Creative Strategy
Advertising Services
Account Management | Market Research | Creative | Print/Broadcast Production | Internet Marketing
Media Planning/Buying | Sales Promotion | Direct Marketing
“An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.”
– Victor Hugo
Creating Stopping Power is Key
Coming of Age’s creative work represents different creative treatments, but a consistent creative philosophy. Our philosophy starts with an understanding of how to be relevant to the target. In our print work for example, you will see empathy for the targets’ self-images reflected in the graphics, headlines and copy. The “stopping power” of a creative execution depends on this.
To see samples of our creative work, vist our Client Gallery.
We Titillate Emotions
Beyond understanding the target, we keep our graphic treatments clean and simple, with strong visual impact. We have a whole world of photographers and illustrators to help us achieve this, depending on concept and budget. The language in our copy is straightforward, benefit-oriented and typically strives to leverage emotional appeal. We strive for executions that have some intrinsic reward for the prospect that takes the time to “be with” our message for even a moment or two. It may make them feel good, impart a new piece of information or suggest a new outlook.
The copy strategy addresses the following for each of the execution components, including ads, collateral, direct mail, etc.:
- Target
- Style
- Focus
- Objective
- Promise
- Support
- Tone
Our creative teams are seasoned copywriters and art directors. We select them because of their abilities to think strategically and execute across the full range of marketing communications vehicles important to today’s more targeted marketing mix. The art department is computerized and we turn out camera-ready art in-house.
Consumers Like To Read a Story with a Beginning, Middle and End
The older we become the more we rely more on emotional reactions to determine if they should think about a matter. Emotional triggers in the brain activate memories. Experiences arm many of these triggers. The stronger the memory – the stronger the emotional response. When we experience something in the present, the brain scans its memory banks to see if what we are currently experiencing are like anything we have experienced before. An ad will most likely be ignored it fails to connect with a baby boomer or senior customers’ idealized image of self.
Less is Usually More
Baby boomer and senior customers are more resistant to absolutism. Strongly worded and delivered claims about a product’s features and benefits usually work better with younger, more literal-minded adults. Stories or narratives work better for getting the attention of baby boomer and senior customers’ attention than expository. Older minds work more out of the brain’s right hemisphere where engaging stories are mostly processed, so it makes sense that storytelling is especially effective in marketing to baby boomer and senior customers. Stories generally arouse emotions more readily than emotionally neutral expository. Research shows that the more emotionally neutral information is, the less likely the older mind will give it attention.
An interesting idea emerges from the fact that the adult median age is now 45. This means the majority of adults are in the time of life when mental activities are increasingly subject to the right brain’s relationships-based view of reality. The right brain’s view of reality is a web work of relationships versus the left-brain’s view of reality as so many independent pieces. While the right brain “sees the forest,” the left-brain “sees the trees.” Baby boomer and senior customers tend to be more holistic in perceptions and thinking.
In today’s competitive environment, companies need the best advantage they can get. Our integrated approach to communicating with baby boomer and senior customers provides you that advantage in a significant way. Our goal is to apply our understanding of communications and behavior changes in aging populations to help you accomplish your communications goals.
To see samples of our creative work, vist our Client Gallery.
For more information on how we can help you to improve marketing, sales & service to baby boomers and seniors, contact us at info@comingofage.com or call us at 630-462-7100.