The recent weather got me thinking about how, sometimes, too much of a good thing can turn very, very bad.
For example, the latest round of flooding throughout Washington reminded me of one form of bad advertising etiquette. Similar to the way too much water in a short period of time can be devastating a region, too much information can have the same effect. While flood waters overflow riverbanks and cover or destroy the path beneath it, a lack of focus can have the same overload effect on advertising.
Any given advertisement has size restraints which in turn limit the amount of information that is effective. It is important to manage what goes in and what stays out. Granted, details are important and it is generally a good idea to provide as much information as you can when marketing a product; the problem comes when too many details are included. It becomes too much to absorb and leads to overflow with the defining point being buried among the least important details.
Revealing the message in a simple, effective and elegant manner is the road best taken. There is no need to clutter up an advertisement or smother a campaign when it can be pared down to a few valuable truths.
To give your message a clear voice and make it appealing to your audience, think about the core elements of your brand – those key items that differentiate it from the competition. Stay focused and keep your audience safe from an overabundance of information.