The Ad Man Answers #43

Thursday + Gregory Huffstutter = The Ad Man Answers

Q:  You’ve been blathering on about things like ‘engagement’ and ‘appropriate creative,’ what does that mean to me, Mr. John Q. Author?

 

A: The past two columns (#1 and #2), we’ve discussed how large brands like Absolut and Ford use creative placements and technological advances to deliver more engaging advertising.

Taking it from a macro to a micro level, let’s say you’ve written a mystery entitled “Gator Bait” about a Florida cop investigating the fatal mauling of a professional flautist who was pushed into an alligator exhibit (not an actual book, but it should be). Your novel provides a glimpse at the seedy underbelly of touring symphonies, as well as shenanigans happening at city zoos.

On a practical level, you don’t have a lot of money to spend advertising “Gator Bait,” but do have a buddy that can put together some online banner ads and a short video trailer. So far, the best review you’ve gotten is: “Moderately gripping, if you’ve got a few hours to kill on the drive to Epcot Center.”

When planning any advertising campaign, the basic questions you should be asking yourself are: “Who is likely to buy my product?” and “How am I going to reach them?”

In this case, I’d say the natural audience for this type of book would be:
• General mystery fans
• Readers interested in police procedurals, especially ones based in Florida
• Readers who are active symphony goers
• Readers who are interested in zoology

The first category – general mystery fans – is a potentially large pool of people. Services like AuthorBuzz, from our very own MJ Rose, offer channels to reach book lovers, librarians, and the author community.

But how to reach those other groups of readers who’d be pre-disposed to enjoy your subject matter? And how do you speak to three very different audiences: cop buffs, band geeks, and lizard lovers?

One option would be to produce a generic ad that shows your title, book cover, and a misleading, abbreviated blurb like: ‘Gripping!’ You see this advertising all the time, and it’s easy to let it wash over without a second’s pause. Yawn.

Another option involves coming up with unique creative that is tailored to each target demographic, while still connecting to a unifying theme. Sounds good in theory, but how could that play out?

For the cop lovers, you could buy banner advertising on police websites like this and have your buddy mock up a Wanted poster of an alligator mug shot. The caption: “Have You Seen This Killer?”

For a guerrilla (not gorilla) campaign to reach critter fans, you could print up stickers that read “Don’t Fall In! www.gatorbait.com”… then sneak them onto railings and animal food machines at your local zoo. Might stay up for days before anybody notices.

You may not have the cash to buy TV, but that doesn’t mean you can’t run your video trailer on the website for the cable network “Animal Planet.” Do a little digging and you might find they have a perfect tie-in to your book.

Online video runs about a $30 CPM, so for $300 you could buy 10,000 views on extremely appropriate content. And for Dundee’s sakes, if you are making a trailer for Animal Planet’s video player, use the opportunity to come up with something more engaging than your book cover and some blurbs. How about a :30s video of “The Proper Care And Feeding Of Your Flesh-Eating Alligatoridae” with a link to your website?

And let’s not forget the philharmonic-philes. For that, you could place small ads in symphony programs like this. Above side-by-side images of a flute and deadly gator, your headline reads: “You see woodwind. He sees toothpick.”

Again, the point is to catch people’s eyes with compelling creative – and get that message in front of as many people who are pre-disposed to react favorably.

The main limitation is typically budget. Tailoring your creative message to the audience and media delivery vehicle will jack up your production costs. But you might find your
increased response rates more than make up for the effort.

As a reward for sticking to the end of this 3-part column, the Ad Man is willing to give your book the “Gator Bait” treatment.

Leave a description of your novel – published or unpublished – in the comments below (and a link to your homepage). In the next column, we’ll start brainstorming creative campaigns for reader submissions. Don’t be shy, this Gator doesn’t bite… hard.

 

Gregory Huffstutter has been punching Ad Agency timecards for the past decade, working on accounts like McDonald's, KIA Motors, and the San Diego Padres. He recently finished his first mystery, KATZ CRADLE and is currently on submission. The first 100 pages of his novel are linked here. For general advertising questions, leave a comment or send e-mail to katz @ gregoryhuffstutter dot com with 'Ask The Ad Man' in the subject line.

Comments

[Lisa Hendrix]

Okay, I'm game: Here's the back cover copy for my paranormal historical romance, IMMORTAL WARRIOR (Berkley Sensation, Nov 2008):

He came to England in search of treasure. Two hundred years later, he’s found her…

Ivar Graycloak is a brave warrior, a man known for his strength and integrity. He is also a man with a terrible secret. Long ago he was part of a Viking crew cursed by an evil sorceress to live for eternity as were-creatures. An eagle by day and a man by night, Ivar has lived a solitary existence for over two centuries. Then the king orders him to marry.

Lady Alaida is everything a man could want in a bride-intelligent,
spirited, and beautiful–and their wedding night is a balm to Ivar’s lonely spirit. Then a seer brings him word of a dark vision, one that makes Ivar vow to stay away from his lovely wife forever. But now that Ivar has sampled Alaida’s passion, her humor and warmth, he is enthralled. His traitorous body-his very heart-longs for that which he
can never possess.

Lady Alaida may surprise him yet, though, for she has a power of her own-a power that will either destroy everything they hold dear or ultimately set them free…

[Jonny Nexus]

Sounds like a nice offer, so here goes... Here's the back cover blurb for my roleplaying-themed humour fantasy novel GAME NIGHT (Magnum Opus Press, Nov 2007):

A ten-thousand-year quest is about to be completed. Prophecies will be fulfilled, ancient riddles answered, legendary evils bested, and the nature of the universe revealed. All that’s needed is a band of mighty heroes to do the completing.

Unfortunately for the locals, some of the gods have taken a personal interest in the chronicle of these heroes’ adventures. Now they are each guiding one of the characters towards the conclusion of their epic journey. That is, when they’re not squabbling, backstabbing each other, blowing things up by accident, refusing to play by the rules, and turning the AllFather’s creation into a mess of petty arguments, fantasy cliché, gratuitous combat and unnecessary dice-rolls.

If you thought your games group couldn’t be any worse, Game Night shows just how bad things can get when a bunch of unruly deities decide they want to play. And may the heavens help us all.

[Jonny Nexus]

Oops. Noticed that the URL wasn't included in my above post, so here it is:

http://www.jonnynexus.com/gamenight/

[cj lyons]

I'll play along as well. Here's the cover copy for my January release (book 2 in the Angels of Mercy series) WARNING SIGNS:

The national bestseller LIFELINES felt “like all the best episodes of ER and Grey’s Anatomy squeezed into one breathtaking novel” (Hilton Head Magazine). Now CJ Lyons returns to the front lines of the struggle between life and death…

On rotation at Pittsburgh’s Angels of Mercy Hospital and struggling to finish medical school, Amanda Mason can’t afford to make any mistakes—or to reveal a troubling secret. Mysterious symptoms that defy diagnosis have been affecting her performance, and as she struggles to keep control, the only person who seems to notice is the irritatingly observant and sexy Dr. Lucas Stone.

But when one patient showing the same strange symptoms dies and another slips into a coma, Amanda realizes the clock is ticking on her own survival. With the help of her friends—Gina, a roommate recovering from her own trauma; Lydia, a streetwise ER attending; and Nora, a by-the-book charge nurse—Amanda must solve this medical mystery before she becomes the next victim...

If it helps, I'm a pediatric ER doctor myself. My website is: http://www.cjlyons.net

Thanks in advance! I love your column and can't wait to see what you come up with!
CJ

[Brandon]

Ooh, can I play? Here's my synopsis for my graphic novel thriller, PROJECT H:

Five years from now, Project H will cure the evils plaguing modern day society. But while eradicating all crime and poverty, it will also eradicate the one thing society values most – God.

However, soon the utopia will be rocked by the vicious murder of a detective’s wife, which will send him on an obsessive hunt for the killer.

But what detective Sam Hart uncovers not only rocks him to his very foundations, it may also spell the end of paradise.
What is behind his discovery that could devastate a nation, and why will it force him to make the most agonizing decision of his life - whether or not to kill his own father?

The website is still under construction.

[Kimber Chin]

Can't pass up this great offer.

Here is my back cover blurb for Breach Of Trust (now out)

$$$

When You Play With The Best…

For years, Anne James has played a dangerous game, secretly manipulating venture capitalist Philippe Lamont into financing her clients. She knew there would be a price to pay for her arrogance. That price, she thought, was three months of negotiated torture as his sexy Girl Friday.

…The Stakes Are High

Anne was wrong. In Philippe’s fast paced world of start up investing, the lines between business and personal blur. One misstep, one misplaced confidence, and Anne could lose her heart, her business, and her life.

$$$

I've got a bonus question, a branding dilemma. I, originally, promoted my novels as Romance Novels Set In The World Of Business. Readers have told me I'm doing the novels a disservice by mentioning the business (as that turns off many readeres) yet that is what makes my novels distinct. What to do?

[gregory huffstutter]

Some great submissions -- keep 'em coming! I may have to draw names from a hat. But I'll definitely tackle more than one over the next several columns.

[Ginger Mayerson]

I'll bite, so to speak, here's my query blurb:

Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job

"Set in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, 'Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job' is the first in a trio of short novels that poke fun at the Reagan revolution and how those who were not its beneficiaries managed to survive, if not thrive, on the margins of the mainstream. When she loses her job singing in a club and her car breaks down, Mabel Hackenbush decides to get a temp secretary job to stay solvent. As usual, her experiences in the office world are considerably stranger than in her own bohemian musical milieu. Resourceful as all artists in the 1980s greater LA area, Hackenbush not only turns the situation on its head, she turns it to her advantage while typing 80 words a minute and smiling her front office smile in this hard-boiled, political, screwball comedy."

Enjoy!

[gregory huffstutter]

The first name has been drawn... in our next column, CJ Lyons will be getting the "Gator Bait" treatment.

The Ad Man has decided to do a total of 5 advertising makeovers. So keep submitting your queries, and I'll draw a new name every 2 weeks from the remaining pool of entries.