The value of Brand Response, part 2

In response to Greg Grimmer’s recent The Rise of Brand Response or “Why take two bottles into the shower” article, Paul Squires, managing director of Perera, uses Ryanair’s ad to really explain Brand Response…

Greg Grimmer has written a clear and useful article on MediaTel about how Brand Response is an increasingly popular form of advertising.

Brand Response is a literal combination of two forms: brand advertising, and direct response. Through this combination, a TV ad might show the qualities and benefits of a brand, then implcitly ask you to try their product. Grimmer gives Sainsbury’s long-running “Try Something New Today” campaign as a good example of this.

With this in mind, an very interesting ad popped up in the Guardian earlier this week, from Ryanair.

The ad is in typical Ryanair style: no photography, no colour, a small amount of words, and no bullshit. You’re paying for a flight to a destination – that’s it. No onboard features are advertised – because communicating them is unnecessary. The intention is to pay a small amount of money, sit down, do very little, then end up somewhere else two hours later… no questions asked.

So, if one can pardon the pun, it’s the usual Ryanair fare. What makes it different is that no response mechanisms are communicated through the ad. There isn’t a phone number, a URL, or any information on what to do next. So, in a way, it’s classic brand advertising – because there is no clear response mechanism, and there is indeed a brand-driven legend on the ad, clearly illustrating the company’s financial stability.

But, in fact it’s Brand Response, as Ryanair has clearly decided that their response mechanisms are so well known, that they are no longer necessary. It is assumed that you know how to book a ticket. It is assumed that you know that their URL is ryanair.com – and if you don’t, then search for it. It’s at the top of every search engine, the tip of the iceberg of a hundred anti-Ryanair websites. The PR strategy here is clearly Wildean.

So, it’s actually up to you to know what the response is. And that makes it a fascinating ad.

Ryanair has a brand awareness which ensures that communicating a direct response mechanism is unnecessary. Very few brands with a direct relationship with consumers, can do this, and do it well. The ad’s “less is more” graphic treatment clearly works in its favour.

It’s basically a banner ad in print.

What this means for advertisers is that clear messaging and a simplified, stripped-down approach to response go hand-in-hand. Brand Response, when treated badly, could be a mismatch: when brand advertising inherently lends itself to more content, and response lends itself to less. Ryanair has clearly worked from the “bottom up” to communicate as little information as possible in order to convince the customer to make a snap decision. In the age of permanent high speed, this is unquestionably useful.

So, how is this a Brand Response ad if it isn’t telling the consumer anything significant about the brand – what it feels like to be with Ryanair? Well, that’s the point of the company. The brand is all about giving you something which is stripped-down, simple, and cheap. An important component of Ryanair’s brand values is cost. So, it’s entirely to do with brand.

Next time that you look at an ad for an airline in print, compare it to this Ryanair ad. Is the treatment any better? Is it utilising Brand Response? Thoughts are welcome.

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