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Welcome to this issue of AdChecks where we analyze real ad campaigns we find online and discuss what they do well and what they could improve upon.

Today we are going to take a deeper look at a Facebook ad from Keen Home.

Keen is an interesting product that will regulate the airflow in your house.  So if one room is too hot or one too cold, it will help balance everything out.

Let’s take a look at the ad:

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First let’s take a look at what the ad does well:

  • Hints at a benefit: More comfort. Everybody wants maximum comfort in their home. And when it comes to keeping a house at a comfortable climate, most are concerned about efficiency, energy costs.
  • The image is great. It’s definitely a hard product to depict in a single photo considering from first glance it’s just a vent on the floor. But the photo is clean, bright and the overlayed text doesn’t look cluttered. For this type of product, or any product that is difficult to picture, an illustration is also another great option. 
  • Testing out Facebook’s CTA ‘Learn More’ button. 

How can it be improved?

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The ad isn’t about your brand

It says Keen Home in the top left, on the image, and again in the headline.  For such a small amount of real estate, having your brand name 3x is a waste of valuable and limited space. Especially when it’s an up and coming brand. It’s essential to communicate why people should care. Customers click when copy speaks to needs and desires, not when they see a brand’s logo more than once.

Smart Vent?

In the headline it says “Smart Vent.” But we are left to wonder, whats smart about it?  They need to communicate what make their vents so unique, ultimately giving people a reason to click.

The biggest issue is: The copy doesn’t convey the problem.

It doesn’t tell me what’s wrong with what I have now.  Why do I need to change my vents… that sounds like a huge hassle.

Let’s look at some alternative copy:

“Certain rooms too hot or cold? Keen’s smart vents balance your home’s temperature.”

– First part is establishing a problem that people can relate to.  I remember growing up my mom would always complain about being freezing in one room but hot in another.  I think a lot of people have this issue, which is why they made the product.  But they don’t communicate that in the ad.  The second part demonstrates that your product solves the problem. 

“Are some rooms in your house freezing cold or too hot?  You need Keen’s Smart Vents.”

– Again demonstrate problem. Establish your product as the solution.

“Feel like your living in different climates under one roof? You need Keen’s Smart Vents.”

– Similar to the first two but a little more playful.  It’s ok to have more of a personality or use more conversational language on Facebook, if it fits with your brand.

“Smart Vents wirelessly talk to each other to regulate your home’s airflow”

– Instead of saying the events are ‘intelligent’ which is vague and meaningless, the can be described as wirelessly talking to each other.

Trust Elements

They could also introduce more trust elements by displaying that they’ve been featured on Shark Tank, Mashable and Fast Company.  They do a good job of showing these trust elements on their site but they’re nowhere to be found in the ad.  This can be done with those logos in the image or in the copy.

This demonstrates that it’s not a random startup.  They’ve been on TV and they’ve been featured on well-known sites.  These type of endorsements instantly establish more trust and will absolutely encourage more people to click through to learn more.

Takeaways

So as a quick refresher here’s what we now know.

  • Consumers are moved and intrigued by great copy, not by a brand’s logo
  • Ad copy should always demonstrate a problem and offer your product as the solution.
  • If you’ve got great press, use it to your advantage. ALWAYS

-Ben