As I was flipping through several of my local newspapers this morning, I noticed that nearly all of them featured the exact same advertisement from Telus, revealing the availability of the Samsung Omnia smartphone. Tech-savvy enthusiasts who follow the Canadian mobile phone market may have seen this one coming, but the masses are probably seeing this phone for the first time today.
As I continued to read through the world news and sports scores, I started to wonder if the strategy taken by Telus today is the best approach. The exact same full page ad was taken out on several national and local newspapers, so it didn’t matter which paper you picked up; they all had the same advertisement. In this way, Telus was certainly sending out a consistent message about finding “your smart fit.”
By taking the route of consistency, Telus may have a better chance of ensuring that its key message is being read and understood today. If you are exposed to the same item over and over again, you have a better chance of remembering it. Do you recall trying to memorize your multiplication tables in elementary school? This is the same kind of thing: constant exposure.
The flip side would have taken Telus on the path of variety. The Canadian wireless carrier could have put out several different advertisements in the different newspapers. This way, each ad would look fresh and novel. Our eyes are oftentimes drawn to that which is new, so each ad could receive the same level of attention. By contrast, if you notice the same ad in a different paper, you probably won’t read it again.
What do you think? If you’re about to embark on a major product launch, would you rather use the same ad across all channels or would you use several different ads to keep it fresh?
jimmy web traffic
April 3, 2009 5:37 am
I think if you are marketing a small business, the most important thing is to put yourself in the shoes of your prospective customers, and understand the benefits from THEIR side. And if your business depends on repeat business or good word of mouth, then be sure that you are giving them the straight scoop! While some strategies drive short term sales, they may actually be bad for your business over the longer haul.Thanks……..
jimmy web traffic
April 3, 2009 5:39 am
I think that marking is a good way to earn many….
Dr. Cossack
April 3, 2009 8:59 pm
Using the same ad in several newspaper on the same day or week is fine in my book… as long as it isn’t reused for several weeks. If the same thing pops up again and again, you just tend to ignore it.
Idealo Voucher Codes
April 6, 2009 3:07 am
I’d always go for variety for several reasons.
1. The single advert may not produce the best return.
2. You can try different messages and see which ones convert into sales.
3. You can target different types of readers based on the advertising location (sports, financial etc)
4. You can create a story line or similar messages to create something bigger than just an advert. (think “I’m a Mac” Apple Ads.)