Gymbox, a UK gym chain, recently received lots of attention from marketers with mixed opinions on how the business was approaching its Google Ad strategy, by hijacking people’s searches for competitor gyms. This is a great example of how brands with a cheeky tone of voice can utilise marketing channels in a creative way. For those that didn’t see, here are some examples of Gymbox’s Google Ads targeting competitors:
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Ad targeting Classpass: This ad targets people who are searching for “Classpass” on Google. The ad copy reads, “Don’t waste your time with Classpass. Join Gymbox and get unlimited access to all of our gyms for just £39 per month.”
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Ad targeting Virgin Active: This ad targets people who are searching for “Virgin Active” on Google. The ad copy reads, “Virgin Active is too expensive. Join Gymbox and get unlimited access to all of our gyms for just £39 per month.”
Too many brands approach ad copy in a formulaic way and forget that the goal of an ad is to engage with a human. Ad copy is your digital billboard and clicks need to be earned.
Gymbox – through humorous and responsive copy – not only manages to stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of potential customers, but also demonstrates an understanding of its target audience by creating a connection before consumers have even visited the website.
Why Gymbox’s Google Ads are effective:
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Humorous: The ad copy is funny and engaging, which helps to grab the attention of potential customers. We as consumers love to scroll and something needs to stop us. Humour is one of the most powerful ways to engage an audience (if your tone of voice allows it!).
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Responsive: The ads are designed to respond to specific search queries, which makes them more relevant to potential customers. Relevancy is key to any successful Paid Media strategy.
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Compelling: The ad copy is clear and concise, and it makes a strong case for why potential customers should join Gymbox instead of their competitors.
Gymbox’s approach to Google Ads is a great example of how businesses can use humour and creativity to stand out from the crowd and drive customer acquisition. Gymbox applies this humour approach across other marketing channels to help to connect with its target audience and build a strong brand identity.
If you’re looking to add some creativity to your marketing campaigns and need inspiration, I highly recommend taking a look at Gymbox for inspiration.
Here are some additional tips for creating effective Google Ads:
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Use relevant keywords: When you’re creating your Google Ads campaigns, it’s important to use strong keywords that are relevant to your target audience. Gymbox does this through targeting competitor search queries.
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Write strong ad copy: Your ad copy should be clear, concise, and persuasive. What will make the user stop, read but also click.
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Set a budget: When testing new approaches and alternative ad copy, it’s important to set a budget to control your spending and create clear measurement windows to see if they are working.
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Track your results: It’s important to track the results but make sure you have the right metrics and tools in place to measure properly.
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