I shot an ad into the air

When I was a kid, my family went on a family vacation to the mountains of North Carolina. For
a couple of nights, we stayed at a motel which had a play area with a few activities for children.
The thing I most remember was a small archery range, which consisted of a couple of straw-
filled targets, a bow and an arrow. One of the motel employees – probably a college student with
a summer job – was there to make sure no one got hurt. Along the way, he taught a few basics
about shooting a bow. The only advice I recall was to make a T-shape with the arm that is
extended to hold the bow and the arm which is bent at the elbow to pull back the string. The
bowstring arm should be straight back, not against the archer’s side.
I think about that little archery range every now and then, because I’ve been relating advertising
to archery for more than 30 years. Archery provides us with a good comparison – and an easily
understood visual image – to share with advertisers. When you narrow the subject to three
elements – the bow, the arrow and the target – you have the key ingredients of an advertising
campaign. Use the bow to shoot the arrow at the target. It’s that simple.
Let’s take a closer look at this comparison:
1. The target represents the target audience – a specific group of consumers who fit the profile
of likely buyers of certain products or services. It would be ridiculous for an advertiser to try to
aim an arrow at more than one target at a time. The object of archery is to hit the bullseye on one
target.
Likewise, the object of advertising is to reach a clearly defined target audience.
2. The arrow represents the message. An arrow with a bent shaft will veer off course and
probably fall to the ground. An arrow with a blunt end might hit the target, but won’t stick. And
an arrow with faulty fletching (the fin-like stabilizers at the back) will wobble its way into the
ground.
Like an arrow needs to be straight and true in order to make its way to the target, an advertising
message should exhibit the time-tested principles of effective advertising.
That means a compelling offer, a strong headlines, relevant illustrations, audience-centered copy,
an identifiable logo, and specific purchasing information.
3. The bow represents the delivery system – in our case, print and digital newspapers. In order to
function properly, the bow should be of the right design and construction, in the form of market
coverage, creative guidance, high production standards, and superb customer service. From the
advertiser’s perspective, it’s crucial to build in an adequate advertising budget, a solid media
plan, and a consistent strategy.

Each of these elements is crucial to the success of an advertising effort. The good news is that
you are in position to positively influence decisions on all three. Do that – and you’re on your
way to bullseye results.
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(c) Copyright 2024 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
 
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John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising
professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick
results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com