Advertising Strategy

An advertising strategy is a plan to reach and persuade a customer to buy our product. The basic
elements of the plan are

1. The product itself and its advantages,

2. The customer and his or her characteristics,

3. The relative advantages of alternative routes whereby the customer can be informed of
the product, and

4. The optimization of resulting choices given budgetary constraints.

In effect this means that aims must be clear, the environment must be understood, the means
must be ranked, and choices must be made based on available resources. Effective product
assessment, market definition, media analysis, and budgetary choices result in an optimum plan
—never the perfect plan because resources are always limited.

DEVELOPING THE STRATEGY

Positioning Statement

Formal advertising strategies are based on a "positioning statement," a technical term the
meaning of which, simply, is what the company's product or service is, how it is differentiated
from competing products and services, and by which means it will reach the customer. The
positioning statement covers the first two items in the listing above.

Implicit in a good positioning statement is what the industry calls the product concept, namely a
cluster of values that the product or service represents and the associational frameworks in which
it fit. A hunting knife will thus have a very different product concept than a pair of pink silk
slippers that glow in the dark. The product concept will later guide the choice of copy, images,
and message content to be used in actual ads (the "copy platform"). The positioning statement
must also implicitly include the profile of the targeted customer and the reasons why he or she
would buy this product or this service. At a later stage, more data on the "target consumer" is
then developed as the strategy is fleshed out.

Target Consumer

Hence our products are fast moving consumer goods, the target consumer is a complex
combination of persons. First of all, it includes the person who ultimately buys the product. Next
it includes those who, in certain circumstances, decide what product will be bought (but do not
physically buy it). Finally, it includes those who influence product purchases (children, spouse,
and friends). In practice the small business owner, being close to his or her customers, probably
knows exactly how to advise the advertising agency on the target consumer.

Communication Media

Once the product and its environment are understood and the target consumer has been specified,
the routes of reaching the consumer must be assessed—the media of communication. Five major
channels are available to the business owner:

 Print—primarily newspapers (both weekly and daily) and magazines.

 Audio—FM and AM radio.
 Video—Promotional videos, infomercials.
 World Wide Web.
 Direct mail.
 Outdoor advertising—Billboards,, banners, advertisements on public transportation (cabs,
buses), bus stations.

Each of the channels available has its advantages, disadvantages, and cost patterns. A crucial
stage in developing the advertising strategy, therefore, is the fourth point made at the outset: how
to choose the optimum means, given budgetary constraints, to reach the largest number of target
consumers with the appropriately formulated message.

Implementation
The advertising campaign itself is distinct from the strategy, but the strategy is meant to guide
implementation. Therefore across-the-board consistency is highly desirable. Copy, artwork,
images, music—indeed all aspects of the campaign—should reflect the strategy throughout. This
is especially important when multiple channels are used: print, television, and direct mail, for
instance. To achieve a maximum coherence, many effective advertisers develop a unifying
thematic expressed as an image, a slogan, or a combination which is central to all the elements
that ultimately reach the consumer.

Key Elements of an Advertising Plan

A company's advertising plan is part of the larger marketing and business plan. Often,
advertising directors or managers will need to write several versions of the advertising plan--one
each for their marketing, business and advertising plans. Whatever the case, the advertising plan
is usually written for the coming year. It should include every aspect of your advertising,
including where you will advertise and how frequently. Also, get other managers' input before
finalizing your advertising plan.

Target Audience

Select a target audience as part of your advertising plan. Your target audience will be the types of
consumers or business customers to whom you advertise. These customers can be defined by
specific demographic groups like age or income or buying behavior, such as late-night eaters.
Your target audience may also be identified by certain lifestyles. For example, target health-
conscious individuals or people who exercise regularly if you sell protein shakes or bars. You
cannot have a successful advertising campaign without properly identifying your target audience,
those who are most likely to purchase your product.

Advertising Message

Your advertising message is also a key element of your advertising plan. Always select the right
message, according to Entrepreneur.com. For example, if you are selling vacations, for example,
create a message that allows people to envision themselves "tanning on a Florida beach" or
"enjoying martinis poolside at night with the balmy ocean breeze caressing their hair." Stress
benefits before features in your advertising message. Benefits are what people seek in products
or services, such as losing weight, more energy or an increase in confidence. Features are aspects
of your products like colors, sizes and flavors.

Advertising Mix

Your advertising mix includes the types of advertising you will run to market your products,
including television, radio, magazine, newspaper, direct mail, Yellow Pages or Internet
advertising. Select the appropriate advertising mix by determining which advertising media your
customers are most likely to use. For example, restaurant and automotive repair customers often
look for specials in coupon magazines--those that are distributed in Sunday newspapers or by
mail. However, they may also hear about your products and services while watching their
favorite shows. Your advertising mix will likely include multiple advertising media.

Advertising Budget

Determine how much you will spend in the coming year on your advertising budget. Start by
determining what percentage of each advertising media you will use. For example, you may
decide to allocate 50 percent of your advertising dollars to direct mail, 25 percent to radio
advertising and the rest to Internet promotions. Contact the advertising departments for each
media group. Obtain their latest advertising rate cards. Ask the media advertising representatives
if their rates will go up in the New Year. You will be creating your advertising budget in
advance. Therefore, any rate increases you miss will throw your budget off. Allocate any extra
10 to 15 percent for new advertising requests that may occur during the year. For example, a
brand manager may request additional coupon magazine ads in certain markets.

5 Key Components of a Marketing Advertising Campaign

It is true that most people associate online advertising with advertisers but they forget
that, some bloggers are also turning to paid advertising to market their websites and make
money. Online advertising is much bigger than pay per click or what most people think and
for anyone planning to do a successful marketing advertising campaign; a proper strategic plan is
needed.
If your are planning to advertise your website or products, this article will guide you in
understanding some important key points that you should put into consideration during decision
making.  Planning a marketing advertising campaign involves making concrete decisions and
whether you decide to do it personally or hire a professional advertising agency, it is all about
knowing the basic components of a successful marketing campaign.
 
A good marketing advertising campaign should consist the following 5 key components;
 
 Your objectives or what you want to accomplish by creating an advertising campaign.

 Understand your budget or the amount of money that you want to spend.

 Media to use as your channel to deliver the message or advertise your products.

 Message to be displayed in the media of your choice.

 Evaluation of marketing advertising campaign Results.

 
Marketing Advertising Campaign Objectives
A good marketing advertising campaign plan should have clear goals outlined with specific
objectives on each stage of the process.  If your goal is to sell atleast 20 cell phones within the
first one month. You plan should details a step by step guide of how and what you need to do to
reach that goal with the given period of time. In other terms, your objective should be SMART;
Sustainable, Manageable, Attainable, Reliable and Timed.
 
Setting your Budget
Paid advertising involves spending money in order for you to make money.  Deciding on how
much money you want to spend is a key in knowing the kind of ads that you should run.
Some keywords have a very high competition than others which means you will need to pay
more money to rank for those keywords. On the other hand, if you pay more, you likely to get
better results.
 
Selecting Media
Selecting a suitable advertising channel is another important part of a successful marketing
advertising campaign. If you think by advertising through social media like Facebook would be
more fruitful than search engines like Google, then you should go for it.  Choose the right media
that fits well your needs.
 
Creating the Ads message
A good ad message should be well targeted with the right keywords. Ask yourself the following
simple questions when creating an ad campaign message;
 
 Does the message have the right words?
 Is this the right message for the right audience?
 What SEO keywords have I used to advertise my products that would attract the right
audience?
 Is the message appealing to most of my target audience and other visitors who might
come across  my ads?
 What will make my ads to appear different from the ads of the same category selling the
same product?
 
Evaluating your Campaign Results
This is the final step and an ongoing process of a marketing campaign. If your paid advertising
campaign is not giving you the results that you wanted, then it is the high time to look deeper
into your strategies and find out what needs to be done or what went wrong. A good campaign
should yield positive results and anything less, means there is something more that need to be
done.
 
Each step of the campaign need to be intensely evaluated. Evaluate each phase of your objectives
and find out what you have accomplished and what you have not. Look for problem along the
way which could have contributed to your not reaching your goals and works toward
correcting that problem. If you cannot keep up with big competitors when it comes to spending
on advertisements, choosing an alternative marketing media like Facebook would be much better
and less expensive.
 
Lastly, even though there are other things that may need to be put into consideration, the few key
points that I have highlighted are the most important and they should be part of your decicion
making when designing an effective marketing advertising campaign .

Advertising Plan: Objectives • To create or maintain brand awareness. • To change consumer

beliefs or attitudes. • To influence purchase intent. • To stimulate trial use. • To convert one-time
users into repeat purchasers.. • To encourage brand switching

Duties
Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers typically do the following:

 Work with department heads or staff to discuss topics such as budgets and contracts,
marketing plans, and the selection of advertising media
 Plan advertising and promotional campaigns
 Plan advertising, including which media to advertise in, such as radio, television, print,
online media, and billboards
 Negotiate advertising contracts
  Evaluate the look and feel of websites used in campaigns or layouts, which are sketches
or plans for an advertisement
 Initiate market research studies and analyze their findings to understand customer and
market opportunities for businesses
 Develop pricing strategies for products or services marketed to the target customers of a
firm
 Meet with clients to provide marketing or technical advice
 Direct the hiring of advertising, promotions, and marketing staff and oversee their daily
activities
Advertising managers create interest among potential buyers of a product or service for a
department, for an entire organization, or on a project basis (account). They work in
advertising agencies that put together advertising campaigns for clients, in media firms that sell
advertising space or time, and in organizations that advertise heavily.
Advertising managers work with sales staff and others to generate ideas for an advertising
campaign. They oversee the staff that develops the advertising. They work with the finance
department to prepare a budget and cost estimates for the advertising campaign.
Often, advertising managers serve as liaisons between the client requiring the advertising and
an advertising or promotion agency that develops and places the ads. In larger organizations
with an extensive advertising department, different advertising managers may oversee in-house
accounts and creative and media services departments.
In addition, some advertising managers specialize in a particular field or type of advertising.
For example, media directors determine the way in which an advertising campaign reaches
customers. They can use any or all of various media, including radio, television, newspapers,
magazines, the Internet, and outdoor signs. 
Advertising managers known as account executives manage clients' accounts, but they are not
responsible for developing or supervising the creation or presentation of the advertising. That
task becomes the work of the creative services department.
Promotions managers direct programs that combine advertising with purchasing incentives to
increase sales. Often, the programs use direct mail, inserts in newspapers, Internet
advertisements, in-store displays, product endorsements, or special events to target customers.
Purchasing incentives may include discounts, samples, gifts, rebates, coupons, sweepstakes, or
contests.
Marketing managers estimate the demand for products and services that an organization and
its competitors offer. They identify potential markets for the organization’s products.
Marketing managers also develop pricing strategies to help organizations maximize their
profits and market share while ensuring that the organizations' customers are satisfied. They
work with sales, public relations, and product development staff.
For example, a marketing manager may monitor trends that indicate the need for a new product
or service. Then they oversee the development of that product or service. For more information
on sales or public relations, see the profiles on sales managers, public relations and fundraising
managers, public relations specialists, and market research analysts.