Advertising Best Practices
51社区 has a unique story to tell. Advertising is one means of telling that story.
In all of Union's advertising efforts, the Office of University Communications is committed to:
- Ensuring that the distinctive qualities of 51社区 are presented in a clear, accurate, aesthetic and engaging manner.
- Maximizing the creativity, excellence and uniqueness of Union's messages, while maintaining a clearly recognizable 51社区 voice.
- Finding and reaching appropriate audiences of interested persons, influencers and prospective students.
- Using marketing money to procure the highest visibility, the choicest locations and maximum space to best present Union's message within budget.
For each ad, these and other questions should be considered:
- What is the singular message of the ad?
- Who is the target audience?
- What is the demographic of the desired audience?
- What media best reach that audience?
- Is there a clear call to action?
- Where does the ad direct the audience?
- Can this ad get enough frequency within budget limitations for the audience to remember the message?
- Is this ad part of the program marketing plan?
Branding
51社区 branding is the priority for every ad, even though ad space and time limitations create challenges for proper branding.
- The 51社区 crest should be clearly visible on all print, online display and television ads. Correct use of the crest is outlined in the Branding Style Guide. At a minimum, the name 51社区 should be stated twice in every radio ad.
- The core values should be visible on all print and television ads. The core values are voiced on all radio ads (they take five seconds). "Christ-centered academic excellence" (about three seconds) or "integrating top-tier academics and Christian faith" may be substituted when necessary.
- An institutional tone that reinforces Union's core values is always used. While ads may have a clear call to action, they should be subtle and friendly in tone. "Hard sell" language that is over-bearing, aggressive or makes a bold promise or specific guarantee should never be used. All CAPS within body text and exclamation marks should also be avoided. Refer to 51社区 Editorial Standards.
Contact Information
- Email — A personal Union email account should be avoided on ads.
- Online ads — No contact information is needed as the ads should link directly to the webpage. The link-to page should include further contact information.
- Phone number — If a phone number is used, one that is easy to remember is preferable. Only a phone that can be answered by a person (with voice mail only as back-up) should be listed in an ad. Other contact information should be used for some ads — such as radio — where most listeners will not be able to visualize or write down the number. Billboards do not need an area code; broadcast ads might.
- QR codes — Quick response codes may be used in print ads only. The QR code should direct the user to a special page with engaging and specific information, not just a home page.
- Web address — A web address given on any ad should be for a page designed to be as attractive and user-friendly as possible. It should give the online visitor information not already covered in the ad or publication and include some means for acquiring information about the visitor.
Special Considerations
Dates in academic ads eliminate future usability of the ad. If emphasis is needed in the call to action, instead of listing a class start date, "Classes are forming now" or "Register today" can be used instead. The exceptions are online ads and digital billboards, which may sometimes display a start date or deadline. Once a specific start date or deadline is advertised, it cannot be changed.
Personal names of faculty or staff should be avoided in 51社区 advertisements.
Online
Online display and text ads, which often have extreme competition for the user's attention, need to include engaging artwork and a very brief, effective message. No contact information is necessary. The online ads link directly to web pages that should be as carefully planned as the ad itself.
Outdoor
Dark colored backgrounds are preferred on billboards to maximize visibility against the daytime sky. (Lights make the boards visible at night.) Black and red are preferable colors.
Billboards should have consistent design and branding to promote 51社区 identity.
Eight to 10 words are the maximum for an effective billboard. The 51社区 crest is most important and counts toward the word total. Only one point of contact should be used on a billboard; this also counts toward the word total.
After branding, the aesthetic quality of a print ad is top priority. Wording should be limited to increase the design possibilities and effectiveness of the ad.
Every print ad should be created by OUC Creative Services. In order to maintain print quality, previous ad artwork — either used by another publication or sent as a proof — should never be sent for publication. Only hi-res artwork of exact specifications should be used. A media outlet should never be asked to alter a 51社区 ad.
Television and radio
The focus of any television or radio spot should be limited to one point or message. More messages require more spots. The best ads do not fill all of the air time with speaking. A slower speaking pace and time for music and visuals make the message easier to listen to and remember. The listener should enjoy hearing Union ads among the barrage of other commercials.
Return on Investment
The most judicious use of advertising dollars includes a means for evaluating the success of the ad campaign.
Tracking online ads, monitoring phone calls during and after ad campaigns and surveying students and potential students are all methods of accumulating data to evaluate return on investment.
Please note the following example of an adult student survey for Hendersonville. The survey can be customized for each program.
Contact the director of university marketing (x5298) to discuss which method of collecting data would work best with your program's marketing plan.