See The Principle Behind the Poster

Posted by Rahna on May 29, 2008 under Strategy | Be the First to Comment

Continental Airlines has a postering campaign that includes a headline that reads, “You’ve Got Suits Older Than Our Planes.”  The fine print talks about how they have the “newest jet fleet.”   

There are several basic advertising principles illustrated in that ad: 

1. Be timely.  With all the bad press that Southwest has generated about the age and poor condition of some of its airplanes, Continental is taking advantage of topics that are top of mind with its customer base.

 

2. Use emotion to your competitive advantage.  The inherent implication is that everyone else’s fleet is old and therefore, scary to fly.  This ad prays on the fear of flying and offers Continental as the alternative choice.

 

3. Put it in context.  By comparing the age of their planes to the age of a suit in someone’s closet, they have reframed the meaning of the word “old.”  This classic technique can be found in many industries.  “Ten Easy Payments of $19.99” (versus $200.00) or “Less than the cost of dinner for two” (versus $100.00). 

 

So the questions for today are: ·         What negative press is your industry getting that you could flip to your advantage?                 ·         What emotional triggers can you tap into?·         What frame of reference can you provide that allow someone to look at your offering from a whole different perspective?