Faith and Science in advertising shows the differences between ads a business “believes” will bring in customers ads that are “Scientifically-proven” to bring in customers.
…And I know what you are thinking… (“This discussion is going to try to sell me on a type of advertising to use, and induce my spiritual beliefs no less.”)
I would be lying to you if I told you I do not have a dog in this fight. On the other hand I have been a believer in both Faith-based and Science-based advertising in the past, so my writings are based strictly on experience.
The comparison in this discussion between Faith in the religious world and in the advertising world may be frowned upon but in a literal sense the thought processes are very similar. This post certainly is not a referendum one way or another. This is not to say that Faith and Science are not mixed in the ad world.
I just want to share with you how both forms of advertising stack up and you will decide whether to use both or stick with the one who got you here.
Today’s Post will be a brief discussion on Faith-based Advertising:
When we talk about Faith-based advertising we mean these are forms of advertising where the advertiser has a “pretty good idea” of “belief that customers who buy come directly from their ads.
While many agencies try to employ “scientific tactics” such as frequency, reach, comment cards, CPC, CPM, etc. in the end all the agency can tell an advertiser is that potential customers have seen/heard the message. The holy grail of advertising is in the ability to see that potential customer make the choice to become an “actual customer”.
The problem with these forms of media is they can be very expensive to produce and run. Furthermore upkeep is critical if you want your business to stay relevant. Compounding this is the issue of not really “knowing” whether the potential customers have made a purchase because of the ad.
Don’t get me wrong, many Fortune 500 companies employed tried and true forms of faith based advertising to grow themselves from meager beginnings to the conglomerates they are today. As a veteran of traditional media, I know of many advertisers who strongly believe in their ad partners and creative teams who produce their TV commercials or radio spots.
Overall I feel that these media forms are GREAT for branding and should be used especially if you have established your business in the market. If you are a new business, there are more effective ways to build your business.
Let me know what you think!
Tomorrow we will discuss pros and cons of Science-based Advertising.
