The Rule of Three

I just came back from a meeting with a client who asked whether or not I could guarantee his new ad campaign would be successful.

There are two ways to answer this question.

The first is to defer.

“Can I guarantee your campaign will be successful? Well, let me put it this way... Oh, is that a photo of your daughter? She’s adorable. Oh, that’s your dalmation? My apologies.”

The other, is to answer the question honestly.

“Can I guarantee your campaign will be successful? No... Oh, is that a photo of your daughter? She’s adorable. Oh, that’s your dalmation? My apologies.”

There are no guarantees in advertising. If there were, the keyholder to the great secrets of producing non-stop, successful advertising would be a multi-gazillionaire and the rest of us marketers would be taking orders for french fries at the local drive-thru.

Advertising is a complex business, where the creation of the product relies on a combination of knowledge, science, experience, art, research, intuition and caffeine. (and sometimes Scotch).

While there are no steadfast rules or sure-fire guarantees in advertising, there are proven tactics to help give your advertising the best possible shot at success.

One of these I call The Rule of Three. Here’s how it works.

Every successful ad should include three things. First, it should have something that makes it stand out from all the rest.

I find a flamingo costume and a foghorn are always effective, but enough about my hobbies, let’s continue on.

Second, an effective ad must have an offer or message that is perceptually equal to or better than the competitor’s.

‘Perceptually’ is the key word here.

Years ago, Vancouver’s Dean Brothers Collision Repair was battling for business in a highly competitive market. At the time, all repair companies offered verbal guarantees to cover their work, though not one promoted the fact.

At the time, our agency handled Dean Brothers, and we came up with the idea of producing a printed version of Dean Brothers’ guarantee and promoting it in their advertising.

While they weren’t alone offering a guarantee, by being the only shop to promote one, Dean Brothers were ‘perceived’ as the only shop in the Lower Mainland to guarantee their work. The campaign was hugely successful and I was treated to all the free frame alignment I could eat.

The third part of The Rule of Three is to ensure that whatever makes an ad stand out also forces recall of the message and the advertiser.

We’ve all, at one time or another, raved about a great TV commercial we’ve seen, only to realize that when reciting it to someone else, we can’t remember who the ad was for.

By tying in the ad’s hook, or creative element directly to the offer and the advertiser, you maximize your advertising dollars and ensure you don’t find yourself spending money on advertising that consumers end up attributing to your competition.

That’s The Rule of Three.

It’s a great guideline to use. Can I guarantee it will work every time? Well, let me put it this way... Oh, is that a photo of your daughter?...