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Integrated Marketing Communications

Lecture 5: Developing message strategies

MSc. Uyen H Nguyen

 Chapter 6

Developing message
strategies

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Learning objectives

Understand Identify Explain

The role of The features of Corporate image
advertising IMC effective marketing and issue
agencies, and the communications advertising
relationship (endorsers,
between agency humour, appeals –
and client The alternative fear & guilt)
styles of creative
advertising

The concept of
means–end chains
Today’s lecture contents

1. IMC agencies & clients

2. Creative advertising
3. Advertising strategy formulation
4. Creative strategies
5. Means–end models
6. Corporate image
7. Issue advertising

MSc. Uyen H Nguyen

Participants in the IMC process

Participants in
the IMC process

Marketing Collateral
Advertiser Advertising Media communication service/Full
(Client) agency (Agency) organisation specialist service
organizations:
Direct-marketing
agencies, Sales
promotion agencies,
Digital/interactive
agencies Public
relations firms

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There are many ways for the advertisers to perform the
advertising function.

1. in-house advertising operation

2. use of full-service agency (collateral service)
3. purchase advertising services on an as-needed
basis from specialised agencies

Full service advertising agencies perform

creative, media, research and account
management services.

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 Client Agency
Agencies are the organizations that offer their
expertise and service in one or more fields of
marketing. (Eagle et al. 2020)

Clients are those in possession of a particular

product of service with the objective of marketing
it to a group of customers or consumers. (Eagle et
al. 2020)
https://www.lionscreativity.com/ https://adjob.asia/job-type/internship/
 https://www.lovethework.
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141?year=2021

EXPLORE.

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 Collateral service organisation
Media Research Account
Creative services
services services management
• Develop • Select the best • Study • Link the agency
advertising advertising consumers’ with the client
copy and media buying habits,
campaigns purchase
preferences
and
responsiveness

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 Client and agency relationship

Full-service advertising agency Agency compensation

Expertise in negotiating media The fee for performing
schedules advertising functions can be
Some control may be lost based on a:
Ø monthly fee structure
Ø job-by-job status
Ø outcome-based system.
The relationship between client and agency is more complicated than the
classic vendor-seller relationship. (Eagle et al, 2020)
The importance of creativity in advertising

Creative strategy

• Determines what the advertising message will say or

communicate

Creative tactics

• Determine how the message strategy will be executed

Constructing a creative brief
7. What does the target audience currently think/feel?

1. What is the background to this job?

8. What do we want the target audience to think/feel?
2. What is the strategy?

3. What is our task on this job? 9. What do we want the target audience to do?

4. What is the corporate and/or brand positioning?

10. What is the single-minded proposition?
5. What are the client’s objectives for this job?
11. Why should the target audience believe this
6. Who is the target audience? proposition?

12. How should we speak to them?

 Condensed advertising campaign for Pepsi Max
Core male demographic ageing
Losing its edge to Coke Zero

Persuasion via a consumer’s

Objective Media purchasing strategy
values/lifestyles

Increase digital and experiential

Reduce TV advertising
advertising
Increase emotional
Volume share increases in connection with men aged
grocery, petrol and convenience 20 to 29 with two
positioning statements Ads on buses and bus shelters
stores

‘Live life to the full’

Pepsi Max is for ‘daring people’

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 The consistency triangle

• IMC influence stretches beyond

marketing communications to
the organisation’s entire
operations.
• Three messages can be used
to identify inconsistencies.
1. Say
2. Do
3. Confirm

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 Types of creative strategy
• Three categories of styles define contemporary advertising:
1. functional orientation
2. symbolic/experiential orientation
3. category-dominance orientation.

What’s
creativity?

“Their job to turn all of the information regarding

product features and benefits, marketing plans,
consumer research, and communication objectives
into a creative concept that will bring the
advertising message to life” (Belch, 2017, p.270)
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 Unique selling proposition (USP) strategy

• Advertiser claims are based on the superiority of a product attribute that

is unique and represents a meaningful and distinctive consumer benefit.
• This strategy is most useful when a point of difference cannot be readily
matched by competitors.
• It may force competitors to
imitate or choose a more
aggressive strategy.
 Brand image strategy
• Claims are based on psychosocial differentiation and symbolic association.
• A brand is given a distinct identity or personality, particularly in homogeneous
product categories.
• This strategy most often involves prestige claims; it rarely challenges competition
directly; e.g. the transformational properties of shampoo (how you will feel after
using it).
 Brand image strategy (cont.)
• Brand image advertising can also be
described as transformational
advertising.
• It associates the brand with a unique set
of psychosocial characteristics (richer,
warmer, more exciting or more enjoyable)
that it would not be typically associated
with to the same degree without
exposure to the ad.
• It endows brand usage with a particular
experience that differs from similar
brands.
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 Resonance strategy
• Reflects the audience’s life experiences.
• Not focused on a USP or brand image.
 Emotional strategy
• Many products are purchased on the basis of emotion.
• Both negative and positive emotions can be used to advertise. It could be
Fear, Humour, Shock, Animation, Sex, Music, Fantasy and surrealism.
• This form of advertising works particularly well for jewellery, cosmetics,
fashion apparel and soft drinks.

Next slide
 Generic strategy

• Claims can be made by any

company for that product
category.
• There is no attempt to
differentiate offerings (opposite
to USP).
• It is most likely to be used by a
company that dominates
a product category.

MSc. Uyen H Nguyen

 Pre-emptive strategy
• A generic claim, but with an added message of superiority.
• Used when the products in the category have few functional differences.
• Most likely to be used by a company that dominates a product category.
 Means–end chaining
A framework for understanding the relationship between the consumer and advertising

Attributes Consequences Values

• The features or • What consumers • Represent those
aspects of hope to receive enduring beliefs
advertised brands (benefits) or avoid people have about
(detriments) when what is important in
consuming brands their life

Gutman, J. (1982). A Means-End Chain Model Based on Consumer Categorization Processes. Journal of
Marketing, 46(2), 60–72. https://doi.org/10.2307/3203341
 The nature of values
Ten universal values that are commonly shared by people everywhere

Self-direction Stimulation Hedonism Achievement

Power Security Conformity Tradition

Benevolence Universalism

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Application of values in advertising
• Knowledge of values at a segment level
allows advertisers to focus on the
attributes and consequences important to
the consumer.
• This focus helps in achieving a valued end
state from using the brand.
• The MECCAS model conceptualises five
components
and how they should be presented in the
advertisement.
The means–end chain: MECCAS model

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Example of
self-direction
value

A specialty
product
marketed on
Universalism
value
Determining means–end chains: the laddering method
• A research technique is needed to link the concepts of attributes (A),
consequences (C) and values (V).
• One such method is called laddering, which relates to the hierarchy
of relations.
• Laddering involves in-depth, one-to-one interviews.

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 Laddering process

Product category

The interviewer first determines what Attributes

attributes about the product category are
important and then links these to
consequences and the abstract values.
Consequences

Abstract
values

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 Corporate image and issue advertising
Corporate advertising
• Focuses on corporation’s overall image, or on economic and social issues relevant to the
corporation’s interests

Corporate image advertising

• Attempts to increase a firm’s name recognition, build goodwill, or identify a firm with
meaningful and socially acceptable activities

Corporate issue (advocacy) advertising

• Takes a position on a controversial social issue of public importance

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 The role of endorsers in advertising

Celebrity endorsers Typical-person endorsers

• Actor, entertainer or athlete • Regular people

• Example: George Clooney • Example: mums promoting
promoting Nespresso washing powder

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 Endorser attributes

Credibility Attractiveness

Effectiveness

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 Endorser attributes: the TEARS model

Credibility (internalisation) –
receivers accept the endorser’s Attractiveness
position on an issue as their own

Trustworthiness (T) Physical attractiveness (A)

• Being perceived as believable, dependable – as • Idea of visual pleasantness is based on an individual’s concept
someone who can be trusted of attractiveness
• Persuasion occurs through identification

Expertise (E) Respect (R)

• Having specific skills, knowledge or abilities with • Admiration/esteem is due to one’s personal qualities and
respect to the endorsed brand accomplishments

Similarity (to the target audience) (S)

• Based on extent to which an endorser matches an audience in
terms of characteristics pertinent to the endorsement
relationship (e.g. age, gender)
 Humour in advertising
• Humour often involves incongruity resolution.
• The meaning of the ad is not clear, so the viewer’s cognitive
processing is needed to create meaning. Once the humour is
detected, a pleasant, more favourable attitude to both the ad and,
maybe, the brand is formed.
• Humour is considered by ad agency executives to create awareness.
 Use of humour in advertising
Attracts attention to advertisements

Enhances liking of brand and advertisement

Does not necessarily harm comprehension

Does not offer advantage over non-humour in terms of persuasion

Does not enhance source credibility

More successful with established brands

Dependent upon product type

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 Appeals to consumer fears
• Ads appeal to consumers’ fears by identifying
negative consequences of:
• not using the advertised product – for example,
social disapproval by not using toothpaste and
mouthwash
• engaging in unsafe behaviour (e.g. drugs).
• Fear-appeal logic
• Stimulates audience involvement and promotes
acceptance of the arguments.
• Appropriate intensity
• The greater the topic relevance, the lower the
threat intensity that is needed to activate a
response.
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Appeals to consumer guilt

• This approach aims to trigger negative

emotions; e.g. breaking the rules or
violating standards.
• It motivates emotionally mature
individuals to undertake responsible
action and reduce feelings of guilt.
• It focuses on past/future transgressions
or failure to care for others.

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 Sex in advertising

• The use of sex in advertising:

• captures consumers’ attention and
retains it for longer
• enhances recall of message points
• evokes an emotional response (e.g.
feelings of arousal or lust).

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 Music in advertising
• An important component of advertising.
• Includes jingles, background, popular and classical music.
• Purpose:
• attracts attention
• puts consumers in positive mood
• makes consumers more receptive to message arguments
• communicates meanings about advertised products.

Next slide

MSc. Uyen H Nguyen

 Comparative advertising
• Compare against competitive offerings.
• Based on claims of superiority.
• A complex area; difficult to measure.
• Considerations dictating the use of comparative advertising include:
• situational factors
• distinct advantages
• the credibility issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD9XNUYHCNQ

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 The role of comparative advertising

Enhances brand recall

Promotes better recall of message arguments

Generates more favourable attitudes towards the sponsoring brand

Generates stronger intentions to purchase sponsored brand

Generates more purchases

May be perceived as less believable (than non-comparative advertising)

MSc. Uyen H Nguyen