Theme cover pages lend themselves to strong, compelling headlines and storytelling, two important factors for attracting new ad readers and new customers. Additionally, theme ads differentiate retailers print advertising from competitors, create complementary product sales and provide in-store merchandising opportunities. Conventional wisdom suggest otherwise. Many national and regional retailers take the “laundry list” approach to cover page ads. This modus operandi involves featuring a dozen or so items, normally one item from each store department, presented in a value hierarchy from the top to the bottom of the page. This strategy may help with a value perception but it rarely helps differentiate the store or attract a new reader or new shopper unless the price of the feature item is considerably less than the competition. In Phoenix, where I live, the local supermarket ads all look the same. The items and the prices are nearly identical, only the company logo is different. Rarely do I see a food store ad that grabs my attention or provides me a good reason to shop somewhere else.

When we prepare promotional calendars we either build the promotion around themes, or build themes around specific items. In a sense that’s why holiday weeks and their natural themes are so easy to plan!

It’s been said, maybe by me,  that a theme improves almost any ad or ad campaign!

Too few companies run research to determine what their entire market place will be like in three years? In five years? And very few are committed to a vision that basically says, “We truly believe we know where this industry is going. We know what the leader will look like, sound like, think like, and be like in five years, and we know something else. We’re going to be that leader!

Precious few can say, “That’s us. That’s our store.” And to those precious few, chances are they will, in fact, be that leader. Because they’re the only ones who know where they’re going…as for the rest of us… as Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

If you look at today’s strengths and are satisfied with building on those strengths because they suffice today, chances are you’ll not be competitive in a few years because your competition is going to be very, very different in those few years. In other words, those aspects of your operation which you identify with strengths today, in a different competitive market my not be viewed as strengths at all. And the one certainty we all face, once again, is that it’s going to be a different competitive market in the very near future.

Create Ads that people will read and respond to

The reality is most folks don’t read supermarket ads — maybe two out of 10. And of the folks who do read ads, they normally read the ads of the store where they regularly shop. So why do most supermarkets insist on putting their name and logo on the top of their ads? If the reader does not like the store, they will not read the ad, regardless of the benefit the ad is offering. The supermarket industry routinely violates this basic principle of effective advertising. Look through an issue of USA Today or The Wall Street Journal and count the number of ads that have the company name and/or logo in the headline—you won’t count very many.

Ads must have headlines and offer a benefit. Like articles in newspapers and magazines, the headline is what entices you to read or not read the article. The same is true with effective advertising: effective headlines attract readers. Remember, your primary shoppers are more likely to be interested in your ad, so focus your efforts instead on attracting new shoppers by offering a strong headline and a compelling reason or benefit to shop your store.

Ads that drive customer traffic

The most effective ads feature an appealing price, an appealing item or an appealing event. Don’t be afraid to promote mangos or papaya or kiwifruit and demo these items in store during the promotion. Produce is a great feature item because of its self-limiting markdown. How many avocados, for example, can people eat in a week? You’d be surprised how many customers 19¢ avocados can drive into your stores.

When it comes to price points, many retailers get locked in a trap. They presume that if T-bone steaks can’t be advertised for $4.99 per pound or tomatoes can’t be offered at 59¢ per pound, it’s not worth advertising them at all. Not so. What matters most is that the sale price represents a value to the customer. If T-bone steak retails for $8.99 per pound, you can feature it for $6.98 per pound and still be offering the customer an enticing savings of $2 per pound.

Promote special events like Cajun cooking or authentic Tuscan cuisine. Food is the international language, a universal experience. Promoting cooking makes good sense, after all, isn’t that what a food store is all about.

Differentiate your store and your ads from competitors

One way we have successfully differentiated our ads is by featuring a single item or a focused theme on the cover page. Some will argue a single item limits the chance to appeal to more shoppers. Some suggest you need to have an item from every major department of the store to force shoppers to shop in every department of the store. I say no, no, no! Don’t fall victim to the mentality that you must feature numerous items just because your competitor does. That’s not differentiation. Showcasing one item or theme has far more impact. Plus, it limits your markdown. Another unique approach: feature items your competitors would never feature, such as garlic or product variety in different categories like jams, mustards, or olive oils.

Support your strategic position

Another important driver in creating effective ads is your store’s strategic position. For example, if you position your store as a low price leader, then your ads should support low prices and pricing activities. If your store position is quality perishables, then promote those items, and explain why they are better than your competitors.

It takes more than snappy creative work to create an effective ad. You need a distinctive store format, a customer benefit, and a unique message that reinforces your strategic position. If you can pull all of these concepts together in a way that draws customers into your store, you’ve undoubtedly created an effective ad — and a competitive edge.