A Marketing
Consultant is a professional who offers businesses OUTSIDE OBJECTIVITY...
EXPERIENCE... TALENT... and INTUITION. Here is what these qualities mean to
you and your business.
Creative Talent I wish I could sing Oh, I can sing
all right but not well enough to solo in front of an audience, and far-from
ever considering performing professionally. Some people have musical talent,
but a lot don't. If you have ever been to a Karaoke Bar you know what I mean.
The fact that some guy or gal, who knows the words to a popular song, and
is will to wail off-key into a mic, doesn't mean they have talent. "Not
bad for an amateur." might run through their minds, and support from
friends and other inebriated bar patrons may encourage them. But, no one would
ever consider actually buying his or her music. If you think you're talented,
answer this question: "Would anyone actually pay money to hear you?"
Talent - be it in music, art or advertising is a special God-given ability
that few possess. And when that talent is honed and perfected over the years
it can become a marketable commodity.
Not everyone has the talent to sing well enough to please an audience. Nor
does just 'anyone' have the talent to layout, design, write copy and create
advertising. But that fact doesn't stop many business owners or their eager
employees from dabbling in advertising. Like the guy or gal in the Karaoke
Bar, they consider their talent, "Pretty good for me doing it."
Let's face it; If the drunks in the bar wouldn't shell out ten bucks to buy
bad music, why would a potential customer buy a product or service from a
marketer with a poor, weak or unprofessional advertising program? Substandard
advertising is obvious and looks shoddy to everyone but the people who created
it and the boss who didn't want to spend the money on a professional. They
thought is was "good enough."
While many people think they have talent, the true test is: "Have you
ever been paid for your talent?" Or better yet, "Can you earn a
living selling your talent?" Over the past five decades, I have seen
a horrendous amount of inferior print ads, and collateral created by rank
amateurs, that lack the fundamentals of creativity.
There are several areas where creative talent is applied in advertising. They
are:
Marketing Strategy! This is the foundation for any
advertising campaign. The talent to take marketing factors and turn them into
marketing opportunities takes not only talent but also experience. No one
element in an advertising program stands alone. Each is a part of a puzzle
that must work together to be effective.
Creative Ad Copy works in harmony with graphics
to communicate an idea. An attention getting headline ad copy that informs
peaks interest and motivates the prospect to take action. Writing to a market
requires not the skill of an English Professor, but the talent of a communicator.
Amateur Tip-off: You can always tell an unimaginative ad Designer because
they use the company name or brandname as a headline.
Graphics are every wannabe ad designer's favorite
toy. I have seen ads with every color in the spectrum and unrelated computer
graphics, usually whatever they can do on the computer. Amateur Tip-off: Drawings
(Jr. High School level) used as art are the work of those without talent.
A professional designer will use only art-directed photography and graphics
specifically applicable.
Layout and Design includes balance, contrast, color
and emphasis. If you do not understand the meaning or relevance of these terms,
you shouldn't be designing ads! Making everything bold does not make the ad
more appealing. Amateur Tip-off: Ads with entire copy blocks in outline lettering
are popular with those that have no talent.
There is no measurement for creative advertising talent except the acceptance
and response from the market.
There are awards for creativity from various ad industry shows, and I have
won my share. As 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', we must not loose
sight that the beholder is not the designer, or the boss, but the customer
in the market! Talent is an important, yet misunderstood quality offered by
a professional marketing consultant. To utilize this talent, define your objectives
and parameters but allowing the professional to apply their talent to create
the elements!