ABSTRACT
Print promotions are paper-based advertisements, coupons, fliers, posters—any paper-based tactic that traditionally includes a headline, a visual and, often, a short section of promotional writing. Many of these promotions also can be digital. This chapter focuses on print advertisements that include a promotional paragraph or two. Print advertisements are persuasive messages that appear in newspapers, magazines or other controlled paper media. Their goal is to get a specific audience to take a specified action. Print ads fall into three categories: announcement ads, image ads and product ads. The medium for a print ad is paper, usually in a newspaper or magazine. Research shows that two-thirds of print ad viewers see the visual first. The headline, which is read by approximately one-third of a print ad’s viewers, must capture the ad’s key message and direct the consumer’s attention to the body copy. Subheadlines are optional secondary headlines. They clarify the main headline or divide longer copy blocks into manageable chunks.
