Marketing messages that resonate most

Thumb through any B2B trade publication or Web site and most of the ads will show a product with a headline reading “Buy Product X.” Not much brand memorability generated here, and yet, companies continue to spend money on dull, boring messaging. If the first objective of good creative is to stop the reader on the page, what types of messages resonant the most?
A recent global study by Nielsen sheds some light on this question. About half of the 29,000 survey participants said humorous messages resonated most effectively. About 45% cited real-life situations. Coming in last were athlete and celebrity endorsements and sexual and sports themes.

While most of the study’s respondents were consumers, there are some lessons to be learned for B2B practitioners. People will respond more effectively to humorous and real-world situations in your creative. We all want to be entertained as well as informed. Making it real and/or making it funny helps buyers remember your brand.

Source: The Nielsen Global Survey of Trust in Advertising, 2013.