Exam 10: Creative Message Strategy

Scenario 10-2 National clothing retailer, Old Navy has been known for its creative ad campaigns for a number of years. In 2010, the company decided to tap into some Hollywood talent to help promote its brand. Actors Jaime Pressly, Bailey Chase, and Judy Greer were signed to support the company's Scream for Savings initiative, a campaign designed to reach consumers with comedic messages. Old Navy spent over $100 million in measured media through the first two-thirds of 2010, and annual ad spending has topped $175 million in recent years.("Old Navy Taps Hollywood Talent for Halloween Spot" Brandweek Magazine, October 29, 2010) -(Scenario 10-2) Old Navy intends to air its comedic advertisements primarily on its website and various social media outlets. The company believes that because consumers spend so many hours using these forms of media, their ads will be seen over and over again. Repeated exposure to a particular advertisement is called

A frequent criticism of social anxiety ads is that historically they have ignored an entire population-namely, women.

With few exceptions, it has been proven over and over that "sex sells."

The concept of message strategy refers to both objectives and methods-essentially, what you want to do, and how you want to plan it.

Scenario 10-1 During tough economic times, many companies rely on memories of "the good old days" to help advertise their products. Looking for a bit of a jump-start itself, PepsiCo turned to nostalgia-heavy advertisements late in 2009, which were then carried into 2010. The company introduced "throwback" versions of a number of its soft drinks, and created an ad campaign that included new logos and a series of commercials intended to generate feelings of happiness from prior decades.The company had hoped that any warm, fuzzy feelings about the past would make people feel better about the company's present and future. -(Scenario 10-1) Emotional appeals in advertising are usually most effective when time is an insignificant element in achieving an objective. Which method is most appropriate when the goal involves creating a sense of urgency to purchase?

Which company, mentioned in the text, has for about 100 years consistently used powerful scenes filled with positive emotions to make it clear that its brand represents good memories?

Which term refers to the mix of advertising and entertainment, the umbrella covering the increasingly broad spectrum of integrated ads and nontraditional IBP?

The main objective of hard-sell messages is to

Scenario 10-6 Facing stiff competition from Walmart and K-mart, executives for Target stores have decided to focus on reaching more affluent shoppers and luring them away from traditional department stores.They have already expanded the products and brands they offer to include reasonably priced items by modern design masters.Target hopes to draw more affluent shoppers into its stores through a series of advertising campaigns that are presently in the planning stages.Most of the advertising budget will be directed to ads in regional luxury magazines, which research shows are frequently read by affluent individuals. -(Scenario 10-6) Another magazine ad designed for Target's new campaign shows a well-dressed shopper pushing her loaded Target cart to her Jaguar, showing satisfaction in the parking lot as she spots another consumer loading Target shopping bags into her Jaguar.Which objective is this ad hoping to achieve?

The main advantage of using an intense level of fear-appeal advertising is that, like it or not, it boosts recall and creates a positive attitude toward the brand.

Scenario 10-4 In the "Chicago Shopping" section of the Chicago Tribune website, the following ads were listed: -(Scenario 10-4) In ad #4, marketers are trying to appeal to consumers using which type of ad?

Two common methods for promoting recall are repetition and memory aids.

Scenario 10-5 In 2007, Michigan-based Ford Motor Company fell from second to third in U.S.annual vehicle sales for the first time in 56 years. Facing stiff competition from foreign automakers and brand indifference amongst U.S.consumers, Ford appeared to be headed towards turbulent times. However, when marketing and advertising guru Jim Farley joined Ford in November 2007, he brought a number of fresh ideas that helped turn the company in the right direction. Farley quickly found that Americans had become indifferent to the Ford brand, which in his opinion, was worse than disliking the brand. So Farley, along with the rest of the marketing team at Ford, created a campaign that used catchy songs and cheerful images to accompany its line of automobiles. The marketing team at Ford is now heavily utilizing the Internet to promote the new Ford Fiesta, which is the focus of a campaign that has greatly increased the awareness of the Ford Brand. The company has also been stressing the value of buying environmentally friendly cars, a move it hopes will improve the brand's image throughout the world. So far, the moves appear to be working-in late 2010, Ford was once again named the second leading automotive company in the United States, as well as fourth largest in the world.("Ford Can Fiesta Again." The Economist, October 28, 2010) -(Scenario 10-5) If the objective of Ford is to persuade consumers to buy its cars during a special limited-time offer, which of the following advertising methods should be used?

Scenario 10-3 Advertisers have a wide choice of objectives and methods when creating an ad for a product, no matter what the product category is.For example, both Taylor and Yamaha sell guitars.Both have created ads that have been recognized by the advertising industry as outstanding creative efforts.However, they have chosen different ways to use magazine advertising to sell guitars.A representative advertisement for Taylor features a photograph of a beautiful, lush, fog-shrouded green forest.The headline reads, "If a tree falls in the forest and you're not there to hear it, does it make a sound? Yes, it just might take 7 or 8 years." The copy is three sentences long and talks about the time and attention that Taylor takes in making quality guitars.Only the top couple inches of a guitar featuring the Taylor logo is shown.While the ad could be classified as exemplifying a number of approaches to meeting message objectives, it most closely fits the description of the USP method by linking a key attribute (quality) to the brand name (Taylor).The main visual in an ad for the Yamaha Pacifica is a bold shot of the guitar.The headline reads, "To survive, you need four things: Food.Sex.Shelter.Guitars.Make that two things." This ad also features characteristics of several approaches to meeting message objectives.However, the headline seems to define it as using the humor method to persuade consumers to prefer the brand. -(Scenario 10-3) Yamaha has created quite a witty ad.Research suggests that this method increases in effectiveness when the

Scenario 10-3 Advertisers have a wide choice of objectives and methods when creating an ad for a product, no matter what the product category is.For example, both Taylor and Yamaha sell guitars.Both have created ads that have been recognized by the advertising industry as outstanding creative efforts.However, they have chosen different ways to use magazine advertising to sell guitars.A representative advertisement for Taylor features a photograph of a beautiful, lush, fog-shrouded green forest.The headline reads, "If a tree falls in the forest and you're not there to hear it, does it make a sound? Yes, it just might take 7 or 8 years." The copy is three sentences long and talks about the time and attention that Taylor takes in making quality guitars.Only the top couple inches of a guitar featuring the Taylor logo is shown.While the ad could be classified as exemplifying a number of approaches to meeting message objectives, it most closely fits the description of the USP method by linking a key attribute (quality) to the brand name (Taylor).The main visual in an ad for the Yamaha Pacifica is a bold shot of the guitar.The headline reads, "To survive, you need four things: Food.Sex.Shelter.Guitars.Make that two things." This ad also features characteristics of several approaches to meeting message objectives.However, the headline seems to define it as using the humor method to persuade consumers to prefer the brand. -(Scenario 10-3) The Taylor ad focuses on the time it takes to produce a quality guitar.Based on the functions and strengths of USP, the ad would not have been as effective if the

Scenario 10-4 In the "Chicago Shopping" section of the Chicago Tribune website, the following ads were listed: -(Scenario 10-4) In ad #3, marketers list a number of product benefits intended to persuade consumers to buy Adidas products. This is an example of

Scenario 10-4 In the "Chicago Shopping" section of the Chicago Tribune website, the following ads were listed: -An ad listing a limited time offer for a pair of expensive brand-name jeans.The ad shows a fictional character being laughed at by an attractive female because of his old, raggedy jeans. The man being laughed at appears incredibly embarrassed. Marketers want consumers to feel more accepted in society when they wear this particular pair of jeans.(ChicagoTribune.com, October 26, 2010)

What are the three primary methods of promoting brand recall? Name them, and describe in detail.Give an example of each from familiar ads or commercials.Finally, explain why brand recall is particularly relevant to the advertising of "low-involvement" goods and services.

Scenario 10-1 During tough economic times, many companies rely on memories of "the good old days" to help advertise their products. Looking for a bit of a jump-start itself, PepsiCo turned to nostalgia-heavy advertisements late in 2009, which were then carried into 2010. The company introduced "throwback" versions of a number of its soft drinks, and created an ad campaign that included new logos and a series of commercials intended to generate feelings of happiness from prior decades.The company had hoped that any warm, fuzzy feelings about the past would make people feel better about the company's present and future. -(Scenario 10-1) For companies using feel-good ads, one of the difficulties is creating an ad that truly elicits fond memories. Another difficulty associated with feel-good ads is that they can

Transformational ads connect brands so closely to actual experiences that people automatically think of ad material in certain situations, incorporating these words and images into their long-term memories.