Deck 11: Endorsers and Message Appeals in Advertising

Question 1

Using the concepts of attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness, explain what makes Tiger Woods an effective or ineffective endorser. Do the same for LeBron James, Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Rodgers, Derek Jeter, David Beckham, and Maria Sharapova.

Answer 1

Advertisement is most powerful source of persuasion. Customers are targeted with the help of print and digital media that uses aesthetics to motivate target customers to buy advertised products or services. Brands are now receiving endorsement from variety of popular celebrities. Companies select celebrities based on; attractiveness, expertise or trustworthiness. It has been seen that customers seek expert advice when highly involved in advertisement. For example, an endorsement of toothpaste by dentist or medical expert influences the decision of toothpaste buyer and ensures them about the quality.
Customers are persuaded from endorsement when endorser looks attractive to the customer, can provide expert information or advice or customers trust their opinion. Television actors, movies personalities, athlete, and medical experts are widely used to endorse various products related to their fields. TW is an effective endorser of golf sport. In spite of his off-course troubles he still earn much better than other golfers who are endorsing sports items.
Other popular celebrities, having highest endorsement income:
• LJ, basketball player, is another name of highest paid endorser of basketball related items. His popularity and liking by public help the brand to influence buying decision. Young and dynamic basketball player attracts large number of young basketball players and people who like basketball game.
• AR, baseball player is popular among many baseball players and listed in world's highest paid athletes. His income from endorsements is more than lakhs of dollars. His attractiveness and expertise in baseball influence buyers in taking buying decision of baseball items.
• AR is among top football players. Football is among most popular game of United States, and hence many companies use football celebrities to endorse related products. AR is among those players who are effectively using football as profession to endorse various products.
• DJ, a retired baseball player has played very well for long period of time and has become an icon of baseball image. Irrespective of the fact that he is retired from the game, his popularity and influence over baseball players or among people who have passion of baseball is still strong as of young baseball celebrities.
• DB is former soccer player of United Kingdom and stands in the list of highest paid athletes. He has strong impact on customers' decisions of selection of brand related to cold drink, apparel, and soccer items.
• MS is among youngest tennis players and highest paid tennis player. Apart from tennis, she endorses watches, jewelry, and digital camera. Endorsement of diversified range of products, her endorsement income is highest of her age group. Her smartness, look, attractive appearance and expert knowledge of tennis motivate customers to consider her choice of products.

Question 2

Presented early in the chapter was a quote from philosopher Alfred North Whitehead stating, "Seek simplicity and distrust it." What does this quote mean in terms of the effectiveness of particular advertising appeals, such as the use of humor

Answer 2

A quote from philosopher AN "seek simplicity and distrust it" refer to making the fact simpler to understand. It aims to make the complex facts simple and easily understandable to make the message effective and less time consuming. To make the advertisement simple, marketer tries to work on transmitting message or information about brand in simple or easy to understand manner. There are other modes too that help to get attention of customers and create excitement among customers to get more information about brand. Humor is one of such tactic adopted by companies these days in advertising and promotional channels.
It has been noticed that customers do not find monotonous advertisement attractive. But when a flavor of humor is added whether, in terms of music, image or graphics in advertisement then it excites and surprise customers to feel their involvement in advertisement. For example, an advertisement of football shows trained dog playing football in the street and enjoying it, excites viewers and surprise them to see how dog is playing football.
Humor is icing on cake for influencing customers towards promotion of brand. It helps them to remember the brand and create another mode of awareness. For example, humorous advertisement is when shared in parties or among college students while sitting in cafeteria create awareness about the brand and promote others to see advertisement. Although humor does not ensure credibility of the source, appealing effects enhances the influential power of advertisement.

Question 3

Attractiveness as an attribute of endorsers includes but is not restricted to physical attractiveness. Many would regard British soccer star David Beckham (of Bend It Like Beckham fame) as attractive. In what ways, other than physical attractiveness, might he be considered attractive

Answer 3

Attractiveness of endorser is an important prerequisite for effective advertisement. It should be based on similarity, familiarity and liking of endorser by public at large. Customers are persuaded for buying advertised products when they like and consider the endorser attractive. The skills like; personality, lifestyle, professional power and intellectual skills are important to make the celebrity a favorite choice for endorsement. The requirement here is customers must perceive endorser to be attractive in all terms; physical and intellectual, this will ensure that they adopt beliefs, attitude, interest, liking and preference of endorser.
Factors determining celebrity endorsement:
• Celebrity and brand matchup
• Celebrity and audience matchup
• Credibility of celebrity
• Endorsement saturation factor
• Likelihood of getting into trouble factor
DB, a British soccer star as an attractive endorser helps in bringing beliefs, attitude, and thought similar to endorser among customers. His attractiveness ties together the likelihood, and familiarity towards the brand. The more customers want to be like "DB", the more effective the message will be. When people watch DB kick a soccer ball, they feel as if they are kicking the ball. This reaction is the influential power of celebrity. His attractiveness fulfills many of celebrity endorsement factors; his matchup with brand and audience, the credibility of his knowledge makes him attractive choice of many popular brands.

Question 4

Considering the likelihood-of-getting-into-trouble factor, identify three entertainment or sports celebrities that you, as a brand manager, would be reluctant to have endorse your brand for fear they would get into some sort of trouble.

Question 5

NBA superstar Michael Jordan for many years endorsed Hanes underwear, among many other brands. Suppose you were brand manager for Hanes and had to come up with a replacement for Mr. Jordan. Who would you select Justify the rationale behind your choice.

Question 6

Infomercials are long commercials that generally last from 30 to 60 minutes. These commercials typically air during fringe times and frequently promote products such as diet aids, balding cures, and exercise products. These infomercials often use endorsements from physicians and other health professionals to buttress claims about the promoted brand's efficacy. Using concepts from this chapter, explain why health professionals are used in this form of advertising.

Question 7

You have probably seen a number of public service announcements along the lines of those described in the fear appeals section to discourage drinking and driving. In your opinion, is this form of advertising effective in altering the behavior of people your age Be specific in justifying your answer.

Question 8

The fear of getting AIDS should be relevant to many college students. Accordingly, would you agree that a relatively weak fear appeal should suffice in influencing students to either abstain from sexual relations or practice safe sex If you disagree, then how can you reconcile your disagreement with the degree-of-relevance explanation

Question 9

Identify three or four products for which you feel appeals to guilt might be a viable approach to persuading consumer acceptance of a brand. What kinds of products do not lend themselves to such appeals Explain why you feel these products would be inappropriate.

Question 10

Consumers occasionally find television commercials humorous and enjoyable. Some advertising pundits claim that such commercials may capture attention but are frequently ineffective in selling products. What is your viewpoint on this issue Justify your position.

Question 11

Identify two or three YouTube videos with brands that you consider humorous. Is the use of humor appropriate for the brands advertised in these videos and given their likely target audiences Justify your responses.

Question 12

Identify several TV commercials or magazine ads that use sex appeal. Describe each advertisement and then explain whether an appeal to sex is appropriate or inappropriate for the brand.

Question 13

Comment on the following allegation: "There is too much use of sex in advertising."

Question 14

The article titled "Understanding Jingles and Needledrop: A Rhetorical Approach to Music in Advertising" (see endnote 80) suggests that music in commercials communicates specific meanings to listeners and viewers. In other words, music "speaks" to people by conveying a sense of speed, excitement, sadness, nostalgia, and so on. Identify two commercials in which music communicates a specific emotion or other state or action to consumers, and identify this emotion, state, or action.

Question 15

Photocopy or save one or two examples of comparative advertisements from magazines. Analyze each ad in terms of why you think the advertiser used a comparative-advertising format and whether you think the advertisement is effective. Justify your position.