Leo Burnett created the Marlboro man in 1955 and, with him, an icon of modern Marketing, although it has been more than 60 years ago and things have changed a lot.
But who doesn’t remember? Who can say that it isn’t good publicity? It reported millions of dollars to the tobacco brand. Well, Leo Burnett, a genius of promotion, left his secret for posterity, the secret of good publicity, which is remembered and works to encourage desire and purchase.
The 4 ingredients of good advertising
1. Keep it simple
The complicated does not work and it never will, neither in advertising nor in anything else. Now more than ever, with such a rush, so little time and too many options that want to get our attention all the time, good advertising has to be easier than ever. Don’t make me think it was the title of a very interesting and successful book on web design and online business, but it is perfectly applicable to the product, marketing, and advertising.
2. Make it memorable
The functions of advertising are to be remembered. That it remains in the customer’s mind with positive associations so that, when they feel the need for something like what we sell and think about their options, we are there first, because we are the ones who leave their mark. However, you notice and almost all the slogans refer to “quality at a good price” or some similar variant, already very worn, of phrases that do not really mean anything.
3. Make it inviting to look
Good publicity is impossible if it does not attract attention. It is your first task, to stand out and attract, to make enough noise so that someone turns in our direction to see what that is. And that first impressions matter, that’s why our advertising needs to be attractive and professional. Remember that the client gets an idea of our qualities through the messages he receives. If these are cheap, neglected, and unremarkable, they will think the same of us. That’s right.
4. Make it easy to read
Much advertising is written. Many marketing messages as well, including emails, reports, answers to questions posed by potential customers … Although that may not seem like advertising elements strictly speaking, in reality, they are.
Everything is marketing, every interaction and message with a customer makes it stay the same, “get closer” (if you liked it) or “move away” (if you did not like it). We must not forget that and we must remember that, when reading, the other does not want to think either.
In the days of Leo Burnett, there was no Internet, nor the habit of reading diagonally or the flood of information and noise that there is now. However, precisely because of this, this ingredient of good publicity is more relevant than ever.
If, when we sit down to plan and launch our promotion, we remember these 4 points and sincerely analyze if our advertising has them, there will be much more chances that a client will notice us.
Notice this, Leo Burnett was so knowledgeable on the subject and believed so much in what he was saying, that the very way of capturing his secret meets the requirements.