Advertising Checklist
Before you launch your ad campaign, consult this checklist to make sure that both your ad and your message are right on target.
Advertising
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Overview
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Have your defined your advertising objectives and written them down?
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What exactly do you want to communicate to your potential customers?
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How will you measure the effectiveness of your ad?
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Are you communicating buyer benefits?
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Have you strategized an advertising campaign?
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Is the timing right?
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Do you have a planned advertising budget?
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Are you prepared for a successful response?
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Have you asked suppliers about cooperative programs?
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Have you made sure that employees (if any) are informed of your goals?
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Have all appropriate employees reviewed your advertising and approved of it?
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What is your lead time for ad placement? Some newspapers require only a few days; some magazines require two months or longer.
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Specifics
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Does your ad present a central idea or theme?
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Does your message require a response?
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Have you told customers where and how to reach you?
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Is your ad clear and concise?
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Is your ad consistent with your desired business image?
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Files
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Are you keeping files on all aspects of each ad?
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Where did the ad run? What were the results? (Number of sales? Sales increases?)
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Have you reflected/brainstormed/evaluated?
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What variables (weather; competition, etc.) have your targeted for further study?
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Competitors and Customers
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Are you watching competitors? (If advertisers repeat ads, try to determine why.)
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Are you listening to your customers? What do they want? What's important to them?
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What media are most cost-effective to reach your customers?
