DWS Associates - Advertising Checklist for Multichannel Marketers

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DWS Associates - Advertising Checklist for Mult-Channel Marketers

DWS Associates > Knowledgebase > Marcom > Advertising Checklist for Multichannel Marketers

Marketing / Advertising 19-Point Checklist for Multi-Omni-Channel Marketers

Use this Marketing / Advertising Checklist for Multi-Channel Marketers as a guide to help you improve your advertisements. This checklist covers all forms of advertising media used in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing. These are questions that you should ask yourself before finalizing any advertisement.

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Click the plus sign or category name to open and expand the category section. Click the minus sign to close it.

Product or Service Offered

Does the advertisement(content) offer product/service that appeals to the target audience?
- Special features
- Price appeal
- Timeliness
Does the product or service being advertised have merit in and of itself?

Medium

Is the medium or media used for the advertisement (content) the best choice for the advertisement, or would another medium (media) be more appropriate? See our advertising media advantages and disadvantages checklist for help here.

Location

Is the advertisement (content) situated in the best spot to be effective in the medium used?

Size

Is the advertisement (content) large enough to do the job expected of it?
Does it omit important details?
Is it overcrowded with nonessential information?

Headline / Subject Line

Does the headline (or subject line in an email message) express the major single idea about the product/service advertised?
Is the headline (subject line) a benefit claim or label?

Illustration, Photography, Video

Do the illustrations, video and/or photographs express and support the idea that the headline conveys?
Do the illustrations, video and/or photographs play up the product or service as hero?

Copy

Does the copy use active or passive voice (avoid passive)?
Does the advertisement use basic English (or asic language of the target audience)?
Does the copy give the basic facts (features) about the merchandise or does it leave out information that would be important to the reader in making a buying decision?
Does the copy emphasize the main selling points?
Are the benefits to the customer spelled out?Is the message clear?
Can the customer quickly tell what the advertisement (content) is about?
Does the first line of copy support or explain the headline and/or illustration?
Does the copy establish audience identity so that the customer sees themselves in and involved by the advertising?
Does the copy repeat itself to reinforce important selling ideas or actions you want the customer to take?
For broadcast advertisements, have you written conversationally so that the advertisement is clear through words and sounds?

Layout / Format

Does the arrangement of the parts of the advertisement (content) fit the medium being used?
Does the arrangement of the parts of the advertisement (content) and the use of white space make the advertisement easy to read?
Does it stimulate the reader to look at all the contents of the advertisement?
Are the format, structure, and style of the advertisement (content) matched so they are compatible with each other, and with the product or services being offered?
For TV advertisements and digital video, are the video and audio matched so you don't confuse the customer?

Landing Page Layout / Design

Is the landing pages focused and simple?
Does the landing page tell the customer where they are?
Is the landing pages restrained in its use of computer overhead or does it take over the customers computer?
Is the landing page (cross device friendly (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone)?
Does the landing page require computing power and applications that the target customer may not have?
Does the landing page of multiple calls to action?
Have you limited the fields of information that you want the customer to fill out before they receive the offer? Too many fields cut down respondents.
Do the visual cues on your landing page advance the respondent to the call to action?

Attitude

Is the advertisement (content) written and presented from the customer's point of view or from the marketer's?
Does it have the customer's interest clearly in mind?

Believability

Is the advertisement (content) believable or does it sound exaggerated?Are the pricing and product assertions believable?
Are unusually low prices substantiated?
Is the advertiser (brand) clearly identified in the advertisement (content)?

Type Face

Does the advertisement (content) use a distinctive typeface?
Is it different from competitors?
Is it large enough and easy for the customer to read?

Identification

Does the advertisement (content) reflect the marketer's image?
Does the advertisement (content) use a marketer signature (logo and/or tagline) that is quickly and readily identifiable?
Does the advertisement (content) include information about the marketer's location, its services, and any distinctive offer characteristics?

Offer Available

Are all of the characteristics of the offer stated that would help the customer in making their purchase decision?

Credit offer and/or payment methods
Delivery information: free delivery, take with, shipping and handling charges, etc.
Phone, mail, email, or website order acceptance
Complete details on product: size, color, finish, material, warranties, care details
Duration of offer stated
Quantity limits if any
Returns policy if any
Category price range story if any
Category selection story if any
Related or add-on sales products/services, price point/s if any

Clarity

Is the product/service, promotion and /or offer being advertised clearly communicated to the customer?
Does the advertisement (content) have only one central theme or idea that you are trying to communicate to the customer?
Have all the excess words, phrases or even ideas been removed?

Attention

Does the advertisement (content) attract customer attention?

Interest

Does the advertisement (content)—through illustration, headline, and copy—appeal to the target customers' wants and needs?
Does the advertisement (content) create a desire on the part of the customer to read on?
Does the advertisement (content) involve the customer?
Does the advertisement (content) establish what's in it for the customer? "What's in it for me?"

Desire

Does the advertisement (content) create customer desire for the merchandise being offered?
Does the advertisement (content) have an emotional appeal?

Action

Is there a call to action?
Does the advertisement stimulate customer action?Are time limits, quantity limit, events or other action devises used in the advertisement?
Is there a Trial Period?

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Advertising Checklist for Multichannel Marketers

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