Generating Interest

It’s bizarre how rarely we discuss what a TV ad is meant to accomplish.

In a traditional sales funnel, the first step is to make your audience aware of their problem. A problem-aware audience can then be made interested in a solution. Only then should they be informed of the specific product or service, hopefully solidifying their consideration to becoming purchasing customers.

Where does a television ad fit in this?

If you have a large audience that is already aware of your solution to their problem, throw them an offer to entice a buying decision. If spurred by a perceived deal that is enforced by perceived quantity or time scarcity, many prospects will feel compelled to make a buying decision. This would be marketing at the bottom of the funnel, turning desire into action, prospects into customers.

However, more commonly, small businesses need first to create that audience using television. A commercial can be a great way to generate the awareness for the problem your product/service solves, or to present your product/service as a solution to a common problem viewers would already be aware of. This is marketing at the top of the funnel, turning a viewer into a prospect.

Doing this requires capturing the viewers’ attention. Dangling a massive range of products in front of them is not interesting. Boasting about dedication to good service or excellent workplace culture is not interesting. Unless you already have an interest in advertising your business, this post is not interesting. Forget specifics. A website can inform, a live sales associate can inform. Even information like location and pricing is easy for a prospect to seek out so long as they are interested enough to do so.

Think of the infamous “Not For Astronauts” commercial. Nowhere does it show Haynes’s impressive line of canned products. It just entertains the viewers with something bizarre and associates it with their brand. Doritos’ Ultrasound spot doesn’t list flavours or dedication to their customers, but the laugh it inspires makes their brand memorable.

Small businesses obviously can’t spend the same amount of time and money on brand awareness as these big global brands, but that goal is still important.

Can’t you market to both ends of the funnel in your TV ad?

Many try. The problem is that turning a viewer into problem aware prospect into a product aware prospect through consideration into a purchasing customer can’t be done in 30 seconds (much less 15). The result can be boring for all viewers. It’s just like trying to cover different audiences in the same ad. Market to everyone is marketing to no-one.

If you believe it is an effective use of your advertising dollars in doing a “full funnel” approach on television, split up the ads. Make one ad to generate awareness and interest, another to show off specific advantages to your product or service and – importantly – present an offer. Generate awareness for awhile before moving to the pitch, or, just run multiple ads concurrently targeting viewers at different stages of the funnel.

ThinkTV’s “Winning Formula” recommends a full-funnel approach, but, as everything, your experience may vary. Who your audience is and how much they already care is important to think about.

So, for the next time you’re advertising on TV, don’t inform. Generate interest.

CV