4. It pays to advertise

(1)

One area of advertising that is still not very clear is the question of whether it has its effects in the short-term or the long-term. If a campaign has an effect on the consumer, how long does this last? This is obviously a very important point. Opinions on it differ widely.

Some people have suggested that unless a campaign lasts a very long time, such as almost a whole year, its effect very soon disappears. This would mean that short campaigns are hardly worth the expense. But it does seem to be supported by the fact that when branded products are able to establish themselves they maintain their reputation for many years. Firms like Cadbury, Brooke Bond, Persil, Hovis, Tide, etc. have become household names throughout the world.

There are several indications that the people who really ought to know do believe that the effects of advertising are long lasting. Firstly, companies seem willing to pay huge sums – well over the apparent odds – for other firms which have become well established. They usually talk about buying what they call 'goodwill', which in practice means they are paying for the results of the company's advertising.

Secondly, if it takes a long time for advertising to change people's attitudes, it will take an equally long time for those attitudes to change again. If it takes a year to persuade someone to buy your product, it will hardly take anyone else much less to persuade him to drop it.

The third indication is more difficult to prove, but researchers have shown that the effect of advertising goes on even after the company's policy or material has changed. For instance, even after Brooke Bond stopped using chimpanzees to advertise their tea, people who were asked about Brooke Bond still went on mentioning the chimps.

(PLANNING THE ATTACK)

I don't think anyone can actually tell you how to create an advertisement. One can say in general terms, what it ought perhaps to contain. Incidentally, you may be surprised to hear that it is perfectly acceptable to leave out the name of the product, and you don't even need to show what it looks like. Basically, good adverts are imaginative ideas, a concept which it is not very easy to define.

You should remember, however, that having an imaginative idea is by no means the end of the story. The idea has to be made to work – in commercial terms, that is – and it has to take the right form. Moreover, it should last as long as possible. An idea which can be used as the basis of a campaign that lasts for years on end is really worth its weight in gold.

A good example is the advertising for some of the washing powders. The claim that Persil washes whiter was maintained for some sixty years. And even though it is now illegal to make claims which cannot be proved, the force of the old Persil ad is still very strong.

I said that the basis of a successful ad was a creative idea, but even a creative idea has to be creatively developed. The best creators can both create and develop, but most of the members of advertising agencies are really developers rather than creators. In fact, all too much of what now passes for creativity is really just flashy or trendy. I doubt if it will have any long-lasting effect.

So perhaps this is another answer to the question we began with in our last meeting. We asked whether the effect of advertising is long-term or short-term. Perhaps the answer depends on the nature of the ad. If it is genuinely creative, it will have a long-lasting effect; if not, it will quickly be forgotten.

Answer the following questions by noting down which medium you would consult:

1. if you needed to buy some new kitchen equipment;

2. if you wanted to know where to find a special kind of material for making clothes;

3. if you had to buy a birthday present and didn't know what to get;

4. if you wanted some interesting ideas for advertising your own product;

5. if you had a very limited amount of money and wanted to be quite sure that you would get the best value for it.