• Most search queries (over 40%) that use branded keywords are by people who have made up their mind and are ready to make a decision and buy.
• About 35% of solution focused queries (i.e. a query for surveying software) generally fall into the consideration phase when a person is researching multiple vendors.
• 40% of issue/opportunity queries (i.e. a search for what motivates customers) are by people who are not yet aware of the solution to their problem.

Implications For Paid Search

It’s easy for advertisers, particularly in b2b to put all their focus on the later stage brand and solution focused keywords. Generally these terms convert the best, and fill the immediate need for qualified leads. These search queries often show good results on a landing page where the goal is to have the visitor sign up for a demo, or to request a call from a sales rep. However, a potential problem with bidding only on these types of keywords is that you’re limiting your addressable market .

Once you’ve optimized the later stage keywords it’s logical to expand onto capturing issue/opportunity type queries. However, these keywords require different landing page tactics. By their nature, people in the awareness phase are in research mode. Therefore, sending these early stage visitors to a trial demonstration page, or expecting them to request a sales call is out of the question.

Instead, early stage queries often perform better on informational landing pages, which discuss and present a solution to the specific problem. A different goal is also required for these queries. The main offer that could work well on these pages are whitepaper and ebook downloads.

Understand how keywords fit in the overall purchase cycle and you’ll be able to run a more profitable search campaign.

It’s brilliant creative. Unfortunately it’s ineffective because it fails to provide clear steps a person can take to prevent the long term consequence of cancer and death.

Research shows that while fear arousal is sufficient to influence attitudes, it must be paired with specific, detailed recommendations for a person to change their behavior. In this case, including booklets on “How To Quit Smoking,” provided by the US Dept. of Health & Human Services alongside the mural will be more effective than providing a quit smoking hotline phone number or nothing at all.

Remember that fear by itself only leads to inaction, you need to immediately provide concrete, achievable steps for the person to begin minimizing the risk.

Before watching let me explain two terms which you might be unfamiliar with in this ad.

Mzansi is slang for “The South” as in “Southern Africa”

Ya Mampela is the tag line for SABC 1

The intended target audience for the commercial are disadvantaged, White South African youth. Since the end of apartheid the unemployment of White South African’s has increased to 10% out of a total population of 4.5 million [source]. Although the plight of unskilled, white South Africans is unfortunate it still does not compare to their black countryman. The fact should not be glossed over that of the 35 million strong black population, 28.1% are unemployed [source]. Not to mention the majority of capital, including land is controlled by whites.

I consider advocacy advertising to be an acceptable tool for us marketers, and the ad does attempt to showcase the other face of South African poverty. However, in creating this piece the ad agency overstepped a boundary by interweaving the theme of discrimination toward White South Africans. This seems especially distasteful in that the country is only 15 years removed from and still struggling with the legacy of apartheid.