A "Strategy Theme Sheet" is a self made work-sheet document which helps you identify the basis and theme of your advertising upon which you expect consumers to purchase your product in preference to your competition. The "Strategy Theme Sheet" deals directly with your advertising copy. The majority of the content of a Strategy Theme Sheet comes from the product and the consumer demand for which the product was designed.

The Strategy Sheet is made up of eight subjects:

1) Objective - Your advertising objective will start out with "My advertising will.....". Of course your advertising will perform some kind of function, so you need an action verb next. Some common verbs used are "convince, persuade, and communicate". "Remind" could be another verb used. For example "Have you had you Wheaties today?" would be a Reminder objective. I prefer using the "convince objective". It demonstrates confidence and the use of persuasion, something that occurs inside the consumer's mind.

2) Target Consumer - This is more than a simple statement of demographics. Women, 18 to 45 may be correct, but "Working Mothers, 18 to 45" or "Homemakers 18-45, may be an even better description. Focus your efforts and advertising copy on that specific group. Write out several different phrases describing your target consumer in fine detail. Remember, your talking about a real person here.

3) Product Benefit(s) - Simply put this spotlights the features and benefits of the product itself. Cost and Quality are your major players when describing your product benefits. Note: Price + Quality = Value!

4) Consumer Benefit(s) - These benefits are the reflection of how the product affects the consumer's life. Making the consumer's life or task at hand easier, faster or more desirable. It's how you "make the consumer believe" your product's unique advantages for them and their life. Note: Use Product Benefits or Consumer Benefits, not both.

5) Support - One major part of your support statement is how you show, prove, vindicate or corroborate evidence to support your claims about your product. Support is also the reason you provide the product and consumer benefit(s) you your claiming. Many advertising strategies fail because the they failed to support the claims of the product and consumer benefits.

6) Product Wishes - Product Wishes should describe an "almost instant" gratification, effect or good feeling that your product will offer. It's short, direct and to the point. Product Opportunity is the stereotype of advertising. An example would be "Get our product and be the King of Your Castle". Now we know there are few monarchs in the home and more often than not it would be the "Queen", but it portray a feeling no matter how ridiculous that this guy will be the King of his Castle if he would only buy this product.

7) Product History - I would have to say that the best way to describe the meaning of "Product History" is "heritage" of the product. Maybe your product has been around forever, then you would say why your product has been around that long. Your product may be brand new, then you would describe the descendents of your product and how and why it progressed to your product. Note: Use either "Product History" or "Product Wishes", but not both, and do not confuse "Product Wishes" with "Product Benefit(s)". Product Wishes and Product History are a style of advertising not a list of benefits.

8) Miscellaneous - This part is simple. If it doesn't fit into a subject above put it here! Ideas, thoughts, or just about anything else!

Ok, now make you self a list of these headings. Then start by focusing on one subject. Give each subject lots of thought. This is not something you sit down and do in ten minutes. You may have thoughts about a subject at any time for days. Give yourself a week with the Theme Sheet and every time you have a thought about your product list it on your theme sheet. A week later sit down take the best from your list and start writing your advertising campaign. Save the list, this way you can refer back to it, add to it and use it again.