Information isn’t advertising: Why your organization needs a big idea

Think about the last advertisement that really stuck with you. If you're like most people, it probably wasn't that flashing banner ad you X'd out of as fast as humanly possible. It was likely something on a billboard or TV that made you feel something—you laughed, you got a little misty-eyed, or it made you go "huh, never thought of it that way."

That notable, memorable quality? It came from a big idea.

In today's congested media landscape, too many marketers default to information-based advertising. They mistake facts, figures, and features with advertising.

But information isn’t advertising. And an information-as-the-lead (or worse, only) approach often fails to connect, engage, or drive action. 

When marketing information works 

Let’s step back. We’re not knocking info-friendly tactics like digital marketing, account based marketing – or even radio. Nor are we saying there isn’t a place for a more traditional features/benefit approach to take centre stage. Rather – those tactics and approaches are often further down the funnel – when some level of awareness, affinity and/or engagement’s already been established. 

And to be fair, there are also times when just-the-facts advertising works best in any media. But those times are rarer than you might think.  

Broadly speaking, information-first approaches work best when the following two specific conditions are met:  

1. No competition: You're the only game in town
2. High demand: People are already sold on what you're selling  

Remember when COVID vaccines first rolled out? At first, a huge number of people were eager to get the shot (high demand) so the strategy at the time was to get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible. Despite multiple vaccine brands, the government was the primary/only source and supply for all of them (no competition). They just needed to tell (and remind) people how to schedule an appointment.   

But these kind of situations are the exceptions, not the rule. People weren’t just ‘aware’ (top of the sales funnel, if you prefer) before a single ad dropped: they cared about the offering. 

Marketers don't have that luxury. But for some reason, some of them assume the same approach will work: If you tell them, they will come.

Idea-driven advertising begins with your audience 

And that’s the inexcusable mistake marketers make when they lead with information: they assume consumer buy-in, instead of earning it. 

Consumers are showered with advertising messages shouting things at them all day. They’ve built industrial-strength mental filters against the thousands of marketing messages bombarding. Yours is easily seen as just another attempt to get something from them.  

No, not their money. Something more precious, more rare in today’s economy. 

Their attention. 

Assume your customers aren't thinking about you.

That’s why a big advertising idea works better. It starts with the audience. It taps into something meaningful about their lives – and then connects it to your offering.  

Instead of saying "Here's what we sell," idea-driven advertising says, "We get you, and here's how we fit into your world."  

And it all starts from a place that assumes what’s probably true, even if it's tough to hear: Your customers aren’t thinking about you. And just telling them to won’t change that. 

The ROI of an idea

So if a big advertising idea is more effective, why is there still stale advertising out there?

You already know the answer.  

It’s because marketers assume it costs more.  And it does. But also – it doesn’t. 

Yes, developing a meaningful, memorable advertising idea takes more time upfront – research, creative development, strategic thinking. And when you’re working with an external partner, that additional time likely means a higher price tag.  

But the 5 million impressions, the 30 seconds in prime time, the two-page spread in the trade publication, and the influencer endorsement? Those all cost the same whether you’ve got a great idea to share, or a list of facts and figures.  

Why not make the message work?

So if you’re investing the same amount to put a message into the market, why not make that message work?   

What it comes down to is how you define ‘cost’. Is it costlier to spend the time, attention and craft to develop a big advertising idea than just post a bullet list on a billboard? Absolutely. 

But is it much more costly (wasteful, even) to spend thousands or several million placing an ignorable, forgettable message into the market? 

Again – you know the answer. 

A big advertising idea makes every dollar you invest work harder by improving recall, enhancing how people see your brand, and ultimately driving better business results.  

How great briefs lead to great ideas 

Our weapon of choice for developing killer ideas? A great creative brief. But not the kind that starts and stops with business objectives and product features. 

The best briefs centre on a genuine insight about the audience – their desires, frustrations, behaviours, or unmet needs. This insight becomes the foundation for how a big idea can grab and hold their attention, and focus it on what our clients offer. 

Developing that audience insight often sparks the most heated discussions inside our agency – because getting it right can make-or-break the entire campaign. When the insight hits home, the resulting idea creates connections that barebones information never could. 

Maybe that’s the other reason many marketers don’t pursue a big idea in their advertising.  

Information is easy. Heck, it’s everywhere. 

An idea – one so simple and memorable and shareable that it rings in your ears long after you first see or hear it? Coming up with an idea like that is hard. And not everyone can do it. 

But we can. And we can help you do it, too. 

Want to talk big ideas? Reach out to book a FREE discovery call, today.