Written by the Melotti Content Media Team, checked by Christopher Melotti
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Fact: advertising is important for any business.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise!
If you’re a medium-sized Australian company, a large Sydney corporation, an Australian government office or any other type of business, you already know the importance of advertising in its different forms.
There’s a reason why advertising is a marketing staple: ads create brand awareness, drive customers up the loyalty ladder and increase sales.
However, these are the same reasons why the Australian advertising space is cluttered. For your advertising to actually earn you the results you’re looking for, you need to:
- get the right brand message across
- get that message to the right people
- get the right response from the people who see your ads
We know this is easier said than done, though.
So, in this article, we’ll discuss the key to company advertising success: strategic advertising messaging. We’ll also cover advertising complexities AND how you can ace your Australian brand advertising campaigns.
Read on to learn more.
A quick snapshot of the advertising space in Australia
Before we delve into the intricacies of advertising concepts and messaging, let’s start with a brief advertising explainer.
Advertising across various industries has always been (and will most likely always be) a vibrant and competitive landscape. Businesses of all shapes and sizes constantly vie for their target customers’ attention with creatives and compelling concepts.
In fact, the recorded annual spending for digital ads in Australia is at $13.68B – and the market is expected to grow even more in the upcoming years.
It’s important to remember, though, that these customers are also constantly bombarded with ads – they see it on their TVs, they see them pop up on Google and across all their social media platforms.
So, by default, you can assume that your customer is tired of being sold to. No wonder why people pay extra for ad-free subscriptions!
Today, ads are everywhere – so, how do you get yours to make a memorable impact?
Well, for anyone who uses brand advertising, remember this golden rule: the success of advertising is never just about the medium; it’s also about the advertising message!
That’s where a brand messaging strategy for advertising comes in.
What is a brand messaging and communications strategy in advertising?
At its core, advertising is a powerful form of communication, if not a little forceful.
An effective advertising campaign is typically backed by a smart strategy, which essentially covers everything from the conception of the main campaign idea to the copywriting that comes with your ads (whether it comes in written form or delivered through video from a written script).
To succeed in the Australian advertising space, you need the right customer-centric strategy and brand messaging. This strategy should be rooted in a deep understanding of your customers and their pain points, your business and the advertising space.
With the right brand messages, your ads will not get lost in the clutter and your brand will be remembered for all the right reasons.
Why invest in a brand messaging and comms strategy in advertising?
Hard truth here: your customers are unreliable humans who only remember what catches their eye and is relevant in their world.
Marketing experts say that the average person typically sees around 4,000 ads per day but notices less than a hundred of them.
Among these ads that your customers notice, they only remember a handful – those that they deem worthwhile.
With market competition this steep, you don’t want to leave your success to chance, especially since most Australian medium-sized companies and large Sydney corporations tend to invest A LOT in advertising.
The way to ensure you’ll catch (and hold) your audiences’ attention and interest, therefore involves a powerful advertising messaging strategy that truly resonates with your ideal customers.
What does an effective brand messaging strategy in advertising look like?
Let’s paint a clearer picture of messaging strategy in advertising and explore some memorable advertising messages that you may be familiar with:
KFC: “I don’t care, I love it!”
This messaging banks on both sides of the engaging tune of the hit song and the carefree message that appeals to audiences. This striking KFC ad messaging, paired with an outside-of-the-square execution made this a very memorable advertising campaign.
Telstra: “Time for a chat (you don’t need the best network until you do)”
The Telstra advertising messaging, on the other hand, banks on the emotional appeal of the role their telephone services play in connecting people with their loved ones. The series of ads aimed to tug at its audiences’ hearts – and so they did.
UberEATS: “Tonight I’ll be eating…”
This UberEATS advertising campaign messaging tapped into the universal desire for convenient and delicious meals – and had famous celebrities personally deliver the message. The statement is loud and clear: whatever you want for dinner, we can bring it to you – highlighting how this online food delivery service makes a number of food options accessible.
Then there are some of the most iconic classics: Nike’s “Just Do It” has translated into several advertising campaigns that build on the same strong, inspirational rallying cry.
Likewise, Snickers’ “You’re not you when you’re hungry” ad messaging has utilised the perfect blend of humour and relatability across several marketing campaigns and grown the business by 15.9%.
However, not all advertising messaging strategies are created equal. Some are remembered for reasons their brands probably didn’t want to be remembered for.
Some ad messaging concepts have missed the mark over the years and, beyond just not attracting customers, have resulted in a backlash which gave the brand a bad impression.
Here are some of them:
Domino’s: “Calling all Karens”
This campaign was launched at the height of the pandemic. The ad campaign was meant to give away free pizza to “all the nice Karens” (a name that was then synonymous with entitled individuals) who could share stories about not being a stereotypical Karen.
This campaign was criticised for “rewarding the privileged with more privilege” and was taken down after the backlash.
In this case, while the intention was good (in this case, giving away free pizza to deserving people), it could have been delivered better and received better reactions from the target audience.
Nivea: “White is purity”
Another advertising campaign that received backlash was Nivea’s “White is purity” campaign for its invisible deodorant in 2017. The campaign was criticised for its racist undertones and received tonnes of negative reactions on social media.
This digital ad was also taken down after receiving negative comments, but it remains a cautionary tale for marketers and advertisers to fully consider the appropriateness of the messaging strategy and its role in creating effective campaigns.
What’s the advertising lesson here?
Good advertising traction comes from effective communications and brand messaging strategies – plain and simple. Of course, you want to get the most ROI for your advertising by making sure it doesn’t get lost in all the noise, or worse, receive negative reactions.
Fortunately, there are tried and tested ways to create advertising messages that help your brand remain top-of-mind for your customers, for all the right reasons.
7 tips for developing advertising messaging that cuts through the noise
To get bang for your buck in advertising, your brand’s messaging is crucial. Here’s how to nail it:
1. Know your audience by heart.
Always start by fully understanding your target audience. Get valuable insights about your customers and take note of factors like their:
- demographics,
- preferences
- and pain points.
For example, KFC’s campaign (as discussed above) strongly appeals to younger audiences, which happens to be the majority of their target market.
When developing your brand’s messaging strategy in advertising, you want it to be as tailored as possible to meet the needs and interests of your customers.
That’s how your ads are remembered – when your customers feel like you’re talking directly to or about them.
2. Define your clear objectives from the get-go.
Next step: know WHAT you want to achieve with your advertising messaging.
Do you want to increase brand awareness and relevancy? Are you promoting new products to a different customer base? Are you re-launching some of your services that are not selling well?
Whatever your objective is, keep that firmly in mind and make sure that all your brand’s messages are aligned with your targets. Not only will this keep your Australian messaging strategy grounded, but it will also help you assess the success of your campaign.
3. Highlight the problem you’re solving.
If your product or service has unique features or innovations (and we’re sure it has), highlight them in your advertising messages.
But remember: benefits over features.
For instance, your target customers will care more about taking high-quality photos and videos of their loved ones than the fact that their phone has a 200 MP main sensor, 30x optical zoom and whatnot.
So, don’t stop at an ad message that shows how advanced your offerings are – go for one that tells your customers what these features mean for them.
4. Appeal to your audience’s emotions – they tend to respond to that.
Emotional appeals can be highly effective in advertising, as shown in the Telstra example above.
Today, as your customers are tired of seeing generic content (especially with the rise of ChatGPT and AI content), it is becoming more and more important to connect with your audience on an emotional level.
Your audiences are humans; their feelings, desires and aspirations allow them to connect with brands who understand this on a deeper level. What’s that last push that your customers need to buy? A tug at the heart, a relatable message or an unmatched sense of humour?
If you can identify what truly drives your audiences, you can effectively influence their buying decision.
4. Use a powerful Call To Action that’s hard for them to say “no” to.
Once you have all the foundations, all that’s left to do is seal the deal with a powerful call to action (CTA).
This is where you can leverage FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and create a sense of urgency in your Australian brand’s messaging. If your audiences have gotten to this point, clearly, you’ve succeeded in your messaging strategy.
So, to make sure you have this in the bag, clearly instruct the audience on what you want them to do next (e.g., “Buy now,” “Sign up” or “Learn more”). Clever twists to typical CTAs are also always welcome, just make it stand out visually and position it prominently in your message.
Let’s see if we can get this one:
If you’re loving what you’re reading so far, wait ‘til you experience what we can do for your business. Interested?
6. Keep up with trends and seasons to remain market-relevant.
Stay current with industry trends and consumer preferences to adapt your brand’s messaging strategy accordingly. Messaging consistency doesn’t mean you always have to use the same thing.
You can always shake, shake, shake things up!
To be more timely and relatable, tailor your brand messaging to fit the current season or relevant events and holidays. Your customers will definitely appreciate the effort and it’s a great way to explore new brand messaging strategies for advertising.
7. Consistently monitor results and adapt to audience responses.
Last (but definitely not least): keep a close eye on the performance of your advertising campaigns.
- Did you meet your KPIs?
- What are your audiences saying about your ad?
- Did you get ROI on this ad?
Use these analytics to track key metrics and adjust your messaging as needed. Respond accordingly to your audiences’ comments – that’s where the best inputs are. Then, identify points for improvement and implement them, because in advertising, the ability to adapt is key to long-term success.
How to stand out in the Australian advertising space.
Advertising is ever-evolving, but the need for strategic messaging will always be there.
It’s a great aspect to focus on because, no matter where your ads are seen, effective brand messaging is your ticket to standing out and resonating with your audiences.
With the right advertising messages, you can get past the point when bombarded customers skip ads and actually leave a lasting impression that will draw them in towards your brand.
How can we help your business achieve success through advertising?
At Melotti Media, we understand that you want to get cut through in a competitive Australian market and achieve Sydney business success through an effective advertising messaging strategy.
However, you may find that you’re time-poor and spread thin or you still have a lot of unanswered questions.
You don’t need to worry.
At Melotti Media, we can assist with advertising concept strategies while you focus on what matters most to you – growing your business.
Let’s start earning the results your business deserves!
To speak to your trusted Message Marketers and Sydney copywriters, email us at enquire@melottimedia.com.au or phone 1800 663 342.
The Melotti Media Team
Melotti Media | Copywriting & Message Marketing Bureau
www.melottimedia.com.au
