Chapter Nine
Creative Advertising
Strategy
Chapter Nine Objectives
• Understand the role of advertising
agencies and the relationship
between agency and client
• Appreciate the factors that promote
creative and effective advertising
• Describe a five-step program used in
formulating advertising strategy
Chapter Nine Objectives
• Describe the features of a creative brief
• Explain alternative creative strategies
that play a role in the development of
advertising messages
• Explain the concept of means-end
chains and their role in advertising
strategy
Chapter Nine Objectives
• Understand the MECCAS model and
its role in guiding message
formulation
• Describe the laddering method that
provides the data used in constructing
a MECCAS model
• Describe the role of corporate image
and issue advertising
Alternative ways to perform
the advertising function
In-house advertising operation
• Necessitates employing an
advertising staff and absorbing the
operation costs
• Unprofitable unless a company does
a large and continuous advertising
Alternative ways to perform
the advertising function
Full-service advertising agency
Advantages
Disadvantages
• In-depth knowledge
• Some control is lost
and skills
• Larger clients are
• Obtaining negotiating
favored over small
muscle with the media
clients
• Coordinating
• Occasionally
advertising and
inefficient in media
marketing efforts
buying
Alternative ways to perform
the advertising function
A la carte
Advantages
Disadvantages
• Use services only
• Specialists approach
when they are needed
client problems in a
stereotyped fashion
• Availability of highcaliber creative talent • Lack of cost
accountability
• Potential cost
efficiencies
• Financial instability
of smaller boutiques
Advertising Agency Organization
Creative Services
Media Services
Research Services
Account Management
• Develop advertising
copy and campaigns
• Copywriters,
production people,
and creative directors
Advertising Agency Organization
Creative Services
Media Services
Research Services
Account Management
• Selecting the best
advertising media
• Media planners
develop overall
media strategy
• Media buyers
procure the selected
media
Advertising Agency Organization
Creative Services
Media Services
Research Services
Account Management
• Study clients’
customers’ buying
habits, purchase
preferences, and
responsiveness
• Focus groups, mall
intercepts, acquisition
of syndicated research
data
Advertising Agency Organization
Creative Services
Media Services
Research Services
Account Management
• Link the agency with
the client
• Act as liaisons so
that the client does
not need to interact
directly with several
different service
departments and
specialists
Agency Compensation
•Commissions from media (15%)
•Reduced commission system(<15%)
Three
Sources
•Labor-based fee system
•Outcome-based
Memorable Advertising
Apple Computer’s “1984” TV Commercial
What Makes Effective Advertising?
Sound
Strategy
Consumer’s
View
Persuasive
Effective
Advertising
Break
Clutter
Deliver on
Promises
Doesn’t
Overwhelm
Creating Effective Advertising
• The Role of Creativity
Being Creative
Characteristics of
creative campaigns
• Differentiates itself
• Out-if-the-ordinary
 Energizer Batteries
Energizer Batteries
• Energizer Batteries
keep going, and
going, and going…
• Like the drumbeating bunny that
reinforces the
argument
Being Creative
Characteristics of
creative campaigns
• Differentiates itself
• Out-if-the-ordinary
 Energizer Batteries
 Pepsi-Cola
Pepsi-Cola
Pepsi-Cola
commercial
pokes fun at its
competitor,
Coca-cola
and subtly
conveys the
message that
perhaps
Pepsi is better
than Coke
Being Creative
Characteristics of
creative campaigns
• Differentiates itself
 Energizer Batteries
 Pepsi-Cola
 Volkswagen Golf
• Out-if-the-ordinary
Being Creative
Characteristics of
creative campaigns
 Energizer Batteries
• Differentiates itself
 Volkswagen Golf
• Out-if-the-ordinary
 Pepsi-Cola
 Bud Light
Creating Effective Advertising
The Role of Creativity
• Spuds MacKenzie
campaign
• Budfrogs
• Louie and Frank
• Whassup?!
Little Caesar’s
The toga-clad “Pizza,
Pizza” man captures
and holds the viewer’s
attention and provides
Little Caesar’s with a
unique image vis-a-vis
its more laid-back
competitors
Volkswagen Golf
This simple ad dramatizes that the Volkswagen
Golf is a roomy car while holding the viewer’s
attention in an entertaining manner
Advertising Plans and Strategy
Advertising plan
Provides the framework for systematic
execution of advertising strategies
Advertising Plans and Strategy
Advertising strategy
An advertising message that
communicates the brand’s primary
benefits or how it can solve a
consumer’s problem
Advertising Plans and Strategy
Advertising Plans and Strategy
Key Fact
A single-minded statement from the
customer’s points of view that identifies
why consumers are or are not
purchasing the brand
Advertising Plans and Strategy
States the problem from
the marketer’s point of view
Advertising Plans and Strategy
What effect the advertising is intended
to have on the target market and how it
should persuade consumers
Advertising Plans and Strategy
•
•
•
•
Define the target market
Identify the primary competition
Choose the positioning statement
Offer reasons why
Advertising Plans and Strategy
• Relatively technical and uncreative
• It reminds the advertiser to include
the corporate slogan or logo, any
regulatory requirements and so on
Constructing a Creative Brief
Background
Their current
thoughts/feelings
Strategy
What do we want
them to think/feel
Task
What do we want
them to do
Positioning
Client’s Objectives
Target
Proposition
Belief in proposition
How we speak to them
Alternative Creative Strategies
Unique Selling Proposition
Definition
Superiority claims based on
unique physical feature or
benefit
Conditions
Most useful when point of
difference cannot be readily
matched by competitors
Competitive
Implications
May force competitors to imitate
or choose more aggressive
strategy
Alternative Creative Strategies
Brand Image
Definition
Claims based on psychological
differentiation, usually symbolic
association
Conditions
Best for homogeneous good
where differences are difficult to
develop; easily duplicated
Competitive
Implications
Most often involve prestige
claims; rarely challenge
competition directly
Alternative Creative Strategies
Resonance
Definition
Attempts to evoke stored
experiences of prospects to
endow product with relevant
meaning or significance
Conditions
Best for socially visible goods;
requires considerable consumer
understanding to design
messages
Competitive
Implications
Few direct limitations on
competitor’s options; most likely
competitive response is imitation
Alternative Creative Strategies
Emotional
Definition
Attempts to provoke involvement
or emotion through ambiguity,
humor without strong selling
emphasis
Conditions
Best suited to discretionary
items; effective use depends on
competitor response
Competitive
Implications
Competitors may imitate to
undermine strategy of difference
or pursue other alternatives
Alternative Creative Strategies Generic
Definition
Straight product or benefit claim
with no assertion of superiority
Conditions
Monopoly or extreme dominance
of product category
Competitive
Implications
Brand attempts to become
synonymous with product
category
Alternative Creative Strategies Preemptive
Definition
Generic claim with assertion of
superiority
Conditions
Growing or awakening market
where competitive advertising is
generic or nonexistent
Competitive
Implications
May be successful in convincing
customer of superiority
Advertising Applications of
Means - End Chains
1. Leverage Point
The manner in which the advertising will
tap into, reach, or activate the key value, or
end-level that serves as the
advertisement’s driving force
Advertising Applications of
Means - End Chains
2. Brand Attributes
The brand’s specific attributes or features
that are communicated as a means of
supporting the consequences of using the
brand
Advertising Applications of
Means - End Chains
3. Brand Consequence
The major positive consequences,
or benefits of using the brand
Advertising Applications of
Means - End Chains
4. Value - Orientation
The end-level
(terminal or instrumental value)
to be focused on in the advertising
Advertising Applications of
Means - End Chains
10 Universal Values
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Self-direction
Stimulation
Hedonism
Achievement
Power
Security
Conformity
Tradition
Benevolence
Universalism
Means - End Chains and
Advertising Strategy
Attributes Consequences
Low fat
Healthy
Values
Self-respect
Wisdom
Healthy
Choice
Many
flavors
Variety
of choices
Freedom
(of choice)
High
quality
Great
Tasting
Happiness,
Pleasure
Lack of
self-control
Corporate Advertising
Two Forms
• Image advertising
• Issue or advocacy advertising
Image Advertising
• Jaguar