According to our panel, a call to action in conjunction with a match to a current wish list seems to be the winning formula when it comes to prompting action as a result of seeing an ad. The ad needs to hit the right note at the right time. As one panelist says “the only time something hooks me in is if it is something I am already thinking of getting. It helps me to make a decision.”

Consumers zone out to irrelevant ads, however if they hear or see something that is already on their radar, it will catch their attention. There were many examples given to us by our panel which demonstrate this. Here are just some of them:

“Saw a storm stunner ad on TV for Hungry Jacks for $5.50I was hungry and it seemed like a good deal so I got one.”

“Saw an ad for a vacuum cleaner at a good price, reminded me that I needed one so I went ahead and made the purchase.”

“My wife and I were sitting on the couch talking about the lack of decent shows to watch on free to air TV and the Fetch ad came on so we decided to give it a go.”

This need to hit consumers with what they are looking for, combined with the ever increasing need to stand out from the background noise, illustrates the importance of targeting. The importance of researching thoroughly exactly who will be the most likely to listen to your message, and speaking to them as directly as possible.

And what is the call to action which resonates the most? Not surprisingly, it’s the discounts! Money off things. Consumers will look at catalogues specifically to find discounts and specials advertised. However the common theme is still present here – they will often only look at catalogues to see if what they normally buy is on sale, rather than buying something just because it is on sale.

On a side note, the ads with the most spontaneous mentions in our study were all automotive brands. Specifically, Jeep, Mazda and Holden Cruze all received multiple mentions.

If you’d like to know more please contact us at: questions@edentify.com.au