This is part of a continuing guest entry from Todd VanSlyck. To read the previous entry or learn more about Todd click here.
Know They Audience - I call this an “under the hood” thing. In other words, it may not be completely obvious, but it’s essential.
Are you selling baby cribs? Great. Let’s not put your commercial on at midnight on Spike TV. That’s probably not your audience. I work at The University of Northwestern Ohio and there are 4 distinct audiences I create commercials for. The College of Business is mostly students just out of High School from the local area. The College of Technologies offers programs like High Performance Motorsports, HVAC and Diesel Tech and is known world-wide. The College of Distance Learning is geared mostly toward adults who have a job and family. And a Beauty Academy. You know, hair and nails and stuff.
Wow. That’s four completely different audiences! I had to really get inside the heads of those 4 groups of people and come up with commercials that would appeal to each of them individually. Then our Marketing Director had to place them on the appropriate stations. You need to make sure you’re doing the same.
Another fundamental but often over looked "under the hood" thing is this - What's your point? A.K.A. "the story". Whether it’s a :30 commercial or a Hollywood Blockbuster, each has to have a script that gets across a point. Even if it’s something that’s as simple as “We’re having a sale”. Again, know your audience. Appeal to them, give them the information they need to make a decision.