Find out more about types of TV commercials and marketing strategies used in them. Read also part 1.
Testimonial
Testimonial ads are widely used in television and in direct mail advertising. In the ad, an actor or a real person will share his positive experience with the viewer. Take advantage of satisfied customers and offer them an incentive to share their experience in TV commercials.
As Ronald J. Faber notes the testimonial ads format can borrow its central premise from a popular film or TV show. Spots lake this spoof reality shows or copy news reports. A small business could spoof a news report, showing a crowd of people outside of a store and a pseudo reporter talking about an exciting new product or store opening.
Demo and Exemplary in TV commercials
Just think of almost any detergent television commercial and you’ll have an example of the Demo format. It presents the before and after image, outlining the product’s features and how it will work. A smaller company with a small budget should consider showing a segment of a demo of their product, using real people instead of actors.
The Exemplary TV commercials focuses more on the after effects. It shows how the consumer has benefited from his use of the product. For example, a commercial for retirement plan can focus on happy, stress-free people vacationing somewhere where is warm and cozy.
Show the Need/Problem and Symbol Analogy, Exaggerated Graphic/Problem
These two types of TV commercials show the need for the product but in two very different ways. Showing the need or problem and then painting the solution is one of the simplest types of ad. A need or a desire is presented that the advertised product can fix. By the way of illustration, an organic cosmetic company can use this to show how its product can solve the viewer’s complexion problem.
The commercials that use a symbol, analogy or exaggerated graphic also show a need. but that need is introduced through symbolism or extreme exaggeration. For example, a pizza shop could show how its pizza delivery man will climb a mountain to reach an isolated customer.
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