Selecting a Strategy

Two major advertising strategies: Base your advertising message on the product. Base your advertising message on the consumer.

Base your Message on the Product Brand Recall Strategy Brand Preference Strategy Key Attribute Strategy Social Context Strategy Brand Image Strategy

Brand Recall Strategy Advertisers want to be the first brand you remember when you think of a product. Evoked set: A short list of brand names you think of when a product or service is mentioned. Repetition: The more you hear the brand name, the more likely you are to remember it. Slogan: A catchphrase meant to help you remember a brand name. Usually memorable due to simplicity, rhyme, and rhythm. Jingle: A catchphrase set to music.

Brand Preference Strategy Advertisers want you to like their brand. Feel Good: Advertisers hope that if you feel good about an advertisement, you will feel good about the product. -Not always effective (you can like an advertisement and not like a product.) Humor: Humor must be directly tied to the product. If not, consumers won’t remember the product.

Key Attribute Strategy Linking the brand name to a single characteristic encourages you to remember the brand name. Unique Selling Proposition: The brand name will help you remember the attribute. The attribute will help you remember the brand name.

Social Context Strategy Advertisers believe they can give their products value in society by the social setting in the advertisement. Slice of Life: Advertisements that select a moment in time when the product is being used. Ex. Older wealthy couple dancing on cruise ship. Light Fantasy: Advertisements that try to link brand with desired characteristics (i.e. wealthy, athletic, lucky, etc.)

Brand Image Strategy The characteristic that most consumers associate with the brand. -Very important to a company’s success. Image: Advertisements rely on the picture rather than words to create the image. Ex. Television, Print, Internet.

Base your Message on the Consumer Fear Strategy Anxiety Strategy Transform Consumer’s Experience Strategy Direct Response Strategy Persuasion Strategy

Fear Strategy Advertisements that inform you of the risks associated with not using the brand; motivating consumers to buy or use the product to protect themselves. Ex. (Security systems, smoke detectors, insurance.) Disadvantages: Consumers may focus on fear rather than product. Consumers may develop negative attitudes toward the advertisement for informing them of the dangers.

Anxiety Strategy Advertisements that portray consumers in a situation that would normally create anxiety and provide a solution to that anxiety. Deals with a concern for something rather than a fear of it. Ex. Mouthwash, Shampoo, Deodorant.

Transform Consumer’s Experience Strategy Advertisements that trigger emotions and memories that can be experienced every time the product is bought and/or used. Ex. Vacations, Amusement Parks, Coffee.

Direct Response Strategy Advertisements that communicate a sense of urgency and encourage consumers to purchase immediately. Call Now: Price-based reward for contacting advertiser immediately. Ex. Mail-order companies, Infomercials, Internet.

Persuasion Strategy Advertisement messages that convince consumers that a specific brand is better. Persuasive advertisements are more complicated & often require some thought by the consumer to understand the message. Reason-Why: “Car has more leg room & better price.” Hard-Sell: “Furniture Sale will end on Wednesday.” Comparison: “Yellow book, not the other book.” Testimonial: “Doctor recommended.” Demonstration: “Before” and “After” photographs. Advertorial: Looks like an editorial in news/magazine. Infomercial: T.V. commercials with product demo’s.

Persuasion