Advertising isn’t dead in the design & construction industry
With the rise of content, influencers, sponsorships and other non-traditional forms of marketing, good old-fashioned advertising has gotten a lot less love – and spending – from marketers. Print advertising especially has been written off as history. But whether it’s designers lasting love for big, glossy images or older generation tradespeople, strategically deployed print advertising still plays a role in connecting with trade audiences. We’ve discovered a couple of essential principles for creating smart advertising that connects, whether it is through print, broadcast or digital.
Speak to trade professionals like human beings
They may be part of a highly specialized profession with years of education, training and experience, but trade audiences are people, not machines. They have emotions: frustration, fear, joy, pride – even a sense of humor. We always strive to connect with the audience on a human level.
Use the language of solutions, not products
Advertising is a top-of-the funnel tactic to generate awareness and interest, not a bottom-of-the-funnel sales closer. That means we keep the message focused on identifying with the audience’s challenges and presenting solutions rather than product details.
Combine forces with integrated campaigns
We recommend using print and digital media together to complement each other and reach audiences with different preferences. A full-page ad in a design pub gives a designer the inspiring eye candy they crave and helps plant ideas in their imagination in a way a digital display ad never could. But the conversion-generating landing page that is part of that digital ad package provides data that a print ad cannot. The magic is in the strategic mix.