How to plan and create more effective advertising

part of any advertisement. It determines whether or not the customer will read the advertisement. Make it short but informative. Highlight a benefit to the reader. What will the merchandise do for him? Give it a sense of urgency, so that the reader will come to your store today, rather than tomorrow.

(3) Show the merchandise, in use if possible. Studies show that ads with illustrations attract more readers than all-type ads. Illustra(Please turn to page 26)

By Joan Oliver Newspaper Advertising Bureau

/l S A RETAILER, you know Fthat some advertisements work and some don't. To help you achieve a consistent level of effective, salesmaking advertising for your business, here is a simple plan, put together by advertising experts after studying thousands of successful retail advertisements.

The plan is based on newspaper advertising, because newspapers are the medium most retailers use. An ad in the daily newspaper produces immediate sales results. People think of ads inthe paper as shopping information they consult before shopping.

The objectives of your advertising are twofold: (1) to keep your present customers informed of Your merchandise, your sales, and Your specials; (2) to bring new customers into your store.

I. Planning Your Advertising.

(1) Set an advertising budget in line with your sales goals. Estimate your gross sales for the coming year. Be realistic in considering your sales goals for this period (including possible expansion) as well as those of your competitors. Keep inflation in mind and changes in local conditions. Once you've arrived at a sales goal, allocate a percentage for an advertising budget. The average budget ranges from 2-490.

(2) Plan month-by-month spending to match sales. A month that produces only 590 of your yearly sales merits only 590 of your advertising dollars. Sometimes, however, you can stimulate sales in a slow period by investing more ad dollars.

(3) Decide what you want to Promote. Plan each month's specific ads three or four months ahead. Make a list of your store's departments or lines of merchandise. Next, list the percentage of total sales each contributes to your business. Advertising allocations should generally conform to these figures, but you may want to spend more on a specific item or line because of a special promotion or purchase.

II. Creating Advertisements That Sell.

(1) Create a distinctive advertising style and stick by it. Effective ads not only draw customers to your store, they also build the "image" of your store. Your ad must instantly convey your store's personality. Develop a recognizable look or "format." (Jse the same basic layout, the same style of illustration, the same type faces and the same kind of headline and copy. This will not only make your ads more effective, it will also save you time in putting the ads together. Use illustrations and color to attract attention. Use simple language. Develop a recognizable store logo as part of your "format." Make sure that your ad is aimed at the target audience.

(2) Write your headline carefully. The headline is the most important

Story at aGlance

Keep presgnl customers informed. . . bring in new customers create a desire for merchandise . . . establish a sense of "buy now" . plan ahead for results.

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