Jordan Jones

Prof. Sengupta
October 17, 2021
COMI 600L

Boston Life: Creative & Media Strategy

1. Do you think the creative strategy should be changed? Why?

Yes, I believe the creative strategy should be changed. A large amount of the creative
content for the company seems to only be catered to individuals who share a similar worldview
with the CEO of the company, older upscale men (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2009). The new goal
of the company is to be more prominent in the entire market and that includes shifting to focus
on demographics like women and younger families (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2009). The
advertisements also while they were received well by consumers they are not very memorable in
helping people remember Boston Life Insurance (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2009). A lot of things
should be changed to help the company compete in the market.
In trying to reach new demographics the company should adjust their approach to how
they design their advertisements. Constructing an advertisements includes including compelling
visuals, including a key headline or distinctive wording that captures and resonates with the
reader/viewer, and the advertisement should have a clear message that is communicated that
compels the consumer to action (White, 2021). Having a commercial featuring cuddly children
and pets may be something that can capture a viewers attention but it does fall short in having a
compelling message or calling viewers to action. A recurring theme throughout the case has been
the CEO’s unwillingness to see outside of his sphere to understand how to properly engage with
the market and become a leader in the market.

2. Do you think the media plan should be changed? Why?

Yes, I believe the media plan should also be changed. The goal of the company is to be
more attractive to markets with smaller families and women. A lot of the media content seems to
be catered to only old upscale men (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2009). The advertisements fall short
by not being memorable to their consumers. The advertisements also carry the disadvantage of
being predominantly in print form, advertised through golf and tennis programming, and
sponsoring yacht races (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2009). These media channels are very isolated
and only seem to cater to a small portion of the population.
In trying to reach younger markets the heavy reliance on print media is doing more harm
than good as only four percent of individuals from the ages 18-34 consume print media when
first checking the news (Kalogeropoulos, 2021). This is in comparison with 45% in the 18-24
demographic and 39% in the 25-34 demographic (Kalogeropoulos, 2021). This over reliance on
print media seems to stem from the CEO’s reluctance to change his own views on it. Shifting
advertising to a more mobile and tech based area should be key in driving more traffic among
younger demographics.
The reliance on advertising thorough channels such as between golf and tennis
programming and sponsoring yacht races alienates a large part of their anticipated demographic
as they lose a lot of ability in trying to reach these customers. In reaching these demographics a
lot of content is generated through social media as it offers a lot of user generated content that
younger demographics tend to care about a lot more (Forbes Agency Council, 2021). Then
catering this content through mobile channels. Younger demographics check their phone as that
is how most of them consume their media. Adjusting the sponsorship channels is another thing
that should be used. Most younger demographics prefer to have a real person telling them about
their product (Forbes Agency Council, 2021). The sponsoring of Boston Life Insurance should
be made through giving influencers sponsorship with this product to drive more traffic with these
younger demographics they are trying to reach.

References

White, Nick. (2021). What Makes A Good Ad?. Marketing Epic.

https://marketingepic.com/what-makes-good-ad/

Kalogeropoulos, Antonis. (2021). How Younger Generations Consume News Differently.

Digital News Report. https://www.digitalnewsreport.org/survey/2019/how-younger-generations-
consume-news-differently/

Forber Agency Council. (2021). Need To Reach Gen Z? Here's How To Market To A
Younger Demographic. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/03/29/need-to-reach-gen-z-heres-how-
to-market-to-a-younger-demographic/?sh=26c479cc1fa6

Kelley, Larry, and Donald Jugenheimer. Cases in Advertising Management. Routledge, 2009.