Let’s face it, advertising is expensive. Businesses of all kinds spend major bucks on placements every year and pay experts major bucks to ensure the commercials, designs, voiceovers and more are the best of the best. Ready for a mindblowing stat? According to Statista, Amazon spent $13.5 billion on advertising last year. (Whew. Prime Day must’ve gone really well!)

Before signing the check for your next ad campaign, check out these three must-haves that will put you on track for success.

Authenticity

Authenticity is a powerful tool that is essential when it comes to advertising. Being authentic to your brand allows you to build genuine connections and trust with consumers. Sharing commercials that align with your brand’s values and beliefs will resonate more with your audience. If Kentucky Fried Chicken put out an ad that spoke to healthy eating to lower cholesterol, it simply doesn’t make sense because it’s not authentic.

Creativity

Think outside the box when it comes to advertising, but not so much that you lose the authenticity mentioned above, of course. Right now, I bet you can recall a holiday or Super Bowl commercial from years past that you loved. Why? Because it was creative! No one remembers the cookie-cutter ads. They remember those that evoke emotion, laughs, interest or a mix of all three. (I must pause to give a shoutout to Walmart for its Mean Girls-themed holiday ads. So fetch!)

Trackability

Being able to measure ad success (or lack thereof) is crucial. Without analytics, there is no way to know what was worth the spend and what wasn’t. If your placements are digital, keep tabs on how many impressions and/or clicks the creative receives. You can also monitor web traffic if the link associated with the ad leads to your site. Print placements are harder to track, of course. If space allows, consider including a trackable QR code in the design. This will provide some insight into audience engagement.

If you’re gearing up for an ad campaign, put your best foot forward by keeping these three things in mind or by tapping your friends here at Obsidian.