As a new marketer, it can be tempting to focus on ideating advertisements that are extra eye-catching and creative, hoping to capture the eyes, hearts, and minds of your customers. However, focusing too much on these elements can lead to poor marketing choices. You can use the ADPLAN framework to evaluate and develop advertisements that will resonate with your intended audience.

• Attention: When thinking about an idea, ask yourself: Is there something interesting that will cause people to stop and notice it? Could the inclusion of a celebrity, a viral song, or a bold analogy make the difference?
• Distinction: To effectively evaluate distinction, you first have to know what the competition is doing, not just what your brand is doing. Then, understand what aligns with your product or service, and above all brand voice and image, to ensure that while your creative is distinct, it’s in line with your branding.
• Positioning: Effective pieces of advertising often do more than entertain; they help position the brand’s benefit to the target consumer and convince them of that benefit. That means being clear on the value the product offers, as well as clarifying why people should trust the product will deliver the benefit.
• Linkage: This forces you to answer the question: Will people ultimately remember our brand and its benefit? If people struggle to remember, it’s not because they were distracted or texting on their phones, but because the advertising failed to get across such a simple point to the consumer.
• Amplification: Unlike the positioning, which focuses on the benefit, amplification is about whether the consumer has positive or negative thoughts about the advertisement. Amplification is critically important; you want people to be left with something that is positive and connected to your business.
• Net equity: Over time, brands develop meaning, and consumers associate them with certain characteristics. Ask yourself if your ad campaign resonates with and reinforces the equity you have already built.