Advertising Strategies and Media Influence

Chapter 3: Analyzing the Communication Process

• This chapter analyzes the communication process, encompassing various factors impacting successful communication.
• Communication involves the passing of information and exchange of ideas, aiming for common understanding between sender and receiver.
• Communication success depends on many elements, including message nuances, audience interpretation, environment, and receiver's perception of source and medium.
• Language can be a significant barrier, especially for international marketing.

3.1 Overview of Communication Process

• Communication is the exchange of information and ideas.
• It establishes a shared understanding between sender and receiver.
• Communication success is contingent on multiple variables.

3.2 Source Factors

• A source is the person communicating the marketing message.
• Direct sources deliver and endorse messages & products or services.
• Indirect sources draw attention and enhance ad presentation.

3.2 Source Factors (continued)

• Source credibility is evaluated based on perceived expertise and trustworthiness..
• Internalization is adapting to a credible source's viewpoint, potentially affecting receiver beliefs.

3.2 Source Factors (continued)

• High- and low-credibility sources can be equally effective when opposing their self-interest.
• The persuasiveness of a message can increase with the passage of time (sleeper effect).

3.3 Choosing a Celebrity Endorser

• Matching the celebrity with the target audience and brand/product is essential.
• The celebrity's overall image, cost, trustworthiness, and potential controversy must be considered.
• The familiarity and likeability of the celebrity, or social media influencer, is also important.
• Companies use Q-scores and other research methods to evaluate celebrities' suitability.

3.4 Message Factors

• Message structure, including the order of presentation (primacy and recency effects), influences persuasiveness.
• Optimal placement of strong arguments for best results.
• The length of the message and medium of communication matter.
• Conclusion-drawing (either explicit or implicit) in messages impacts how easily understood and influential they are.

3.5 Channel Factors

• Personal channels often yield more persuasive influence than mass media.
• Differences in information processing (self-paced vs. externally paced) determine receptiveness to message.
• Media vehicles can affect reactions to conveyed messages.
• Clutter, the amount of advertising in a medium (like television), can be a problem for advertisers.

3.6 Creative Strategy

• Creative strategy defines the core message of advertising.
• Creative tactics outline how the strategy will be executed.
• The "big idea" acts as the central theme of the campaign.

3.7 Determinants of Creativity

• Advertising creativity is the generation of fresh, unique, and pertinent ideas.
• Divergence measures the novelty and uniqueness of the ad.
• Relevance focuses on the message's significance and value to consumers.

3.7 Determinants of Creativity (continued)

• Divergence comprises originality, flexibility, elaboration, synthesis, and artistic value.
• Relevance considers the message's value and meaningfulness to consumers.

3.7 Creative Strategy Development

• Advertising campaigns are sets of coordinated marketing communications centered on a singular theme or idea.
• Themes extend across specified time periods and various media.
• Slogans or taglines summarize the brand/company positioning and central message effectively.

3.8 Appeals and Execution Styles

• Advertising appeals attract interest and influence consumer feelings.
• Execution style details how the appeal is integrated into the message.

3.8 Appeals and Execution Styles (continued)

• Informational/rational appeals focus on practical, functional, or utilitarian needs.
• Appeals encompass a range of aspects like comfort, convenience, health, touch, taste, quality, and dependability.
• The feature appeal highlights a product or service's key traits.
• Competitive advantage emphasizes how a product excels over competitors.
• Price appeals emphasize favorable pricing for sales, discounts, or everyday low prices.
• News appeal relies on news to support product or service appeal.
• Popular appeal emphasizes how product is used by many consumers, or recommended by experts.

3.8 Appeals and Execution Styles (continued)

• Emotional appeals relate to consumers’ psychological needs.
• Transformational ads link a product/service to fulfilling unique characteristics. Emotional integration within an ad is relevant here.
• Combining rational and emotional appeals represents a frequent strategy.
• Reminder ads maintain consumer awareness of a brand.
• Teaser advertising builds anticipation and excitement.
• User-generated content (UGC) leverages consumer-created content.

3.8 Appeals and Execution Styles (continued)

• Creative execution is the way an appeal is presented.
• Straight-sell/factual ads directly present product information.
• Demonstrations illustrate product benefits in action.
• Comparisons show superiority over competitors.
• Testimonials feature personal experiences with a product/service.
• Slice-of-life depicts a common consumer situation.
• Animation uses moving images for advertisements.
• Personality symbols deliver messages through a central character.
• Imagery relies on visual elements rather than words.
• Dramatization tells a short story with the product as a star.
• Humor uses humor in advertising appeals.

3.9 Creative Tactics

• Headlines are words in print advertisements that attract attention.
• Direct headlines are straightforward and informative.
• Indirect headlines engage by hinting or drawing curiosity.
• Subheads provide supplementary information.
• Body copy clarifies the main message.
• Visual elements are significant in print ads.
• Layout arranges elements of an advertisement.
• Video and audio are essential elements of TV ads.
• Voiceovers deliver messages through announcers.
• Needledrop uses prefabricated music.
• Music enhances ads with emotional appeals and branding.
• Licensing music is often costly.
• Digital ads cover various formats and placements.
• Display ads have diverse formats and placements; IAB recommendations exist.
• Online video is growing, and creative considerations mirror those for TV.

Client Evaluation and Approval

• Multiple stakeholders, including managers, product/brand representatives, marketing leadership, legal, president/CEO, and board members, participate in the evaluation and approval process.
• Guidelines for evaluating creative work highlight consistency with marketing/advertising objectives and creative strategy, clarity of the message , avoidance of overwhelming the message, and fitting in with the media environment.