In our day to day life we see numerous TV commercials. If I ask you how many do you remember distinctly, you might not be able to answer my question. The reason for this is simple as most advertisements are just ordinary and mediocre and they fail to catch the attention of the viewer.

1) Evoke an emotion: Most of the award-winning commercials are successful because they managed to connect with the audience. So whether you shock them, surprise them or make them laugh or cry, the emotions are what will make your ad unforgettable.

2) Don’t try to please everyone: Some businesses make the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone at the same time.  Choose a segment of people you want to reach out to and then craft your message to fit their needs and expectations.

3) Know where to reach your customers: All your branding efforts will be for nothing if your target audience is never exposed to them. You need to know where your target audience is so you can reach them more effectively. Which social networks are they members of? Which magazines do they like to read? Which TV shows do they watch? Which blogs do they read? Knowing all of this will help you reach your target audience in the places they frequent most.

4) Focus on your TG: The first thing that a brand should do is to focus on their target group’s lifestyle. The study of this would make it easy to design ads that are in sync with the TGs likes and choices.

5) Make your name synonymous with the industry: When you think of tissues, you think Kleenex. When you think of soda, you think Coca Cola or Pepsi. When you think burgers, you think McDonalds. You want to create this same inseparable association between your brand and the industry you function in.

6) It should have viral qualities: There is no secret to creating a good viral campaign. But you must make an ad that appeals to the masses and one they cannot stop talking about. If you can do that, then you have a winner of a campaign on your hands.

7) Have a USP: FedEx promises to deliver your packages on time. BMW promises to be the Ultimate Driving Machine. You need to create a unique promise that customers instantly associate with your brand. This promise needs to be something your target audience cares about and something that your competitors can’t offer.

8) Video & Audio: The images and sounds you use in your ads must function in sync. Make sure the images are in accordance with the message and so are the sounds. Make use of colour, celebrities, and/or exotic locations that are backed by catchy jingles, tunes, voice-overs etc.

9) Be consistent: It amazes me whenever I come across a company that has different designs/themes for their website, brochure, business card, billboards, TV ads, etc. Everything should be unified in style and theme. That’s how people will start to immediately recognize your brand