So you've done your research into your target audience's in
technical sophistication, and you've decided which technology
you can safely and effectively use in your banner ad. This is a
great start, but there's still something more you should know
about your audience: their "sensibilities." What appeals to them
visually? What "lingo" do they use? Do they respond to hard-sell
tactics or are they alienated by them? Answers to questions like
these will dictate the style of your banner ad.
Gathering Internal Data There are plenty of ways to gather
information about the stylistic sensibilities of your target
audience. Start with your company's own advertising history, if
there is one. Even if they weren't Web-based, previous ad
campaigns can reveal what worked stylistically ? and what
didn't. As long as your target market hasn't changed, you can
take cues from earlier successes or failures.
Gathering External Data Whether you have a history of ad
campaigns or are starting from scratch, gathering new data about
audience sensibilities is relatively simple. You can use some
rudimentary questionnaires before you ever have a banner ad
design in mind.
All you need is a group of test subjects who fit your target
demographic. To pinpoint their sensibilities, show them various
existing ads, font styles, layouts, shapes, phrases, and color
palettes. Then use their preferences to guide you stylistically
in your banner ad design.
If you don't have any existing data about your particular target
audience's sensibilities, or you want to supplement such data
with results from larger samples, you can turn to national or
international marketing studies. These can be very persuasive
due to the sheer numbers of participants. But because they might
not reflect your ideal market, they're best used in conjunction
with your own, more targeted, studies. Many marketing research
firms offer demographic reports; most are for sale, but some are
free. Check out the Internet Advertising Bureau's market
research page for related links.
Testing Your Ad Finally, use the testing phase of banner ad
development to assess stylistic preferences as well as technical
effectiveness. Along with testing for usability, include a
questionnaire that asks participants to elaborate on exactly why
one ad worked while another didn't. These responses will give
you invaluable information about how subtleties of style affect
your target audience.
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