The Promotion Mix
Advertising
Advertising communicates a message to a targeted audience and generates feedback in the form of a sale or other action taken by a consumer.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Summarize the different components that comprise an advertising campaign
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
- Through advertising, a marketer hopes to communicate a message to a targeted consumer group via means including print, electronic (radio and television), the Internet and mobile phones.
- The media plan, developed simultaneously with the creative strategy, schedules how and when consumers see advertisements.
- Effective advertising illustrates the product ‘s value and gives consumers a reason to take action and/or buy.
- A target audience is defined through information gathered from focus groups, demographics and by understanding how certain consumer groups think.
Key Terms
- psycho-graphics: understanding how a certain group thinks.
- Brand Character Statement: sets the tone of an advertisement and defines what the targeted consumer group should do or feel when they are exposed to it.
- Image: an attitude or lifestyle advertisers attempt to link to a product.
Advertising – How Marketers Communicate to Consumers
When a company pays to have a message that defines its goods or services delivered or communicated to as many people as possible, they are said to be advertising. Effective advertising illustrates the product’s value and gives consumers a reason to take action and/or buy. There are a variety of ways to promote a product. These methods are collectively referred to as Marketing Communications (MarCom) Matrix, and include direct marketing, public relations/publicity, new media, and advertising.
Through advertising, a marketer hopes to communicate a message to a targeted consumer group via means including print, electronic (radio and television), the Internet and mobile phones. Advertising generates feedback that is analyzed and measured. Good feedback typically translates into money spent on the product while bad feedback prompts the marketing source to reevaluate its marketing plan.
The Anatomy of an Advertising Campaign
Developing a brand character statement sets the tone of the campaign and defines what the targeted consumer group should do or feel when they are exposed to it. The strategy addresses the message that will be communicated while creative tactics dictate how the strategy is actually implemented.
A target group or audience is defined through information gathered from focus groups, demographics and by psycho-graphics, i.e. statistics illustrating how a certain group thinks and ultimately buys.
The product’s pros and cons are identified so that benefits are sold. How the product differs from its competition or its Unique Selling Position (USP) is also established. Facts, statistics, consumer images and scenarios are used to corroborate a campaign’s premise. Terms like “the best,” “new” and “traditional” position the product within the marketplace.
A campaign must fit the image of the marketer to ensure that its public perception remains intact. It must offer a rationale or “reason why” a product is able to deliver on its claim. Its “aperture,” or the proper timing and placement of an ad, can maximize a campaign’s success.