Key points of the summary of the book “22 Undeniable Laws of Advertising, by Michael Newman”
- Follow these 22 rules to make your ads effective. These rules are: Be polite, emotional, talkative, relatable, witty, and sometimes even negative.
- Studies show that people pay less attention to advertisements every year. Use the law of adaptation, the law of attraction and the law of interest to get their attention.
- Send a simple message to be heard. Be stable. Rolex never changes its approach.
- Be different and original. Be distinctive and reckless. Let ad growth happen naturally.
- Add excitement and emotion to your ads with storytelling, similes and riddles.
- Consumers in the UK consider advertisements to be the most unreliable sources of information; 65% do not trust large corporations and 69% think they do not follow ethical principles.
- Be local, different, authentic, relevant and personal to reach consumers. Use the experiences that make the most impact on customers.
- Be transparent. Ask, “What is this ad trying to achieve?” Use positioning skillfully.
- Identify the terminological ideas and assumptions about a product and know its components, and then find the differentiating factor that determines the product’s position.
- Remember that your goal is to sell. Use the global sales solution.
What you will learn in this abstract
This book is a collection of tips that talk about the effective factors in good advertising. 22 laws are actually none of the laws. Each of them is an informative and inspiring article that can be used in creating or managing advertising. Each part of these 22 laws was written by a different author. The author of the book, Michael Newman, considers each of these authors a professional in their work. This book shows examples of good advertising on a global scale and today’s industries are moving towards globalization. The contents are short and interesting; But sometimes very important and pivotal. Some writers have taken their responsibility more seriously than others, but in the opinion of the Green Director, all the activists in the field of advertising will find informative and useful materials.
Common and creative at the same time
Advertising is a complex process that must create a creative spark before communicating with potential buyers. However, advertising is rooted in the real world. Advertising is expensive, so it must produce measurable results. This work should be based on custom and at the same time innovative. Interim budgeting puts pressure on advertising. No wonder the advertising profession is struggling all over the world. Agencies rely more on research, which stifles creativity, and fewer ads produce the desired result; Therefore, new approaches are needed. The following 22 suggestions are guidelines for creating better ads and understanding the challenges of the advertising industry.
1. The law of simplicity
Advertisements need to be effective in today’s busy world. A lot of new information is exchanged. The law of Occam’s razor states: “When two correct answers solve a problem, the best answer is the simplest one.” But simplicity is neither easy nor admired as much as complexity; So a good ad should be simple, but not stupid, and should be reasonable and believable enough.
2. Positioning law
Positioning helps customers know where a particular brand is in their mind. Heineken and Evian were the first products in their category (malt and high-priced water) that became premium brands. They were able to excel in this department; Because consumers had not yet chosen their favorite brands. The best way in a product family with a lot of competition is to create a completely new family, such as Red Bull energy drinks, being the number 2 brand is also profitable. The scope brand positioned itself in the opposite position of the leading brand. Another way to promote branding is to use separate classes for men and women. For example, Marlboro introduced itself as a men’s cigarette. Another way is to use new, more convenient names (Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo became Sony).
3. Law of stability
Consistency increases brand value or loyalty among audiences. Cultivate leads by keeping them interested in your brand’s activities and development. Continue this work always; For example, in the case of Rolex, it lasted for 30 to 40 years, and your product can become a wish or a symbol of success. Even in tough economic times, Rolex maintained its stability. To maintain the consistency of the advertising message, the same team that builds the brand must approve the ads.
4. Law of sale
Advertising does many things, one of which is to generate sales. But what exactly should be sold? Most of the advertisements emphasize the product rather than the brand. The result is that many products have the same brand value. This causes confusion for customers. To eliminate this vicious circle, ask these questions: “What is the purpose of advertising?” Who are the target customers? How can the goals be achieved?” Use a global sales solution. Just as Pepsi stood against Coca-Cola with the soft drink taste test. This test helped sell more Pepsi.
5. Law of emotions
Research shows that people make decisions based on emotions, political beliefs, and spiritual beliefs, and usually logical reasons are the least important. However, most advertisements are falsely rational and emphasize only the benefits of the product and not the emotional aspects of the purchase. In building a brand idea, sell the emotion and enthusiasm associated with it. This contributes to stronger advertising programs. The important challenge in this way is to find the right feeling.
6. The law of love
Emotional connections between brands and customers can make the price not the only determining factor in buying products. In the process of brand development, products become trademarks and trademarks become brands. The next step for brands is to become likeable signs. These endearing signs are brands that intentionally tap into customer emotions to create lifelong loyalty. To get to this point, a brand must be able to use beliefs, actions and behavior to build an emotional connection. Likeable brands also influence employees. At the intersection of emotion and logic, emotions drive your ability to make decisions. Emotion is more powerful than logic, and it justifies spending a fortune on entertainment. Use storytelling, similes, and mystery to inject emotion into ads.
7. Law of experience
The most powerful advertising creatives are rooted in real experience and culture. Sometimes a culture’s vision resonates with customers and products and gradually creates effects around the world. This is what happened to the Swedish advertising agency Paradist, which helped Diesel to gain international fame. It didn’t take long for the agency to face global demand.
8. The law of relevance
Advertisements should be more interesting than their surroundings in order to be noticed. Important ads must have an effect and respond to the emotions created. Powerful ads must be lovable, meaningful, and relevant. After World War II, consumerism flourished as many household products were new and essential. For example, Crest toothpaste promised to prevent tooth decay, which was good news for parents worried about dental costs. With the rise of people enjoying higher incomes during the 60s, goods were sold to people based on standard of living rather than need. The dominant theme in creating relevant and good ads is to focus on the human facts related to the consumption of the product or service.
9. Law of humor
Humor is powerful and can help get people really interested in a product. Most ads are rational and present the benefits of the product; But logic is not as powerful as joy and laughter. A joke based on truth comes from close observation of ordinary people. Contradiction is a way to create funny situations. In Australia, Fosters beer ads were able to successfully represent different people from different countries by depicting what they would do if they suddenly became Australian. The unexpected cultural mismatch paid off, people laughed and bought the beer.
10. Law of differentiation
Great ideas come from a sudden change in circumstances, dreams, a shift in approach or thinking that creates something new. Follow a three-step process to create a creative differentiator: First, identify the company’s conventional thinking and the underlying assumptions behind its processes. Then check the brand components. Finally, the main challenge is before you: find the right differentiation, something that can be profitable for the company’s position. This differentiation can act as a launching pad for a new perspective or challenge in the brand’s category or market. Sony’s PlayStations have become the number one brand around the world by appealing to adults who are interested in electronic games. Apple Computer used differentiation to create its own brand by revising conventional knowledge about computers. Apple said computers should mimic the way people work, not the other way around.
11. According to the law
Consumers recognize novelty and innovation, even if they can’t explain it. The process of discernment creates something new in people. Psychologists define adaptation as a bridge between emotion and rationality that creates something memorable. Successful mental adaptations occur by placing ads in unexpected visual locations, such as behind trucks and kiosks.
12. Legislation
Boring similarity of ads leads to poor results. According to the theory of “reinforcement” in advertising, one of the reasons why ads fail is that people expect the ad to motivate them. “Weakening” theory says that ads remind people of what they already knew about a brand. The “weakening” theory states that brands are becoming more and more common goods. Consumers, the advertising industry, and marketers have adopted this view. As a result, memorable ads are becoming rarer by the day. To break monotony, advertising agencies must expect their ads to push people beyond accepted safe boundaries and quickly adapt to changing circumstances. Try to conquer imaginations and differentiate your brand.
13. Law of profanity
Insult gives a gentle shock to people. This gets people out of their way and grabs their attention. A fun yet lighthearted ad becomes more memorable. Rude ads have the potential to attract widespread public attention and stay in the public’s mind long after they have stopped airing. Apple’s famous 1984 ad challenging IBM has become an icon in the computer profession. Advertisements can be derogatory by mocking a product, institution, person or profession. They can refer to the mockery of the human condition with irreverence.
14. Law of taste
According to food or beverage research, it is clear that for consumers in all parts of the world, taste is the main attribute they are looking for; But using taste as the main factor of advertisement does not have any results. Since people never buy bad food, the “great taste” claim about food and drinks is not very powerful.
15. The law of being the topic of the day
Advertisements should be based on current topics, but this is not easy; Because many people have had a time-consuming effort in the process of creating an ad. An ad is edited an average of 30 times before airing. Still, it’s worth the effort to be up-to-date with the ad, especially if it can ride on an important event or social movement. However, great ads are created by meeting creativity and topical issues. Also, the topicality issue is tied to word of mouth. Research has shown that 58% of young people rely on other people’s words when choosing a car and 53% when choosing a movie. To capitalize on a new trend, advertisers should include topical issues in their messages to spread quickly.
16. Silver elephant law
What can turn a good idea into a great one? The key lies in the mindset of the ad creator, although the customer’s desire is essential to create the best ad. Ad creators must dedicate themselves to creating completely original work. For example, the Bugatti family did not ask consumers about the legendary icon of the Royal Bugatti car. They used Rembrandt Bugatti’s sculpture and made a standing and playing elephant out of silver. The Law of the Silver Elephant challenges marketers to adopt initiative, stand out, courage and confidence. Design, quality, vision and innovation all capture the public imagination.
17. Law of dialogue
Consumers respond when they feel that the ad is personally addressed to them. Great speakers, such as Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy, were able to bridge the gap caused by long distances so that everyone felt emotionally cared for. Such communication is the basis of effective advertising.
18. Law of decency
Creative organizational culture provides a framework for its output. A sick organization will not produce extraordinary work. Highly trusted agencies deliver great work; Because they foster creativity even in unscrupulous competitive conditions. So avoid features that don’t typically foster support and collaboration. Seek inspiration from geniuses and support their efforts. Always be a noble player.
19. Law of negative sentences
Negativity depresses people; But it can play a positive role in creating advertisements. Negative sentences are actually attractive to many people. For example, “America’s unpopular paper” represents the Village Voice. Countless famous slogans such as “No one likes Sarah Lee” and the American Express slogan “Don’t leave home without it” are negative. These ideas will not be effective if expressed positively. So being negative can work in some cases.
20. Implementation Law
Suggestions or ideas that occur during production can make the difference between mediocre and great. These ideas can be received from anywhere and anyone in the production process. Trying to limit creativity creates tension. Try to be balanced and establish a balance between the idea and its implementation.
21. Law of evolution
Media is evolving. TV is no longer king. Networks change; So ads need to change. An effective 30-second ad can become obsolete after a while. As media viewing habits change, people will move away from traditional advertising. This helped advance the creation of Internet video ads. In order to survive, agencies must create specific segments to take advantage of media evolution.
22. Breaking the law
Sometimes being different is effective. Formulas are no longer very effective in the creative process and may not be effective at all. Consumers don’t buy ads. They buy the products the ads are selling. This changes the dynamic of the creative process. Although technology has not changed the reality of people’s belonging to society and nation. For this reason, creativity still prevails and it is necessary to think differently.