To most business owners, advertising is like gambling. You've seen it done on TV. You
might even know some people who’ve won big. You think you know the basics, and
you're feeling lucky.
So you roll your dice. But, unlike gambling, the payoff – or loss – isn't always immediate
and a lot of what occurs goes unseen.
With greater industry knowledge, the guessing game gets a little easier. Understanding
how each ad medium works – its strengths and weaknesses – increases the chances
that advertising is not only being heard but being heard by the right people.
The two main differences in advertising deal with how our memory works. Those two types of memory are echoic memory (auditory) and iconic memory (visual). A simple radio-to-print comparison.
A brief overview of Iconic and Echoic types of advertising.
Iconic advertising (images) is advertising with pictures or text alone, like Newspaper,
Magazines, Flyers, Mailers and even Internet ad banners.
Iconic advertising is best for an immediate response. To accomplish branding, a perfect
mix of art and copy is required. The same ad – or campaign – must be displayed over
and over again.
Echoic advertising (sound) is advertising with audio like Radio and Television. This type
of advertising is best for spreading a message over the long term. Echoic advertising
is best at branding. Think of all the famous slogans and catch-phrases we know by
heart. These were stuck in our brains using echoic advertising. As well as our ability to
remember song lyrics. It's called echoic retention.
How people find you
Now that we understand advertising and how it works with images and sound, let’s step
back and discuss two different ways that people discover a business.
The advertising we’re all aware of is called CREATIVE ADVERTISING: Radio, TV,
Print, Billboards, Direct Mail, Mobile, etc. It's used to "create" interest where it doesn't
initially exist. I've also heard this referred to as "push," because the advertiser is
pushing the message out to the world.
Creative advertising creates an image, a feeling, a desire in the consumer’s mind. It
attempts to create a need. Or create a brand in the mind of the consumer. This includes
branding through auditory advertising like radio and TV. As well as a simple print ad in
the newspaper. Or an a banner on a website. Iconic and Echoic advertising are both
types of Creative Advertising.
The other type of advertising, the type that we don’t encounter until we’re ready to
buy, is referred to as DIRECTIONAL ADVERTISING. This includes search engines,
directories like the yellow pages – both print and online – and Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.
And I'd even throw Siri into the mix. This is sometimes called "pull." The advertiser is
trying to pull in those people searching for the product or service.
Directional advertising is where consumers go when they’re ready to buy. Consumer
A is hungry, and wants to try a new restaurant. He goes to Google and types
in “Restaurants, Philadelphia Pennsylvania” and the search engine attempts to direct
Consumer A to restaurants that fit his search criteria. Consumer B needs some new
tires for her car. She goes to Bing and searches "new tires near 16801." Or Consumer
C whips out her iPhone and tells Siri she's in the mood for barbecue. "Barbecue
Restaurant, Chicago Illionois." Siri then replies with a response to her question.
In all three instances, business can increase their ranking in the results through paid
and organic methods. Even Siri.
Now that we’ve established Creative and Directional types of advertising, let’s see
where they fit in with Iconic and Echoic, the two types of Creative advertising.
What I’ve done is constructed a tool to assist in the advertising process. Knowing what
medium works best in a given situation and what a company's current advertising is
doing for business. Or how it's holding the business back.
I call it the D.I.C.E tool. A self-titled acronym for Directional, Iconic, Creative and Echoic.
First I’ll explain each type of advertising. And a quick line on how and why it works.
Below the DICE description I've constructed a diagram for a side-by-side comparison of
each type of advertising and common forms of advertising, from radio to yellow pages.
D – DIRECTIONAL
Explanation: Directional advertising directs those in need with business to serve that need.
How and Why it works: Directional advertising is as close to Point-of-Sale advertising as you can
get. The consumers are there and ready to buy. Directional advertising points them in the right
direction to make a purchase.
I – ICONIC
Explanation: Advertising with pictures or text. Visual.
How and Why it works: Iconic advertising catches the consumers eye when he or she is ready
to buy. In the creative advertising realm, iconic advertising is immediate and effective if the
consumer is ready to buy.
C – CREATIVE
Explanation: Advertising that attempts to create interest and demand for a product. Or create an
idea, an image, a feeling or a brand.
How and Why it works: Creative advertising is the advertising we're all aware of. We see and
hear it every day, all around us. Some of it entertains us, some of it makes us laugh, cry or think
differently about something than we did before. Creative advertising attempts to change our
minds about products -- or reinforce things we already believe in an attempt to connect us with a
brand or company.
E – ECHOIC
Explanation: Advertising with audio, sending a message to consumers.
How and Why it works: Echoic advertising reaches consumers before they are in the market
for a product. It works sometimes when we’re not even listening. That's why we remember
commercials jingles without even trying. We've heard them again and again. That's how echoic
advertising works best -- frequently and over the long term.
This guide should serve as a tool for small- and medium-size business in their
advertising plans for promotion, expansion and the future success of their business.
Advertising and business legend Peter Drucker believed the purpose of a business is
to create a customer. Though, if you're not advertising right, you’d better get your dice.
Before setting an advertising agenda, attempt to understand the landscape and how
each ad medium works. Then let's create some customers.
might even know some people who’ve won big. You think you know the basics, and
you're feeling lucky.
So you roll your dice. But, unlike gambling, the payoff – or loss – isn't always immediate
and a lot of what occurs goes unseen.
how each ad medium works – its strengths and weaknesses – increases the chances
that advertising is not only being heard but being heard by the right people.
The two main differences in advertising deal with how our memory works. Those two types of memory are echoic memory (auditory) and iconic memory (visual). A simple radio-to-print comparison.
A brief overview of Iconic and Echoic types of advertising.
Iconic advertising (images) is advertising with pictures or text alone, like Newspaper,
Magazines, Flyers, Mailers and even Internet ad banners.
Iconic advertising is best for an immediate response. To accomplish branding, a perfect
mix of art and copy is required. The same ad – or campaign – must be displayed over
and over again.
Echoic advertising (sound) is advertising with audio like Radio and Television. This type
of advertising is best for spreading a message over the long term. Echoic advertising
is best at branding. Think of all the famous slogans and catch-phrases we know by
heart. These were stuck in our brains using echoic advertising. As well as our ability to
remember song lyrics. It's called echoic retention.
How people find you
Now that we understand advertising and how it works with images and sound, let’s step
back and discuss two different ways that people discover a business.
The advertising we’re all aware of is called CREATIVE ADVERTISING: Radio, TV,
Print, Billboards, Direct Mail, Mobile, etc. It's used to "create" interest where it doesn't
initially exist. I've also heard this referred to as "push," because the advertiser is
pushing the message out to the world.
Creative advertising creates an image, a feeling, a desire in the consumer’s mind. It
attempts to create a need. Or create a brand in the mind of the consumer. This includes
branding through auditory advertising like radio and TV. As well as a simple print ad in
the newspaper. Or an a banner on a website. Iconic and Echoic advertising are both
types of Creative Advertising.
The other type of advertising, the type that we don’t encounter until we’re ready to
buy, is referred to as DIRECTIONAL ADVERTISING. This includes search engines,
directories like the yellow pages – both print and online – and Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.
And I'd even throw Siri into the mix. This is sometimes called "pull." The advertiser is
trying to pull in those people searching for the product or service.
Directional advertising is where consumers go when they’re ready to buy. Consumer
A is hungry, and wants to try a new restaurant. He goes to Google and types
in “Restaurants, Philadelphia Pennsylvania” and the search engine attempts to direct
Consumer A to restaurants that fit his search criteria. Consumer B needs some new
tires for her car. She goes to Bing and searches "new tires near 16801." Or Consumer
C whips out her iPhone and tells Siri she's in the mood for barbecue. "Barbecue
Restaurant, Chicago Illionois." Siri then replies with a response to her question.
In all three instances, business can increase their ranking in the results through paid
and organic methods. Even Siri.
Now that we’ve established Creative and Directional types of advertising, let’s see
where they fit in with Iconic and Echoic, the two types of Creative advertising.
What I’ve done is constructed a tool to assist in the advertising process. Knowing what
medium works best in a given situation and what a company's current advertising is
doing for business. Or how it's holding the business back.
I call it the D.I.C.E tool. A self-titled acronym for Directional, Iconic, Creative and Echoic.
First I’ll explain each type of advertising. And a quick line on how and why it works.
Below the DICE description I've constructed a diagram for a side-by-side comparison of
each type of advertising and common forms of advertising, from radio to yellow pages.
D – DIRECTIONAL
Explanation: Directional advertising directs those in need with business to serve that need.
How and Why it works: Directional advertising is as close to Point-of-Sale advertising as you can
get. The consumers are there and ready to buy. Directional advertising points them in the right
direction to make a purchase.
I – ICONIC
Explanation: Advertising with pictures or text. Visual.
How and Why it works: Iconic advertising catches the consumers eye when he or she is ready
to buy. In the creative advertising realm, iconic advertising is immediate and effective if the
consumer is ready to buy.
C – CREATIVE
Explanation: Advertising that attempts to create interest and demand for a product. Or create an
idea, an image, a feeling or a brand.
How and Why it works: Creative advertising is the advertising we're all aware of. We see and
hear it every day, all around us. Some of it entertains us, some of it makes us laugh, cry or think
differently about something than we did before. Creative advertising attempts to change our
minds about products -- or reinforce things we already believe in an attempt to connect us with a
brand or company.
E – ECHOIC
Explanation: Advertising with audio, sending a message to consumers.
How and Why it works: Echoic advertising reaches consumers before they are in the market
for a product. It works sometimes when we’re not even listening. That's why we remember
commercials jingles without even trying. We've heard them again and again. That's how echoic
advertising works best -- frequently and over the long term.
This guide should serve as a tool for small- and medium-size business in their
advertising plans for promotion, expansion and the future success of their business.
Advertising and business legend Peter Drucker believed the purpose of a business is
to create a customer. Though, if you're not advertising right, you’d better get your dice.
Before setting an advertising agenda, attempt to understand the landscape and how
each ad medium works. Then let's create some customers.
