From The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report:  ADRAGEOUS!

I think you'll like this new column.  Each issue, I'm going to turn the spotlight on current ads:  the good, the bad and the ugly.  We'll tear them apart to learn from their mistakes, or bow on our knees and follow their examples.  

If you've seen any good examples of Good or Bad ads, please forward them for inclusion in an upcoming edition!  

This image (well, it's way at the bottom of this article) comes from the September, 2003 edition of Inc. Magazine.  It's not a full page ad, but I'll bet it still cost a pretty penny.

Now imagine you're the busy CEO of an Inc. 500 company.  You're flipping through your latest issue of Inc., but your mind is really elsewhere.  You're wondering how much your business is worth.  If maybe you should get ready to move on to your next fortune-producing business idea.

Tell me, do you really think the headline below is going to capture you're attention?

It says:  DEDICATED.

Then it says:  Ten years of hard work and dedication.  Twelve locations across the United States.  Thousands of loyal customers.  Blah blah blah.

Then finally, it says:  Do You Know What Your Business is Worth Today?

My recommendation to this advertiser would be to move that sentence, Do You Know What Your Business is Worth Today? to the very top of the page.  This way, when someone who's thinking about business valuation flips through the magazine, the headline will at least get them to stop and see what the rest of the message says.

Next, I'd say move all the blather about yourself to the end, if you really must include it at all.  Tell your prospects exactly what you'll do for them...and what the information you give them will help them accomplish.

Also, take a look at the bottom of the ad.  You'll notice in small print, "For more details, please see the July, 2003 Inc. Magazine cover article."

Ok, so you want us to know that you're important enough to have been featured in Inc.  That's good.  But why make it difficult for business owners to get that information?  How many people do you actually think will take the time to look at the details from a past issue?  I don't save my past issues...do you?

Why not offer a reprint of the article, at no charge, both in print, or on the web?  Make it easy for business owners to get the "details," and you'll make it easier to get them to buy your service.

©2003  Renae Gregoire
The Write Idea