopt ‘the positively good’ approach
When it comes to competition, you don’t need to stress on how your product is better than your competitors.
Focusing on all the good aspects of your product honestly will positively drive your sales.
It is always better to highlight your good points than to focus on negative things from your competitors.
Iterate your success
Repeat all successful practices. Iteration is also very essential in digital marketing.
If you are lucky enough to write a good advertisement, repeat it until it stops selling. ~David Oglivy
With detailed analytics data, measuring success is very convenient these days. Looking at whats working, & repeating the process to new prospects can result in success pretty quickly.
Always keep it simple
In advertising simplicity is the first rule. Never make it complex and hard for the consumers.
Always design advertisements for the average Joe. And, set a single goal for a single campaign.
Don’t stop learning
It is very important in digital marketing to keep up with the industry changes. Learning about new tools, trends, and research is essential to maintain marketing effectiveness.
David Oglivy has also stressed on the importance of pursuit of knowledge in advertising. He considers it a really bad practice to just rely on one’s intuition for advertising.
Creativity & Relevance
Many a times, it is observed that, in the name of creativity, relevance of the advertisement is lost.
In advertising, relevance is more important than creativity. A campaign idea, not relevant to the brand image, or audience will fail miserably.
Advertisers should always come up with ideas that are relevant to product and the audience segment. It should also fall within the cultural norms of the larger target audience.
