In the quest to produce beautiful, yet effective advertising pieces, I find that it’s sometimes challenging to take a hard line. For example, here’s a common scenario: We’re creating an e-mail postcard … my designer gives three options … I need to recommend one option to my client …
Options #1 and #2 meet the direct mail standard – attractive headers and sidebars with black body copy on a white background, lots of links and reply buttons.
In Option #3, all the copy resides on top of the image – reversed out. The overall presentation is striking, but I know the readability is lacking. Also, there aren’t as many links and buttons since too many would muck-up the beautiful design.
What to do? It’s a dilemma because I like #3 and I know my client (who is less in tune with response factors) may also prefer #3. It’s edgier, more hip … but the real question is … WILL IT SELL? Will it convert readers into leads and leads into customers?
In an ideal world, with unlimited budgets, we’d try both. But if my client has a limited budget (and they all do), what’s the right choice? If I present a more functional option (more likely to sell) will I get beat out by an agency that shows my client a very beautiful but not very functional option?
This kind of dilemma comes up all the time in the marketing world. Do you want your home page to be dominated by Flash and design or by key words that will generate search rankings? Do you want to take a chance on humorous headline or should you play it safe by communicating the most important benefit?
Take a minute to think … as a client, how do you react to the choices presented to you? Do you carefully evaluate a marketing piece’s potential selling success based on objective criteria? Or, do you emotionally choose whatever looks best?
