Month: July 2020

Creativity in advertising does not exist in a vacuum. Productive originality and imagination are useful in all areas, even those that relate to such typically managerial tasks as the planning and organisation of advertising departments, and the establishment of controls.

In a recent survey of top managers in large corporation the lacks of innovative thinking in promotion was identified as a major concern. Specifically, there appeared to be general unwillingness to take necessary risks, as well as inability to define new methods for promoting products to customers in the face of major increase in the cost of media advertising and personal selling.

The creative process is not a scientific process; rather it evolves from insight or inspiration. Nonetheless creativity in advertising must not only produce unique and interesting results, it must also produce useful solutions to real problems. Baker describes the concept of creativity as a pyramid divided into three parts.

Advertising creativity frequently takes off from a base of a systematic accumulation of facts and analysis. The second phase represents processing, or analysis, and the third part—the idea—is the culmination of creative efforts.

English sociologist Graham Walls outlined the four steps in creative process as follows (Fig.):

Fig: Graham Walls creative process

Step-I:

Preparation:

Gathering background information needed to solve the problem through research and study.

Step-II:

Incubation:

Getting away and letting ideas develop.

Step-III:

illumination:

Seeing the light or solution.

Step-IV:

Verification:

Refining and polishing the idea and seeing if it is an appropriate solution. One of the most popular approaches to creativity in advertising was developed by James Webb Young, a former creative vice president at the J. Walter Thompson agency.

Young said that “the production of ideas is just as definite a process as the production of Fords; that the production of ideas, too, runs an assembly line; that in this production the mind follows an operative technique which can be learned and controlled; and that its effective use is just as much as a matter of practice in the technique as in the effective use of any tool”.

Young’s model of the creative process contain five steps (Fig.):

Fig: James Webb Young creative process

Step 1:

Immersion:

Gathering raw material and information through background research and immersing yourself in the problem.

Step 2:

Digestion:

Taking information, working it over, and wrestling with it in the mind.

Step 3:

Incubation:

Putting the problems out of your conscious mind and turning the information over to subconscious to do the work.

Step 4:

illumination:

The birth of an idea The “Eureka! I have it” phenomenon.

Step 5:

Reality or Verification:

Studying the idea to see if it still looks good or solves the problem, then shaping the idea to practical usefulness.

Model of the creative process are valuable to those working in the creative area of advertising, since they offer an organised way to approach an advertising problem. Preparation or gathering of information is the first step in the creative process.

The advertiser and agency start by developing a thorough understanding of the product or services, the target market, and the competition. Attention is also focused on the role of advertising in the marketing and promotional programme.

These models do not say much about how this information will be synthesized and used by the creative specialist because this part of the process is unique to the individual. In many ways, it is what sets apart the great creative minds and strategists in advertising.

Fig: Sequence of event in the development of message

Principles of Advertising Strategy:

As all advertising process begin with an advertising strategy. Advertising strategy is the formulation of advertising message that communicate the benefit or problem solution characteristics of the product or service to the market.

The message must be consumer oriented in meeting consumer needs or wants and must offer the desired consumer benefit, otherwise even a brilliant advertising strategy will not succeed. Hence, the advertising message must be the right one which when projected to the right audience at the right time, will bring the desired results.

Following principles (guide lines) are to be kept-in mind while formulating the advertising strategy:

(a) The consumer benefit must be directly related to the specific features of the product. This strategy would differentiate the product from the competitors. Then the consumer need or want associated with a particular brand reduces the competitor’s edge.

(b) Right type of media should be chosen for the product/service advertising for the proper and effective communication

(c) The benefit offered to the consumer must be wanted by the consumers. The product features offered must be what the consumer actually wants and not what the manufacturer thinks that the consumer wants.

(d) The advertising message must be clear that the product offered will solve a consumer problem and fulfill a consumer need or offer a consumer benefit. The benefit must be clearly communicated.

Advertising Campaign

Advertising campaigns are the groups of advertising messages which are similar in nature. They share same messages and themes placed in different types of medias at some fixed times. The time frames of advertising campaigns are fixed and specifically defined.

The very prime thing before making an ad campaign is to know-

Why refers to the objective of advertising campaign. The objective of an advertising campaign is to

• Inform people about your product
• Convince them to buy the product
• Make your product available to the customers

The process of making an advertising campaign is as follows:

1. Research: First step is to do a market research for the product to be advertised. One needs to find out the product demand, competitors, etc.
2. Know the target audience: One need to know who are going to buy the product and who should be targeted.
3. Setting the budget: The next step is to set the budget keeping in mind all the factors like media, presentations, paper works, etc which have a role in the process of advertising and the places where there is a need of funds.
4. Deciding a proper theme: The theme for the campaign has to be decided as in the colors to be used, the graphics should be similar or almost similar in all ads, the music and the voices to be used, the designing of the ads, the way the message will be delivered, the language to be used, jingles, etc.
5. Selection of media: The media or number of Medias selected should be the one which will reach the target customers.
6. Media scheduling: The scheduling has to be done accurately so that the ad will be visible or be read or be audible to the targeted customers at the right time.
7. Executing the campaign: Finally the campaign has to be executed and then the feedback has to be noted.

Mostly used media tools are print media and electronic media. Print media includes newspaper, magazines, pamphlets, banners, and hoardings. Electronic media includes radio, television, e-mails, sending message on mobiles, and telephonic advertising. The only point to remember is getting a proper frequency for the ad campaign so that the ad is visible and grasping time for customers is good enough.

All campaigns do not have fix duration. Some campaigns are seasonal and some run all year round. All campaigns differ in timings. Some advertising campaigns are media based, some are area based, some are product based, and some are objective based. It is seen that generally advertising campaigns run successfully, but in case if the purpose is not solved in any case, then the theory is redone, required changes are made using the experience, and the remaining campaign is carried forward.

Creativity is probably one of the most commonly used terms in advertising ads. The people who develops ads and commercials are known as creative professionals. And advertising agencies develop reputations for their creativity. Perhaps so much attention is focused on the concept of creativity because many people view the specific challenge given to those who develop an advertising message as being creative.

It is their job to turn all of the information regarding product features and benefits, marketing plans consumer research and communica­tion objectives into a creative concept that will bring the advertising message to life. This begs the question: What is meant by creativity in advertising?

Creativity is generally defined in aesthetic terms:

The ability to produce new, useful ideas; originally, imagination: or the capacity for joining two or more elements to form a new unity or purpose. However, each definition leaves out the utilization or productive function of creativity which applies to advertising.

An individual creates an environment which affects the extent and manner of his creativity. What emerges is not only an expression of the inner state of the creater; it is also designed to meet externally defined needs and goals. Creativity in advertising is an example of a combination of both aesthetics and problem solving.

Perspective on what constitutes creativity in advertising vary. At one extreme are those who argue that advertising is creative only if it sells the product. An advertising message or campaign’s impact on sales counts more than whether it is innovative or wins awards.

At the other end of the continuum are those who judge the creativity of an ad in terms of its artistic or aesthetic value and originality. They contend creative ads can break through the competitive clutter, grab the consumer’s attention, and have some impact.

What constitutes creativity in advertising is probably some where between the two extremes. To break through the clutter and make an impression on the target audience, an ad often must be unique and entertaining. Research has shown that a major determinant of whether a commercial will be successful in changing brand preferences is its “likability” or the viewer’s over all reaction.

Television commercials and print ads that are well designed and executed and generate emotional responses can create positive feelings that are transferred to the product or service being advertised. Many creative people believe this type of advertising can come out only if they are given considerable latitude in developing advertising messages.

But ads that are creative only for the sake of being creative often fail to communicate a relevant or meaningful message that will lead consumers to purchase a product or service.

Everyone involved in planning and developing an advertising campaign must understand the importance of balancing the ‘it’s not creative unless it sells’ perspective with the novelty/uniqueness and impact position.

Marketing and product managers or account executives must recognise that imposing to many sales and marketing oriented communica­tion objective on the creative team can result in mediocre advertising which is often ineffective in today’s competitive, cluttered media environment.

At the same time, the creative specialists must recognise that the goal of advertising is to assist in selling the product or service and good advertising must communicate in manner that helps the client achieve this goal.

Advertising creativity is the ability to generate fresh, unique, and appropriate ideas that can be used as solutions to communication problems. To be appropriate and effective, a creative idea must be relevant to the target audience.

Many ad agencies recognise the importance of developing advertising that is creative and different yet communicates relevant information to the target audience. The agency views a creative advertising message as one built around a creative core or power idea and using excellent design and execution to communicate information that interests the target audience.

Advertising creativity is not the exclusive domain of those who work on the creative side of advertising. The nature of business requires creative thinking from everyone involved in the promotional planning process.

Individuals in the agency, such as account executives, media planners, researchers and attorneys, as well as those on the client side, such as marketing and brand managers must all seek creative solutions to problems encountered in planning, developing and executing an advertising campaign.

Advertising Creative Strategy Evaluation:

1. The end product advertising planning and creative strategy, and its execution, is the form in which an advertisement appears.
2. There are variations according to the media used.
3. The creation of an advertising message commences with the overall marketing and advertising goals.
4. Setting of advertising budget provides boundary parameters so that the formulation of the message may be trimmed down accordingly.
5. The seeds of advertising message are to be found in the purchase preposition.
6. The success or failure of the message, as measured by the reception by the audience depends a great deal on what the advertiser has to offer, not merely in terms of product quality and characteristics but more as to their relevance to the prospect’s requirements and mental make up.
7. The entire copy should be structured along the AIDA line.

Today every company needs to advertise its product to inform the customers about the product, increase the sales, acquire market value, and gain reputation and name in the industry. Every business spends lot of money for advertising their products but the money spent will lead to success only when the best techniques of advertising are used for the product. So here are some very common and most used techniques used by the advertisers to get desired results.

1. Emotional Appeal

This technique of advertising is done with help of two factors – needs of consumers and fear factor. Most common appeals under need are:

• need for something new
• need for getting acceptance
• need for not being ignored
• need for change of old things
• need for security
• need to become attractive, etc.

Most common appeals under fear are:

• fear of accident
• fear of death
• fear of being avoided
• fear of getting sick
• fear of getting old, etc.

2. Promotional Advertising

This technique involves giving away samples of the product for free to the consumers. The items are offered in the trade fairs, promotional events, and ad campaigns in order to gain the attention of the customers.

3. Bandwagon Advertising

This type of technique involves convincing the customers to join the group of people who have bought this product and be on the winning side. For e.g. recent Pantene shampoo ad which says “15crores women trusted Pantene, and you?”

4. Facts and Statistics

Here, advertisers use numbers, proofs, and real examples to show how good their product works. For e.g. “Lizol floor cleaner cleans 99.99% germs” or “Colgate is recommended by 70% of the dentists of the world” or Eno – just 6 seconds.

5. Unfinished Ads

The advertisers here just play with words by saying that their product works better but don’t answer how much more than the competitor. For e.g. Lays – no one can eat just one or Horlicks more nutrition daily. The ads don’t say who can eat more or how much more nutrition.

6. Weasel Words

In this technique, the advertisers don’t say that they are the best from the rest, but don’t also deny. E.g. Sunsilk Hairfall Solution – reduces hairfall. The ad doesn’t say stops hairfall.

7. Endorsements

The advertisers use celebrities to advertise their products. The celebrities or star endorse the product by telling their own experiences with the product. Recently a diamond jewellery ad had superstar Amitabh Bacchan and his wife Jaya advertising the product. The ad showed how he impressed his wife by making a smart choice of buying this brand. Again, Sachin tendulkar, a cricket star, endorsed for a shoe brand.

8. Complementing the Customers

Here, the advertisers used punch lines which complement the consumers who buy their products. E.g. Revlon says “Because you are worth it.”

9. Ideal Family and Ideal Kids

The advertisers using this technique show that the families or kids using their product are a happy go lucky family. The ad always has a neat and well furnished home, well mannered kids and the family is a simple and sweet kind of family. E.g. a dettol soap ad shows everyone in the family using that soap and so is always protected from germs. They show a florescent color line covering whole body of each family member when compared to other people who don’t use this soap.

10. Patriotic Advertisements

These ads show how one can support their country while he uses their product or service. For e. g some products together formed a union and claimed in their ad that if you buy any one of these products, you are going to help a child to go to school. One more cellular company ad had a celebrity showing that if the customers use this company’s sim card, then they can help control population of the country.

11. Questioning the Customers

The advertisers using this technique ask questions to the consumers to get response for their products. E.g. Amway advertisement keeps on asking questions like who has so many farms completely organic in nature, who gives the strength to climb up the stairs at the age of 70, who makes the kids grow in a proper and nutritious ways, is there anyone who is listening to these entire questions. And then at last the answer comes – “Amway : We are Listening.”

12. Bribe

This technique is used to bribe the customers with some thing extra if they buy the product using lines like “buy one shirt and get one free”, or “be the member for the club for two years and get 20% off on all services.”

13. Surrogate Advertising

This technique is generally used by the companies which cannot advertise their products directly. The advertisers use indirect advertisements to advertise their product so that the customers know about the actual product. The biggest example of this technique is liquor ads. These ads never show anyone drinking actual liquor and in place of that they are shown drinking some mineral water, soft drink or soda.

These are the major techniques used by the advertisers to advertise their product. There are some different techniques used for online advertising such as web banner advertising in which a banner is placed on web pages, content advertising using content to advertise the product online, link advertising giving links on different sites to directly visit the product website, etc.

The unique selling proposition (USP) or unique selling point is a marketing strategy of making a unique proposition to customers that convinced them to switch brands. It was used in successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s. The term was coined by television advertising pioneer Rosser Reeves of Ted Bates & Company. Theodore Levitt, a professor at Harvard Business School, suggested that, “Differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which companies must constantly engage.” The term has been extended to cover one’s “personal brand”.

A unique selling proposition (USP) refers to the unique benefit exhibited by a company, service, product or brand that enables it to stand out from competitors. The unique selling proposition must be a feature that highlights product benefits that are meaningful to consumers.

As described by Dr. James Blythe, the USP “contains the one feature of the product that most stands out as different from the competition, and is usually a feature that conveys unique benefits to the consumer.” Communicating the USP is a key element of branding.

In Reality in Advertising, Reeves laments that the USP is widely misunderstood. He outlined three basic rules for an advertisement that encapsulated his ideas about the USP:

• Each advertisement must make a proposition to the consumer not just words, product puffery, or show-window advertising. Each advertisement must say to each reader: “Buy this product, for this specific benefit.”
• The proposition must be one the competition cannot or does not offer. It must be unique either in the brand or a claim the rest of that particular advertising area does not make.
• The proposition must be strong enough to move the masses, i.e., attract new customers as well as potential customers.

Importance

In essence, your USP must communicate to your audience that your product has superior value, and that this value is only attainable if they buy from your brand.

A well-developed USP is vital when you’re setting out any marketing strategy. It gives you clarity around the content you want to develop for any online or offline marketing. Its benefits to your marketing strategy include:

A Clear Benefit

When your product or service’s benefit is well-defined by its USP, your target audience learns to appreciate it for that particular aspect e.g 24/7 support or calls returned in 1 hour. Otherwise, your customers will simply gravitate towards others that offer the lowest price, regardless of what other product benefits you may have to offer.

Improved Revenue

A strong product USP improves your marketing as a whole and helps bolster revenue because it gives your market a specific reason to buy. Combined with your product’s intrinsic benefits and a competitive price, your USP will help cement your product’s position in the market, so that your customers will want to keep paying for it.

Loyal Market

When you build a strong and positive product identity via a significant USP, it tells your market where they stand with you. You don’t want your product to be an option amongst other brands, after all. With a powerful USP, you can easily corner the market segment that needs and wants exactly what you’re offering, increasing their loyalty to your brand.

Streamlined Sales Strategy

A generic marketing and sales campaign may be hit-or-miss because it’s harder to highlight your product’s strengths. A good USP streamlines your strategy by allowing you to communicate how you want your market to perceive your product and brand, and focus on its particular benefits.

The USP concept has become one of the eight broad approaches to creative executions in advertising. The USP approach is recommended where high levels of technological innovation characterise a product category. A clear USP helps consumers to understand differences – even non-existent differences between brand offerings in a category, and may also help consumers to form a positive attitude towards a brand and may ultimately contribute to increased levels of brand recall.

In order to determine an appropriate USP for any given brand, marketers must undertake extensive research of the category as well as of consumers. It is important to be able to locate a space in the market, ensure that the feature is something that is unique, and also something that is valued by potential customers.

Sellers also need to try selling a brand to themselves; this is so they know they are passionate about a product and confident it can succeed. The seller needs a key point to use when trying to sell their product or service, and coming up with it prior to selling will benefit.

Having a point of difference to stand out is a major benefit in markets; customers will be drawn to a business if it offers something no one else has. Whether differences are subtle or blatant, they can be the driving force that ensures the end-consumer makes the desired decision in choosing one product over the competition. This is exactly what every business should be looking into whether it is home-delivery service from a store or all-organic food at a restaurant.

In markets which contain many similar products, using a USP is one campaign method of differentiating the product from the competition. Products or services without differentiation risk the consumer seeing them as commodities and fungible, thus lowering price potential. Thus having a unique selling point is essential to have a successful business that can handle current competition, as well as possible future comers in similar markets.