Creativity Mktg 340 Maureen O’Connor

Where do creative ideas come from? Dan Wieden’s point of view player_page.jsp player_page.jsp “Imagination is the last legal means of gaining unfair advantage over your competition.” Tim McGillicott

Start with a good brief… Understand the audience The social, cultural environment The support for the claims The key value or advantage (USP) The obstacles

Canadian Club brief How does creative reflect the brief?

How do we communicate and interpret? Issues of: – Noise – Source credibility – Semiotics and meaning

Start with Communication Theory SenderEncodingChannelDecodingReceiver

Advertising Theory Advertising theories help us understand how consumers make product decisions 1. Hierarchy of effects Consumers proceed through a series of steps – Awareness – Knowledge/interest – Liking and preference – Purchase decision – Advertising must lead consumers through these steps – How can we know where our consumer is? Metrics

Advertising theories (continued) 2. Means-End Theory – Link a product attribute (reduced calories) – To a benefit (you will lose weight and be healthy) – To a consumer value (you will feel good about yourself)

Advertising theories (continued) 3. Verbal and Visual image Theory – Based on the idea that consumers respond best to visual images Attract more attention Better recall Concrete images work better than abstract images

Visual Esperanto Important concept for global advertising Uses visual images that cross cultural boundaries – these images mean the same thing to people all over the world

Coca Cola billboard using visual esperanto

Advertising Appeals – 7 common approaches Fear: “purchase a lock for your bicycle so it won’t be stolen” Humor: grabs our attention by making us laugh Sex: cultural differences make it difficult to use; often used in fashion Music: increases recall of the product Rationality: logical presentation of product benefits Emotions: love, friendship, family bonds Scarcity: “our sale will only last three days!”

Mastercard ad using emotional appeal

Neutrogena ad using rational appeal

Milk ad using humor appeal

Executional frameworks Animation Slice of Life Dramatization Testimonial Fantasy Authority Demonstration

Elements of an advertisement Tagline and logo Support for the claim Subheadline Headline

Message Strategy Message strategy is the way we convince a consumer to buy – Through reason (cognitive) – Through feelings (affective) – Through action (conative)

Cognitive (reason why) strategies Straight benefits – This perfume will make you smell good Unique Selling Proposition – this is the only toothpaste with a taste children like Hyperbole – this is the best bread in the world! Comparison – works better than the competition

Affective (emotional) strategies Resonance – connect to consumer experience (“remember when?”) Emotional – generate feelings of friendship, love, anger (“this product will make you feel happy with your family)

Conative (action) strategies Create the impulse buy (“Buy now!) Support promotions (“Join our Contest!”)

Message strategy Use cognitive to build awareness and knowledge Use affective to build preference Use conative to generate purchase

Message strategy The combination of appeals and executional frameworks to deliver the message in a way that engages the consumer and articulates the brand insight so that the consumer will be motivated… – To feel (affective – To think (cognitive) – To do (conative) …something about the product.