ADVERTISING
OBJECTIVE:
To
enhance definitions of Advertising, Advertising Media and how they reach the
directed target markets. To be familiar with the global concept of advertising
used in multinational companies and to understand the interdependence of
agency, client, product (or service) and Media.
UNIT I
Definition, Origin and Evolution, Nature and Scope
of Advertising.
UNIT II
Definition, Marketing, Marketing Mix, Geographic
Area, Demography, Psychography, Media and Purpose.
UNIT III
Corporate identity, Logo, Logo Types, Copy Writing, Effective
Copywriting, Advertiser, Advertising Agency, Types of Ad. Agencies, Media ,
Consumer Behaviour, Account Planning, Latest trends in Advertising (In India
and Abroad).
UNIT IV
Client Brief, Creative Strategy, Creative Brief, Communication
Plan, Types of Headlines, Body Copies, Baselines, Slogans Logos and Trade Marks,
Typography, Writing Styles, Scripting, Story Board, Case Studies.
UNIT V
Conceptualization and Ideation: Translation of Ideas
to Campaign, Visualization, Designing and Lay Out, Brand
Management-Positioning, Brand Personality, Brand Image, Brand Equity,
Advertising Campaign-from Conception to Execution.
References:
Advertising Handbook: A reference Annual on Press,
TV, Radio and Outdoor advertising. Atlantis Publications.
Advertising Management: Concepts and Cases By Mohan,
Tata Mcgraw-Hill.
Creative starategy in Advertising Jewler E.
UNIT
I
DEFINITION: Advertising is a form of communication used to encourage or persuade an audience (viewers, readers, listeners, potential consumers or patrons)
to take some new action or continue to take some action.
Most commonly, the
desired result is to drive consumer
behaviour with respect to a commercial
offering, although political and
ideological advertising is also common.
The purpose of
advertising may also be to reassure
employees or shareholders that a company
is viable or successful.
Advertising
messages are usually paid for by sponsors and
viewed via various traditional
media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail;
or the new media (Internet) websites and text messages
(Social Media and Mobile SMS,MMS etc.)
Commercial advertisers often seek to
generate increased consumption of their products or services through
"branding," which
involves the repetition of an image or
product name in an effort to associate certain qualities with the brand in the minds of consumers.
Non-commercial advertisers, who spend money to
advertise items other than a consumer product or service include political parties, interest groups,
religious organizations and governmental agencies. Non-profit organizations may rely on free modes of persuasion,
such as a public
service announcement (PSA).
Internationally,
the largest ("big four") advertising conglomerates are Interpublic, Omnicom,
Publicis and WPP. In India Ogilvy & Mather, JWT J Walter
Thompson, Mudra Communication, FCB Ulka Advertising Ltd, Rediffusion,
McCann Erickson India Ltd., RK Swamy BBDO Advertising Ltd., Grey Worldwide (I)
Pvt. Ltd., Leo Burnett India Pvt. Ltd., Contract Advertising India
Ltd., are the leading ad companies.
To know more
about the details of accounts handled by these ad agencies please visit
THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF ADVERTISING
To
appreciate the advertising of today and visualize the advertising of tomorrow,
we need to understand the origin and evolution of advertising.
The
Beginning
The first
advertisement may have been a sign painted on a wall of a building. The early
outdoor-advertising competitors were town criers employed by merchants to
praise their goods. It was Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable-type printing
press in 450 that resulted in the mass production of posters and circulars. The
first advertisement printed in English was a handbill printed in 1472. It was
primarily an announcement of a prayer book for sale. Two hundred years later,
the first newspaper ad appeared offering a reward for finding 12 stolen horses.
By the 17th century, classified ads were appearing frequently in England’s
newsweeklies. These ads featured simple descriptions of products and their
prices. Illustrations and color appeared in advertisements in the late 19th century.
The first
advertising agency, which was set up by Volney Palmer in Boston in 1841,
introduced the commission system to the business by offering a discount of 25%
on ad space in newspapers. This move marked the formal beginning of space
selling. Initially, most ad agencies were nothing more than brokers for ad
space in newspapers. Advertisers created their own ads. N.W. Ayer & Son
became the first full-service agency in 1869.
One of the
earliest highly successful advertising campaigns was launched by Pears Soap. In
the late 19th century, Thomas
Barratt, whom many consider the father of modern advertising, launched a series
of ads featuring children, animals, flowers, and beautiful women to promote the
company’s products.
Modern advertising
developed with the rise of mass
production in the late
19th and early 20th centuries.
In 2010, spending
on advertising was estimated at $142.5 billion in the United States and $467
billion worldwide.
Propaganda
and Mechanization
During World
War I, advertising became a medium for propaganda. Governments used advertising
to persuade their citizens to join the military. This period also saw increased
mechanization of the industry, making ads more costly.
The
Emergence of New Mass Media
When new
mass media—radio and cinema—became commercially available in the first part of
the 20th century, the advertising
industry quickly took advantage of their reach, spread, and popularity. This
period of prosperity came to an end with the Wall Street crash of 1929,
followed by the Great Depression and World War II.
Initially, a
single business would sponsor a radio program for a brief mention of its name.
Later, sponsorship rights for a show were sold to multiple businesses, a
practice that soon became the norm.
Television
The market
did not embrace television initially because of the high cost of TV sets and
the lack of programming. However, as the American economy improved in the 1950s,
television’s popularity surpassed that of radio. Soon, the industry considered
it the number-one medium for advertising. With the establishment of the Du Mont
Television Network, the modern trend of selling advertising time to multiple
sponsors became a permanent feature of the commercial television industry in
the U.S.
The
Advertising Revolution
The industry
became more scientific in the 1960s. This period witnessed some of the most
creative ads of all time. Instead of focusing on the product, ads endeavored to
strengthen the brand and create an image for the company. Advertising also
became subtler and more intelligent, often adopting a conversational style.
Advertising
also turned into a major industry in the 20th century. The
advertising of the age cleverly used all media, including newspapers,
television, direct mail, radio, magazines, outdoor signs, and, of course, the
Internet.
Contemporary
Advertising
Remote
controls in the hands of every spectator and access to hundreds of cable
channels mean that advertising must generate interest and entertain in order to
survive. Along with these challenges, there are also new frontiers such as
Internet marketing. Advertisers and agencies today see innovations like digital
ads and interactive advertising as challenges and opportunities rather than
obstacles.
The Future
of Advertising
It is
difficult to predict what form advertising will take in the future. But one
thing is sure; it will continue to improve and strive to become more useful to
business and to the consumer.
Further reading on the net:
Advertising
encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761564279_5/Advertising.html#s21
American Advertising: A Brief History
historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/ads/amadv.html
The History of Advertising
www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~el6/
presentations/pres_p2_hoa
The History of Advertising
Advertising
can be described as any form of communication that is intended to persuade its
viewers, listeners or readers into taking some action. It uses different types
of media, such as newspapers, radio, magazines, television, billboards and
direct mail, to deliver messages. Out-of-home advertising and billboards are
the oldest forms of advertising and are believed to date back to 4000 BC. The
rise of mass production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries gave way to
the development of modern advertising. To know more interesting and amazing
information on the origin and background of advertising, read through the following
lines.
Interesting
& Amazing Information On Origin & Background Of Advertising
Anciently,
Egyptians made sales messages and wall posters using papyrus (these displays
and messages can well be seen in the ruins of Pompeii and ancient Arabia also).
Wall or rock painting was another common commercial advertising form, which is
still present in parts of Asia, Africa and South America. Gradually, as towns
and cities began to expand, traders started using images to associate their
trade, such as a boot, a suit, a hat, a clock, a diamond, a horseshoe, a candle
or even a bag of flour.
With time,
education became an apparent need and advertising developed to printing
handbills. By the 17th century, advertisements started appearing in weekly
newspapers in England that were mainly used for promoting books. Consequently,
printing press advanced and newspapers became increasingly affordable. However,
false advertising and quack advertisements created problems in the regulation
of advertising content.
Advertising
grew with the expansion of economy in the 19th century. Mail-order advertising
grew with the success of advertising in the United States. In 1836, French
newspaper La Presse became the first newspaper to include paid advertising in
its edition. It also reduced its prices to extend readability and increase
profitability. Around 1840, advertising agencies were established and services
extended. Initially, they were brokers for advertisement space in newspapers.
In 1869, the first full-service agency named N.W. Ayer & Son was opened,
assuming responsibility for advertising content in Philadelphia.
In early
1920s, radio equipment manufacturers and retailers established radio stations
to sell more radios to consumers. Soon, the practice of sponsoring radio programs
popularized and they started allocating sponsorship rights to multiple
businesses instead of single businesses. The same practice was later carried on
to the television in late 1940s and early 1950s. Advertising transformed into a
modern approach in 1960s, with creatively produced advertisements tempting
consumer’s eyes. This could well be seen in the Volkswagen ad campaign that
featured headlines like “Think Small” and “Lemon”.
The era of
modern advertising saw promotion of “position” and “unique selling proposition”
that was designed to associate every brand with a specific idea in the reader
or viewer’s mind. Cable television was introduced in late 1980s and early
1990s, giving further boost to advertising. Steadily, specialty channels emerged
that were devoted entirely towards advertising such as QVC, Home Shopping
Network and ShopTV Canada. With the boom of Internet in the 1990s, new
frontiers opened for advertisers. A number of corporations came up, operating
solely on advertising revenue.
The entry of
21st century saw various sites, including the much-used search engine Google,
indulging in online advertising, with the intention of helping the users. The
recent advertising innovation is “guerrilla advertising” that makes use of
unusual approaches, such as staged encounters in public places, giveaway of
products such as cars covered with brand messages, and interactive advertising
where viewers can respond to become part of the advertising messages.
Advertising has come a long way from its inception and there is much progress
to be covered in the time to come.
NATURE
AND SCOPE OF ADVERTISING:
NATURE OF ADVERTISING
Used by many types of
organizations including Churches, Universities, Civic groups and charities,
politicians!!
Need to consider the
following issues:
Does the product
possess unique, important features to focus on Unique Selling Point (USP)
Are the hidden
qualities important to the buyers
Is the general demand
trend for the product adequate
Is the market potential
for the product adequate
Is the competitive
environment favorable
Is the organization
able and willing to spend the required money to launch an advertising campaign.
SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF
ADVERTISING
Advertisements are
important for:
Standardized products
Products aimed at large
markets
Products that have
easily communicable features
Products low in price
Products sold through
independent channel members and/or are new.
Broadcast Ad spending
is at an all time high due to heavy competition in the:
Computer industry
Telecommunications
Industry
Auto Industry
Whenever severe
competition between marketers, introducing new products etc.
Even with evolution of
direct marketing, and interactive media.
For further reading on
Ad
http://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt19.html
(BEST) for Sample Media Plan and Sample Ad. Project.
http://beraudiovisual.blogspot.in
Best for Cinema and TV production
http://www.adglitz.com/2010/09/09/best-advertisements-from-indias-best-brands-includes-some-ads-from-doordarshan-era-part-2-of-2/
Best for Ad learning.
UNIT II
Marketing is "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."
For business to consumer marketing, it is "the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships, in order to capture value from customers in return". For business to business marketing it is creating value, solutions, and relationships either short term or long term with a company or brand. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments. It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves.
Marketing is used to identify the customer, satisfy the customer, and keep the customer. With the customer as the focus of its activities, marketing management is one of the major components of business management. The term marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions. It proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors.
The term developed from an original meaning which referred literally to going to a market to buy or sell goods or services. Seen from a systems point of view, sales process engineering marketing is "a set of processes that are interconnected and interdependent with other functions, whose methods can be improved using a variety of relatively new approaches."
Marketing Mix: A
planned mix of the controllable elements of a product's marketing plan commonly
termed as 4Ps: product, price, place, and promotion.
These four elements are
adjusted until the right combination is found that serves the needs of the
product's customers, while generating optimum income.
"Marketing
mix" is a general phrase used to describe the different kinds of choices
organizations have to make in the whole process of bringing a product or
service to market. The 4 Ps is one way – probably the best-known way – of
defining the marketing mix, and was first expressed in 1960 by E J McCarthy.
The 4Ps are:
Product (or Service)
Place
Price
Promotion
A good way to
understand the 4 Ps is by the questions that you need to ask to define you
marketing mix. Here are some questions that will help you understand and define
each of the four elements:
Product/Service
What does the customer
want from the product/service? What needs does it satisfy?
What features does it
have to meet these needs?
Are there any features
you've missed out?
Are you including
costly features that the customer won't actually use?
How and where will the
customer use it?
What does it look like?
How will customers experience it?
What size(s), color(s),
and so on, should it be?
What is it to be
called?
How is it branded?
How is it
differentiated versus your competitors?
What is the most it can
cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably? (See also Price,
below).
Place
Where do buyers look
for your product or service?
If they look in a
store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or both? Or
online? Or direct, via a catalogue?
How can you access the
right distribution channels?
Do you need to use a
sales force? Or attend trade fairs? Or make online submissions? Or send samples
to catalogue companies?
What do you competitors
do, and how can you learn from that and/or differentiate?
Price
What is the value of
the product or service to the buyer?
Are there established
price points for products or services in this area?
Is the customer price
sensitive? Will a small decrease in price gain you extra market share? Or will
a small increase be indiscernible, and so gain you extra profit margin?
What discounts should
be offered to trade customers, or to other specific segments of your market?
How will your price
compare with your competitors?
Promotion
Where and when can you
get across your marketing messages to your target market?
Will you reach your
audience by advertising in the press, or on TV, or radio, or on billboards? By
using direct marketing mailshot? Through PR? On the Internet?
When is the best time
to promote? Is there seasonality in the market? Are there any wider
environmental issues that suggest or dictate the timing of your market launch,
or the timing of subsequent promotions?
How do your competitors
do their promotions? And how does that influence your choice of promotional
activity?
The 4Ps model is just
one of many marketing mix lists that have been developed over the years. And,
whilst the questions we have listed above are key, they are just a subset of
the detailed probing that may be required to optimize your marketing mix.
Amongst the other
marketing mix models have been developed over the years is Boom and Bitner's
7Ps, sometimes called the extended marketing mix, which include the first 4 Ps,
plus people, processes and physical layout decisions.
Another marketing mix
approach is Lauterborn's 4Cs, which presents the elements of the marketing mix
from the buyer's, rather than the seller's, perspective. It is made up of
Customer needs and wants (the equivalent of product), Cost (price), Convenience
(place) and Communication (promotion). In this article, we focus on the 4Ps
model as it is the most well-recognized, and contains the core elements of a
good marketing mix.
Using the 4Ps Marketing
Mix Model
The marketing mix model
can be used to help you decide how to take a new offer to market. It can also
be used to test your existing marketing strategy. Whether you are considering a
new or existing offer, follow the steps below help you define and improve your
marketing mix.
Start by identifying
the product or service that you want to analyze.
Now go through and
answer the 4Ps questions – as defined in detail above.
Try asking
"why" and "what if" questions too, to challenge your offer.
For example, ask why your target audience needs a particular feature. What if
you drop your price by 5%? What if you offer more colors? Why sell through
wholesalers rather than direct channels? What if you improve PR rather than
rely on TV advertising?
Tip:
Check through your
answers to make sure they are based on sound knowledge and facts. If there are
doubts about your assumptions, identify any market research, or facts and
figures that you may need to gather.
Once you have a
well-defined marketing mix, try "testing" the overall offer from the
customer's perspective, by asking customer focused questions:
Does it meet their
needs? (product)
Will they find it where
they shop? (place)
Will they consider it's
priced favorably? (price)
And will the marketing
communications reach them? (promotion)
Keep on asking
questions and making changes to your mix until you are satisfied that you have
optimized your marketing mix, given the information and facts and figures you
have available.
Review you marketing
mix regularly, as some elements will need to change as the product or service,
and its market, grow, mature and adapt in an ever-changing competitive
environment.
Target
Audience: In marketing and advertising, a target audience, is
a specific group of people within the target market at which a product or the
marketing message of a product is aimed at. (Kotler 2000)... For example, if a
company sells new diet programs for men with heart disease problems (target
market) the communication may be aimed at the spouse (target audience) who
takes care of the nutrition plan of her husband and child.
A target audience can
be formed of people of a certain age group, gender, marital status, etc., e.g.
teenagers, females, single people, etc. A combination of factors, e.g. men aged
20–30 is a common target audience. Other groups, although not the main focus,
may also be interested. Discovering the appropriate target market(s) and determining
the target audience is one of the most important activities in marketing
management (Niewenhuizen et al. 2000). The
biggest mistake it's possible to make in targeting is trying to reach everybody
and ending up appealing to no-one.
For further reading on
Ad
http://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt19.html
(BEST) for Sample Media Plan and Sample Ad. Project.
Geographic
Area: Collecting and analyzing information according to
the physical location of the customer or other data source. Geographic
segmentation is often used in marketing, since companies selling products and
services would like to know where their products are being sold in order to
increase advertising and sales efforts there.
Demographic
Segmentation: Market segmentation based on
differences in demographic factors of different groups of consumers. Demographic analysis can be applied to whole societies or to groups defined
by criteria such as education, nationality, religion and ethnicity. It is one of
the five common segmentation strategies, and aims to define specific niches
that require custom promotion. Broader
field of social demography population studies also analyze the relationships
between economic, social, cultural and biological processes influencing a
population. The term demographics refers
to characteristics of a population.
Psychographics:
Analysis of consumer lifestyles to create a detailed customer profile. Market
researchers conduct psychographic research by asking consumers to agree or
disagree with activities, interests, opinions statements. Results of this
exercise are combined with geographic (place of work or residence) and
demographic (age, education, occupation, etc.) characteristics to develop a
more 'lifelike' portrait of the targeted consumer segment.
As a business, you need
to be where your customers are coming from, and you'll want to research where
your customers live to make sure that your business is well-placed. This is
also a good way to target potential new customers. Use your existing customer
geographic market and then ask yourself, “Where can I find potential
customers?”
To locate your
business' customer geographic market area, here’s some advice:
Start with the
addresses of your existing customers. Wherever you have a concentration of
existing customers, you also have a concentration of potential customers.
Follow your inquiries.
Inquiries are customers waiting to happen. The addresses of your inquiries will
define target geographic areas where people have demonstrated interest in the
products and services you offer.
Locate your
noncustomers. Identify geographic areas with concentrations of people who have
the attributes of your current customers but who don’t yet buy from you. These
are noncustomers who are also potential customers.
Call advertising
representatives at the leading publications that serve your business sector.
Media outlets conduct and purchase research, and often they share information
as a way to convince you of their ability to carry your marketing message to
the right prospects.
Contact your industry association.
Inquire about industry market analyses that detail geographic areas with
concentrated interest in your offerings.
Visit your library
reference desk. Study the SRDS Lifestyle Market Analyst, a rich source of
market-by-market demographic and lifestyle information, and the CACI Sourcebook
of ZIP Code Demographics, which details the population profiles of 150 U.S. zip
codes and county areas.
Advertising
Media: Various means (advertising vehicles) such as
billboards, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and internet by which
promotional messages are communicated to the public using audio-visuals like
words, speech, pictures, video clips and movies.
Purpose
of Advertising:
The ultimate purpose of
all commercial advertising is to persuade people to buy. To be effective good ads must have:
the ability to get our attention. Hundreds of ads are seen/heard each day. Therefore, an effective ad must stand out
from the competition and grab the consumer's attention.
the ability to sustain our attention. It is important that the potential consumer
learn something about the product. An
effective ad involves the reader in the details of the ad and carries the
reader's attention through the ad.
the ability to transmit
the message. Clarity is important if
the consumer is to understand the message given the limited ad space available.
the ability to convince the potential consumers to accept
the message of the ad and the ad brand.
Thus, the ability of the ad to persuade you to accept the product, the brand, and to buy.
The purpose of
advertising may also be to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is
viable or successful. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and
viewed via various traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper,
magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or
direct mail; or new media such as blogs and websites and text messages.
UNIT
III
CORPORATE
IDENTITY: In Corporate Communications, a
corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is
designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives.
It is usually visibly manifested by way of branding and the use of trademarks.
Corporate identity
comes into being when there is a common ownership of an organizational
philosophy that is manifest in a distinct corporate culture — the corporate
personality. At its most profound, the public feel that they have ownership of
the philosophy. Often referred to as organizational identity, corporate
identity helps organizations to answer questions like “who are we?” and “where
are we going?” Corporate identity also allows consumers to denote their sense of
belonging with particular human aggregates or groups.
In general, this
amounts to a corporate title, logo (logotype and/or logogram), and supporting
devices commonly assembled within a set of guidelines. These guidelines govern
how the identity is applied and confirm approved colour palettes, typefaces,
page layouts and other such methods of maintaining visual continuity and brand
recognition across all physical manifestations of the brand. These guidelines
are usually formulated into a package of tools called corporate identity
manuals.
Many companies, such as
McDonald's and Electronic Arts, have their own identity that runs through all
of their products and merchandise. The trademark "M" logo and the
yellow and red appear consistently throughout the McDonald's packaging and
advertisements. Many companies pay large amounts of money for the research,
design and execution involved in creating an identity that is extremely
distinguishable and appealing to the company's target audience.
Read
this topic in Wikipedia for a thorough reference.
LOGO:
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises,
organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public
recognition. Logos are either purely graphic (symbols/icons) or are composed of
the name of the organization (a logotype or wordmark).
In the days of hot
metal typesetting, a logotype was a uniquely set and arranged typeface or
colophon. At the level of mass communication and in common usage a company's
logo is today often synonymous with its trademark or brand.
Read
this topic in Wikipedia for a thorough reference.
A logo is a
perspicuous glyph or symbolic, identifying mark that conveys origin, identity,
or ownership. The main function is to elicit recognition. The object of a logo
is to act as a mnemonic device and identifier, to communicate a desired thought
or feeling, and to generate a desired emotional response. A thought-provoking logo design can strengthen your brand image and corporate identity, giving you a psychological advantage
over your competition. Your logo is the core of your corporate identity,
defining and symbolizing the character of your company or organization.
There are three basic
types of logos
Iconic/Symbolic
- Icons and symbols are compelling yet
uncomplicated images that are emblematic of a particular company or product.
They use imagery that conveys a literal or abstract representation of your
organization. Symbols are less direct than straight text, leaving room for
broader interpretation of what the organization represents. In order for a
symbol to be a truly effective logo, it should conform to these maxims:
Instantaneously recognizable.Memorable.Clarity when reproduced in
small sizes.Can be illustrative in
nature, either concrete or abstract.
Logotype/Wordmark
- A
logotype, commonly known in the design industry as a "word mark",
incorporates your company or brand name into a uniquely styled type font
treatment. Type fonts come in thousands of possible variations, shapes, sizes,
and styles, each conveying a slightly different impression upon your intended
audience. Script fonts imply a sense of formality and refinement. Thick fonts
proclaim strength and power, whereas slanted type fonts impart a sense of
motion or movement. Type font treatments can also include hand-drawn letters,
characters or symbols that have been rendered in such a way as to intrigue the
eye and capture the interest. Images can also be integrated into a logotype,
often to great visual effect. Of prime consideration when selecting a logotype
or wordmark is legibility and ease of recognition, even when reduced to the
size required for printing your business cards.
Combination
Marks - Combination
Marks are graphics with both text and a symbol/icon that signifies the brand
image that you wish to project for your company or organization. Concise text
can complement an icon or symbol, providing supplemental clarity as to what
your enterprise is all about.
There are integrated and stand alone combination marks. For
instance, Starbucks logo has the text with the graphic integrated, whereas the
AT&T logo has the icon separate from the text.
Logos are very important for business and a must if you are planning to
build or design a strong brand identity. A well constructed logo can create
loyal followers through simplicity and memorability. If you are designing a logo,
you should follow all 5 principles of
good logo design. Also, be aware that a logo is the visual
representation of a company/brand’s values, beliefs and functions. When designing one, think of the feel and visual cues you need to
represent the business the right way. Along with how the logo will look on
products, advertisements and branding collateral. It’s an entire package and
not just one small mark you are designing, so remember, the logo you design
will serve as the first recognition point for your client’s business. If you
would like a more in depth definition of a logo, read a full definition here.
Well, you need a logo or need to design one and are unsure of the options
available to you. I
will give you a brief description of each type of logo, the better solution to your design problem, and explain them through
the use of successful logo designs in use today.
These famous brandmark symbols require
no text to be identified.
Brandmark Symbol – This
type of symbol represents the company in a simple but bold manner. Most often
represented through an abstract design. Usually, the ideas and concept behind
the logo are complex, yet are represented in the simplest form possible.
Examples of a brandmark include shell, Mercedes-Benzand apple. The
human mind can easily remember a simple form better than a complex one. It is
best to use a brandmark symbol if you plan on building a global brand and have
the funds to back it up.
Wordmark – Is a
uniquely styled font type that spells out the company or brand name. Technology
companies usually use this type of logo, as stylized text looks best on
electronics and expresses the sophistication of a company. Examples of a
wordmark include Sony, Samsung and Microsoft. Other great examples are Facebook and Google, the world’s most
visited website.
Lettermark – Are
exclusively typographic. The lettermark uses the company name written out, yet
has a symbol representing the company through the use of its initials or the
brands first letter. Think HP, IBM andHonda. The
best usage for this type of logo depends on many different variables such as;
your initials can better graphically illustrate the company better than the
full name, the name is too long, hard to pronounce, or is just not distinct
enough to carry its own weight.
Combination Mark – Is the
combination of a symbol and a wordmark. The purpose of the combination mark is
to create an identity that embodies a given company through the use of a symbol
and type treatment. In certain situations and with proper investment of time
& money, a strong combination mark can use its symbol to represent the
company without the use of text. Great examples include; Mexicana Airlines,Bank of America, 9/11 Memorial, and Rip Curl.
Emblem – An
emblem logo encases the company name within the design. Most notable emblem
logos include; Harley Davidson, UPS and NFL.
Is a logo just a logo or do they fall into certain categories or
types of logos? The short answer is yes – there are different approaches
to the design of logos for small to medium businesses.
Please take note: Designing a logo for large corporations (ie:
banks, councils) requires a very different approach to the one we are
representing here. With large corporations it is usual practice that brand
managers, marketing researchers and consultants work alongside art directors
and graphic designers to develop brand identities. Logos get tested with focus
groups prior presenting designs to board of directors.
The design of logos for small to medium businesses is easily
grouped into 7 different types:
1. Abstract
2. Descriptive
3. Emblematic
4. Illustrative
5. Letterform
6. Typographic
7. Wordmark
1. Abstract
Logos
Abstract logos are like an abstract idea in that it has no
specific form in your brain. These types of logos have a non-descriptive
message using a very specific graphic image.
Abstract logos require a lot of hard work to graphically express
a non-descriptive idea. The end result can be a simple mark or a very complex
graphic – but they are always unique!
Good for: conveying a very generic idea uniquely and to express
‘feelings’ in a very subtle way, rather than facts.
2. Descriptive
Logos
Descriptive logos allude to the name, attributes or benefits of
a brand by using clearly recognisable images.
Good for: brand recognition towards a very specific message or
even a feeling of what to expect when interacting with the brand.
3. Emblematic
Logos
Emblematic logos combine an ‘emblem’ style symbol with unique
pictorial elements as well as the brand name. With emblematic logos there is no
separation of the words and the symbols. Icon and text become one.
Special consideration should be made when using emblematic logos in small sizes
as the detail and the name can become lost and very hard to read.
Good for: sporting teams, package designs and to convey a sense of ‘protection’.
Good for: sporting teams, package designs and to convey a sense of ‘protection’.
4. Illustrative Logos
Illustrative logos are very unique and express a great deal
about the business, product or service they are designed to represent. The
illustrative logo incorporates unique drawings and character designs. They need
to be created taking into consideration the overall visual identity of the
brand, that is, they must work well with all the other elements of the design
to be truly effective.
The following examples demonstrate two different cases of illustrative logos. Both logo designs were developed alongside the illustration, character and icon designs.
The following examples demonstrate two different cases of illustrative logos. Both logo designs were developed alongside the illustration, character and icon designs.
Good for: creating a more unique approach to presenting a brand
to the market. Characters and illustrations for brand identity must be custom
made for trademarking reasons.
5. Letterform
Logos
Letterform logos are created by using acronyms or one or more
letters from the business name, product or service name. In this situation
the letters become a ‘symbol’ creating a unique design that acts as a ‘focal
point’ for a brand name.
Good for: reinforcing the acronym or initials of the product or
service of the brand.
6. Typographic
Logos
Typographic logos do not use any symbols – just words and
letters to create an image. In most cases, these are the most affordable types
of logos as strict limits are established very early on in the design process.
The sample on the left was created using commercial fonts and the sample on the
right uses custom made letters. They are simple but can still be very
effective!
Good for: start up businesses and labels.
Good for: start up businesses and labels.
7. Wordmark
Logos
Wordmark logos use the business, product or service name as the
foundation for the design. The typography can be created from ‘scratch’ or from
a commercial font. Images can then be integrated into the typography to create
even greater impact and to give it a truly customised look and feel.
Good for: creating a ‘mental picture’ of a brand – so that
whenever you say the name, the image is associated with the sound of the word.
View the creation of Bling logo here
Which type of logo is right for your product
or service?
There are no specific rules in design to define right or wrong
when it comes to logos. Graphic design is a creative process and each and every
brand must be approached in a unique way. But don’t worry, finding the
right solution for you and your business, product or service is all part of
your professional graphic designer’s job!
However, as there are many ‘unknown’ areas to what a client is
looking for, most graphic designers find it hard to give clients a price
without knowing their specific requirements, target market and long term goals.
As a result, it is your graphic designer’s job to discuss and
look into ‘aspirational’ and functional solutions (form and function) for your
specific needs and wants. This is determined during the Design brief and design research aspect of the logo design work.
It is once this preliminary phase of the process has been completed, that the
creative process begins and a range of solutions are examined. This
all provides the graphic designer with the information that will then enable them
give a professional opinion on the approach that will best serve your specific
needs.
At Soul Space Graphic Design, we specialize in Visual Identity
services.
If you have any queries, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to hear from you!
COPYWRITING:
Copywriting is the act of writing copy (text) for the purpose of advertising or
marketing a product, business, person, opinion or idea. The addressee (reader,
listener, etc.) of the copy is meant to be persuaded to buy the product
advertised for, or subscribe to the viewpoint the text shares.
Copywriters are used to
help create direct mail pieces, taglines, jingle lyrics, web page content (although
if the purpose is not ultimately promotional, its author might prefer to be
called a content writer), online ads, e-mail and other Internet content,
television or radio commercial scripts, press releases, white papers, catalogs,
billboards, brochures, postcards, sales letters, and other marketing
communications media. Copy can also appear in social media content including
blog posts, tweets, and social-networking site posts.
Content writing on
websites may include among its objectives the achievement of higher rankings in
search engines. Known as "organic" search engine optimization (SEO),
this practice involves the strategic placement and repetition of keywords and
keyword phrases on web pages, writing in a manner that human readers would consider
normal.
COPYWRITERS:
Most
copywriters are employees within organizations such as advertising agencies,
public relations firms, company advertising departments, large stores,
marketing firms, broadcasters and cable providers, newspapers, book publishers
and magazines. Copywriters can also be independent contractors who freelance
for a variety of clients, at the clients' offices or working from their own, or
partners or employees in a specialized copywriting agency. Such agencies
combine copywriting services with a range of editorial and associated services
that may include positioning and messaging consulting, social media and SEO
consulting, developmental editing, and copy editing, proofreading, fact
checking, layout, and design. A copywriting agency most often serves large
corporations.
A copywriter usually
works as part of a creative team. Advertising agencies partner copywriters with
art directors. The copywriter has ultimate responsibility for the
advertisement's verbal or textual content, which often includes receiving the
copy information from the client. The copywriter is responsible for telling the
story, crafting it in such a way that it resonates with the viewer/reader,
ideally producing an emotional response. The art director has ultimate
responsibility for visual communication and, particularly in the case of print
work, may oversee production. Although, in many instances, either person may
come up with the overall idea for the advertisement or commercial (typically
referred to as the concept or "big idea"), and the process of
collaboration often improves the work.
Copywriters are similar
to technical writers and the careers may overlap. Broadly speaking, however,
technical writing is dedicated to informing readers rather than persuading
them. For example, a copywriter writes an ad to sell a car, while a technical
writer writes the operator's manual explaining how to use it.
Because the words sound
alike, copywriters are sometimes confused with people who work in copyright
law. These careers are unrelated.
Famous copywriters
include David Ogilvy, Robert Collier, William Bernbach, Victor O. Schwab and
Leo Burnett . Many creative artists spent some of their career as copywriters
before becoming famous for other things, including Peter Carey, Dorothy L. Sayers,
Eric Ambler, Joseph Heller, Terry Gilliam, William S. Burroughs, Salman
Rushdie, Don DeLillo, Lawrence Kasdan, Fay Weldon, Philip Kerr and Shigesato
Itoi. (Herschell Gordon Lewis, on the other hand, became famous for directing
violent exploitation films, then became a very successful copywriter.)
The Internet has
expanded the range of copywriting opportunities to include web content, ads,
emails and other online media. It has also brought new opportunities for
copywriters to learn their craft, conduct research and view others' work. And
the Internet has made it easier for employers, copywriters and art directors to
find each other.
As a consequence of
these factors, along with increased use of independent contractors and virtual
commuting generally, freelancing has become a more viable job option,
particularly in certain copywriting specialties and markets. A generation ago,
professional freelance copywriters (except those between full-time jobs) were
rare.
While education may be
a good start or supplement in a budding copywriter's professional education,
working as part of an advertising team arguably remains the best way for
novices to gain the experience and business sense required by many employers,
and expands the range of career opportunities.
10
Steps to Effective Copywriting
Don't waste your ad
dollars with an over-the-top sales pitch. Well-written copy follows these
simple guidelines.
Whether you're a
small-business owner, a medium-size business owner, an eBay seller, or simply
trying to break into the copywriting industry, understanding the fundamentals
of writing sales-oriented copy and put you on a path to success. At its core,
copywriting is another device in a business' marketing toolbox. Well-written
copy can make or break an ad or marketing piece. With that in mind, copywriting
can equate to either well-spent advertising investments or a waste of
advertising dollars.
Many people
misinterpret the uniqueness of effective copywriting. I can't count the number
of times I've heard freelance writers say they want to shift from article
writing to copywriting as if it's simply an extension of their existing
abilities. Copywriting does come naturally to some people, but for most, it's a
foreign landscape they do not know how to navigate. Copywriting is about more
than writing the hard sell sales letter that many short copywriting courses
offer. In fact, I cringe when I see those over-the-top sales letters, which do
little more than provide an ugly representation of copywriting, sales and
marketing.
Well-crafted
copywriting doesn't need to beat a person over the head. It doesn't have to
drown in bold typeface and capitalization. The message should stand on its own
without an overabundance of heavy-handed sales language and design
embellishments. I associate many sales letters that are guilty of this
technique with a writer who doesn't truly understand the basic purpose of
copywriting. However, successful copywriting can be achieved in 10 easy steps.
Consider Your Copy
Motivate your customer
to buy with these 10 copywriting steps:
1. Exploit your
product's benefits
2. Exploit your
competition's weaknesses
3. Know your audience
4. Communicate
W.I.I.F.M. (What's In It For Me?)
5. Focus on
"you," not "we"
6. Understand your
medium
7. Avoid T.M.I. (Too
Much Information)
8. Include a call to
action
9. C.Y.A. (
10. Proofread
1. Exploit your
product's benefits.
The first step of the
copywriting outline is the foundation for your advertising campaigns. A benefit
is the value of your product to a customer. In other words, a benefit is what
the product can do for a customer or how the product can help a customer. You
need to put into words the reasons your product is the best available and
better than your competitors' products based on the added value it provides to
your customers. The key to success is for you to fully understand all the
benefits of your product. Only then can you ensure that the audience knows them
and can relate to them.
2. Exploit your
competition's weaknesses.
To write compelling
copy, it is essential that you know what differentiates your product from the
competition. Once you know your competitors' weaknesses, you must make sure
your audience knows them and understands why buying your competitors' products
would be a terrible mistake. Get started by thoroughly researching your
competition and understanding what they offer in terms of products and
services. Next, list the elements of their offerings that are inferior to your
own. Feel free to tear the competition apart but be realistic in your
comparisons. You want to be able to support your claims if you are challenged.
3. Know your audience.
Every person in the
world is not going to see every ad in the world. Each ad has a specific
audience that will see it, and it's the marketer's job to find the best
placement to ensure the target audience will see it. For example, an ad for
skateboards placed in a local senior citizen housing association newsletter is
not likely to generate a lot of sales. In fact, it would be a waste of advertising
dollars. The target audience for skateboards is teenagers or young adults. The
vast majority of senior citizens do not use skateboards, and it is not a
product category in which they typically purchase gifts. Before you buy ad
space, make sure you're spending your money in the right place to get the
biggest bang for your buck in terms of exposure and building awareness of your
product or service.
First, take the time to
research your customers thoroughly. In most businesses, 20 percent of customers
are responsible for 80 percent of sales (this is called the 80/20 rule in case
you're curious about the official marketing terminology for this phenomenon).
That 20 percent represents your best customer, and your job is to determine who
that 20 percent is. Evaluate your customers and put together a demographic
profile of your most valuable customer, so you can advertise in the best places
to find similar people who are likely prospects. If you're a small business
owner, you probably don't have a budget set aside to conduct a thorough
research study and analysis of your customer base, so you'll have to improvise
by using your own communication skills and visual investigation. Remember,
you're trying to develop a basic profile of your target customer, not a CIA
profile of each individual who buys your product. Do your best with the
information you have.
There are many
attributes you can use to develop a demographic profile of your customers.
Following is a list of examples of traits to help you start your own
demographic profiling initiative:
Gender
Age
Ethnicity
Family Status
Income
Occupation
Interests
4. Communicate
W.I.I.F.M. (What's In It For Me?)
There are a variety of
reasons to create an advertisement or marketing piece. Before you write copy
for your promotional piece, you need to understand your goals for that piece.
What do you want to get in return? The copy you use in each ad or marketing
piece will vary based on your goals for that promotion. While this book does
not focus on the development of marketing plans and strategies, I will offer
some examples of different objectives for ads or marketing pieces that, in
turn, will affect the copy you use:
Communicate a special
offer
Share information and
raise awareness
Generate leads
Your customers need to
understand how your product or service is going to help them by making their
lives easier, making them feel better, helping them save money, helping them
save time, etc. In this step of the copywriting outline, you'll build on the
work you've done so far by taking your product's features, benefits, and
differentiators and specifically describing how they directly affect your
target audience members' lives in positive ways. Remember the first tenet of
copywriting--your product or service is far less important than its ability to
fulfill your customers' needs.
Answer your target
audience's question "What's in it for me?" Remember, you're paying
for your ad space and possibly graphic design too. Don't waste your money by
placing an ad with ineffective copy that does not clearly tell your customers
what they'll get by buying your product or service. Large companies with big
advertising and marketing budgets can test snappy, cliché headlines and copy in
an attempt to find the best way to catch their target audience's attention, but
small and medium-size business owners typically have limited budgets. For
smaller businesses that only have one chance to communicate their message, copy
must be written so the message, including benefits and differentiators, is heard
and understood by the target audience. There is no room in a small business
owner's advertising budget to risk not getting that specific message across to
the right people every time.
5. Focus on
"you," not "we."
It is essential that
you are aware of how you're addressing your customers in your copy. To do this,
you need to understand pronoun usage. Think back to your school days. Remember
your English teacher explaining first person, second person, and third person?
As a refresher, first person (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) is the person
speaking and second person (you, your, yours) is the person to whom one is
speaking. It's essential that you write copy that speaks to your target
audience and not at them--and not about you. Therefore, the majority of your
copy in any ad or marketing piece should be written in the second person. For
example, do you prefer copy that says, "Through our first-rate sales
department, we can deliver cars within 24 hours" or "You can drive
your new car tomorrow"? While the first copy example focuses on the
business, the second example focuses on customers and speaks directly to them.
It's more personal, and thus, more effective.
Remember, writing in
the second person helps your audience quickly connect the points in your copy
to their own lives and allows them to personalize the advertisement or
marketing piece. This is how the ad is connected to an individual customer's
own life. By writing your copy so it focuses on the customer rather than
yourself, the customer can personalize the ad and product you're selling and
act accordingly.
6. Understand your
medium.
As you write your copy,
be aware that each different medium where an ad is placed requires a different
tone or style. Depending on where you're placing your ad, the copy you use
changes based on the audience who will see the ad. Are you placing your ad in a
local newspaper or on a billboard? Are you placing your ad in a woman's
magazine or in a news magazine? Different media require different copy to most
effectively persuade a particular audience to act. Furthermore, different types
of marketing pieces require different types of copy. Remember, there are many
ways to use copy to promote your business other than traditional
advertisements. Use every possible and appropriate opportunity to communicate
your marketing messages to your customers.
7. Avoid T.M.I. (Too
Much Information)
Never risk losing the
attention of your audience by providing too much detail in your copy. Effective
copywriting tells your audience what they need to know to act and make a
purchase or how to contact you for more information. Extraneous details clutter
the minds of your audience, which increases the possibility of them forgetting
the most important aspects of your advertisement or marketing program. Unless
you're advertising a prescription drug, highly technical equipment, or an
exceedingly regulated or complicated product, the best rule to follow is
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid). You're spending a substantial amount of your
advertising budget on placing each ad. With each ad, you only receive a small
amount of space to get your message across to your audience. Wisely use that
pricey real estate to ensure you get the highest return on your investment.
8. Include a call to
action.
The goal of any ad or
marketing piece is to elicit some kind of response from the audience who sees
it. A call to action is the element of copy that tells an audience how you want
them to respond to your advertisement or marketing piece. Typically, the call to
action creates a sense of urgency around a message and provides instructions on
what to do next. For example, a call to action might tell the audience to call
the advertiser or visit their store or website.
Including a call to
action is by far the most important aspect of effective copywriting. It is
essential that you make it easy for your audience to act on your ad or
marketing message. You already persuaded them to want your product by following
Step 1 through Step 7 of the copywriting outline and by writing influential
copy. Now you must make sure your audience can respond easily to your ad and
buy your product by compelling them to act.
To start, make sure the
sentence structure of your copywriting is in an active rather than passive
voice. The reason for this is simple. Copy that you write in the active voice
is by definition action-oriented, while copy that you write in the passive
voice talks about the action in a remote manner. To further explain, when you
write a sentence in the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the
action of the verb in the sentence. On the other hand, if you write a sentence
in the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action from the
verb of the sentence.
The second step in
creating an effective call to action in your copy is developing a sense of
urgency. Your goal in advertising is to create awareness of your product or
service and, ultimately, boost sales. When do you want to do that? Do you want
your customers to act tomorrow, next month, or next year? If you're spending
money on advertising now, you most likely want your customers to act now. If
that's the case, your copy needs to tell them to get off the couch and get into
your store now. There are many words and phrases you can add to your copy to
create a sense of urgency.
9. C.Y.A. (Cover Your
Anxious areas)
While large companies
have legal departments that review copy to ensure it does not expose the
company to potential problems, smaller companies don't usually have the budget
to seek the opinion of an attorney for each ad they run or marketing piece they
print. However, that doesn't mean small business owners have any less
responsibility for producing ads and marketing pieces that are honest and not
considered deceptive. Most small business owners are sole proprietors meaning
if they lose a lawsuit, not only can their business assets be used to satisfy a
plaintiff's claim, but their personal assets can be targeted as well. When
you're writing copy, consider if claims that you can't prove in your copy (or
can't provide appropriate disclaimers for) are worth it once you weigh the risk
vs. the potential reward.
Aside from opening
yourself up to possible litigation, exaggerating or falsifying claims about
your product or your competition is unethical and a bad business practice. If
you're caught in a lie (no matter how small), word will spread quickly, and
your reputation could be irreparably damaged. Again, weigh the risk vs. the
potential reward before you advertise using claims you can't prove.
Be careful of using
words superlatives such as the examples in the following list:
Free
Guaranteed
Best, lowest, fastest,
etc.
Or your money back
Risk-free
No risk
No purchase necessary
No cost
No obligation
No investment
100 percent
Promise
No questions asked
10. Proofread.
It is critical that you
accurately proofread your copy. One of the quickest ways to lose credibility in
advertising is to allow grammatical or spelling errors to appear in your
advertisement or marketing pieces. Customers translate carelessness in ads into
carelessness in products and service. They ask themselves, "If this
company doesn't care enough to produce an ad without errors, how likely are
they to care about taking care of me?" Professional businesses produce
professional quality ads and ad copy, and that means their copy has been
proofread again and again and is error free.
It Really Is That
Simple
Copywriting is truly
easy. If you do your research and prep work, your copy will shine. Don't be
afraid to take calculated risks and learn from your mistakes, but don't waste
your limited advertising budget. By doing the legwork first and thoroughly
completing your copywriting outline, you'll have a working document you can use
as a tool to produce all your copywriting projects now and in the future. Spend
some time up-front to develop a first rate copywriting outline, and you'll reap
the rewards later with a boost in sales and profits and a higher return in your
advertising investments.
Copywriting tutorial http://www.sherus.com/business/copywriting/
Advertiser: A person, organization or company that places
advertisements in order to target customers.
An
advertising agency or ad agency is a service business
dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other
forms of promotion) for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the
client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the
client's products or services. An agency can also handle overall marketing and
branding strategies and sales promotions for its clients.
Typical ad agency
clients include businesses and corporations, non-profit organizations and
government agencies. Agencies may be hired to produce television commercials
and radio commercials as part of an advertising campaign.
Advertising
Media: Various means (advertising vehicles) such as
billboards, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and internet by which
promotional messages are communicated to the public using audio-visuals like
words, speech, pictures, video clips and movies.
Consumer
Behaviour is the study of when, why, how, and where people do
or do not buy a product. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social
anthropology and economics.
It attempts to
understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups.
It studies
characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioural
variables in an attempt to understand people's wants.
It also tries to assess
influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference
groups, and society in general.
Buying Behavior is the
decision making processes and acts of people involved in buying and using
products.
Need to understand:
why consumers make the purchases
that they make?
what factors influence
consumer purchases?
the changing factors in
our society.
Consumer Buying
Behavior refers to the buying behavior of the ultimate consumer. A firm needs
to analyze buying behavior for:
Buyers reactions to a
firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firms success.
The marketing concept
stresses that a firm should create a Marketing Mix (MM) that satisfies (gives
utility to) customers, therefore need to analyze the what, where, when and how
consumers buy.
Marketers can better
predict how consumers will respond to marketing strategies.
Account
Planning:
Medium to large-sized advertising
agencies divide their work into various departments, traditionally splitting
functions into interacting with clients and looking out for their interests
(account management), buying advertising (media), and creating advertising
(creative). As the importance of the voice of the consumer has grown, around 25
years ago, ad agencies introduced a new discipline from the UK called account
planning which became a primary function in most US ad agencies around 15 years
ago. Account planning brings the consumer into the process of developing
advertising.
Account planners have
often been called 'the left side of a creative brain'. Their primary function
is to find consumer truth and insight that helps the creative teams to create
work that is not only entertaining and highly memorable, but that is relevant
to the consumer and effective in the marketplace. Creative ideas that drive business
are more typically the result of a strong collaboration between creative teams
and account planners. Account planners (sometimes also called brand planners
and strategic planners) use primary and secondary research to inform their
strategic thinking and are ultimately responsible for the work that informs,
and the penning of, the creative brief. If the creatives are closest to the
idea, and the account manager is closest to the client, the account planner is
closest to the consumer. The account planner is the person on an advertising
team who is most likely to have spent time with consumers (for B to C) or
customers (B to B), observing the consumer's path to purchase, by using
research such as ethnographies, focus groups or quantitative/social studies, asking
consumers how they think about and use the product or service. And in an era in
which the brand is at least as important as a specific product (for instance,
Nike as a brand has a place in the culture that far exceeds the particular
performance characteristics of their shoes), the account planner is responsible
for understanding the place of the brand in the consumer's mind. This is not
just a simple research function - planning truly begins when research ends -
and account planners stay engaged in the campaign process from the initial
client briefing and throughout the advertising cycle. Rather than offering
research insights to others at a single point in time, they use research to
continue to provide insights within the campaign process and most importantly
these days, help to track advertising effectiveness. Whereas previously,
account planners focused on the use of traditional primary research tools,
digital/social networks have given them the ability to listen to and interact
with consumers in new ways, and to work more closely with channel or media
planners throughout the process closely also, to not only help plan effective
advertising but also engage with consumers in the most effective ways.
Step by step procedure
of Account planning
Account planning is
simple
Having posted a few
thoughts this year about the basics of account planning and strategy (How to
get into strategy, Why strategists should make stuff and How to position your
business in 3 lines), I thought I’d have a go at explaining a high-level
approach to account planning… an account planning process, if you will.
Account planning should
be simple. However, a lot of people make a lot of money by making it seem
complicated. There’s a well worn Bruce Lee quote that has stuck with me since I
was young: “A kick is a kick and a punch is a punch.” Most martial artists go
on a journey where they learn the basics but then get distracted by the tricks
(fancy spinning kicks, for example) only to return to their core basics now
understanding how important they are.
It’s probably a similar
journey for many account planners. Someone (like me) will present the basics to
you – then you’ll discover some incredible IP about how to do account planning,
it will seem more scientific and justifiable… and then eventually you’ll work
out that it’s just a bunch of boxes with a trademark icon and that what we do
is – finally – simple.
It’s really important
to acknowledge that what account planners do is part-science, part-intuition.
However, it’s the intuition that makes a planner stand out. As I’ve said
before, a strategy is an informed and measurable opinion on where to take a
brand/business. Yes, an opinion.
Step 1: The problem
So you get a brief from
the client. Hopefully, they will have (possibly with you) worked out their key
business challenges and have a feel for what success looks like.
Often the annual
communications budget will be a nice round number and a % of the annual revenue
target (typically 5-10%). You can make your first impact here by trying to work
out the customer lifetime value of the client’s customers and establish whether
their budget makes any sense from the bottom up. There’s often little rhyme or
reason to where these budgets come from – they’re typically just rules of thumb
that businesses have applied for years.
I seriously suggest you
push to get clarity on this before you do anything else because it can swing
your entire approach.
OK, onto the problem.
The first few steps may
need a few attempts before you decide on the problem. You will need to do some
digging: qualitative, quantitative, keyword, website, social research. Maybe
you’ll dig up some behavioural economics, social sciences or psychology papers.
Whatever your inputs, define the problem in an interesting way.
Couch the problem in a
customer’s – not a business’s – point of view if possible. Avoid phrases like
‘we need more sales’, ‘we need to become more relevant’ and ‘we need awareness’
– these things are table stakes.
Make it provocative,
say it short, say it in one picture.
Step 2: Personas
Personas are a sort of
customer segmentation. They’re fictional representations of your client’s
customers based on research.
I’ve read conflicting
thoughts about how to do them. Some argue vehemently against creative labels:
instead of calling a group The Twilighters, some would argue you should note
them as ‘John, he’s really into Twilight’. I like the labels – our brains apply
these labels regardless of what’s written on the piece of paper anyway.
The basic info you want
to think through are their goals (in life – if relevant to what you’re selling,
in decision-making) and behaviour (in life – if relevant to what you’re
selling, in decision-making). You may list some of their pre-occupations,
beliefs, passions and pain-points. Google it if you’re interested.
Having established your
personas (again some conventions say to use 4-6 but I believe you can have as
many as are useful and as many as you can resource against), you may need to
pick your most valuable – the sort of customer you wish you had more of.
Perfect world, you’d
validate that enough of them exist (or could be created) and match your
investment against the possible business gain.
Step 3: Insight
Other than ‘strategy’,
‘insight’ is possibly one of the most over- and mis-used words in agency world.
There’s a difference between ‘I’ve found some stuff’ and ‘I’ve found an
insight’. Insights are unspoken human truths, truths the subconscious
recognises when it sees them. Often, insights are the arsenal of comedians and
poets. A lot of creatives look up jokes about particular issues as inspiration
for their ideas for this reason.
One of the best ways to
find them? Start with something that seems obvious and keep asking ‘Why?’ and
‘What if?’.
I’ve recently started
keeping note of little insights I personally observe. On the way to work the
other day, I passed a homeless person and I automatically held my breath and
turned my head. I caught myself doing it and thought how weird it was. I spoke
to people at work about it. Apparently, many others do the same thing…
automatically. I’m not claiming this as an incredible insight but if many other
people are doing the same thing perhaps it is an insight a charity could
exploit.
So, dig for the quirky
and write it short and interestingly.
Step 4: Brand or
product truth
There are a few
workshop tools I’ve consistently found handy for exploring this but ultimately
what you’re looking for is a truth about the brand or product that is both
unique and motivating to its customers.
A lot of established
brands have been around for a long time. This may be unique against their
competitors but rarely is it highly motivating.
When you’re exploring
this, challenge yourself to use different language – but, again, make it short.
And also look for what you don’t have that others do – sometimes there’s
something unique and motivating there. For example, one pet product I was
working on wasn’t a scheduled poison – it was really the only thing unique and
motivating about it. We couldn’t claim it publicly but it led to our brand
idea.
Step 5: Strategy
statement
I’ve come across a lot
of ‘strategic thinking’ that doesn’t seem to have a strategy. It has some
observations (mis-called ‘insights’) and a clunky single-minded proposition
slightly connected to some of the observations. But ultimately, a concise
strategy statement is a useful way to ground your prop and creative idea.
A To/By statement may
come in handy for this.
Step 6: Proposition or
core strategic idea
Whatever you want to
call this thing, it’s the guts of your strategy. It links and evolves the
insight and brand truth in an interesting way. It’s a handful of words.
Personally, I believe
there’s no role for an account planner unless they can flip the perspective on
a problem/opportunity/brand/person.
If you’re putting
run-of-the-mill language like ‘convenience’, ‘quality’, ‘easy’, etc in here
then I don’t believe there’s a need for you.
Of course, if you put
in chunky thoughts and the creative teams you work with aren’t used to it they
may say you’re putting in ideas. I agree. You are. That’s the point. But you’re
not putting in Creative Ideas or Advertising Ideas. They still need to make a
whole lot of leaps with your stimulus and take it to a whole other level.
I typically walk the
proposition around the office before I make it official. I don’t mind at all if
someone makes it better. The point is what gets done with it – not who does it.
Oh, and don’t try to
write taglines here.
Step 7: The experience
Many advertising
agencies stripped out or siloed the media, DM, digital and PR guys in the years
gone but the trend is reversing and, increasingly, the experience is becoming
an account planner’s remit. You can map an experience plan (engagement model –
or whatever fancy words you want to call it) against different personas.
At a high level, your
experience model may address 5-7 key phases of someone’s interaction with you.
If you think about the last time you bought a mobile phone. There may have been
a trigger, you may have waited for your contract to expire, then you
researched, asked around, validated with consumer and expert reviews, shopped,
signed up, set up and used. If you put those basic phases into a matrix then
mapped the issues (what challenges there are at each step), the context (where
the step happens: eg face to face, Google, Facebook) and the content needed to
make a decision, you can quickly map out a pretty solid plan.
Check out this
Starbucks experience model.
And…
The rest is pretty
self-explanatory. I’m personally interested in non-advertising ideas
(platforms, content, communities) that get advertised. I think one of the
challenges creative agencies face is the lack of common understanding about
what an idea is, who does ideas, what sorts of ideas there can be. It can get
in the way of coming up with great stuff. Anyway, I’ll save that for another
time.
What to apply right now
(a summary of the main points)
1. Find the real
problem and state it succinctly, interestingly
2. Find a deep human
insight – hit a nerve
3. Find what’s truly
unique and motivating about the brand/product (one thing can suffice)
4. Link the insight and
brand/product truth to a simple strategy statement
5. Try to flip the
perspective on the issue/brand/product/person with your core strategic idea
6. Don’t feel you need
to do it alone – talk it through
LATEST
TRENDS IN ADVERTISING: (No.1 is Internet followed by SMS on cell
phones) As marketers look for ways to keep pace with technology and media,
advertising trends have changed dramatically. Think, for example, about that
crazy email you got from your friend -- the one featuring the water skiing
squirrel.
After you stopped
laughing (and wondering why anyone would fashion tiny water skis to strap on a
squirrel) you noticed a product logo in the corner of the screen. And before
you realized it, you had "consumed" a brand message, and experienced
one of the new advertising trends.
This form of
sponsorship, known as "viral videos," is among many recent
promotional vehicles replacing conventional advertising. Thanks to YouTube,
blogs, TiVo, Facebook and basic email, people are spending less time watching
television commercials and reading print ads.
The advertising
revolution is on.
So, clever folks that
they are, advertisers have found new ways to capture those eyeballs, ideally
without offending the people behind them.
Branded
entertainment. Laughing for dollars
Say your product is a
tortilla chip, or a beer, or a sexploitation chick cop flick. Clearly, your
target audience is dudes 18 to 34. And where will you find them? In front of
their computers, watching two of the things they love most -- ideally at the
same time during Burly Sports Show on Heavy.com or Carl's Lock on
SuperDeluxe.com. Web channels like these have developed new forms of entertainment,
three minute shows called "webisodes." They play directly to the ADD
nature of the Internet, and people looking for quick breaks in their workday.
Burly and Carl's toast
and roast the previous week in pro sports, trashing athletes and their teams. In
return for the laughs, viewers allow the sponsors to ply their wares --
sometimes in the frame around the screen, sometimes as part of the
entertainment. And just in case you think this new web-centric format is less
than prime time, take a look at some of the ongoing sponsors: Doritos, Coke
Zero, AT & T, Dove and of course, sexploitation chick cop flick Bitch Slap.
You
Tube. Your new ad network
The 30-second TV spot
hasn't gone away entirely. It's just that the smart money is spending less of
theirs on media, and placing ads on YouTube. They then attempt to drive
consumers there via other inexpensive means. YouTube is a vehicle to attract
viewers who might not be watching as much TV, or skipping the shows in the
brand's media buy. It's also an ideal vehicle to expand an advertiser's reach.
The spot developed for an audience in Peoria is now reaching you wherever you
are, thanks to You Tube's international exposure.
Exploiting
Social Networks:
Types
of Ad agencies: Four Types of Advertising Agencies
Here are basically four
types of ad agencies. They are:
In-house agencies
Creative boutiques
Media buying agencies
Full service agencies
In-
house agencies
Some companies, in an
effort to reduce costs and maintain greater control over agency activities,
have set up their own advertising agencies internally. An in-house agency is an
ad agency set up, owned and operated by the advertiser. Many companies use
in-house agencies exclusively; others combine in-house efforts with those of
outside agencies.
A major reason for
using in-house agency is to reduce advertising and promotional costs. Companies
with very large advertising budgets pay a substantial amount to outside
agencies in the form of media commissions. With an internal structure, these
commissions go to the in-house ad agency. An in-house ad agency can also
provide related work such as sales presentations and sales force material,
package design, and public relations at a lower cost than the outside agencies.
Saving money is not the
only reason companies use in-house ad agencies. Time savings, bad experience
with outside agencies, and the increased knowledge and understanding of the
market that come from working advertising and promotion for the product or
service day by day are also reasons. Companies can also maintain a tighter
control over the process and more easily coordinate promotions with the firm’s
overall marketing programmes.
Opponents of the
in-house agencies say that they can give the advertiser neither the experience
nor the objectivity of the outside agency and nor the range of services. They
argue that the outside agencies have a more specialized staff and attract the
best creative staff. Also flexibility is higher since if the company is not
satisfied with the agency it can be dismissed, whereas changes in an in-house
agency could be slower and more disruptive.
Thus we can summarize
by saying that
Ad agency
|
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
In house agency
|
Cost saving
More control
Increased coordination
|
Less experience
Less objectivity
Less flexibility
|
In-house agencies in
India are:
Levers - Lintas
(previously)
Videocon – Confidence
Reliance – Mudra (when
Mudra started out)
Creative
boutiques
Creative boutique is an
agency that provides only creative services. These specialized companies have
developed in response to some client’s desires to use only the creative talent
of an outside provider while maintaining the other functions internally.
The client may seek
outside creative talent for two reasons:
Because he wants an
extra creative effort
May be because its own
employees of the in-house agency or the agency that he has appointed do not
have sufficient skills in this regard.
The full-service
agencies also sub-contract work creative boutiques when they are very busy or
want to avoid adding full time employees to their pay roll. Creative boutiques
are usually found by members of the creative departments of full service
agencies who leave the firm and take with them clients who want to retain their
creative talents. These boutiques generally perform creative function on a fee
basis.
Few creative boutiques
in India:
RMG David
Vyas Gianetti Creatives
Chlorophyll
Media buying agencies
Media buying agencies
are independent companies that specialize in the buying of media, particularly
radio and television. The task of purchasing advertising media has grown more
complex as specialized media proliferate, so media buying services have found a
niche by specializing in the analysis and purchase of the advertising time and
space. Agencies and clients generally develop their own media plans and then
hire the buying services to execute them.
Some media buying
agencies do help advertisers plan their media strategies. Because media buying
agencies purchase such large amounts of time and space, they receive large
discounts and can save the small ageny’s or client’s money on media buying.
Media buying agencies are paid a fee or commission for their work.
Mindshare
Initiative Media (LOWE)
Zenith Media (Bates,
Saatchi & Saatchi)
Optimedia (Publicis)
Starcom (Leo Burnett)
Fulcrum (HTA) Normal 0
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
Full – service agency
The function of an
advertising agency is to see to it that its client’s advertising leads to
greater profits in the long run than could be achieved without the ad agency.
Most such agencies are large in size and offer their clients a full range of
services in the area of marketing, communications and promotions. These include
planning, creating and producing the advertisement, media selection and
research. Other services offered include strategic marketing planning, sales
training, package design, sales promotion, event management, trade shows,
publicity and public relations.
The full service agency
is composed of various departments; each is responsible to provide required
inputs to perform various functions to serve the client.
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Organizational structure of advertising agency
Advertising agency must have a suitable internal organizational structure to keep functioning properly with a smooth workflow.
When an advertising agency decides to establish its organizational structure, it must ask itself important questions like:
- What is the suitability and/or requirement of a department?
- How the span of control should be within an agency?
- Is there any mechanism or provision to make communication andcoordination more effective within an agency? So on.
All advertising agencies don't have a same organizational structure. Their structure varies from one agency to another. It is so, since, all organizations are unique and their objectives, requirements, functional areas and specialized departments are not common.
Diagram, an example of organizational structure of advertising agency.
The organizational structure of an ad agency becomes more complex with its expansion and growth. Smaller agencies usually have a simple organization-structure compared to giant ones who have ample funds and resources to carry out their large and growing operations in the field of advertising.
Departments of advertising agency
The main functional departments of advertising agency:
- Contact department,
- Media department,
- Copy department,
- Art department,
- production department
- Research department,
- Accounting and finance department,
- Public relations department and
- Office management.
Now let's discuss these important functional departments of an advertising agency along with specialized-functions assigned to them.
1. Contact department
Contact department of advertising agency keeps contact with their prospective clients, who are mostly advertisers.
The functions of contact department are as follows:
- Contact department supplies necessary information to the clients.
- It tries to increase and retain the number of clients of agency.
- It brings new clients to the agency which is crucial for increasing revenue, expansion and growth.
- It acts as a liaison authority (connection) between the advertising agency and its clients.
- It acts as a sales promotion department of the ad agency.
- It finds out new clients and promotes the business of agency.
The contact department of ad agency comes under accounting services. Account Executive is the head of it.
Efficient working of this department results in quick growth of ad agency.
2. Media department
Media department of advertising agency selects the best-media for advertising the products of the clients.
While selecting a media for advertising it must consider the following:
- Nature of the product,
- Competition in the market,
- Advertising budget of the client,
- Media trends, etc.
The functions of media department are as follows:
- Select and use the best media possible to communicate the ad message to the consumers. This is very important function because a wrong selection will result in the failure of product.
- Prepare a media plan for clients.
- Media scheduling.
- Supervise the execution of the schedule.
- Buy or book an advertising time and space in media for client.
- Keep contact with various media.
Media department of ad agency comes under marketing services.
3. Copy department
The main function of a copy department of advertising agency is to prepare an attractive copy-of-ad.
The copy of advertisement is very crucial. It is called the Heart of the AD. It is so, since it directly communicates the ad-message to the consumers.
The staff of this department includes copywriters, copy-supervisors, and others. They use their talent of imagination, skill of putting flair and fluent language while preparing a copy.
The advertising will be a failure if the copy is not appealing to consumers. The copy-staff works in close co-operation with the staff of the art and visualization branch.
The head of copy department is a Copy Chief. He directs the functioning of it.
The copy branch is perhaps the largest department of ad agency. It comprises of a hard-working team of qualified professionals and experienced staff.
Some agencies have a creative branch instead of it that does the entire work of preparing an advertisement. Here, preparing an ad copy, artwork and actual production of ad are all linked together and executed completely by this department alone.
4. Art department
Art department of advertising agency uses the power of creativity and to make ad more appealing and agreeable. Its activity is not a mechanical one. It uses the principles of real art (that works) as a guideline or base to present a product to the targeted audience.
Generally, the art department carries out following work:
- Transform the ad-message into a self-communicating and mind-stimulating imagery.
- Prepare visuals and layouts for press advertisement.
- Make painted bulletins, posters, car cards, illustrations, slogans, etc.
Art Director heads this department of ad agency. He is assisted by an assistant-art director, artists, visualizers and layout men.
The artists of art department work together with copywriters to make the final copy of advertisement more attractive.
Both departments of art and copy operates under the overall guidance and supervision of vice-president of creative services.
Not all ad agencies have a separate art department. Some prefer to outsource their art-related work to freelance artists.
5. Production department
The copy of advertisement is finalized by artists and copywriters. It is then sent to the production department of an advertising agency for its further processing.
As the copy reaches this department, its proper mechanical production begins.
The main role of a production department is to process & produce a final ad.
This department's traditional work activities usually are as follows:
- Keep in contact with printing press, typographers, photo engravers, etc.
- Assemble the typographic design patterns, engraved photos, illustrations, copy, etc. and prepare the final advertisement.
- Show it to the client (advertiser) and get his approval for its release.
- Send it (after approval) to print media like magazines, newspapers, etc. for advertising.
With advancements in technology, the use of print media is gradually slowly down. The digital media is now an emerging trend. As a result, some production houses have started adapting to this change. Now their work also includes activities like:
- Keep in contact with digital artists, web designers, etc.
- Assemble the work of digital art and prepare a final digital-ad.
- Seek approval of it from an advertiser.
- Send it (after approval) to digital media like the Internet, e-magazines, web videos, etc. mainly for online advertising.
This department is headed by a production manager.
Production department of ad agency comes under creative services.
Not all ad agencies have a separate production department. Some prefer to outsource their production-related work to others.
6. Research department
The success of an advertising agency greatly depends on the success of the client's ad campaign. Today, achieving success is not an easier task. It is getting very difficult now-a-days because of rising market competition. With so many alternatives and choices at hand, already well-established goodwill and trust on older brands, it is now tougher to attract and convince consumers. However, against all odds hope still exists.
To stand out from the plethora of availability and make the client's products and/or services attractive, needs not only huge amount of tedious work but also some good amount of research to begin with.
One must remember that without knowing, What to do? How to do? When to do? And where to do? Nothing can be achieved. However, with right direction and approach, everything can be made possible.
Therefore, the importance of research department in advertising is rising.
The main function of research department of advertising agency is to:
- Carry out research and obtain the necessary information.
- Engage in a rigorous and critical analysis of the obtained information.
- Use the findings (results) in different ways to achieving objectives.
Generally, this department collects information about:
- Market,
- Market competition,
- Market trends,
- Products and/or services,
- Competitors,
- Consumer behavior,
- Media trends,
- New trends in advertising, so on.
Agency makes use of above information for executing a good ad campaign.
The team of a typical research department usually comprises of:
- Investigators,
- Field workers,
- Analysts,
- Marketing assistants,
- Statisticians,
- Librarian and the staff of library, etc.
This team works under the guidance and direction a Research Director, who is the head of research department.
Research department comes under marketing services of ad agency.
Although research activities are highly beneficial, they do consume an ample amount of time, money and resources. Generally, small ad agencies can't afford such resource-intense activities and therefore, prefer not to keep a separate research-branch. They either do research on a smaller scale or use the data obtained by others. On its contrary, large-agencies prefer to maintain their own research-subsidiaries and don't take the risk compromising with the quality and genuineness of the obtained data.
7. Accounting and finance department
The main duty of accounting and finance department of advertising agency is to look after its financial and accounting matters.
The work activity of this department is usually as follows:
- Generate or raise invoices (bills) on clients (parties).
- Send regular reminder to the client for collection of unpaid dues.
- Book the expenses of vendor parties on a timely basis.
- Issue payments to vendor parties within or on the due date.
- Doing reconciliation (compare) of banks, vendors and customers' ledger accounts regularly.
- Deposit government dues on a timely basis in authorized banks.
The main staff of this department usually comprises of:
- Chief financial officer (CFO),
- Accounts receivable manager,
- Accounts payable manager,
- Accounts supervisors and
- Accounts executives.
This staff works under the guidance and supervision of vice-president of accounting services. He is the head of this department.
8. Public relations department
The main responsibility of a public relations (PR) department is to maintain cordial relationship between advertising agency, clients and media.
Generally, the PR department carries out following work:
- Address the complaints of the customers.
- Solve their complaints as soon as possible.
- Be a link between ad-agency, clients, media and society.
- Create goodwill and maintain the reputation of ad agency.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) is the head of this department, and his subordinates assist him regularly to maintain a cordial environment.
The PR department functions under the authority of management.
9. Office Management
The definition of office management according to Mills and Standingford,
“The art of guiding the personnel of the office in the use of materials, methods, machines and equipment appropriate to their environment in order to achieve its specified purpose.”
Generally, office management involves following important activities:
- Recruit office staff.
- Training and development of new joined staff.
- Promotion of an existing staff.
- Transfer of a timely salary and perquisites (perks) to staff.
- Providing welfare facilities to staff.
- Correspondence to various internal and external parties.
- Filing and record keeping of all the important documents.
Office-management of advertising agency operates under its management services.
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UNIT IV
Client
brief: Statement of the problem/opportunity. Emphasis on
clarity and a succinct summation of the brand's current position, its marketing
strategy and where it wants to get to.
Should always be written by the client.
Creative
Strategy: An outline of what message should be conveyed, to
whom, and with what tone. This provides the guiding principles for copywriters
and art directors who are assigned to develop the advertisement. Within the
context of that assignment, any ad that is then created should conform to that
strategy.
Also Known As: Copy
Platform
In advertising,
different creative strategies are used in order to obtain consumer attention
and provoke shoppers to purchase or use a specific product. Advertisers use
different ways of thinking to create catchy slogans that capture consumer
attention. Creative strategies promote publicity, public relations, personal
selling and sales promotion.
These ways of thinking
are divided into three basic descriptions: Weak strategies, mid-strength
strategies and strong strategies. The strategies labeled "strong,
mid-strength, and weak are generic phrases used in the text books referenced
below to help students understand the intensity of each different type of
advertising strategy. Advertisements, weak, mid-strength, and strong can be
found in television, radio, and magazines/print.
Since the beginning of
advertising, strategies have been created, starting with the simplest (weak)
strategies in the 1940s.
Creative
brief: The beginnings of the creative solution. Emphasis on crystallising the strategic ideas
to provide a springboard that will inform and inspire creative ideas. Usually written by the agency
A creative
brief is a document used by creative professionals and agencies to
develop creative deliverables: visual design, copy, advertising, web sites,
etc. The document is usually developed by the requestor (in most cases a
marketing team member) and approved by the creative team of designers, writers,
and project managers. In some cases, the project's creative brief may need creative
director approval before work will commence.
The creative brief,
consisting of a series of simple questions asked by the creative team and
answered by the requestor, becomes the guidepost for the development of the
creative deliverable. As with many strategic documents, if the project goes off
track referring back to this mutually agreed upon document to see where the
divergence began is helpful.
Creative briefs can
come in many flavors and are usually tailored to the agency or group that is
developing the creative deliverable. They know which questions (and answers)
are of paramount importance to them in order to deliver a high-quality creative
execution.
A creative brief may
contain:
§ Background — what is
the background of the project? Why is it being done?
§ Target audience —
what do they already think about this subject? Is there anything that should be
avoided?
§
§ Objectives — what is
to be accomplished? How will this be measured and success understood?
§ Single message — what
is the one thing to tell the audience? What is the single thing they should
remember about the offering? How will they believe what we say?
§ Mandatory elements —
mandatory elements such as the client's logo, address, phone number and so
forth.
§ Deliverables — what
is to be used to give the audience the message? What is the best way or place
to reach this audience?
§ Timeline — how soon
is this needed? When is it expected to be done? How many rounds (revisions)
will this project undergo?
§ Budget — how much can
be spent to get this developed? Is there any budget needed to publish/flight
the creative?
§ Approvals — who needs
to give the "okay"?
Why
write a brief?
There are three
compelling reasons why it is worth writing a brief for every piece of work that
you commission an agency to do:
It leads to better,
more effective and measurable work
It saves time and money
It makes remuneration
fairer
1 BETTER WORK
A brief is the most
important piece of information issued by a client to an agency. It’s from the
brief that everything else flows. Therefore it’s essential that every effort be
taken to prepare the best possible documentation of what is required.
It’s in the nature of
creative thinkers that giving them the tightest of parameters will often
stimulate the most inventive of responses – and 79% of clients and agencies agreed
that: “It is difficult to produce good creative work without a good brief”.
The client brief can be
considered the platform for a communications campaign. The better a company’s
corporate or brand position is defined and the more thoughtfully its key
business issues are described, the more likely it is that strategic and
creative thinkers in agencies will be able to apply their specialist skills to
produce great solutions.
“The whole idea is to
stimulate the creative imagination, not to restrict it. Ultimately you are
buying creative ideas. Procurement people can sometimes write briefs as though
they were buying copper piping or paperclips. But selling is an art. It’s more
like briefing an architect. We need agencies to feel inspired so they can do their
best work.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: AGENCY SAMPLE
2 SAVING TIME AND MONEY
The biggest waste of
agency resources is to put them through the process of developing a solution
repeatedly without concrete direction. It wears on relationships and is costly
in wasted staff time (on both sides).
“We need agencies to
get more work right first time. That saves time and money. A proper written
brief makes the process more efficient – that's good for clients and good for
agencies.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: CLIENT SAMPLE
Research revealed that
99% of agencies and 98% of clients agree that: “Sloppy briefing and moving goal
posts wastes both time and money”. A clear written brief can minimise this
wastefulness and maximise the chances of a ‘right first time’ agency response
to the client.
“The written brief
instils a discipline on my team and the agency to be very clear about what the
objectives and expected outcomes are.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: CLIENT SAMPLE
Both clients and
agencies say that ‘time pressures’ are the main reason for inadequate client
briefs. But in fact not writing a brief to save time is a false economy, as
more often than not it leads to re-working. Worryingly, 75% of agencies and 55%
of clients agreed that: “The briefs that we work on are often changed once the
project has started”. Worse, 79% of agencies reported that: “Clients often use
the creative process to clarify their strategy”, and even 35% of clients agreed
with this. It’s like using your first set of curtains merely to define how big
your windows are!
3 FAIRER REMUNERATION
One of the criticisms
that marketing people face from their colleagues in finance and in the
boardroom in general is that they lack accountability for the very significant
sums of money they spend.
The caricature of the
flash and superficial marketing executive will only be dispelled by a more
professional approach. Ensuring that briefs are written for every project from
every agency is an essential place to start.
Over 90% of agencies
and 84% of clients agree that: “Payment by results is impossible without fully
agreed business objectives”. Given the increasing prevalence of a PBR component
in so many remuneration agreements, this is another compelling reason for a
proper written brief.
Clearly the scale of
the project will dictate the depth and complexity of your brief – one for a
major new brand launch will obviously be much more detailed than one for a
small tactical advertisement within an existing campaign.
But, whatever the task,
a written brief that includes ‘objectives’ and ‘success criteria’ is the
foundation stone for accountability and demonstration of the effectiveness of
advertising, media, PR, direct marketing, sales promotion and indeed all forms
of commercial communications. And without the ability to demonstrate our
effectiveness, none of us will receive the remuneration that we deserve.
Principles
of a Good Brief
There are three key
principles behind a good brief:
Written briefs
Clarity of thinking
Clearly defined
objectives
1 WRITTEN BRIEFS
Research shows that 94%
of clients and 98% of agencies believe: “A combination of written and verbal
briefing is the ideal”. Both parties see enormous benefits in starting with a
written document produced by the client, which is then analysed by the agency
and debated between the two teams.
“We prefer a written
brief because this forces the client to consider their request. The discipline
of writing a brief ensures some rigour on their part. The opportunity to
discuss this at a subsequent verbal briefing usually allows us to cover any
inconsistencies and, if necessary, develop focus through mutual agreement.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: AGENCY SAMPLE
The process of
developing, discussing and agreeing the brief in this manner in itself adds
value. And if more than one agency is involved in developing the campaign (as
is often the case with media and creative agencies) it is advisable to brief
all parties together – with one written brief and one subsequent briefing
meeting.
“By writing a brief we have
focussed on what it is we are expecting from our activity and what we expect
our agencies to contribute/come back with. By discussing this written brief,
each party has the opportunity to build on the written brief, challenge it and
buy into it. It assists clarity and helps build an effective team.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: CLIENT SAMPLE
A written brief is also
vital in ensuring the ‘buy-in’ of other key people in your company. This buy-in
is essential in order to avoid the significant waste of time and resources that
can happen when senior executives – often outside the marketing department –
challenge key assumptions in the brief, leading to belated changes in
direction. Written briefs should have the buy-in of all interested parties
before they are delivered to your agency.
Nowadays, when you may
retain three, four or more agencies to work on different aspects of your
organisation’s corporate or brand communications, the premium on convening a
key meeting to enable all parties to debate and contribute to the brief has
never been greater. Having people with advertising, media, direct marketing,
public relations, sales promotion and other communications skills together in
one room at the beginning of the project will add enormous value and set the shared
agenda for the work ahead.
"It is difficult
to produce good creative work without a good brief."
79% agreement by both
clients and agencies: ‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH 2002
"Sloppy briefing
and moving goal posts wastes both time and money."
Over 98% agreement by
both clients and agencies: ‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH 2002
"Working to a
clearly written brief gets the right results: be clear on where you are now,
where you want to be, and then employ the best agency people to get you
there."
Alan Bishop COI – Chief
Executive
"We need agencies
to get more work right first time. That saves time and money. A proper written
brief makes the process more efficient – that's good for clients and good for
agencies."
Client quote:
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH 2002
"A combination of
written and verbal briefing is the ideal."
Over 94% agreement from
clients and agencies: 'BRIEFING' RESEARCH, 2002
2 CLARITY OF THINKING
A good brief is not the
longest or most detailed, it’s the one whose clarity and focus creates the
platform for a great strategic leap, a blinding customer insight and an
effective solution.
Briefs are called
‘briefs’ because they are meant to be brief. They are a summation of your
thinking. Try to attach all relevant supporting information as appendices.
As Blaise Pascal put it
in his Lettres Provinciales of 1657: “I have only made this letter longer
because I have not had the time to make it shorter”. Too much information can
fog the process. Relevance and context are more important than reams of data.
“The main difference
between good briefs and bad briefs is that good briefs leave you with a clear
understanding of what you are trying to do. Bad briefs drown you in
contradictory information and objectives.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: AGENCY SAMPLE
The client brief should
therefore be a concentration of your current thinking, it should contain key
nuggets of information and it should focus on setting out the objectives of
your product or service that commercial communications can play a key role in
achieving.
This appeal for clarity
and objectivity, however, is not an attempt to reduce your creativity. For
instance, often your dramatisation of the brand’s situation and the key issues
it faces can spark off great creative thinking. The tried and trusted ‘factory
visit’ should not be forgotten and there may be other more innovative ways that
you could light the creative fuse.
“Clients should not
underestimate how much a good brief, written with real flair and delivered with
belief, can help enthuse and inspire the agency.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: AGENCY SAMPLE
Remember that briefing
your agency is a joint and dynamic process. Whilst this site encourages a
formalised approach to briefing in order to create clarity, this should never
be at the expense of additional, more dynamic and inspirational briefing
methods.
"The key to
effective briefing is to provide a simple insight that can be dramatised
memorably. Ensure that you know exactly what you want. Then tell the agency as
clearly as possible."
Alan Doyle Volkswagen
UK – Communications Manager
3 CLEARLY DEFINED
OBJECTIVES
“Ultimately the point
of communications is to get people to do things. Which people? What things?
You’ve got the basis of the brief right there. Everything else is detail.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: AGENCY SAMPLE
Start by making sure
that your objectives are crystal clear. Use concrete business objectives rather
than vague terms such as ‘to improve brand image’. (And remember, every
objective starts with the word ‘to’…)
If your objective is
indeed to improve your brand image, then go further. Explain the desired
improvement that you want to achieve. From what to what? What will it do for
your business? (eg so IFAs will recommend your brand, etc). What’s your
business rationale for spending £xm to achieve this? Concrete business
objectives rather than woolly intermediate objectives are essential.
“The clarity of the
objectives is the most fundamental part of a good written brief. The single
greatest frustration is when there isn’t a clear and credible problem to
solve.”
‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH
2002: AGENCY SAMPLE
Almost all agencies and
82% of clients believe that: “Client briefs should focus on making sure the
business problem is properly defined”. Furthermore, 72% of agencies and 84% of
clients say: “All briefs should have effectiveness criteria and evaluation
methodology written into them”.
Since no remuneration
agreement that contains a performance related element can be made to work
without appropriate measures of performance, quantifiable objectives should
always be set.
So, clearly defining
the objectives to establish the project’s ‘success criteria’ (what will success
look like and how will it be measured?) is the number one principle of writing
a good brief.
"Establishing a
clarity of purpose through the definition of objectives which are outcome
focused and measurable is clearly at the heart of the briefing process."
ANDREW NEBEL Barnardo’s
– UK Director of Marketing & Communications
Try this workshop on
creative brief
Communication
planning: is the art and science of reaching target
audiences using marketing communication channels such as advertising, public
relations, experiences or direct mail for example. It is concerned with
deciding who to target, when, with what message and how.
The communication plan
serves as a guide to the communication and sponsorship efforts throughout the
duration of the project. It is a living and working document and is updated
periodically as audience needs change. It explains how to convey the right
message, from the right communicator, to the right audience, through the right
channel, at the right time. It addresses the six basic elements of
communications: communicator, message, communication channel, feedback
mechanism, receiver/audience, and time frame.
A communication plan
includes:
“Who” - the target
audiences
“What” – the key
messages that are trying to be articulated
“When” – timing, it
will specify the appropriate time of delivery for each message
“Why” – the desired
outcomes
“How” - the
communication vehicle (how the message will be delivered)
“By whom” - the sender
(determining who will deliver the information and how he or she is chosen)
Many agencies, PR,
advertising and media alike, claim to have this capability.
TYPES
OF HEADLINES:
A headline has 5-7
seconds to get the attention of a reader. Not only that, but statistics show
that only 2 out of 10 readers will read past your headline. That means if
you’re going to hook your reader, you need to do it right away.
To give you a more
concrete example of just how powerful a headline can be, John Wesley submitted
an article to several social networking sites, including Digg, Reddit,
StumbleUpon, etc. The headline read “The Two Types of Cognition”. With this
headline the article generated about 100 visitors. Nothing spectacular. However
a couple days later, and after some work rewriting his headline, John resubmitted
it with a new headline. With the new headline it got about 5000 visitors. A
very significant difference, 50 times more visitors. What was the difference?
Only the headline. The article was exactly the same. The headline went from
“The Two Types of Cognition” to “Learn to Understand Your Own Intelligence“.
You can find the details of his case study here.
Headlines can and do
have a significant impact. It might only be one line, but it can easily make or
break your articles success.
In addition to grabbing
the person’s attention, the headline must offer some value to the reader in
exchange for them taking the time to read your content (article, press release,
etc.). According to the legendary copywriter Robert Bly, there are eight
categories of headlines that compel readers to take action and read your
article. They are:
Direct Headline: These
are straight forward headlines that state exactly what they want, they make no
attempt whatsoever to be clever. An example is “LandlordMax – 30% off today
only”
Indirect Headline:
These headlines are subtle, what could be considered as link bait. They usually
try to generate curiosity by the reader, or offer a double meaning in their
headlines. In others words the classic link bait approach.
News Headline: This is
a direct news announcement. For example “LandlordMax releases version 6.05″.
How to Headline: This
is exactly as you would expect, it’s a headline that offers you an article on
how to do something. For example how to fix a broken faucet.
Question Headline: This
category of headlines ask a question that the reader can relate to, that they
can empathize with, something they would like answered. A classic example is
“Who else wants to make a million dollars in the stock market?”
Command Headline: This
headline states what the reader of the article needs to do. For this headline
to work the first word needs to be a strong and commanding word. For example
“Buy this EBook now!”
Reason Why Headline:
This is basically a list of why something is good or bad. For example “3 ways
to be more productive with your time”.
Testimonial Headline:
In this case the headline is a customer testimonial. This is done to offer
outside proof, otherwise known as social validation. You’re validating through
social proof that your article (or product) is great and worth the readers
time. After all it’s not just you who says so, someone else is saying it too.
For further reading on
headlines I recommend any book by Robert Bly. As well the book Advertising
Headlines that Make You Rich contains a list of good and usable headlines (with
a short explanation on how to use each headline). And don’t forget to check out
Brian Clark’s blog CopyBlogger.com, he’s got a lot of amazing articles on how
to write headlines. Good luck and good writing!
Body Copy
Base Lines
Slogans: Advertising
slogans are short, often memorable phrases used in advertising campaigns. They
are claimed to be the most effective means of drawing attention to one or more
aspects of a product. Its purpose is to emphasize a phrase that the company
wishes to be remembered by, particularly for marketing a specific corporate
image or connection to a product or consumer base.
Some slogans are
created just for specific campaigns for a limited time; some are intended as
corporate slogans, to be used for an extended period; some slogans start out as
the former, and find themselves converted to the latter because they take hold
with the public, and some are memorable many years after their use is
discontinued.
Advertising slogans
often play a large part in the interplay between rival companies. An effective
slogan usually:
states the main
benefits of the product or brand for the potential user or buyer
implies a distinction
between it and other firms' products - of course, within the usual legal
constraints
makes a simple, direct,
concise, crisp, and apt statement
is witty
adopts a distinct
"personality" of its own
gives a credible
impression of a brand or product
makes the consumer feel
"hot" or...
makes the consumer feel
a desire or need
is hard to forget - it
adheres to one's memory (whether one likes it or not), especially if it is
accompanied by mnemonic devices, such as jingles, ditties(short simple songs),
pictures or film.
Taglines, tag lines, or
tags are American terms for short advertising slogans. In the UK they are
called end lines, endlines, or straplines. In Japan, they are called catchcopy
or catch phrase
Some popular examples:
Virgin Atlantic, more
experience than our name suggests
- Virgin Atlantic
World class, worldwide.
- Air Canada
Making the sky the best
place on Earth.
- Air France
Something special in
the air
- American Airlines
The proud bird with the
golden tail
- Continental Airlines
We’ll take more care of
you
- British Airways
The world’s favourite
airline.
- British Airways
Avoid drunken driving:
You can hand over your
keys or your life. Make the right choice.
Cars
Drivers Wanted
-Volkswagen
The power of Dreams
-Honda
Never Follow
-Audi
Built Ford tough!
-Ford
Baseball, hot dogs,
apple pie and Chevrolet
-Chevrolet
Engineered to move the
human spirit
-Mercedes-Benz
Have a break, have a
Kit Kat
- Kit Kat
Think.
-IBM
Think Different
-Apple
Making it all make
sense
-Microsoft
Think outside the box.
-Apple
Macintosh. It Does
More. It Costs Less. It’s that Simple.
-Apple
Solutions for a small
planet
-IBM
Take Toshiba, Take the
World.
-Toshiba
Where do you want to go
today?
-Microsoft
We Make IT Happen
-IBM
Choose Freedom
-Toshiba
Empowering People.
-Acer
Acer. We hear you.
-Acer
The computer for the
rest of us.
-Apple
Get more out of now
-Dell
Dell. Purely You.
-Dell
Easy as Dell
-Dell
Be direct
-Dell
Coffee at its Best
-Nescafe
Good to the last drop
-Maxwell House
Finger-lickin’ good
-KFC
Buy a bucket of chicken
and have a barrel of fun
-KFC
I’m lovin’ it
-McDonalds
Make.believe
-SONY
Life’s Good
-LG
We Bring Good Things To
Life
-G.E.
sense and simplicity
-PHILLIPS
Ideas for life
-PANASONIC
A diamond is forever
-De Beers
No bottles to break –
just hearts.
-Arpege
Between love and
madness lies obsession
-Calvin Klein’s
Obsession
For list of Ad slogans
TRADEMARK:
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used
by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that
the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears
originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or services
from those of other entities.
A trademark may be
designated by the following symbols:
™ (for an unregistered
trade mark, that is, a mark used to promote or brand goods)
℠ (for an unregistered service mark, that is, a mark
used to promote or brand services)
® (for a registered
trademark)
A trademark is
typically a name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, image, or a combination
of these elements. There is also a range of non-conventional trademarks
comprising marks which do not fall into these standard categories, such as
those based on color, smell, or sound.
The owner of a
registered trademark may commence legal proceedings for trademark infringement
to prevent unauthorized use of that trademark. However, registration is not
required. The owner of a common law trademark may also file suit, but an
unregistered mark may be protectable only within the geographical area within
which it has been used or in geographical areas into which it may be reasonably
expected to expand.
The term trademark is
also used informally to refer to any distinguishing attribute by which an
individual is readily identified, such as the well-known characteristics of
celebrities. When a trademark is used in relation to services rather than
products, it may sometimes be called a service mark, particularly in the United
States.
Typography:
Typography (from the Greek words τύπος (typos) = form and γραφή (graphe) =
writing) is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language
visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point
size, line length, leading (line spacing), adjusting the spaces between groups
of letters (tracking) and adjusting the space between pairs of letters
(kerning). Type design is a closely related craft, which some consider distinct
and others a part of typography; most typographers do not design typefaces, and
some type designers do not consider themselves typographers. In modern times,
typography has been put into motion—in film, television and online
broadcasts—to add emotion to mass communication.
Typography is performed
by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors,
comic book artists, graffiti artists, clerical workers, and anyone else who
arranges type for a product. Until the Digital Age, typography was a
specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of
visual designers and lay users, and it has been said that "typography is
now something everybody does."
Writing
style: Writing style is the manner in which an author
chooses to write to his or her audience. A style reveals both the writer's
personality and voice, but it also shows how she or he perceives the audience,
and chooses conceptual writing style which reveal those choices by which the
writer may change the conceptual world of the overall character of the work.
This might be done by a simple change of words; a syntactical structure,
parsing prose, adding diction, and organizing figures of thought into usable
frameworks.
Amul,
Air India catchy comments and satires are examples of writing styles?
Formal vs. Informal
Writing Styles
Before you start
writing any article, one of the first things you need to ask yourself is “Who’s
my audience?”
Here’s a quick primer
to help you answer that question (which can be quite a complicated one):
Is there a level of
familiarity between you and your audience?
Are you writing for
colleagues or someone else?
How do they expect to
receive this message?
Are they looking for
some level of interaction?
Are they more interested
in being spoken to with direct messages?
What’s their connection
to the topic?
Is it for their
business/livelihood?
Answering each of these
questions will put you on course to figuring out how formal (or informal) your
writing ought to be.
An informal writing
style shows a level of familiarity and personality that sets it apart.
Meanwhile, formal writing most often takes place on serious topics in a direct
and succinct way.
Each of these styles
has their own merits. Their usage depends on the tone you’re trying to set. To
get a better understanding of the differences between formal and informal
writing, here are some things to consider:
Informal
Colloquial – Informal
writing takes on the characteristics of a spoken conversation. Informal writing
includes things like slang, figures of speech, broken syntax, etc. It also
takes on a personal tone whereby you speak directly to your audience. You can
use first OR third person point-of-view, and you’re likely to address the
reader using second person pronouns (e.g. you, your).
Simple – Short
sentences are acceptable and sometimes essential to making a point in informal
writing. Thus, there may be incomplete sentences or ellipsis to make points.
Also, try to save your “five dollar words” for a more formal setting. If you
use any industry jargon, explain it.
Contractions/Abbreviations
– Words can be simplified using contractions (e.g. you’re, couldn’t, it’s) and
abbreviations (e.g. TV, photos) whenever possible.
Empathy/Emotion – The
author can show empathy toward the reader regarding the complexity of a thought
and help them through that complexity.
Formal
Complex – Longer
sentences are likely to be more prevalent in formal writing. You need to be as
thorough as possible with your approach to each topic when you are using a
formal style. Each main point needs to be introduced, elaborated on and
concluded.
Objective – State main
points confidently and offer full support arguments. A formal writing style
shows a limited range of emotions. It avoids emotive punctuation like
exclamation points, ellipsis, etc., unless they are being cited from another
source.
Full Words – No
contractions or abbreviations to simplify words.
Third Person – Not a
personal writing style, the formal writer is sort of disconnected from the
topic to make observations.
So, which of these
labels fits your writing style? Again, there’s no “right” or “wrong” answer,
it’s an exercise to get you thinking about your own writing style.
Script:
A road map for a play, movie, or broadcast.
A script is a written
version of a play or movie. If you're auditioning for a movie, you'll get the
script to practice a scene or two.
Script comes from the
Latin scrībĕre, meaning "to write," and all its meanings have to do
with something written. Your handwriting is your script. The written version of
what you're supposed to say, whether for a wedding toast or a play, is a
script. And if you were feeling old-fashioned you could call the grocery list
you just wrote a script. It's also a verb. You can script a play.
Story
Board: Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of
illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of
pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive
media sequence.
The storyboarding
process, in the form it is known today, was developed at the Walt Disney Studio
during the early 1930s, after several years of similar processes being in use
at Walt Disney and other animation studios.
Case
Study: A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual
unit (e.g., a person, group, or event) stressing developmental factors in
relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life
sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is
used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. They may be
prospective (in which criteria are established and cases fitting the criteria
are included as they become available) or retrospective (in which criteria are
established for selecting cases from historical records for inclusion in the
study).
Thomas offers the
following definition of case study: "Case studies are analyses of persons,
events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or other systems
that are studied holistically by one or more methods. The case that is the
subject of the inquiry will be an instance of a class of phenomena that
provides an analytical frame — an object — within which the study is conducted
and which the case illuminates and explicates."
Rather than using
samples and following a rigid protocol (strict set of rules) to examine limited
number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal (over
a long period of time) examination of a single instance or event: a case. They
provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing
information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a
sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might
become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies
lend themselves to both generating and testing hypotheses.
Another suggestion is
that case study should be defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry
that investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context. Case study research
can mean single and multiple case studies, can include quantitative evidence,
relies on multiple sources of evidence, and benefits from the prior development
of theoretical propositions. Case studies should not be confused with
qualitative research and they can be based on any mix of quantitative and
qualitative evidence. Single-subject research provides the statistical
framework for making inferences from quantitative case-study data. This is also
supported and well-formulated in (Lamnek, 2005): "The case study is a
research approach, situated between concrete data taking techniques and
methodologic paradigms."
The case study is
sometimes mistaken for the case method, but the two are not the same.
Sample Case Study:
Case Study - Brand Amul
The Taste of India
AMUL- The Taste of
India
Born: 1946, christened
in 1955
History: Originally
marketed by the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, Anand, it was
taken over by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) in 1973
Status: Has a 15%
market share in the Rs15,000 crore milk category, and a 37% share in the Rs900
crore organized ice-cream segment.
Starting with milk and
milk powder, the Amul brand today covers a range of dairy products—from
chocolates to cheese and, of course, butter
Brand story: If a
brand’s value is to be judged by the ease with which it can be recalled, then
Amul’s marketing campaign wins hands down.
With its clever use of
topical events, Amul’s utterly butterly campaign—it has the distinction of
entering the Guinness World Records as the longest running campaign—has won the
brand several accolades.
Playing the role of a
social observer, its weekly comments have tickled India’s funny bone since
1967, when Sylvester Da Cunha’s irrepressible Amul girl first had her say.
But what’s kept the
brand going all these years? “We have changed the packag ing, our technology
and our approach to mar keting based on the changing taste buds of our
consumers.
However, the only thing
that has helped us sail smoothly is that we have not changed our core
values—give the best quality product to the consumer, and the best possible
price. It holds true in any era,” says B.M. Vyas, managing director, GCMMF.
In fact, it is not just
the core values at Amul that have remained the same; the core team associated
with the brand is still the same. Even the advertising agency hasn’t changed,
and Da Cunha and FCB Ulka, have played a pivotal role in the growth of Amul.
“This has helped us
maintain consistency in our communication. Our strategy of umbrella branding
has also helped establish our brand firmly in people’s minds. This, despite the
fact that we do not spend more than 1% of our turnover for marketing, compared
with 7-8% (spent) by most of the food and consumer product companies,” R.S.
Sodhi, head of marketing, GCMMF, says.
From Utterly butterly
delicious Amul to The Taste of India, Amul continues to be the toast of the
country.
List of Advertisement
Case studies @
Cavinkare's
Innovative Marketing Strategies
Case Details:
Price:
Case Code : MKTG092 For delivery in electronic format: Rs.
400;
For delivery through
courier (within India): Rs. 400 + Rs. 25 for Shipping & Handling Charges
Themes
NULL
Case Length : 15
Pages
Period : 1991-2004
Pub Date : 2004
Teaching Note :
Not Available
Organization : CavinKare
Industry : FMCG
Countries : India
Abstract:
The case examines the
evolution of a small regional player - CavinKare Pvt. Ltd., from a one-product
company to a multi-product company with nation-wide presence in the fast moving
consumer goods (FMCG) industry in India.
It discusses in detail
the brand-building, promotion and distribution strategies adopted by CavinKare,
which enabled its product brands to compete directly with market leaders such
as HLL, P&G, Godrej and Henkel successfully.
The case traces the
launch and growth of CavinKare's successful brands such as Chik, Nyle, Meera,
Fairever and Spinz.
It also discusses the
company's brand extension efforts and takes a look at the company's entry into
other segments of the Indian FMCG market in the early 21st century and
critically analyses the rationale for this move. Finally, it explores the
future of the company in the light of increasing competition in the FMCG market
and its limited resources in comparison to FMCG majors such as HLL, P&G and
Henkel.
Issues:
• Innovation,
brand-building, pricing and promotion for the success of a product,
Diversification
Contents:
Page No.
Cavinkare in the Food
Business 1
Background Note 2
The Marketing Strategy 3
Brand Extensions &
Business Diversification 7
The Future 9
Exhibits 12
Keywords:
CavinKare, FMCG
Company, Marketing Mix, Pricing Strategy, Brand-building, Product Mix,
Distribution Strategies, Brand Extensions, Business Diversification,
Innovation, Rural Marketing
UNIT V
Conceptualization
and Ideation: The act of formulating or making a
concept of something. Inventing or contriving an idea or
explanation and formulating it mentally.
The formation of ideas
or mental images. The process of forming and relating ideas. Ideation means to
conceive or generate an idea and implement it. Ideas are the result of mental
activity that can be based on past or present knowledge, thoughts, opinions,
convictions or principles.
Ideation means to
conceptualize an idea. It is the thought processes involved in apprehending and
expressing a new concept, often in a graphical format.
Translation
of Ideas to Campaigns
A significant challenge
in the marketing arena rests with developing novel advertising ideas. To be
sure, there are countless tried and true tactics that always merit
consideration. However, the most successful businesses are those that think
outside the box, and strive for creativity and innovation in their advertising
endeavors.
If you look online or
consult a basic marketing text, you are likely to be struck by the uniformity
of basic advertising techniques. By and large, marketing companies rely on the
same limited array of strategies, hoping that artful application will be the
key to success. There is nothing wrong with this approach; however, it is
unlikely to set you apart from the competition.
Developing Advertising
Ideas That are Different
The key is to find
unique, novel advertising ideas that can be translated into effective marketing
campaigns. This requires foresight and creativity, and the willingness to take
risks. Clearly, this is no easy endeavor, and it underscores the need for high
quality professional consultation.
An experienced ad
agency can help you to generate creative advertising ideas. Moreover, they can
help you to translate these ideas into fruitful, effective marketing campaigns.
You can do some things on your own, but novel advertising is best approached
with the proper professional guidance. The secret lies in how good one in
translating ideas in to good advertising campaigns.
Visualization:
Visual image: a mental image that is similar to a visual perception.
The following are three
minimal criteria that any visualization has to fulfill to be considered a
pragmatic visualization. A good visualization certainly has to do more, but
these criteria are useful to draw the line between a lot of things that are
often called visualization and what we consider visualization in this field.
Based on (non-visual)
data. A visualization’s purpose is the communication of data. That means that
the data must come from something that is abstract or at least not immediately
visible (like the inside of the human body). This rules out photography and
image processing. Visualization transforms from the invisible to the visible.
Produce an image. It
may seem obvious that a visualization has to produce an image, but that is not
always so clear. Also, the visual must be the primary means of communication,
other modalities can only provide additional information. If the image is only
a small part of the process, it is not visualization.
The result must be
readable and recognizable. The most important criteria is that the
visualization must provide a way to learn something about the data. Any
transformation of non-trivial data into an image will leave out information,
but there must be at least some relevant aspects of the data that can be read.
The visualization must also be recognizable as one and not pretend to be
something else (see the discussion of Informative Art).
Designing
and Lay out : Graphic design is a creative
process—most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in
conjunction with producers of form (i.e., printers, signmakers,
etc.)—undertaken in order to convey a specific message (or messages) to a
targeted audience. The term "graphic design" can also refer to a
number of artistic and professional disciplines that focus on visual
communication and presentation. The field as a whole is also often referred to
as Visual Communication or Communication Design. Various methods are used to
create and combine words, symbols, and images to create a visual representation
of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use a combination of typography,
visual arts and page layout techniques to produce the final result. Graphic
design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication
is created and the products (designs) which are generated.
Common uses of graphic
design include identity (logos and branding), publications (magazines,
newspapers, and books), advertisements and product packaging. For example, a
product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure
design elements such as shapes and color which unify the piece. Composition is
one of the most important features of graphic design, especially when using
pre-existing materials or diverse elements.
Master plan or
blueprint of a printed or published work (such as an advertisement, book,
magazine, newspaper, or website) that lays out the arrangement of its different
graphic elements (such as body copy, colors, headlines, illustrations, scale).
It establishes the overall appearance, relative importance, and relationships
between the graphic elements to achieve a smooth flow of information (message) and
eye movement for maximum effectiveness or impact. Often alternative layouts
(called roughs) are prepared to explore different arrangements before the final
layout is made for printing or production.
Copy
Writing: Copywriting is the act of writing copy (text) for
the purpose of advertising or marketing a product, business, person, opinion or
idea. The addressee (reader, listener, etc.) of the copy is meant to be
persuaded to buy the product advertised for, or subscribe to the viewpoint the
text shares.
Copywriters are used to
help create direct mail pieces, taglines, jingle lyrics, web page content
(although if the purpose is not ultimatpeepeely promotional, its author might
prefer to be called a content writer), online ads, e-mail and other Internet content,
television or radio commercial scripts, press releases, white papers, catalogs,
billboards, brochures, postcards, sales letters, and other marketing
communications media. Copy can also appear in social media content including
blog posts, tweets, and social-networking site posts.
Brand management begins
with having a thorough knowledge of the term “brand”. It includes developing a
promise, making that promise and maintaining it. It means defining the brand,
positioning the brand, and delivering the brand. Brand management is nothing
but an art of creating and sustaining the brand. Branding makes customers
committed to your business. A strong brand differentiates your products from
the competitors. It gives a quality image to your business.
Brand management
includes managing the tangible and intangible characteristics of brand. In case
of product brands, the tangibles include the product itself, price, packaging,
etc. While in case of service brands, the tangibles include the customers’
experience. The intangibles include emotional connections with the product /
service.
Branding is assembling
of various marketing mix medium into a whole so as to give you an identity. It
is nothing but capturing your customers mind with your brand name. It gives an
image of an experienced, huge and reliable business.
It is all about
capturing the niche market for your product / service and about creating a
confidence in the current and prospective customers’ minds that you are the
unique solution to their problem.
The aim of branding is
to convey brand message vividly, create customer loyalty, persuade the buyer
for the product, and establish an emotional connectivity with the customers.
Branding forms customer perceptions about the product. It should raise customer
expectations about the product. The primary aim of branding is to create
differentiation.
Strong brands reduce
customers’ perceived monetary, social and safety risks in buying
goods/services. The customers can better imagine the intangible goods with the
help of brand name. Strong brand organizations have a high market share. The
brand should be given good support so that it can sustain itself in long run.
It is essential to manage all brands and build brand equity over a period of
time. Here comes importance and usefulness of brand management. Brand
management helps in building a corporate image. A brand manager has to oversee
overall brand performance. A successful brand can only be created if the brand
management system is competent.
Following are the
important concepts of brand management:
Definition of
Brand
Brand Name
Brand Attributes
Brand Positioning
Brand Identity
Sources of Brand Identity
Brand Image
Brand Identity vs Brand Image
Brand Personality
Brand Awareness
Brand Loyalty
Brand Association
Building a Brand
Brand Equity
Brand Equity & Customer Equity
Brand Extension
Co-branding
Definition
of Brand:
Brands are different
from products in a way that brands are “what the consumers buy”, while products
are “what concern/companies make”. Brand is an accumulation of emotional and
functional associations. Brand is a promise that the product will perform as
per customer’s expectations. It shapes customer’s expectations about the
product. Brands usually have a trademark which protects them from use by
others. A brand gives particular information about the organization, good or service,
differentiating it from others in marketplace. Brand carries an assurance about
the characteristics that make the product or service unique. A strong brand is
a means of making people aware of what the company represents and what are it’s
offerings.
To a consumer, brand
means and signifies:
Source of product
Delegating
responsibility to the manufacturer of product
Lower risk
Less search cost
Quality symbol
Deal or pact with the
product manufacturer
Symbolic device
Brands simplify
consumers purchase decision. Over a period of time, consumers discover the
brands which satisfy their need. If the consumers recognize a particular brand
and have knowledge about it, they make quick purchase decision and save lot of
time. Also, they save search costs for product. Consumers remain committed and
loyal to a brand as long as they believe and have an implicit understanding
that the brand will continue meeting their expectations and perform in the
desired manner consistently. As long as the consumers get benefits and
satisfaction from consumption of the product, they will more likely continue to
buy that brand. Brands also play a crucial role in signifying certain product
features to consumers.
To a seller, brand
means and signifies:
Basis of competitive
advantage
Way of bestowing
products with unique associations
Way of identification
to easy handling
Way of legal protection
of products’ unique traits/features
Sign of quality to
satisfied customer
Means of financial
returns
A brand, in short, can
be defined as a seller’s promise to provide consistently a unique set of
characteristics, advantages, and services to the buyers/consumers. It is a
name, term, sign, symbol or a combination of all these planned to differentiate
the goods/services of one seller or group of sellers from those of competitors.
Some examples of well known brands are Mc Donald’s’, Mercedes-Benz, Sony, Coca
Cola, Kingfisher, etc.
A brand connects the
four crucial elements of an enterprise- customers, employees, management and
shareholders. Brand is nothing but an assortment of memories in customers mind.
Brand represents values, ideas and even personality. It is a set of functional,
emotional and rational associations and benefits which have occupied target
market’s mind. Associations are nothing but the images and symbols associated
with the brand or brand benefits, such as, The Nike Swoosh, The Nokia sound,
etc. Benefits are the basis for purchase decision.
Brand
Name:
Brand name is one of
the brand elements which helps the customers to identify and differentiate one
product from another. It should be chosen very carefully as it captures the key
theme of a product in an efficient and economical manner. It can easily be
noticed and its meaning can be stored and triggered in the memory instantly.
Choice of a brand name requires a lot of research. Brand names are not
necessarily associated with the product. For instance, brand names can be based
on places (Air India, British Airways), animals or birds (Dove soap, Puma),
people (Louise Phillips, Allen Solly). In some instances, the company name is
used for all products (General Electric, LG).
Features of a Good
Brand Name
A good brand name
should have following characteristics:
It should be unique /
distinctive (for instance- Kodak, Mustang)
It should be
extendable.
It should be easy to
pronounce, identified and memorized. (For instance-Tide)
It should give an idea
about product’s qualities and benefits (For instance- Swift, Quickfix,
Lipguard).
It should be easily
convertible into foreign languages.
It should be capable of
legal protection and registration.
It should suggest
product/service category (For instance Newsweek).
It should indicate
concrete qualities (For instance Firebird).
It should not portray
bad/wrong meanings in other categories. (For instance NOVA is a poor name for a
car to be sold in Spanish country, because in Spanish it means “doesn’t go”).
Process of Selecting a
renowned and successful Brand Name
Define the objectives
of branding in terms of six criterions - descriptive, suggestive, compound,
classical, arbitrary and fanciful. It Is essential to recognize the role of
brand within the corporate branding strategy and the relation of brand to other
brand and products. It is also essential to understand the role of brand within
entire marketing program as well as a detailed description of niche market must
be considered.
Generation of multiple
names - Any potential source of names can be used; organization, management and
employees, current or potential customers, agencies and professional
consultants.
Screening of names on
the basis of branding objectives and marketing considerations so as to have a
more synchronized list - The brand names must not have connotations, should be
easily pronounceable, should meet the legal requirements etc.
Gathering more
extensive details on each of the finalized names - There should be extensive
international legal search done. These searches are at times done on a
sequential basis because of the expense involved.
Conducting consumer
research - Consumer research is often conducted so as to confirm management
expectations as to the remembrance and meaningfulness of the brand names. The
features of the product, its price and promotion may be shown to the consumers
so that they understand the purpose of the brand name and the manner in which
it will be used. Consumers can be shown actual 3-D packages as well as animated
advertising or boards. Several samples of consumers must be surveyed depending
on the niche market involved.
On the basis of the
above steps, management can finalize the brand name that maximizes the
organization’s branding and marketing objectives and then formally register the
brand name.
Brand
Attributes :
Brand Attributes
portray a company’s brand characteristics. They signify the basic nature of
brand. Brand attributes are a bundle of features that highlight the physical
and personality aspects of the brand. Attributes are developed through images,
actions, or presumptions. Brand attributes help in creating brand identity.
A strong brand must
have following attributes:
Relevancy- A strong
brand must be relevant. It must meet people’s expectations and should perform
the way they want it to. A good job must be done to persuade consumers to buy
the product; else inspite of your product being unique, people will not buy it.
Consistency- A
consistent brand signifies what the brand stands for and builds customers trust
in brand. A consistent brand is where the company communicates message in a way
that does not deviate from the core brand proposition.
Proper positioning- A
strong brand should be positioned so that it makes a place in target audience
mind and they prefer it over other brands.
Sustainable- A strong
brand makes a business competitive. A sustainable brand drives an organization
towards innovation and success. Example of sustainable brand is Marks and
Spencer’s.
Credibility- A strong
brand should do what it promises. The way you communicate your brand to the
audience/ customers should be realistic. It should not fail to deliver what it
promises. Do not exaggerate as customers want to believe in the promises you
make to them.
Inspirational- A strong
brand should transcend/ inspire the category it is famous for. For example-
Nike transcendent Jersey Polo Shirt.
Uniqueness- A strong
brand should be different and unique. It should set you apart from other
competitors in market.
Appealing- A strong
brand should be attractive. Customers should be attracted by the promise you
make and by the value you deliver.
Brand
Positioning :
Brand positioning
refers to “target consumer’s” reason to buy your brand in preference to others.
It is ensures that all brand activity has a common aim; is guided, directed and
delivered by the brand’s benefits/reasons to buy; and it focusses at all points
of contact with the consumer.
Brand positioning must
make sure that:
Is it
unique/distinctive vs. competitors ?
Is it significant and
encouraging to the niche market ?
Is it appropriate to
all major geographic markets and businesses ?
Is the proposition validated
with unique, appropriate and original products ?
Is it sustainable - can
it be delivered constantly across all points of contact with the consumer ?
Is it helpful for
organization to achieve its financial goals ?
Is it able to support
and boost up the organization ?
In order to create a
distinctive place in the market, a niche market has to be carefully chosen and
a differential advantage must be created in their mind. Brand positioning is a
medium through which an organization can portray it’s customers what it wants
to achieve for them and what it wants to mean to them. Brand positioning forms
customer’s views and opinions.
Brand Positioning can
be defined as an activity of creating a brand offer in such a manner that it
occupies a distinctive place and value in the target customer’s mind. For
instance-Kotak Mahindra positions itself in the customer’s mind as one entity-
“Kotak ”- which can provide customized and one-stop solution for all their
financial services needs. It has an unaided top of mind recall. It intends to
stay with the proposition of “Think Investments, Think Kotak”. The positioning
you choose for your brand will be influenced by the competitive stance you want
to adopt.
Brand Positioning
involves identifying and determining points of similarity and difference to
ascertain the right brand identity and to create a proper brand image. Brand
Positioning is the key of marketing strategy. A strong brand positioning
directs marketing strategy by explaining the brand details, the uniqueness of
brand and it’s similarity with the competitive brands, as well as the reasons
for buying and using that specific brand. Positioning is the base for
developing and increasing the required knowledge and perceptions of the
customers. It is the single feature that sets your service apart from your
competitors. For instance- Kingfisher stands for youth and excitement. It
represents brand in full flight.
There are various
positioning errors, such as-
Under positioning- This
is a scenario in which the customer’s have a blurred and unclear idea of the
brand.
Over positioning- This
is a scenario in which the customers have too limited a awareness of the brand.
Confused positioning-
This is a scenario in which the customers have a confused opinion of the brand.
Double Positioning-
This is a scenario in which customers do not accept the claims of a brand.
Brand
Image :
Brand image is the
current view of the customers about a brand. It can be defined as a unique
bundle of associations within the minds of target customers. It signifies what
the brand presently stands for. It is a set of beliefs held about a specific
brand. In short, it is nothing but the consumers’ perception about the product.
It is the manner in which a specific brand is positioned in the market. Brand
image conveys emotional value and not just a mental image. Brand image is
nothing but an organization’s character. It is an accumulation of contact and
observation by people external to an organization. It should highlight an
organization’s mission and vision to all. The main elements of positive brand
image are- unique logo reflecting organization’s image, slogan describing
organization’s business in brief and brand identifier supporting the key
values.
Brand image is the
overall impression in consumers’ mind that is formed from all sources.
Consumers develop various associations with the brand. Based on these
associations, they form brand image. An image is formed about the brand on the
basis of subjective perceptions of associations bundle that the consumers have
about the brand. Volvo is associated with safety. Toyota is associated with
reliability.
The idea behind brand
image is that the consumer is not purchasing just the product/service but also
the image associated with that product/service. Brand images should be
positive, unique and instant. Brand images can be strengthened using brand
communications like advertising, packaging, word of mouth publicity, other
promotional tools, etc.
Brand image develops
and conveys the product’s character in a unique manner different from its
competitor’s image. The brand image consists of various associations in
consumers’ mind - attributes, benefits and attributes. Brand attributes are the
functional and mental connections with the brand that the customers have. They
can be specific or conceptual. Benefits are the rationale for the purchase
decision. There are three types of benefits: Functional benefits - what do you
do better (than others ),emotional benefits - how do you make me feel better
(than others), and rational benefits/support - why do I believe you(more than
others). Brand attributes are consumers overall assessment of a brand.
Brand image has not to
be created, but is automatically formed. The brand image includes products'
appeal, ease of use, functionality, fame, and overall value. Brand image is
actually brand content. When the consumers purchase the product, they are also
purchasing it’s image. Brand image is the objective and mental feedback of the
consumers when they purchase a product. Positive brand image is exceeding the
customers expectations. Positive brand image enhances the goodwill and brand
value of an organization.
To sum up, “Brand
image” is the customer’s net extract from the brand.
Brand
Personality:
Brand personality is
the way a brand speaks and behaves. It means assigning human personality
traits/characteristics to a brand so as to achieve differentiation. These
characteristics signify brand behaviour through both individuals representing
the brand (i.e. it’s employees) as well as through advertising, packaging, etc.
When brand image or brand identity is expressed in terms of human traits, it is
called brand personality. For instance - Allen Solley brand speaks the
personality and makes the individual who wears it stand apart from the crowd.
Infosys represents uniqueness, value, and intellectualism.
Brand personality is
nothing but personification of brand. A brand is expressed either as a
personality who embodies these personality traits (For instance - Shahrukh Khan
and Airtel, John Abraham and Castrol) or distinct personality traits (For
instance - Dove as honest, feminist and optimist; Hewlett Packard brand
represents accomplishment, competency and influence). Brand personality is the
result of all the consumer’s experiences with the brand. It is unique and long
lasting.
Brand personality must
be differentiated from brand image, in sense that, while brand image denote the
tangible (physical and functional) benefits and attributes of a brand, brand
personality indicates emotional associations of the brand. If brand image is
comprehensive brand according to consumers’ opinion, brand personality is that
aspect of comprehensive brand which generates it’s emotional character and
associations in consumers’ mind.
Brand personality
develops brand equity. It sets the brand attitude. It is a key input into the
look and feel of any communication or marketing activity by the brand. It helps
in gaining thorough knowledge of customers feelings about the brand. Brand
personality differentiates among brands specifically when they are alike in
many attributes. For instance - Sony versus Panasonic. Brand personality is
used to make the brand strategy lively, i.e, to implement brand strategy. Brand
personality indicates the kind of relationship a customer has with the brand.
It is a means by which a customer communicates his own identity.
Brand personality and
celebrity should supplement each other. Trustworthy celebrity ensures immediate
awareness, acceptability and optimism towards the brand. This will influence
consumers’ purchase decision and also create brand loyalty. For instance -
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is brand ambassador for J.Hampstead,
international line of premium shirts.
Brand personality not
only includes the personality features/characteristics, but also the
demographic features like age, gender or class and psychographic features.
Personality traits are what the brand exists for.
Brand
Equity:
Brand Equity is the
value and strength of the Brand that decides its worth. It can also be defined
as the differential impact of brand knowledge on consumers response to the
Brand Marketing. Brand Equity exists as a function of consumer choice in the
market place. The concept of Brand Equity comes into existence when consumer makes
a choice of a product or a service. It occurs when the consumer is familiar
with the brand and holds some favourable positive strong and distinctive brand
associations in the memory.
Brand Equity can be
determined by measuring:
Returns to the Share-Holders.
Evaluating the Brand Image for various parameters that
are considered significant.
Evaluating the Brand’s earning potential in long run.
By evaluating the increased volume of sales created by
the brand compared to other brands in the same class.
The price premium charged by the brand over non-branded
products.
From the prices of the shares that an organization
commands in the market (specifically if the brand name is identical to the
corporate name or the consumers can easily co-relate the performance of all the
individual brands of the organization with the organizational financial
performance.
OR, An
amalgamation of all the above methods.
Factors contributing to
Brand Equity
Brand Awareness
Brand Associations
Brand Loyalty
Perceived Quality:
refers to the customer’s perception about the total quality of the brand. While
evaluating quality the customer takes into account the brands performance on
factors that are significant to him and makes a relative analysis about the
brand’s quality by evaluating the competitors brands also. Thus quality is a
perceptual factor and the consumer analysis about quality varies. Higher
perceived quality might be used for brand positioning. Perceived quality affect
the pricing decisions of the organizations. Superior quality products can be
charged a price premium. Perceived quality gives the customers a reason to buy
the product. It also captures the channel member’s interest. For instance -
American Express.
Other Proprietary Brand
Assets: Patents, Trademarks and Channel Inter-relations are proprietary assets.
These assets prevent competitors attack on the organization. They also help in
maintaining customer loyalty as well as organization’s competitive advantage.
Brand
Loyalty:
Brand Loyalty is a
scenario where the consumer fears purchasing and consuming product from another
brand which he does not trust. It is measured through methods like word of
mouth publicity, repetitive buying, price sensitivity, commitment, brand trust,
customer satisfaction, etc. Brand loyalty is the extent to which a consumer
constantly buys the same brand within a product category. The consumers remain
loyal to a specific brand as long as it is available. They do not buy from
other suppliers within the product category. Brand loyalty exists when the
consumer feels that the brand consists of right product characteristics and
quality at right price. Even if the other brands are available at cheaper price
or superior quality, the brand loyal consumer will stick to his brand.
Brand loyal consumers
are the foundation of an organization. Greater loyalty levels lead to less
marketing expenditure because the brand loyal customers promote the brand
positively. Also, it acts as a means of launching and introducing more products
that are targeted at same customers at less expenditure. It also restrains new
competitors in the market. Brand loyalty is a key component of brand equity.
Brand loyalty can be
developed through various measures such as quick service, ensuring quality
products, continuous improvement, wide distribution network, etc. When
consumers are brand loyal they love “you” for being “you”, and they will
minutely consider any other alternative brand as a replacement. Examples of
brand loyalty can be seen in US where true Apple customers have the brand's
logo tattooed onto their bodies. Similarly in Finland, Nokia customers remained
loyal to Nokia because they admired the design of the handsets or because of
user- friendly menu system used by Nokia phones.
Brand loyalty can be
defined as relative possibility of customer shifting to another brand in case
there is a change in product’s features, price or quality. As brand loyalty
increases, customers will respond less to competitive moves and actions. Brand
loyal customers remain committed to the brand, are willing to pay higher price
for that brand, and will promote their brand always. A company having brand
loyal customers will have greater sales, less marketing and advertising costs,
and best pricing. This is because the brand loyal customers are less reluctant
to shift to other brands, respond less to price changes and self- promote the
brand as they perceive that their brand have unique value which is not provided
by other competitive brands.
Brand loyalty is always
developed post purchase. To develop brand loyalty, an organization should know
their niche market, target them, support their product, ensure easy access of
their product, provide customer satisfaction, bring constant innovation in
their product and offer schemes on their product so as to ensure that customers
repeatedly purchase the product.
Brand
extension or brand stretching is a marketing
strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses
the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called
a spin-off. Organizations use this
strategy to increase and leverage brand equity (definition: the net worth and
long-term sustainability just from the renowned name).
Guerrilla
Marketing: Guerrilla marketing is an advertising strategy in
which low-cost unconventional means (graffiti, sticker bombing, flash mobs) are
utilized, often in a localized fashion or large network of individual cells, to
convey or promote a product or an idea. The term guerrilla marketing is easily
traced to guerrilla warfare which utilizes atypical tactics to achieve a goal
in a competitive and unforgiving environment.
The concept of
guerrilla marketing was invented as an unconventional system of promotions that
relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget.
Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional,
potentially interactive, and consumers are targeted in unexpected places.
The objective of
guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking
concept to generate buzz, and consequently turn viral. The term was coined and
defined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing. The term has
since entered the popular vocabulary and marketing textbooks.
Guerrilla marketing
involves unusual approaches such as intercept encounters in public places,
street giveaways of products, PR stunts, or any unconventional marketing
intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. More innovative
approaches to Guerrilla marketing now utilize mobile digital technologies to
engage the consumer and create a memorable brand experience.
Guerrilla marketing
focuses on low cost creative strategies of marketing. Basic requirements are
time, energy, and imagination and not money. Sales do not compose of the
primary static to measure business but is replaced by profit. Emphasis is on
retaining existing customers then acquiring new ones.
Advertisement
Campaign:
From
Conception to Execution
Taking on your own
advertising campaign is no easy task. You can do it on your own but get ready
to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Your Marketing Plan
Nothing can help you
identify your goals more than your marketing plan. You learn a lot about your
company, your competitors and your long-term goals by creating and following
your marketing plan. This is crucial to knowing what type of advertising is
best for you.
Create a Plan of Action
Once you have your
marketing plan, you must create a plan of action. This model shows you how
freelancers and agencies put their own plan of action in place. Your plan of
action also gives you crucial info you can use in executing your ad strategy.
Define Your Advertising
Budget
How you advertise
depends on your ad budget. You need to strategically use your advertising money.
If you're only allowing a small portion of money to advertising, you wouldn't
want to throw it all into the production of one commercial that runs at 2 a.m.
Know exactly how much you will spend on your advertising first so you can make
wise decisions in the creation and placement of all ad mediums.
Hunt for Affordable
Opportunities
Running your own ad
campaign means you have to be your own media director. You've got to find the
best ad placement and the most affordable opportunities to fit into your budget.
If you're limited to a very small budget, you can find many ways to bypass high
advertising costs.
Know Your Target
Audience
You can't advertise
effectively if you don't hit your target audience. Know who they are before you
start creating your ads. If your company sells scooters to seniors, you don't
want to invest in cable ads to run on MTV.
Advertise in
Appropriate Mediums
Of all the different
advertising mediums you can use, you have to be able to use these mediums to
your benefit. Spending all of your money on a direct mail campaign when your ad
dollars would be better spent on print ads is going to limit how many customers
you could've gained. Take a look at each medium, think about your target
audience, take a look at your marketing plan and your plan of action and decide
which medium(s) will be best for your ad dollars.
Don't Be Afraid to Hire
Freelancers
If you can't turn your
advertising over to an agency, still consider hiring a freelance copywriter
and/or graphic designer. These professionals know what makes a good
advertisement. Many freelancers have worked in advertising agencies so you get
the benefit of their expertise. Plus, freelancers can give you professional
copy and materials at an affordable cost.
Consistency is Key
If you're running TV
and radio commercials, print ads and a direct mail campaign, keep them
consistent. Use the same announcer and music for your commercials. Print
materials should use the same colors and fonts. Use the same tag line. You want
to keep everything consistent so your potential customers start identifying
your tag line, your colors, your font, your announcer, jingle - everything -
that relates to your company's ad campaign.
Frequency
Buying space for one
radio commercial that airs once at 4:30 in the morning isn't going to get much
of a response. You want commercials to have a larger frequency so you can
increase your chances of hitting that target audience. If you're running a
direct mail campaign, decide the frequency of your materials up front. Once you
send your initial materials out, how many times will you send out follow up
materials? Know the answers before you begin to help maximize your strategy's
success.
In one of his recent presentations, Frans Johansson explained why
groundbreaking innovators generate and execute far more ideas than their
counterparts. After watching his presentation The Secret Truth About Executing Great Ideas,
my thoughts began to surface about how meaningful the presentation was
regardless of a persons industry, culture, field or discipline. Anyone can come
up with an amazing idea but how you execute the
idea will determine your success.
Ideation: Idea Conception
Coming up with an innovative idea will require some methods of generating ideas from brainstorming to mind
mapping that can help conjure up useful ideas. During this process one must
make sure to keep focused on a goal. If you have no goal, how will you know
when you have reached the finish line and are ready for refinement? Start out
with a few thoughts or themes and see what you can come up with.
Don’t get stuck on trying to come up with different variations of the
same idea as you will want to develop ideas further later. While there is no
exact path in ideation or other creativity techniques from start to finish,
creating an idea you are happy with and feel has innovative potential is the key. Believing in your ideas
innovative ability will give the confidence you will need later on during pitch
time.
Is this new disposable cup holder an improvement or an innovation?
Many people have tried to innovate, but because something similar had
already existed, it’s merely an improvement. When designing within familiar
bounds, you can still create something amazing but your audience will not
likely be astonished at the sight of it. It is easy to see the
particular innovative idea as something that was so simple to come up with
but if that’s the case, then why didn’t you do it? The trick is to
come up with thembefore. That’s the
challenge. Once you find that special seed of an innovative idea, try to avoid
key mistakes that will stop your idea from ever seeing the light of day.
As interesting as some ideas may be, that is not always enough for
consumers. Getting the message out that your new idea is imperative will gain
more consumer attention, especially in more difficult economic times. Always
having a short and clear value proposition with an inescapable feeling of
necessity can help gain capital, exposure and consumers. Do not wait until
everything is “perfect” as they may never be and this will only further delay
your ideas release. Act, do not sit idle!
Nurture New Ideas
Think of your typical cup holder from a fast food restaurant or coffee
house made of cardboard. They are rigid with no handle and have been cause of
drink spills and panic attacks for years. Recently a new cup holder has come
about that is more mobile and has a handle (see image above). These changes have made it easier to transport
drinks and prevent spills. This idea in itself is only an improvement on what
was there previously.
To truly be innovative, you should take opposing thoughts and combine
them, which increases the innovative potential of your idea (see image below). Think of the invention of the Burqini that
combines the idea of a burqa that Muslim women wear and the flexibility of a
swimsuit at the beach. Innovative ideas can sometimes be explosive but many
potential barriers will arise and just having an innovative idea is not always
enough.
Groundbreaking and innovative ideas come from combining ideas from different industries, cultures, fields, and disciplines.
In order to take an innovative idea from the embryo of a concept to
market, you need to have the determination to push through failure. The odds are against you no matter the idea
and statistics say you are going
to fail a few times on your road to success. Knowing this, you have to hedge
your bets more effectively so you can adjust your path and continue forward.
Don’t be intimidated by the perceived brilliance of innovative designs,
because you are typically seeing the last iteration that has changed compared
to its original concept. This happens with adjustment through failure. As
Johansson mentioned, Picasso had made around 20,000 (as high as 50,000) works
of art in his lifetime and Einstein published 240 papers with a short number of
successful creations. Innovative success happens in
volume (see image below).
Stevens, G.A. and Burley, J., “3,000 Raw Ideas = 1 Commercial Success!”
How To Pick A Successful Idea
Don’t put everything behind your first idea! You wouldn’t go to the
racetrack and put your life savings on 1/3000 odds, would you? Even though we
are taught that all innovations come from a visionary who predicted a need for
the future, this is usually not the case. Naturally, most inventions come from
necessity and others from creative spark. When executing a creative idea with
the resources you have available, you will have to make adjustments along the way that may not have been accounted
for originally. Johansson suggests that you take the smallest executable step
(smallest bet) so you don’t risk everything on your original idea.
Once you define the smallest step, you know your scope of risk. This is
very important because you can then take baby steps to overcome challenges and
utilize resources more efficiently on your road to success (see image below). While strategy is paramount, one shouldn’t get
lost in planning and take too long to execute. Stay motivated to move forward, because forward motion even through failure is
the key to success.
“Nearly every major breakthrough innovation has been preceded by a string of failed or misguided executions.” — Frans Johansson.
When implementing strategy, whether it is used to free up resources or
define a path to move forward, do not plan on coming up with the ultimate plan
that will carry your idea to the finish line. Coming up with a base and
enabling yourself to act will help to get things done and eventually discover
the final solution that goes to market. You will need to bring yourself to an
idea intersection where you can pick and choose the best ideas. This
intersection can be used to generate extraordinary, electrifying and
trendsetting ideas.
Exploring Innovation Deeper
The Devotion of Pablo Picasso
Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a
Spanish artist that had a unique talent in painting by combining different
techniques, theories and ideas making him one of the most well-known figures in
20th century art. Picasso had always shown a passion for art from a very young
age and was determined to express his passion to the world. Overcoming high and
low barriers, he achieved much success and fortune in his life. As Pablo Ruiz
Picasso said, “action is the foundational key to all success.” Continuing to
move forward by taking action and not sitting idle will create momentum for success.
Early in his life, Pablo Picasso slept during the day, worked at night
and persevered through poverty, cold and desperation. He was known to have
burned much of his early work just to keep warm at night. Picasso motivated
himself through passion to push forward and eventually made luxurious
connections. Constantly updating his style from the Blue Period, to the Rose
Period, to the African-influenced Period, to Cubism, to Realism and Surrealism,
he was a pioneer with a hand in every art movement of the 20th century.
Picasso was extraordinarily abundant throughout his long lifetime. A
skillful self-promoter, he used politics, whimsicality, and harassment as a
selling tool. The total number of artworks he produced has been estimated at
50,000, comprising 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, roughly
12,000 drawings, many thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and rugs.
From all of these works, only a few dozen have been regarded as a great
success, leaving thousands in museums for viewing after his death and even more
collecting dust. Picassco dedicated his life to art and has very influential
with his portrayal of Cubism.
Frank Epperson’s Juice on a Stick
Frank Epperson was an average
American who at a young age discovered a “frozen drink on a stick” that would
later become an innovative idea. In his life he dabbled in real estate before
discovering how to take his idea to market.
At the age of 11 Frank Epperson invented the “Epsicle” that is now known
as the “Popsicle”. He was mixing powdered soda with water to make soda pop and
accidentally left the mixing bucket outside on an unusually cold night. During
the night the mixture froze solid, with the wooden stirring stick standing
straight up. There was one huge problem: you can’t start an Epsicle production
line on your back porch because the weather didn’t allow for such a thing.
Epperson overcame this hurdle by gaining access to a commercial freezer,
stamped his name on the sticks and wanted to sell his idea.
Unfortunately for Epperson, ice-cream makers were not interested and he
did not share his idea again until a fireman’s ball years later. He
pushed through rejection and failure without burying
all of his resources until he had achieved a solid idea. While he discovered
this wonderful treat early on in life, it took him 16 years to introduce the
idea and 7 years more to sell his Popsicle patent. The popsicle can
be credited for the entrance of tasty frozen deserts into the mainstream and
happy children’s faces around the world. Today hundreds of millions of Popsicles are eaten in the
United States each year, and there are more than thirty flavors available.
Alexander Graham Bell’s Modern
Communication
Alexander Graham Bell was a
scientist from Scotland (originally) that had always had a natural curiosity
for the world. This resulted in experimentation with inventing at a young age,
most notably a simple dehusking machine at age 12.
Due to the gradual deafness of his mother starting at a young age, he
was led to study acoustics which eventually led to the invention of the
telephone. Bell’s telephone grew out of improvements he made to the telegraph.
He had invented the “harmonic telegraph” which could send more than one message
at a time over a single telegraph wire. His path to success was not as clear as
one might think and is surrounded by past failures and controversy.
Bell’s first serious work with sound transmission used tuning forks to
explore resonance. Unfortunately, this groundbreaking undertaking had already been completed worlds away in Germany. A short
change in path led Bell to transmit sound through electrical means. He
experimented first by trying to transmit musical notes and articulate speech.
Alexander Graham Bell had not set any clear destination and became
overwhelmed with his experiments. After many sleepless nights he created
a harmonic telegraph which
became the first stepping stone to the creation of the telephone. After
entertaining other possibilities such as the phonautograph and sending multiple telegraph messages
on a single line, Bell refined the idea of acoustic telegraphy.
By recognizing progress and changing his path, Bell (with the help of
Thomas Watson) was able to invent the sound-powered telephone. By
starting with the idea of transmitting a voice through electricity, Alexander
Graham Bell was able to, through a series of refinements, invent technology
that is used around the world even today. Bell continued to
test out new ideas involving kites, airplanes, tetrahedral structures, sheep-breeding,
artificial respiration, desalinization and water distillation, and hydrofoils.
Jack Dorsey’s Micro Communication
Jack Dorsey is an American
software architect that had an interest in making “instant messenger” updates
available for friends to see. This was a refined concept that eventually grew
into what we now know as Twitter. Three guiding principles of this innovative
idea are simplicity, constraint and craftsmanship.
Jack had an early fascination with cities and how they work, so he would
always carry maps around with him. His attraction with mass-transit and how
cities function led him to taking advantage of public transit databases in
Manhattan. He built off of his original idea that gave meaning to his overall
concept. His idea make clear though working on dispatch software, programming
real-time messaging systems for couriers, taxis, and emergency vehicles.
Jack Dorsey’s experience helped him see his idea in a completely new perspective. Taking his seedling of an idea that
would update friends of his status, Dorsey completed several field tests before
recognizing that the technology available didn’t support his innovative idea.
There are times when putting off a project is irrefutable. Jack Dorsey
originally came up with his idea in the year 2000 but wasn’t able to execute
effectively until 8 years later. Jack was effective in not letting his idea sit for too long but instead taking action when
technology would let it thrive.
Conclusion
Making ideas happen isn’t easy and requires patience, determination and
hard work. The most important part of it is not just coming up with a promising
concept, but rather rethinking it over and over again, implementing it and then
putting it to practice.
Most inventions come from necessity, so pay attention to small problems
in your environment and find simple solutions to these problems. Do not sit
idle on the idea — act instead. Take opposing thoughts and resolve them in your
innovative designs. And keep innovating all the time, one step at a time. The
time will pass, and if you have some luck, you will see your idea growing,
flourishing and maybe even turning into a real success. …So what are you waiting for?
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Glossary of Advertising Terms
Term Definition
Account The relationship between agency and client - an account may cover one campaign or many years of advertising, and may include all the products marketed by a client or just one
Advertorial An paid-for advertisement which includes editorial content; normally identified in a print magazine with the word "Advertisement" printed as a head across the top of the page to distinguish it from genuine (in theory unbiased) editorial content
Agency The organisation that takes care of advertising for clients.
Anchorage The 'pinning down of meaning' that a caption provides when coupled with an ambiguous image - or vice versa
Animatic A filmed storyboard, where stills or short extracts are put together as a rough edit to show the client prior to the filming and editing of a full quality (and therefore expensive) TVC
Benefits The features of a product that are highlighted to customers in ads. There are only two real benefits: better and cheaper. An ad may highlight the supposed emotional benefits of owning a product (eg you'll be happier, more attractive)
Billboard Space for outdoor advertising
Brand See definition on main page
Brief The outline of a campaign's purpose given to the agency by the client. The brief is then developed further by the agency for internal use
Campaign A time-limited set of ads - campaigns may run across different media, and for one month or ten years, but can be categorised together as they are the execution of a central idea
Client The organisation who pays the agency
Coverage calculated in percentages, the proportion of a target audience who has the opportunity to see an ad once
Creative The creative ideas behind an ad, or the person/team who comes up with them
Classified advertising which does not used pictures, and is generally not produced by an agency. A good example of how vendors can communicate directly with buyers
Copy The text created for an ad
Demographics Describing an audience by age, gender, ethnicity, location - ie the facts about them
Focus Groups Small, select groups representing a target audience who are paid to answer questions at the behest of a market research organisation
Frequency The number of times an audience get the opportunity to see an ad
Pitch The communication by the agency of a campaign strategy to the client
Penetration The proportion of a potential market that is actually using a particular brand
Product Placement The practice of paying for a branded product to be used by a character in a movie - eg James Bond driving a BMW Z3
Product Positioning Establishing the market niche of a product - which may not be as the brand leader - and advertising to the appropriate segment of the audience
Propaganda The deliberate manipulation of information in order to achieve certain objectives - NB this is RARELY used in connection with modern advertising
Psychographics Describing an audience by their shared psychological profile (likes, dislikes etc)
Reach Similar to coverage
Slogan Line of copy which encapsulates the campaign strategy
Space The pages in a magazine or newspaper which can be sold (as double spreads, foldouts, full, half and quarter pages) to advertisers
USP< Unique Selling Proposition/point - a highlighted benefit of a product which makes it stand out from all rival brands.
Advertising's 15 Basic Appeals, by Jib Fowles
1. Need for sex- surprisingly, Fowles found that only 2 percent of the television ads he surveyed used this appeal. It may be too blatant, he concluded, and often detracts from the product.
2. Need for affiliation- the largest number of ads use this approach: you are looking for friendship? Advertisers can also use this negatively, to make you worry that you'll lose friends if you don't use a certain product.
3. Need to nurture- every time you see a puppy or a kitten or a child, the appeal is to your paternal or maternal instincts.
4. Need for guidance- a father or mother figure can appeal to your desire for someone to care for you, s you won't have to worry. Betty Crocker is a good example.
5. Need to aggress- we all have had a desire to get even, and some ads give you this satisfaction.
6. Need to achieve- the ability to accomplish something difficult and succeed identifies the product with winning. Sports figures as spokespersons project this image.
7. Need to dominate- the power we lack is what we can look for in a commercial "master the possibilities."
8. Need for prominence- we want to be admired and respected; to have high social status. Tasteful china and classic diamonds offer this potential.
9. Need for attention- we want people to notice us; we want to be looked at. Cosmetics are a natural for this approach.
10. Need for autonomy- within a crowded environment, we want to be singled out, to be a "breed apart." This can also be used negatively: you may be left out if you don't use a particular product
11. Need to escape- flight is very appealing; you can imagine adventures you cannot have; the idea of escape is pleasurable
12. Need to feel safe- to be free from threats, to be secure is the appeal of many insurance and bank ads
13. Need for aesthetic sensations-beauty attracts us, and classic art or dance makes us feel creative, enhanced
14. Need to satisfy curiosity-facts support our belief that information is quantifiable and numbers and diagrams make our choices seem scientific
15. Psychological needs- Fowles defines sex (item no.1) as a biological need, and so he classifies our need to sleep, eat, and drink in this category. Advertisers for juicy pizza are especially appealing late at night.
Advertising Bits
1. Need for sex- surprisingly, Fowles found that only 2 percent of the television ads he surveyed used this appeal. It may be too blatant, he concluded, and often detracts from the product.
2. Need for affiliation- the largest number of ads use this approach: you are looking for friendship? Advertisers can also use this negatively, to make you worry that you'll lose friends if you don't use a certain product.
3. Need to nurture- every time you see a puppy or a kitten or a child, the appeal is to your paternal or maternal instincts.
4. Need for guidance- a father or mother figure can appeal to your desire for someone to care for you, s you won't have to worry. Betty Crocker is a good example.
5. Need to aggress- we all have had a desire to get even, and some ads give you this satisfaction.
6. Need to achieve- the ability to accomplish something difficult and succeed identifies the product with winning. Sports figures as spokespersons project this image.
7. Need to dominate- the power we lack is what we can look for in a commercial "master the possibilities."
8. Need for prominence- we want to be admired and respected; to have high social status. Tasteful china and classic diamonds offer this potential.
9. Need for attention- we want people to notice us; we want to be looked at. Cosmetics are a natural for this approach.
10. Need for autonomy- within a crowded environment, we want to be singled out, to be a "breed apart." This can also be used negatively: you may be left out if you don't use a particular product
11. Need to escape- flight is very appealing; you can imagine adventures you cannot have; the idea of escape is pleasurable
12. Need to feel safe- to be free from threats, to be secure is the appeal of many insurance and bank ads
13. Need for aesthetic sensations-beauty attracts us, and classic art or dance makes us feel creative, enhanced
14. Need to satisfy curiosity-facts support our belief that information is quantifiable and numbers and diagrams make our choices seem scientific
15. Psychological needs- Fowles defines sex (item no.1) as a biological need, and so he classifies our need to sleep, eat, and drink in this category. Advertisers for juicy pizza are especially appealing late at night.
Advertising Bits
What is known as a
"Bridge" in Television commercials?
Transition
from one scene to another
Vorsprung durch technik
Audi
The mark of a man
Old Spice
The world's favourite airline
British Airways
Infomercial
A television commercial that is similar in appearance to a news program or talk show format, usually 30-minutes in length.
A television commercial that is similar in appearance to a news program or talk show format, usually 30-minutes in length.
Media
Mix
The distribution of time and money allocated among TV, radio, print and Internet advertising that makes up the total advertising budget of an advertiser, agency or media buyer.
The distribution of time and money allocated among TV, radio, print and Internet advertising that makes up the total advertising budget of an advertiser, agency or media buyer.
Piggyback
The back-to-back scheduling of two or more brand commercials of one advertiser in network or spot positions.
The back-to-back scheduling of two or more brand commercials of one advertiser in network or spot positions.
Pre-emption
An omission of an announcement from a previously confirmed broadcast schedule; the advertiser is either offered a make-good or takes a credit.
An omission of an announcement from a previously confirmed broadcast schedule; the advertiser is either offered a make-good or takes a credit.
Psychographics
Audience analysis on the basis of psychological factors such as lifestyles, values, and interests and how they affect purchase behavior.
Audience analysis on the basis of psychological factors such as lifestyles, values, and interests and how they affect purchase behavior.
Run-Of-Schedule
(ROS)
Scheduling of commercials at any time of a station's choosing.
Road Blocking
The scheduling of a brand's commercial at approximately the same time on all networks, or all stations in a given market.
Scheduling of commercials at any time of a station's choosing.
Road Blocking
The scheduling of a brand's commercial at approximately the same time on all networks, or all stations in a given market.
Target
Audience
The audience most desired by advertisers in terms of potential product/service usage and revenue potential.
The audience most desired by advertisers in terms of potential product/service usage and revenue potential.
Billboard (BB) - In broadcast, (usually) free airtime (generally 2-10
seconds in length) given to an
advertiser, generally to one that
purchases multiple commercials within
a program (i.e., a "sponsor"
of the program).
Vignette -
A technique used in
commercial production where several situations that emphasize the
qualities of a product are shown in rapid sequence.
Voice Over - The part of a TV commercial that is spoken by an announcer who
is heard but not seen on the screen.
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