Home | Back to Program Schedule

Advertising Our Message - Sun. 2:30pm
Newspapers, public transport, billboards, radio/TV, internet

Presenters: Hershaft, Meier, Runkle, Shoss

Alex Hershaft, PhD
Farm Animal Rights Movement, www.farmusa.org

Click here for a formatted version of Alex's outline.

EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING

The purpose of advertising is to gain mainstream acceptance of our ideas. This presentation focuses on two specific forms of advertising, which work well for us – billboards and bus cards.

A. Billboard Effectiveness

• Size, position, and exposure convey sense of mainstream acceptance, power, and authority
  (23x11’, elevated, seen 20 times by thousands of commuters)
• Have only 3-5 seconds to get attention and convey message and contact info
• Within means of most local groups

B. Billboard Production/Placement

• Available design or come up with brilliant idea
• Design considerations: color, attention, message, contact
• Shopping for space: find friendly Clear Channel rep, smaller companies in some cities
• Selecting printer; size and cost factors ($60 print, $250-300 post)

C. Bus Card Effectiveness

• Placement and exposure convey sense of mainstream acceptance and authority
• Have long viewing time, so can get into details
• Within means of most local groups ($5-10/card)

D. Bus Card Production/Placement

• Same design considerations
• Shopping for space: find friendly rep with Titan or other outdoor advertising agency
• Production: size 25-28x11”, most printers can do, can use for other displays
  

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Brenda Shoss
Founder/President, Kinship Circle, www.KinshipCircle.org

Click here for Brenda's printable detailed handout (pdf).

Discussion, with audience feedback, about which parts of select ad examples work and which don’t:

1.   Boycott Canadian Seafood (Harpseals.org Poster)

EFFECTIVE: Close-ups of animals (see emotion in eyes) draw people in and may prompt them to act.    

Use COMPELLING images that make people want to read more:

- Such as: cat, dog, primate, elephant...animals people already bond with or have proximity to in zoos, circuses, etc.
- Everyone loves babies… Good choice of an image to represent the brutality of seal slaughter.

WEAK: Lacks tight headline that wraps seamlessly with image. Uses passive voice. Too long…

HEADLINE and IMAGE are vital to:
          •    Capture interest.
          •    Summarize intent and urgency of your message.
          •    Invite (not alienate) people to read more and respond.

          EFFECTIVE: This ad has a clear CALL-TO-ACTION:  BOYCOTT CANDIAN SEAFOOD. FIND OUT HOW...    

What is the GOAL of your ad, billboard, mall display, direct mail piece?

          •    Do you want — To educate? Urge action? Recruit members? Sell goods? Advertise an event?
          •    All materials should clearly state: WHAT TO DO and WHO TO CONTACT.

2.   Her Agony Won’t Heal Us (Billboard for New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, NJARA)

The Truth Inside Your Cupboard (NJARA billboard) / Prescription Drugs Harm (NJARA Interior Light Rail)    

EFFECTIVE: Repetition of style, artistic elements. SIGNATURE IDENTITY:

• VISUAL CONSISTENCY in all your ad materials.

• Similar STYLE or ARTISTIC THEME creates CREDIBILITY and RECOGNITION.

          •    What CREATIVE ELEMENTS in your ads, flyers, mailers, web promos...always looks the same
Layout itself? Use of photos/images? Colors?

• If finances permit, helps to hire a graphic designer to SHAPE and CUSTOMIZE your look.

3.   Feeding Kids Meat Is Child Abuse (PETA Ad)

EFFECTIVE: Ad uses a UNIVERSAL MESSAGE about childhood obesity, children & their health...

PERSONALIZE MESSAGE, whenever possible, with concerns that immediately register with mainstream readers:
          I.E.: Misuse Of Tax Dollars; Human Safety Concerns; Environmental Damage; Delayed Medical Progress 
    
WEAK: For sake of being provocative, ad is accusatory and might anger parents, not promote vegetarianism.

• Childhood obesity is a superb mainstream argument for vegetarianism. But perhaps there is way to convey it without placing readers on the defensive while stressing the main point — stop eating animals.

4.   Sacrificing One Won’t Save The Other (Kinship Circle)

EFFECTIVE: Message meaningful to mainstream readers: Speaks to them as CONSUMER, PARENT, or PATIENT by showing how animal experiments waste tax dollars, mislead and lead to drug recalls, delay medical progress…

SUMMARY: Important components for your advertising materials:

• HEADLINE: Is it striking? To-the-point? Does it get your attention?
• IMAGES: Compelling? Attract readers in a personal way that make them want to know more?
• CALL-TO-ACTION + CONTACT INFO: Are the what-to-do and contact information clearly identifiable in ad.
• SIGNATURE LOOK: Is a recognizable style or artistic theme present in your advertising materials?
• LOGO: A professional, creative logo adds value and authenticity to your message.
• TARGET MARKET: Age Range + Political Bias + Income/Education Level + Gender? Advertise in the magazine, newspaper, radio station or online forum that caters to people you want to reach.
• ADVERTISING SCHEDULE: Continuity in your advertising creates trust.