Perhaps you're new to marketing in a car dealership, or maybe you're an old hack. Either way, occasionally the most obvious and important element in any ad gets forgotten or simply omitted: the emotion.
If you've been in automotive retail for any length of time, then you’ve been told, over and over, that emotion is the key to selling. An old sales trainer of mine used to say, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak! Get people excited!" The key message being, engage the customer on an emotional level and you will make more deals. But why?
Advertising works exactly the same way. Creating ads of any kind requires planning. Each ad has layers. The product. The offer. The brand. The urgency. The target prospect. All the subject of many more marketing blog posts to come. But the most important element, the most forgotten element, is emotion. And I ask the question again. Why? Why emotion?
What is it about emotion in an advertisement that is so important to the ad? And perhaps even more important, how do I create emotion in an ad?
The answer to the first question lies in basic human psychology. First, emotion exists in a part of the brain a customer cannot easily control. People are drawn to images and words that evoke strong emotions. That’s just the reality. If I'm surfing the internet, and some advertisement draws me to it, it's usually because something clearly visible about the ad, either the image, or a strong visible statement, has engaged me on an emotional level. How far I go from there will be about how well the ad is constructed, or whether it really appeals to me or not, but my initial attraction is almost always on an emotional level. Throw a naked lady in the ad you’ll definitely get me to look, but it won't draw me in unless it's related to the actual content that appeals to me.
I remember a marketing play by one car dealer a few years ago. It was a brave campaign. It basically went like this. The dealer, in a TV commercial, held up a puppy with a gun to its head and said, "If I don't sell 100 cars this weekend the puppy gets it!" Many people were horrified. Wrote letters. Called the dealership. Some loved it, took it as a joke. Everyone remembered it. Not only did they sell a ton of cars but that dealer used the same dog in commercials for years. It was an emotional tie to the dealership for everyone. It literally branded the store into the memory of everyone around. That's why they call it branding.
Emotion is tied directly to memory. If you look back on all those moments in life that you remember clearly, good or bad, they are almost always tied to a strong emotional reaction. It's just how we are wired. Marketing works exactly the same way. By creating an emotional reaction to an ad through the inclusion of an image, some words, perhaps a story or a jingle, yes a jingle, you are actually generating an emotional response that will make your ad memorable.
In making emotion a key element of your advertisement, whatever and wherever it is, you accomplish three goals. First, you draw more eyes to the ad, second you can actually draw specific target prospects based on what you use to draw out that emotion, and third, you make your ad, and your company, more memorable by tying it to an emotion and thus planting it in the memory of those who see it, read it, or hear it. Branding. Branding in every ad.
Of course the big question is, how do you create and include that magic ingredient in every ad? It's a little easier if it's radio or TV. The combination of music and someone speaking, if done correctly can evoke the emotion you're looking for. People smiling and laughing with some upbeat music will tie a positive emotion to the product. If it's guilt or sadness you are trying to evoke, then it's dramatic music and unhappy faces. I'm sure you've seen all types. Those are designed to create memories that have impact through emotional connection.
The same applies in print or digital. By using the correct image in an ad, even a digital one, you will draw the attention of a particular demographic, and potentially create a memory if it's strong enough. Then, if you've captured the right prospect, the correct set of words and product offering may just convert that prospect.
Here are a few basic examples to give you an idea of what I'm talking about even in a digital ad. Perhaps you're having a sale and an image of someone unique is celebrating, hands in the air, big smile, then a line that says "Looking for the freedom of a new car? Your next ride is waiting... sale on now!" Maybe you're trying to reach that parent of younger children so you have an image of a child spilling ice cream or soda on a vehicle's seat with the words, "Looking to keep your family safe in a new SUV? Massive clearance of SUVs on now!" How about an image of some poor soul waiting for a bus in a snowstorm? "Tired of taking the bus? Get unbelievably low payments and credit approval on your next ride now!"
Hopefully, you get the idea. The content of the ad is important. The offer is definitely a key to success, but if you want people to actually look at your ad, and remember your ad, you need an image that draws them to the ad, an emotional element that makes it memorable. If you combine those with a call to action that matches the demographic you're seeking, it will result in conversions to prospects and customers while helping you create a strong brand at the exact same time. Good luck and good selling!