1. IMC Message Strategy All planned brand messages should:
Create brand awareness
Change or reinforce customers’ attitudes
Stimulate some kind of response or action
Stimulate the interactivity that helps build brand relationships
The IMC Creative Brief is based on these mandates and how they relate to the brand decision-making process.

2. Creating Brand Value for a Biscuit

3. Brand Message Strategy Development
The fourth step in the IMC planning process is developing message strategies.
Companies and their marketing communication agencies employ strategic thinking at a variety of levels in the marketing communication process.

4. The Creative Message Brief
A creative brief is a document that provides the guidelines for creating brand messages.

5. The Creative Message Brief
Creative briefs typically include items such as:
Restatement of the marketing strategy
Restatement of the marketing objectives in terms of the intended message impact
The message format or approach
The psychological appeal
The selling premise
The big idea or creative concept
The message execution details

6. Citigate Cunningham’s “Positioning Platform”

7. Purpose or Key Problem
Identifying the company’s main opportunity or key problem is the first step in developing a selling strategy.
This key problem should summarize the most important finding from the SWOT analysis.

8. Functional-Area Message Objectives
For each MC area used in the MC plan, message objectives need to be developed.
MC efforts are measured against their objectives, so stating appropriate objectives is an important part of determining the desired impact.
Creative message objectives are often based on some notion of hierarchy of effects such as the AIDA model.
A less hierarchical approach includes awareness, attitude, action and relationship building. 
Brand message objectives and strategies need to dovetail with the marketing plan.

9. Appeals and Execution Style
Advertising Appeals
The approach used to attract the attention of consumers
and/or
To influence consumer feelings toward the product, service or cause
Execution Style
The way a particular appeal is turned into an advertising message
The way the message is presented to the consumer

10. INFORMATIONAL APPEALS
INFORMATIONAL/RATIONAL APPEALS
FOCUS ON THE CONSUMER’S PRACTICAL,
FUNCTIONAL, OR UTILITARIAN NEED FOR
THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EMPHASIZE
FEATURES
BENEFITS
REASONS FOR OWNING
MESSAGE CONTENT
FACTS, LEARNING, LOGIC
RATIONAL MOTIVES OR PURCHASE CRITERIA
CONVENIENCE, ECONOMY, FIVE SENSES,
DEPENDABILITY, DURABILITY, EFFICIENCY,
PERFORMANCE, ECT

11. Rational Appeals Feature appeals
Focus on the dominant traits of the product
Competitive appeals
Makes comparisons to other brands
Favorable price appeals
Makes price offer the dominant point
News appeals
News or announcement about the product
Product/service popularity appeals
Stresses the brand’s popularity

12. EMOTIONAL APPEALS EMOTIONAL APPEALS
THE CONSUMERS’ SOCIAL AND/OR PSYCHOLOGICAL
NEEDS FOR PURCHASING A PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EMOTIONS WORK BETTER AT SELLING BRANDS
THAT DO NOT DIFFER MARKEDLY FROM
COMPETING BRANDS
EMOTIONAL INTEGRATION
CHARACTERS IN THE AD EXPERIENCE AN
EMOTIONAL BENEFIT OR OUTCOME FROM USING
A PRODUCT OR SERVICE

13. Emotional Appeals Personal States or Feelings
Achievement / Accomplishment
Actualization
Affection
Ambition
Arousal / stimulation
Comfort
Excitement
Fear
Happiness
Joy
Love
Nostalgia
Pleasure
Pride
Safety
Security
Self-esteem
Sentiment
Sorrow / grief

14. Emotional Appeals Social-Based Feelings
Approval
Affiliation / Acceptance
belonging
Embarrassment
Involvement
Recognition
Rejection
Respect
Status

15. ADDITIONAL TYPES OF APPEALS
REMINDER ADVERTISING
KEEP BRAND NAME IN USERS’ MINDS
TEASER ADVERTISING
BUILD CURIOSITY, INTEREST, EXCITEMENT

16. Transformational Ads
The ads create feelings, images, meanings, and beliefs about the product or service that may be activated when consumers use it
These transform the consumer’s interpretations of use of the product
The ad must make the experience of using the product richer, warmer, more exciting and / or enjoyable than that obtained solely from an objective description of the advertised brand
It must connect the experience of the ad so tightly with the experience of using the brand that the consumer can’t remember the brand without recalling the experience generated by the ad

17. Ad Execution Techniques
Testimonial
Animation
Personality
Fantasy
Dramatization
Humor
Combination
Straight-sell or factual message
Science / technical evidence
Demonstration
Comparison
Slice of life

18. Consistency
IMC planners focus their attention on two types of consistency:
One-voice, one-look
Strategic consistency

19. The Consistency Hierarchy

20. The Consistency Triangle

21. Consistency Gaps
The consistency triangle is used to identify gaps in brand communication.
The “say” messages must be consistent with the “do” and “confirm” messages.
Gaps between any of these points threaten brand relationships.

22. A Mess of Messages
Many companies deal with a mess of message due to a wide array of messages and communication complexity.
Consistency leads to a positive, well-defined, clear brand image recognized by all of a brand’s stakeholders.