Chapter 8

Advertising Design:
Message Strategies and Executional Frameworks

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Develop awareness of the four types of message strategies, (cognitive, affective,
conative, and brand-based) and match them with the media chosen for an advertising
campaign.
2. Study the roles message strategies play in designing effective leverage points and
executional frameworks.
3. Know how all of the executional frameworks described in this chapter operate,
and when to use them.
4. Learn the value of an effective spokesperson or source, plus the criteria that
should be used in selecting the individual for the ad campaign.
5. Utilize the principles of effective advertising to be certain the message has the
best chance of reaching and affecting the audience.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW
This chapter focuses on several major topics. First, types of message strategies are described.
Second, the major types of executional frameworks are noted. Third, four types of sources or
spokespersons who appear in various advertisements are described, and the criteria used to
select them are reviewed. Fourth, the principles of effective advertising campaigns are noted.
These concepts should be combined with the information found in the previous three
chapters in order to fully integrate an effective advertising design program. When such a goal
is reached, the account executive is able to present the ad to the client with the greatest
confidence that the campaign will be successful.

LEAD-IN VIGNETTE
Viagra Advertising: (Place Your Own Joke Here)

Discusses the difficult task of designing the right message for this product.

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Questions for Students:

1. Do you find Viagra ads offensive? Unrealistic? Easy to ignore?

2. Name five products you think are more sensitive to advertise than Viagra. Explain
why they are more difficult.

IMC PLAN PRO

“Only One Stop. The Boulder Stop.” This is the tagline for the print ads
for The Boulder Stop retail operation. Based on the Creative Brief
described in the IMC Plan Pro example, the visual and verbal
components of the advertising campaign can be prepared.

An advertising message strategy is chosen after considering options

from cognitive to conative, to affective, to various brand strategies. In
the case of The Boulder Stop, the brand image is the key. Consumers
must believe the company offers products related to personal safety
that may be purchased in a pleasant atmosphere.

Using a dramatization approach, the Boulder Stop’s advertisements are

designed to convince the consumer that The Boulder Stop can literally
“come to the rescue” in a dangerous climbing situation. An effective
advertising campaign must combine the firm’s overall image with the
distinct message a single ad is supposed to convey.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Message Strategies

The message theme, or the outline of the key ideas in the ad, is a central part of the Creative
Brief.

A message strategy is the primary tactic that will be used to deliver the message theme.
There are four broad categories:
1. Cognitive strategies.
2. Affective strategies.
3. Conative strategies.
4. Brand strategies.

Cognitive Strategies

A cognitive message strategy is being utilized when rational arguments or pieces of

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information are presented to consumers. There are five major forms of cognitive strategies:

1. Generic messages, which are direct promotions of good or service attributes or

benefits without any claim of superiority. They work best for a firm that is
clearly the brand leader and dominant in the industry within which it operates.
2. Preemptive messages, which are claims of superiority based on a specific
attribute or benefit of a product. Once made, the claim normally preempts the
competition from making such a statement.
3. A unique selling proposition, which is an explicit, testable claim of uniqueness or
superiority, which can be supported or substantiated in some manner.
4. Hyperbole, which is an untestable claim based upon some attribute or benefit.
5. Comparative approach, which is when an advertiser directly or indirectly
compares a good or service to the competition. The competitor may or may not
be mentioned by name in the advertisement.

In the business-to-business sector, shipping companies compare their delivery times and
accuracy rates. The major advantage of comparative ads is that they often capture the
attention of consumers.

A danger of comparative ads is the negative attitudes consumers may develop toward the ad.
If viewers acquire negative attitudes toward the advertisement, these negative attitudes may
transfer to the sponsor’s product. This is especially true when the sponsor runs a negative
comparative ad.

Comparison ads are less common in other countries due to both social and cultural
differences as well as legal restrictions.

Many times, international consumers not only dislike comparative advertisements, but also
often will transfer that dislike to the company that sponsored the ad.

In general, comparing a lesser-known brand to the market leader seems to work well. On the
other hand, comparing a new brand with the established brand is often not effective.

Ethics Communication Box: Medical Advertising and Ethical Practices

This ethics box describes the recent trend of merchandising medical services, such as skin
care or weight reduction. It also examines the practice of heavily advertising new products,
such as Vioxx and Celebrex, which may not be any more effective than cheaper alternatives.

Questions for students:

1. Should physicians be allowed to merchandise medical treatments, such as weight
reduction, face lifts, and skin care? Why or why not?
2. Is there a conflict with the public’s interest when a pharmaceutical company
advertises a product that is no better than a cheaper alternative? Who should police
this problem?

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Affective Strategies

Affective message strategies are designed to invoke feelings and emotions and match them
with the product, service, or company.

Affective messages:
• Seek to enhance the likability of the product
• Build recall of the appeal
• Increase comprehension of the advertisement
• Elicit emotions which then in turn affect the consumer’s reasoning process, and
finally lead to action

Affective strategies fall into two categories: (1) resonance, and (2) emotional.

Resonance advertising attempts to connect a product with a consumer’s past experiences in

order to develop stronger ties between the product and the consumer.

Emotional advertising attempts to elicit powerful emotions which eventually lead to product
recall and choice, including trust, reliability, friendship, happiness, security, glamour, luxury,
serenity, pleasure, romance, and passion.

Conative Strategies

Conative message strategies are designed to lead more directly to some type of consumer
behavior.

Action-inducing conative approaches create situations in which cognitive knowledge of the

product and/or affective liking of the product may come later (after the actual purchase) or
during usage of the product. A point-of-purchase display is designed (sometimes through
advertising tie-ins) to cause people to make impulse buys.

Promotional support conative advertisements are designed to support other promotional

efforts using coupons, phone-in promotions, a sweepstakes or some other form.

Brand Strategies

Brand strategies are designed to build or enhance the brand or corporate name in some way.
Brand strategies can be placed into four categories.
1. Brand user strategies, which focus on the type of individuals that may use a
particular brand. One example of a brand user strategy involves celebrity
endorsements.
2. Brand image strategies, which work toward the development of a brand
“personality” (e.g., Mountain Dew). In brand image advertising, the focus is on
the brand rather than the user.
3. Brand usage strategies stress the different uses for a particular brand. A classic
example of this approach is the Arm & Hammer baking soda.

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 4. Corporate advertising promotes the corporate name and image rather than the
individual brand.

Executional Frameworks

An executional framework is the manner in which an ad appeal is presented. If the ad appeal

is the script in a movie, then the plot would be the actual executional framework. Types of
executional framework include:
• Animation
• Slice-of-life
• Dramatization
• Testimonial
• Authoritative
• Demonstration
• Fantasy
• Informative

Animation

In recent years the use of animation in advertising has increased, due primarily to the greater
sophistication in computer graphics programs.

Rotoscoping is the process of placing hand-drawn characters digitally into live sequences.

Animated characters can be human, animal, or product personifications.

Another method of animation, which was made popular by the California Raisins
commercials, is clay animation.

The computer graphics technology has allowed animation to move beyond personifications
into creating real-life images.

More business ads are being placed on television because of the availability of high-quality
graphics technologies, which allow various businesses to illustrate the uses of their products
through animated graphics.

Slice-of-life

In slice-of-life commercials, advertisers attempt to provide solutions to the everyday

problems faced by consumers or businesses. These advertisements normally show common
things people

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experience, especially the problems they encounter. Then, the product is made available to
solve the problem. The most common slice-of-life format has four components:
1. Encounter.
2. Problem.
3. Interaction.
4. Solution.

In print advertisements, slice-of-life frameworks more difficult to prepare.

The slice-of-life approach was introduced and made popular by Procter & Gamble.

The slice-of-life executional framework has become popular in Japan in recent years because
it is easily adapted to the more soft sell approach used in Japan.

Slice-of-life commercials are also used heavily in business-to-business advertisements. This

executional framework is popular because it allows the advertiser to highlight how their
product can meet business needs.

Slice-of-life executional frameworks are possible in most media, including magazines or

billboards, because a single picture can depict a normal, everyday situation or problem.

Dramatization

A dramatization is similar to slice-of-life executional framework. It uses the same format of

presenting a problem, then providing a solution. The difference lies in the intensity and story
format.

An effective and dramatic advertisement is difficult to pull off, because it must be completed
in either thirty or sixty seconds. Building a story to a climatic moment is challenging, given
such a short time period.

Testimonials

The testimonial type of executional framework is being used when a customer in an

advertisement tells about a positive experience with a product.

In the business-to-business sector, testimonies from current customers add credibility to the
claims being made.

Testimonials are an effective method for promoting services.

One major reason companies choose testimonials are that they enhance company credibility.

Authoritative

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In using the authoritative executional framework, an advertiser seeks to convince viewers
that a given product is superior to other brands.

One form of authoritative framework is expert authority, where a physician, a dentist, an

engineer or chemist states the product’s advantages over other products.

Many authoritative advertisements include some type of scientific or survey evidence

provided by an independent organization, such as the American Medical Association.

Authoritative advertisements have been widely incorporated into business-to-business sector

ads, especially when scientific findings are available to provide support for a company’s
products.

The authoritative approach assumes consumers and business decision makers will rely on the
central processing route from the ELM (Elaboration Likelihood Model) approach.

Authoritative ads work especially well in specialty magazines.

Demonstration

Advertisements using the demonstration executional framework are designed to show how a
product works. A demonstration is an effective way to communicate the attributes of a
product to viewers.

Demonstrations are often presented in business-to-business ads. They allow a business to

show how a product can meet the specific needs of another business.

Demonstration-type ads are especially well suited to television. To a limited extent, the print
media can feature demonstrations, especially when a series of photos shows the sequence of
product usage.

Fantasy

Fantasy executions are designed to lift the audience beyond the real world to a make-believe
experience. Some fantasies are meant to be realistic. Others are completely irrational.

The most common fantasy themes are still sex, love, and romance. As raw sex and nudity in
advertisements are losing their impact, fantasy approaches are taking their place.

One product category that uses fantasy is the perfume and cologne industry.

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Television fantasy ads for cruise lines and resorts show couples enjoying romantic, sensuous
vacations together, swimming, jet skiing and taking a walk. The goal is to make the cruise
line or resort into more than just a vacation—it should become a romantic fantasy trip.

Fantasy has not been used a great deal in the business-to-business advertising field primarily
because of fear that members of a buying center would not take a fantasy approach seriously.

Informative

Informative ads present information to the audience in a straightforward matter.

One of the keys to informative advertising is the placement of the ad.

Informative ads are prepared extensively for radio advertisements, where only verbal
communication is possible but are less common in television and print because consumers
tend to ignore them.

Informative ads work well in high involvement purchase situations. As a result, the
informative framework continues to be a popular approach for business-to-business
advertisers.

Beyond these types of executional frameworks, the creative decides about all of the other
ingredients, including music, copy, use of color, motion, light, and size.

Communication Action Box: The Changing World of the Creative

This communication action box describes the problem of creatives being held accountable
for immediate advertising results.

Questions for students:

1. Would you like to be a creative? What aspects of the job appeal to you? What parts
don’t seem too inviting?
2. Should creatives be held directly accountable for increases in sales following
advertising campaigns, when so many other factors also affect sales?

Sources and Spokespersons

Selecting a source or spokesperson to be used in an advertisement is a critical decision. Four

types of sources are available to advertisers:
1. Celebrities.
2. CEOs.
3. Experts.
4. Typical persons.

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In approximately 20% of all advertisements, some type of celebrity spokesperson is used.
Celebrity endorsers are used because their stamp of approval on a product can enhance the
product’s brand equity.

There are three variations on celebrity endorsements:

1. Unpaid spokespersons for charitable causes.
2. Celebrity voice-overs.
3. Dead-person endorsements.

A CEO can be the spokesperson or source. A highly visible and personable CEO can become
a major asset for the firm and it’s products.

Expert sources include physicians, lawyers, accountants, and financial planners. These
experts tend not to be famous celebrities or CEOs. Experts provide backing for testimonials,
serve as authoritative figures, demonstrate products, and enhance the credibility of
informative advertisements.

Typical persons are one of two different types:

1. Paid actors or models who portray or resemble everyday people.
2. Actual typical, everyday people who are used in advertisements.

Real people sources are becoming more common, in part because of the overuse of
celebrities.

Source Characteristics

The effectiveness of an advertisement depends on the degree to which a spokesperson has

one or more of the following five characteristics:
1. Attractiveness, which consists of physical and personality characteristics.
2. Likability, because consumers respond more positively to spokespersons they
like.
3. Trustworthiness, or the degree of confidence or the level of acceptance
consumers place in the spokesperson’s message.
4. Expertise, because spokespersons with higher levels of expertise are more
believable than sources with low expertise.
5. Credibility, which is the sum of the other characteristics. Thus, it is a composite
of attractiveness, trustworthiness, likability, and expertise. Credibility affects a
receiver’s acceptance of the spokesperson and message.

Matching Source Types and Characteristics

Celebrities normally score well in terms of trustworthiness, believability, persuasiveness, and

likability. These benefits increase if the match between the product and celebrity is a logical
and proper fit.

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Several dangers exist in using celebrities. First, any negative publicity about the celebrity
caused by inappropriate conduct can reflect on the brands being endorsed. Second, celebrities
can endorse so many products that they lose their credibility.

It is this potential for negative publicity that has lead some advertisers to use deceased
celebrities, as what was essentially negative likability became attached to the company and
its products.

Another problem associated with celebrity endorsements is credibility. Consumers know

celebrities are paid, which detracts from their believability.

A CEO or prominent corporate official may or may not possess the characteristics of
attractiveness and likability. The individual should appear to be trustworthy, have expertise,
and maintain a degree of credibility.

Experts should be, first and foremost, credible. The ad agency should seek out an expert who
is also attractive, likable, and trustworthy. An expert who is not attractive and likable may
not be able to convince consumers that he or she can be trusted, and credibility drops as a
result.

Because experts are often used in business-to-business ads, the agency should be certain that
the spokesperson truly is an expert, and that the individual can explain a good or service’s
benefits in terms other companies can understand.

Typical person ads are sometimes difficult to prepare, especially when real persons are used.

Typical person sources do not have the name recognition of celebrities. Consequently,
advertisers often use multiple sources within one advertisement in order to build credibility.

Real person ads are a kind of two-edged sword. On the one hand, trustworthiness and
credibility may rise when the source is bald, overweight, or has some other physical
imperfections. On the other hand, using a real person in advertisements can be difficult
because they will flub lines and look less natural on the screen.

In general, the ad agency should seek to be certain that the source or spokesperson has the
major characteristics needed for the ad.

Creating an Advertisement

The process begins with the Creative Brief, which outlines the message theme of the
advertisement as well as other pertinent information.

Using the Creative Brief as the blueprint, the creative develops a Means-Ends Chain starting
with an attribute of the product that generates a specific customer benefit.

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Following the development of the Means-Ends Chain, the creative chooses the following:
• A message strategy
• The appeal
• The executional framework
• A source or spokesperson

The leverage point is normally selected after the creative begins work on the advertisement.

In terms of the executional framework, it must match the leverage point and other features of
the ad.

Advertising Effectiveness

The task of making sure the ad meets the IMC objectives requires creatives and account
executives follow the six basic principles.

The first principle is to maintain visual consistency. Seeing a specific image or visual display
over and over again helps embed it in long-term memory. Visual consistency may cause the
viewer to move the advertising message from short-term memory to long-term memory.
Logos and other longstanding images, which are consistently used, help fix the brand or
company in the consumer’s mind.

The second principle of effective advertising is campaign duration. Because consumers do

not pay attention to advertisements, the length or duration of a campaign is important. Using
the same advertisement over an appropriate period of time helps embed the message into
long-term memory. Reach and frequency affect the duration of a campaign. Higher
frequency usually leads to a shorter duration. Low reach may be associated with a longer
duration.

The third method used to build effective advertising campaigns is repeated taglines. Visual
consistency combined with consistent taglines can be a more powerful approach. The
advertisement may change, but either the visual imagery or the tagline remains the same.

A fourth advertising principle is consistent positioning. Maintaining a consistent positioning

throughout a product’s life makes it easier for consumers to place the product in a cognitive
map.

Simplicity is the fifth principle of effective advertising. Simple advertisements are easier to
comprehend than complex ads.

The final principle of effective advertising is the concept of an identifiable selling point. The
emphasis should be placed on all three of the words:
1. Identifiable, (price, quality, convenience, luxury, etc.) a point that is easily
identifiable to the viewer of the ad.
2. Selling, so that viewers know the focus point of the ad.

3. Point, the concept is a selling point, not selling points. The best advertisements

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 are those that emphasize one major point and do not confuse the viewer by trying
to present too many ideas.

Beating Ad Clutter

Because mere repetition of an ad does not always work, advertisers have begun to take
advantage of the principles found in variability theory.

Variable encoding occurs when a consumer sees the same advertisement in different
environments. These varied environments increase recall and effectiveness of an ad, because
it is encoded into the brain through various methods.

Using two media to convey a message is normally more effective than repeating an
advertisement within the same medium.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CREATIVES AND MARKETING MANAGERS

Marketing managers must know how to stay out of the way, and when to intervene in the
creative process. This includes:
• Giving advice and opinions to creatives as needed
• Waiting until the creative feels the ad is ready for review before passing
judgment

Stay in careful contact with clients as the advertising design process goes forward.

Avoid being “star struck” when considering celebrity endorsers. Think about the bottom line
and whether or not the personality has the characteristics needed to make effective
commercials. Help your clients avoid being star struck as they encounter potential endorsers.

Learn tactful methods to inform a CEO that he or she is not the right person to be an ad
spokesperson.

The marketing manager should let everyone know the buck does stop at his or her desk.
Final decisions about ads should account for all of the principles described in this section,
especially noting the importance of maintaining the overall IMC theme.

Be accountable when things do work out. Share credit with the entire team when the ad is
successful. Remember, advertising is not about building your ego, it’s about creating
successes for other people, and, you can’t do that by yourself.

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REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Name the four types of message strategies creatives can use. How are message
strategies related to the message theme?

The four strategies are cognitive, brand, conative, and affective. A message strategy
is the primary tactic that will be used to deliver the message theme. Each form
delivers the message theme in a different way.

2. What types of products or services best match cognitive message strategies?

Name the five types of cognitive approaches.

The five types of cognitive approaches are: generic, preemptive, unique selling
proposition, hyperbole, and comparative. The types of goods or services that best
match cognitive message strategies would be advertisements where the key message
is focused on the product’s attributes or benefits to the product’s user. The goal
would be to make the product appear as different and better in some key way.

3. When will an affective message strategy be most effective? What two types of
affective messages can creatives design? Give an example of each.

An affective message strategy will be most effective when emotions lead the
consumer to action. Two types of affective messages that creatives can design are
resonance and emotional. An example of resonance would be Wurthers Originals
taking the consumer back to a simpler time. An example of emotional advertising
would be Volvo featuring safety while showing a young child riding in a car.

4. What is the primary goal of a conative message strategy?

The primary goal of a conative message strategy is to elicit behavior, preferably

immediate behavior.

5. What does a brand message strategy emphasize? Describe the four forms of
brand strategies.

A brand message strategy emphasizes the brand or corporate name in some way. The
four categories are brand user strategies, brand image strategies, brand usage
strategies, and corporate approaches. An example of a brand user strategy is a
celebrity endorsement of a product or business customer using a particular product. J.
Crew ads are an example of a brand image strategy, the ads feature a person, but the
ad focuses on the personality of the brand, not the person. An example of a brand
usage message is Lysol identifying many different uses for the product. Prudential
advertising the rock is an example of corporate advertising, where the ads were
promoting the corporate image rather than the product.

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6. How is an executional framework different from an ad appeal? How are they
related?

An executional framework is the manner in which an ad appeal is presented. In terms

of a movie, if the ad appeal is the script, then the plot would be the executional
framework. They are related because the ad appeal is used to determine how the
framework is developed.

7. List as many uses of animation-based advertisements as possible. What forms of

animation are possible with the technology that is available?

Student answers will vary. Examples would be MCI, Michael Jordan, Bugs and
friends, Burger King using the Rugrats, the Green Giant, the Pillsbury Dough Boy,
and many others. Modern technology allows animators to place cartoon characters in
live scenes.

8. How are slice-of-life and dramatization executional frameworks similar? How

are they different?

Slice-of-life and dramatization are similar because they use the same format of
providing a problem then a solution. They are different in that dramatization uses a
higher level of excitement and suspense to tell the story.

9. How are authoritative and informational executional frameworks similar? How

are they different?

Authoritative and informational are similar because they both provide the
information needed to the consumer in a matter-of-fact manner. They are different
because authoritative frameworks are usually presented by someone that is credible
in their particular field and informational ads are presented by someone who is not
an expert.

10. What types of testimonials can advertisers use? Give an example of each.

The types of testimonials that advertisers can use are ones that focus on the product
itself or ones that present the overall image of the brand or firm. An example of a
spot that focuses on the product would be Shout, focusing on the product and its
cleaning capabilities. An example that focuses on the overall image would be Pontiac
when their advertisements describe driving excitement.

11. Which media are best for demonstration-type ads?

Television is the best medium for demonstration ads because the whole
demonstration can be shown to the consumer. Print ads (magazines and newspapers)
can show sequences of events. Internet ads with video stream can also demonstrate a
product’s use.

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12. What kinds of products or services are best suited to fantasy-based executional
frameworks? What products or services are poor candidates for fantasies?

The types of products that work best for fantasy-based frameworks would be things
that are exciting and sexy, such as cruise lines, vacation resorts, perfume, cologne,
lingerie, and clothing. Poor candidates would be professional services (accounting),
life insurance, and other more serious subjects.

13. Name the four main types of sources or spokespersons? What are the
advantages and disadvantages of each?

The four types of sources that are available to advertisers are: celebrities, CEOs
experts, and typical persons.

Celebrities normally score well in terms of trustworthiness, believability,

persuasiveness, and likability. These benefits increase if the match between the
product and celebrity is a logical and proper fit. Several dangers exist in using
celebrities, including negative publicity about the celebrity caused by inappropriate
conduct creating negative likability, and celebrities endorsing so many products that
they lose their credibility.

A CEO can be strongly attached to the company and give the firm a major boost in
terms of image (e.g., Michael Dell). A CEO or prominent corporate official may or
may not possess the characteristics of attractiveness and likability. The individual
should appear to be trustworthy, have expertise, and maintain a degree of credibility.

Experts should be, first and foremost, credible. The ad agency should seek out an
expert who is also attractive, likable, and trustworthy. An expert who is not attractive
and likable may not be able to convince consumers that he or she can be trusted, and
credibility drops as a result. Because experts are often used in business-to-business
ads, the agency should be certain that the spokesperson truly is an expert, and that the
individual can explain a good or service’s benefits in terms other companies can
understand.

Typical person ads are sometimes difficult to prepare, especially when real persons
are used. Typical person sources do not have the name recognition of celebrities.
Consequently, advertisers often use multiple sources within one advertisement in
order to build credibility. Real person ads are a kind of two-edged sword. On the one
hand, trustworthiness and credibility may rise when the source is bald, overweight, or
has some other physical imperfections.

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14. Name the five key criteria that are used when selecting a spokesperson. Which
four build to the fifth?

The five criteria are: attractiveness, likeability, trustworthiness, expertise, and

credibility. Attractiveness, likeability, trustworthiness, and expertise combine to form
credibility.

15. Name the tactics that are available to overcome clutter. How does variability
theory assist in this process?

Some tactics for overcoming clutter would be repetition, so the consumer could be
exposed to the ad several times, varying the ad in different settings, and using more
than one medium. Variability theory assists in this process by suggesting the
advertiser provide the same general message theme, just in different settings.

DISCUSSION AND CRITICAL THINKING EXERCISES

1. Mark ten advertisements from a magazine. Identify the message strategy,
appeal, and executional framework being used. Did the creative select the right
combination for the advertisement? What other message strategies or
executional frameworks could have been used?

Student answers will vary.

2. Record ten television advertisements on videotape. Identify the message

strategy, appeal, and executional framework for each ad. Did the creative select
the right combination in the advertisement? What other message strategies or
executional frameworks could have been used?

Student answers will vary.

3. In studies involving comparative advertisements as compared to

noncomparative ads, the following findings were detected: Discuss why you
think each statement is true. Try to think of comparative ads you have seen
which substantiate these claims.
a. Message awareness was higher for comparative ads than for
noncomparative ads if the brands are already established brands.
b. Brand recall was higher for comparative ads than for noncomparative ads.
c. Comparative ads were viewed as less believable than noncomparative ads.
d. Attitudes toward comparative ads were more negative than toward
noncomparative ads.

This is a discussion exercise. Students should assess the emotional and rational
reasoning processes associated with each statement and provide answers that suggest
the reasons people remember, like, or believe various kinds of ads.
4. Suppose Schwab & Co. wants to develop an advertisement with the message

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 theme that Schwab & Co. understands the needs of individual consumers and
can design an investment strategy that meet each person’s particular needs.
Which type of message strategy should Schwab choose? Why? Based on the
message strategy chosen, which executional framework should they use? Why?
What type of source or spokesperson should Schwab use? Why? Would the
type of media being used for the advertisement affect the message strategy
choice? Explain your answer.

Answers will vary. The logical message strategy, however, would be either brand
image or corporate. The executional framework would probably be authoritative or
testimonial, but could vary. The source or spokesperson would be an expert.
Business magazines such as Business Week, newspapers (especially The Wall Street
Journal), and television are probably going to be the media used.

5. A resort in Florida wants to develop an advertisement that highlights their

scuba diving classes. Pick one of the following combinations of message
strategy, appeal, and executional framework. Then design an advertisement
using those components.
a. Hyperbole cognitive message strategy, humor appeal, and demonstration
b. Emotional message strategy, emotional appeal, and slice-of-life
c. Conative message strategy, scarcity appeal, and informative.
d. Emotional or resonance message strategy, sex appeal, and fantasy
e. Comparative message strategy, fear appeal, and a testimonial

Student advertisements will vary.

6. For each of the following executional frameworks, identify a commercial that

uses it. Evaluate the advertisement in terms of how well it is executed. Also, did
the appeal and message strategy fit well with the executional framework?
Discuss why you remember the advertisement. What stands out that made it
memorable?
a. Animation
b. Slice-of-life
c. Dramatization
d. Testimonial
e. Authoritative
f. Demonstration
g. Fantasy
h. Informative

Student answers will vary.

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7. Name three influential commercial spokespersons. For each one, discuss the five
characteristics that should be used in evaluating spokespersons. Next, make a
list of three individuals who are poor spokespersons. Discuss each of the five
evaluation characteristics for each of these individuals. What differences exit
between an effective and a poor spokesperson?

Student answers will vary but should include a discussion of attractiveness,

likeability, trustworthiness, expertise, and credibility.

8. Find a copy of a business journal such as Business Week or Fortune or a trade

journal. Also locate a copy of a consumer journal such as Glamour, Time,
Sports Illustrated, or a specialty magazine. Look through an entire issue. What
differences between the advertisements in the business journal and consumer
journals are readily noticeable? For each of the concepts listed below, discuss
specific differences you noted between the two types of magazines. Explain why
the differences exist.
a. Message strategies
b. Executional frameworks
c. Sources and spokespersons

Student answers will vary.

9. Access the following Web sites. For each one, identify the primary message
strategy being used. What executional framework is being used? Are any
sources or spokespersons used? What type of appeal is used? For each Web site,
suggest how the site could be improved by changing either the message strategy
or the executional framework or both. Be specific. Explain how the change
would improve the site.
a. Georgia Pacific (http://www.gp.com)
b. Playland International (http://www.playland-inc.com)
c. MGM Grand (http://www.mgmgrand.com)
d. The Exotic Body (http://www.exoticbody.com)
e. Cover Girl (http://www.covergirl.com)
f. American Supercamp (http://www.americansupercamp.com)
g. Windmill Hill Place (http://www.windmillhill.co.uk)

Answers will vary depending on what information is on the Web site when it is
accessed.

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CASES
Case 1 Charitable Competition

(1) Design a United Way campaign for the United Way of Savannah. Use Tom’s
attention-getting factors to create the ads.

Student answers will vary depending on the media selected. Television can employ
motion as well as contrast. Print media may rely more of familiarity and contrasts.
Billboards feature repetition.

(2) Which media should the United Way use? Why?

Student answers will vary. Television is expensive but has a wider audience. Local
television and newspaper are suited to local campaigns.

(3) What kind of message strategy should be used? Why?

Probably a corporate approach. An affective strategy, moving people to give

contributions is also possible.

(4) What kind of executional framework should be used? Why?

Student answers will vary, but information is important. Additionally,

demonstrations of people being helped, testimonials, and others can highlight the
organization’s services.

(5) What kind of source or spokesperson will be best for this campaign? Defend
your choice.

Probably a celebrity in combination with real people who have been helped by the
organization would be the best spokesperson.

Case 2 Kid’s Palace

(1) What kind of message strategy, leverage point, and executional framework
should be provided in ads for Kid’s Palace?

Student answers will vary, but a logical choice for the message strategy is affective,
moving people to visit the palace. Slice-of-life illustrating the fun would work well.

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(2) What kind of spokesperson or source should Kid’s Palace use in its
advertisement?

Real persons (kids) or the owner (Pam).

(3) Apply the principles of effective advertising to ads for Kid’s Palace.

The six principles of effective advertising are: visual consistency; campaign duration;
repeated taglines; consistent positioning; simplicity; and identifiable selling point.
Pam’s advertising campaign should incorporate all of these principles. She could do
this by keeping the same logo and taglines and using them repeatedly through the
ads. Keeping the ads simple, but identifying what they are selling (fun) would be
effective.

(4) Design a print or television advertisement for Kid’s Palace.

Student answers will vary. The print or television ad should include all the
necessary elements required in an ad.

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