I subscribe to a weekly email from the good folks at “Guerilla Marketing”. Often I get one that I feel is different and worth sharing. I spent 20 years in the newspaper industry and never heard the expression “Scan Motion”. Hope this is helpful to you.
Here is a way for guerrillas to create print ads that increase sales by visually attracting the attention of a reader’s unconscious mind. This method is called scan motion.
Guerrillas are heavy users of print advertisements because the initial cost is low and the target market is pinpointed. Guerrillas want top-of-the-mind awareness, which results in their business being remembered first during the buying decision. Get this awareness by designing ads with these four components:
- VISIBILITY: The unconscious eye is attracted to ads by these four factors: ad shape (rectangular ads which are taller than they are wide are best for guerrillas), color, graphics and headlines.
- READABILITY: This is because people do not really read ads, but scan them instead. Scanning begins at the top left of an ad, continues to the bottom right, and stops at the bottom left.
- THEME: You have but three seconds to impart your message. Use subheads, underlining, boldface, or something to emphasize the essential words along the scan motion from top left to bottom right.
- STATS: Now, convert attention into a buying decision with your logo, unique selling proposition, business name and any other statistics a reader may need to be transformed to a customer.
If you create your ad contrary to scan motion, the reading of your ad will require additional energy – increasing the likelihood of the ad being ignored.
Guerilla Marketing is an interesting concept. It’s not for everyone but it is worth a look. Here is the link to their website. www.gmarketing.com