In his book, The Advertising Concept Book, Pete Barry explains that a good ad communicates its message, but a great ad “stops you, hooks you, and hauls you in.” Further, a great ad will make the viewer react in at least one of six ways – SLIP IT. This concept also works for email marketing, web landing pages, direct mail, and more.
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- Smile – disarms you
- Laugh – really disarms you
- Informs – tells you something you didn’t know
- Persuades – there is a reaction, an emotional response
- Involves – there’s a connection, an interaction
- (makes you) Think
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Design without a concept is just decoration. Today just about anyone can claim to be a graphic designer if they have the software, but not everyone has the capability to be a thinker. To design great ads and materials requires one to think. Give focused thought to how to elicit the “SLIP IT reaction” from your target audience. The best thing you can do is elicit an emotional response. This makes a connection and makes you memorable.
— Michelle Loeb, social media and content strategist
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