The Creative Side and Message Strategy Advertising Principles and Practices The Creative Side and Message Strategy

A “Whole Different Animal” Frontier’s “Flip to Mexico” campaign advertised the route in a fun and attention-getting way. Used :30-TV spots, fake news stories, staged protests, podcasts, blogs, a Flip anthem and a Flipmobile in Denver. Bookings rose 56% and unaided awareness doubled after the campaign ran. \ Prentice Hall, © 2009 12-2

The Two Sides of Advertising Media and message strategy work together to create effective advertising. Creative activities work in parallel with the media strategy. Effective advertising is the product of both science (persuasion) and art (creativity).

The Role of Creativity in Advertising Advertising creativity is a product of teamwork between copywriters, art directors, and even broadcast directors work together to generate concept, word, and picture ideas. In advertising, creativity if both a job description and a goal. Creativity is a special form of problem solving.

Key Points in a Creative Brief Problem that can be solved by communication. Target audience and key insights into their attitudes and behavior. Brand position and other branding decisions, such as personality and image. Communication objectives which specify the desired response to the message by the target audience. Proposition or selling idea that will motivate the target to respond. Media considerations about where and when the message should be delivered. Creative direction that provides suggestions on how to stimulate the desired consumer response. These aren’t creative ideas but may touch on such execution or stylistic direction as the ad’s tone of voice.

The Road Crew Creative Brief Why are we advertising at all? To create awareness for an evening alternative ride service. What is the advertising trying to do? Make the new ride service appealing to men in order to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes. What are their current attitudes and perceptions? “My car is here right now. Why wait? There are few options available anyway. I want to keep the fun going all night long.” What is the main promise we need to communicate? It’s more fun when you don’t have to worry about driving. What is the key moment that we tie to? “Bam! The fun stops when I need to think about getting to the next bar or getting home.” What tone of voice should we use? The brand character is rugged, cool, and genuine. We need to be a “straight shooter” buddy on the barstool next to the target. They do not want to be preached to or told what to do. We need to communicate in a language they can relate to. (Words like “program” may cause him to tune out.”)

Targeting Target decisions are very important to message strategy. Target audience for Road Crew Campaign 21- to 34-year old single men with a high-school education and a blue-collar jobs They are responsible for most alcohol-related crashes; most likely to kill or be killed. Consumer insight Tended to worry about driving home drunk and this worry took the edge off an otherwise delightful evening

Branding Brand positions and brand images are built through message strategies and brought to life through advertising executions. Advertising creates brand salience. The brand is visible, has a presence in the marketplace, consumers are aware of it, and the brand is important to its target market, Brand icons reinforce lend personality, emotion, and stories to their brands. Burger King’s “creepy” BK King GEICO Gecko Frontier’s animals

Frontier’s “Flip” Campaign Prentice Hall, © 2009 12-9

Table 12.1 Frazer’s Six Creative Strategies Strategy Description Uses Preemptive Uses a common attribute or benefit Used for categories with little but brand gets there first–forces differentiation or new product competition into me-too positions. categories. Unique Selling Uses a distinct difference in Used for categories with high Proposition attributes that creates a meaningful levels of technological consumer benefit. improvement and innovations. Brand Image Uses a claim of superiority Used with homogeneous low- distinction based on extrinsic factors tech goods with little such as psychological differences in differentiation. the minds of consumers. Positioning Establishes a place in the consumer’s Used by new entries or small mind relative to the competition. brands that want to challenge the market leader. Resonance Uses situations, lifestyles, and Used in highly competitive, emotions with which the target undifferentiated product audience can identify. categories. Affective/ Uses an emotional, sometimes even Used where competitors are Anomalous ambiguous message, to break playing it straight and through indifference. informative.

Head: uses more rational, cognitive (thinking) objectives Table 12.3 Taylor’s Six-Segment Strategy Wheel Message strategy is divided into two general views—the Transmission view and the Ritual view. These are roughly equivalent to our “head” and “heart” strategies. Head: uses more rational, cognitive (thinking) objectives Heart: uses more emotional, affective (feeling) objectives

Strategic Formats and Formulas Lectures A series of instructions given verbally Speaker presents evidence to persuade the audience Lectures are inexpensive, compact, and efficient A “talking head” delivers a lecture about a product Dramas Funny or serious stories about how the world works Characters speak to each other and audience infers lessons

Strategic Formats and Formulas Rational Customer- Focused Strategies Benefit—what the product does for the user; the benefit Promise—what benefit the user will get in the future by using the product Reason—why you should buy this product “because” Unique selling proposition —a benefit unique to the product and important to the user

Strategic Formats and Formulas Message Formulas Straightforward Demonstration Comparison Problem solution/ problem avoidance Humor Slice of life Spokesperson Teasers

Strategic Formats and Formulas Matching Messages to Objectives Get attention Create interest Resonate Create believability Are remembered Slogans Taglines Key visual Touch emotions Inform Teach Persuade Create brand association Drive action Principle: To get attention, an ad must have stopping power, which comes from originality, relevance or intrusiveness—an idea that is novel or surprising.

Tangible and Intangible Features Prentice Hall, © 2009 12-16

What is a Creative Concept? It’s an idea—a thought or concept formed by mentally combining pieces and fragments into something meaningful. Concepting: the process of coming up with a new advertising idea. James Webb Young defines an idea as a new or unexpected combination of thoughts.

Advertising Big Ideas The point of focus for communicating the message A theme or central concept (creative concept) The “Road Crew” name helped define the campaign’s big idea The “Beats driving” slogan supported the Big Idea and communicated a benefit

The ROI of Creativity According to DDB agency, an effective ad is relevant (means something to target audience), original (novel, fresh, unexpected, unusual), and has impact (makes an impression) Principle: An idea can be creative for you if you have never thought of it before, but to be truly creative it has to be one that no one else has thought of before.

The Creative Leap Divergent, right-brain thinking explores possibilities rather than using rational thinking “Thinking outside the box” Taking creative risks Principle: To get a creative idea, you must leap beyond the mundane language of the strategy statement and see the problem in a novel and unexpected way.

The Creative Process: How to Get an Idea Immersion—read, research, learn about problem Ideation—look at the problem from every angle; generate as many ideas as possible Brainfog—you may hit a wall and want to quit Incubation—let let your subconscious work on it Illumination—the idea often comes when you’re relaxed and doing something else Evaluation—Does it work? Is it on strategy?

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