DID IT CATCH YOUR ATTENTION?

It’s supposed to be Easter weekend, but I’m not in the mood to hunt for eggs, so let me talk to you. This week we’re going to analyze five newsprint advertisements that were featured in The Montgomery Newspaper this week, so let’s get to it.

When you’re paying for a front-page advertisement, you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth and the staff at The Towne Centre Family Dental made sure they hit you with everything they have. The clear intention of the advertisement is to gain more customers and increase foot traffic. The advertisement presents a picture of its staff and cites the 772 reviews with a 4.9/5-star rating. The advertisement cites how most insurances are accepted, which will appeal to most individuals, and customers are promised friendly care mixed with advanced dentistry. Very family-friendly ad for a town newspaper.

Whenever an advertisement makes a bold statement, a little voice in my head says, “really” and I must question the validity of the words. The featured Kumon ad makes the statement, “We make your smart kid even smarter” which will likely tug on the parent’s heartstrings because no one wants a “not smart” child. The advertisement aims to get parents to register their children for tutoring in math and reading. The picture in the ad shows an Asian woman looking over the shoulder of a Caucasian boy, which says a lot to me subconsciously. I understand you want to cater to your audience, and I suspect most of the Montgomery population is Caucasian, but what about Hispanic and African American parents? I have five words to say, insert more inclusive imagery, please.

Now this is nice grandma/grandpa, was the first thought in my head after analyzing the next ad. If a family is searching for a senior living apartment for a loved one, Brandywine Living might have what you’re looking for. With the catchphrase “Life is Beautiful” and a nice robust one-page advertisement showing a built-in movie theater, bar, and grand piano in the lobby, this advertisement overtakes all of ones senses. This advertisement targets families who’re looking to transition their loved one to a senior home and its value proposition lies in the special care it’s residents will receive. Any facility that wins a “Best Assisted Living” and “Best Memory Care” U.S. News award must be doing something right.

There’s nothing like a local funfest to bring excitement to a local community. The 2023 Montgomery FunFest and Run with Rotary 5K advertisement grabs your attention with all of the listed activities including live music, an animal show, touch a truck, etc. and clearly targets families living in the local area. The advertisement, which was placed by Rotary International, does a great job of using colors that pop off the page and incorporates a QR code into the ad (gasp the power of technology). The value proposition here is clear, come to the funfest to eat, play with animals, and burn off the calories after the 5K. Great two-for-one advertisement.

I love to go to the gym, but it takes a good advertisement to get me hyped, and I want to see more than abs. If you’re a woman looking to get in shape, then the Club Pilates Montgomery might be for you. The obvious target audience are women living in the Montgomery area who’s looking into “improving balance, reducing stress, and tone strengthening.” The advertisement noted how “Pilates Is For EveryBODY” but the foot traffic they want involves women. The value proposition also notes that the first class is free, which is a very big incentive that might translate to future sales. Overall this is a winner.