The Best Ads for Halloween Candy

THIS WEEK’S FODDER
☀️ Good Morning

You’re reading Marketing Fodder, a weekly newsletter dedicated to helping you improve your Facebook and Instagram ads.

Today, we’ll be examining the ads of:

1. SNICKERS

2. KitKat

STARTER
Marketing Headlines

• Businesses can now boost LinkedIn posts for the purpose of lead generation, here’s how.

• Some key considerations for choosing an SEO-friendly domain name (Read more)

• This article provides a nice overview of how to launch a PPC campaign (Read more)

MAIN
Candy

Trends:

According to Google Trends, US search interest (over the last 5 years) for “Halloween candy” spikes significantly every Halloween (unsurprisingly). 2019 and 2023 had the highest peaks, and 2021 had the lowest search interest:

How I Analyze Facebook Ads

A great Facebook ad communicates the benefits of the product or service, not solely the features. Think about it like this: a feature makes the product better but a benefit makes the customer’s life better. Features typically describe a physical aspect of the product, while benefits describe a change in the emotional state of the customer. Makeup companies do this well. Instead of focusing on features like ingredients, their ads highlight how much better someone will look or feel by purchasing the product.

Alright, let’s see how these companies market their candy:

#1: SNICKERS

The Good:

• Selling Halloween candy with Facebook and Instagram ads is no easy feat, the margins are likely very small. But, what this ad does well is direct its messaging to people who put out bowls of candy. In essence, the benefit this ad promises is preventing empty candy bowls, which prevents trick-or-treaters from being unhappy. So, the ad is selling protection from a negative outcome.

• The ad copy is lighthearted and the image is eye-catching.

The Bad:

• No URL is provided, likely because the goal is the have the viewer focus on the “Shop Now” button, but having a URL provides credibility.

The Recommendation:

• These candies are almost universally known so I don’t recommend using a quote from a happy customer in this ad, but I would test different headlines and descriptions. “Bubbling over with Sweets” is not very compelling and something funnier would better serve this ad.

#2: KitKat

The Good:

• This image is a screenshot from a five second video ad. This ad does a great job of using humor to sell the candy. The idea of needing to “fend off” trick-or-treaters will resonate with those who receive a constant stream of kids asking for candy.

• Having a red background and a close-up of the KitKat in this short video is very attention grabbing.

The Bad:

• This ad should be using “Shop Now" not “Learn More” as the call-to-action.

The Recommendation:

• I would not recommend testing longer ad copy in this ad because it’s a video ad and you want the viewer to focus on that. But, I would test more copy in the headline and description section, especially if it is aimed at nudging the viewer to click the button.

Pro Tip

Understand the benefits of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing:

• Targeted Reach: Unlike traditional advertising, PPC allows you to target your ideal customer. By using specific keywords and demographics, your ads appear in front of people actively searching for what you offer, maximizing your chances of attracting qualified leads. 

• Faster Results: Need a quick boost in website traffic? PPC delivers! Compared to organic search engine optimization (SEO) strategies that take time to build, PPC can get your ads displayed at the top of search results almost instantly, driving traffic and potential sales faster. 

• Measurable Impact: With PPC, you have complete control over your budget and can track the performance of your campaigns in real-time. You can see exactly how much each click costs and how many clicks convert into leads or sales, allowing you to fine-tune your approach for optimal results. 

• Cost-Effective Advertising: PPC offers a cost-effective way to reach new customers. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, so you're not wasting money on impressions that don't lead to any action. This allows you to maximize your return on investment (ROI). 

• Increased Brand Awareness: Even if someone doesn't click on your ad right away, seeing it repeatedly can increase brand awareness and establish your business as a leader in your industry. This can lead to future website visits and conversions down the line.

For a more complete explanation, including how to optimize PPC spend, check out the full article.