Revisiting the Best Ads for Luggage

THIS WEEK’S FODDER
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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. Away

2. Beis

STARTER
Marketing Headlines

• Google is planning to roll out technology that will identify whether an image is “real” or “fake.” For example, it will tell you if an image was generated with AI, taken with a camera, or edited in photoshop (Read more)

• Have you ever wondered how to optimize an Etsy shop for Google? (Read more)

• Advertisers can now target TikTok users on the platform’s search results page. 57% of TikTok users use the app’s search function (Read more)

MAIN
Luggage

Trends:

According to Google Trends, US search interest (over the last 5 years) for Away luggage peaked in December 2019, while search interest for Beis luggage peaked in November 2023. While search interest for Away luggage remains higher, Beis luggage has closed the gap significantly:

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. So, focusing on how your product or service makes your target customer’s life easier (or better) helps get the conversion.

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

#1: Away

The Good:

• Away is a popular player in the luggage space and has a passionate following online. This ad highlights that in the description section by saying, “The internet’s favorite suitcase.”

• The image does the main work in this ad; the suitcase is sitting on a dirt road, outdoors, giving the impression that it can handle rugged adventure. The tagline, “ready for anything,” backs that up.

• Advertising a payment plan option is smart because it mitigates sticker shock after clicking the ad.

The Bad:

• The ad copy in the primary text (above the image) needs work. Emphasizing that it’s the only suitcase the viewer will ever need, and that Away thought of it all, is a little vague. It would be more effective to say that the this piece of luggage saves your clothing and gear from getting damaged.

The Recommendation:

• I would test having more text on the image. Bullet points listing the features and benefits that Away has “thought of” would be helpful for the viewer.

• The ad copy needs to be more persuasive. It doesn’t grab my attention. The viewer needs to understand the main benefit of buying this piece of luggage.

• I would include a URL.

#2: Beis

The Good:

• This Beis ad is relatively simple but it excels at driving home one message: this luggage makes traveling easier. Highlighting this benefit in the first line of copy, and below the image as well, helps effectively communicate that message to people scrolling their feeds.

• This ad does a great job of using bag’s features to highlight the benefit. Where possible, it’s a good idea to explain to the viewer how the features of your product create a benefit for them.

The Bad:

• This image is the weak point of this ad. It’s not terrible, but the dark colors and airport background don’t inspire me to want this luggage. Having the background be a beach or fancy hotel lobby would likely be better.

The Recommendation:

• I would test a testimonial or quote on the image.

• I would test different colors of luggage.

• I would include a URL for this ad as well.

Pro Tip

Understand the importance of PPC:

• Quick results: PPC advertising can drive traffic to a website almost immediately, whereas SEO can take time to show results. Platforms usually approve ads the same day, providing maximum exposure almost immediately. This could be a text ad via Google search, an image ad through Instagram, or even a video featured on YouTube. Using multiple platforms in different formats can increase your brand’s visibility.

• Reach your targeted audience: PPC advertising allows marketers to target specific demographics, interests, and location, which helps to reach the right audience. You can even target individuals based on their behaviors and interests; social media sites like Facebook can help you get your ad to the group that’s likely to convert into a sale.

• Measurable: PPC advertising provides measurable results. It allows marketers to track conversions, return on investment (ROI), and other key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Cost-effective: PPC advertising can be more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods, such as television or print ads, since marketers only pay when a user clicks on their ad, and they can set a budget for their campaign.

Read the full article to learn more about PPC strategy and platforms.