Dealer Creative

Multiply results by subtracting words.

I'm full of simplification cliches like: less is more, the more you say the less that's remembered, don't just throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, etc.

Multiplication by subtraction is a new way to make an ad more effective by saying less.

It's a really challenging exercise, but once you do it you will see something very significant happen.

Here's what to do: after your ad is complete, whether it's the script, graphics, or audio, challenge yourself and your creative team to subtract 15% of the content.

Remove just one line or one element, and see how the remaining copy or graphics come to life and become more clear.

When you experience that level of message clarity, you'll hardly even miss the stuff you removed. The words that remain become much more sticky and easier for the customer to remember and act on.

A few weeks ago, our poll on LinkedIn asked whether it is more effective for dealers to target a narrow audience with personalized creative or appeal to a broader audience with a universal message.

The results are in.

64% voted in favor of a targeted audience and 36% said a universal message would be better.

We brought up the topic because an article in marketingweek made a huge case against ad personalization.

They say inaccurate third party data makes it impossible to hyper-target specific audiences.

And, their broader point with creative is that reaching everybody with the same message creates shared associations.

I'll let the data experts speak to the accuracy of the data they use. Certainly first party data is going to be more accurate and specific to your company.

But as a creative company, we know there's a place for both universal and specific messaging. It depends on your goal, who you're trying to reach, and where you're advertising.

But I do agree with the article. I'm willing to bet there's a common message in your business that will resonate with all of your customers. You just have to do the hard work of thinking, researching, and planning to figure it out.