Advertising &

Promotion
Strategies
2018

IMC240
Handout

Alsun and Mass Communication Dept.

Integrated Marketing Communication
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INDEX
Strategic planning …………………………………………………………………… 3
Case Study …………………………………………………………………… 7
Consumer Behavior ………………………………………………………………… 17
Case Study …………………………………………………………………… 43
Visual Communication …………………………………………………………… 46
Advertising Plan …………………………………………………………… 58
Guerilla Marketing …………………………………………………………… 71
Word of Mouth …………………………………………………………… 77
Campaign Creative Concept and Advertising Idea…………………… 84
Digital Transformation ………………………………………………………… 91

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Strategic
Planning

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Planning

Planning your Planning your Planning your Planning your

vacation academic path wedding day

For marketing communication, strategic planning is the process of:

1. Identifying a problem that can be solved with marketing communications

2. Determining objectives
3. Deciding on strategies
4. Implementing tactics

Objective: what you want to accomplish with a message

Strategy: how to accomplish the objectives.
Tactics: actions or specific activities that make the plan come to life.

It is important to understand that strategic thinking is as creative as coming up with a

big idea for a brand communication campaign.
Both processes include searching for creative ideas to solve a problem.

Strategic planning occurs in a complex business environment and includes 4 levels of

plans:
• The business plan
• The marketing plan
• The brand communication plan
• Plans for specific areas like advertising or PR

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 Business Plan
It is the starting point for any strategic planning, then we move to more functional
areas like marketing plans.

The business plan directs the operations of the entire company, or in bigger companies
a specific division called SBU (strategic business unit), which is a line of products or all
offerings of a brand.

External conditions such as technological changes, have made companies obsolete.

Example is Kodak whose main market in films died and the company moved into
bankruptcy by 2012

The business plan and marketing plan provide direction for advertising planning and
other areas of marketing communication.

Marketing Plan

The basic steps or components of a marketing plan are:

1. Situation analysis, an extensive market research and analysis through a SWOT

2. Setting of objectives, which at the marketing level tends to focus on sales and
share of the market
3. Assess consumer’s needs and wants in relationship to the product.
4. Develop the brand strategy, differentiating and positioning it relative to
competitors.
5. Develop the marketing mix strategy, selecting product design and performance
criteria, pricing, distribution and marketing communication.
6. Implementation of tactical programs

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 The Brand Communication or IMC plan
In general, a communication plan seeks to match the right audience with the right
message and present the message in the right medium to reach that audience.

The focus is on the communication program supporting a brand.

1. Who? who are we trying to reach, and what insights do we have about how thy
think, feel and act? How should they respond to your brand’s message?
2. What? what do you say to them? What directions from the consumer research
are useful to the creative team?
3. Where? How and where will you reach them? What directions from the
consumer’s media consumption habits research... What are the new trends in
contact points.

Key Strategic Decisions

1. Target Audience (Consumer
Behavior)
2. Analysis and Statement of
communication objectives
3. Brand Position
4. Consumer insights
5. Budgeting

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CASE STUDY

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 The Dove Self-Esteem Project was created from a vision where
beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. We’ve reached
over 82 million young people with self-esteem education, and
by 2030, we're aiming to have helped ¼ billion build their
positive body image.

Our mission is to ensure that the next generation grows up enjoying a positive
relationship with the way they look—helping young people raise their self-esteem and
realize their full potential.

Dove partnered with leading experts in the fields of psychology, health, and body
image to create a program of evidence-based resources, including parenting advice, to
help young people form healthy friendships, overcome body image issues, and be their
best selves.

• Unilever’s Dove brand was launched in the market as a cleansing bar soap in
1957. The soap was based on non-irritating cleaner and moisturizing
components.
• By the 1970s, Unilever had enhanced the soap into a beauty bar, which was
milder and promised women of moisturized skins. The popularity of the soap at
this time soared, and Unilever started expanding into the global market.
• By 1996, the brand was selling in over 80 countries.
• Between 1995 and 2001, Unilever expanded the range of products under the
dove brand to include moisturizers, face creams, deodorants, shower gel,
shampoos, and conditioners, among other wide ranges of beauty and care
products.

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 Unilever had launched
Dove in the US in 1957 as
a bar of soap. Over next
40 years, grew by
launching into other
countries and other
personal care categories.

2001

1957

By 2001 soap
represented less than half
Dove’s sales.

How can Dove change its

distinctive positioning in the
beauty world?
To stop seeing Dove as a soap brand, rather as a
beauty brand.

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 Real Beauty Campaign
Inspiration and Insights

• Based on the findings of a major global study, The Real Truth About
Beauty: A Global Report. The brand ignited a global conversation about
the need for a wider definition of beauty after the study proved the
hypothesis that the definition of beauty had become limiting and
unattainable.
• In a culture were women are so highly valued on their physical
appearance, these standards have the potential to negatively impact
women’s self-esteem, happiness, and overall well-being.

Definition of Beauty
We’re surrounded by images of beauty everywhere:

• Commercials
• Movies
• Proms
• Advertising
• Magazines
• Fashion shows
• Video clips
• Comparisons between friends
• Comparisons in the family 10
 Not just that, but we are told exactly what beauty should look like.
Female models are typically :
▪ skinny, with long, thin legs,
▪ a small waist,
▪ bony shoulders,
▪ angular face,
▪ straight narrow hips,
▪ flat stomach and butt, and not muscular.
▪ Each month headlines about the latest diet, exercise technique,
fillers or body fix celebrities use to attain their “ideal” body type,
saturate the covers of magazines.

How do women think of beauty?

Research & Insights
65% (2/3) of all women Women clearly rate many
strongly agree that inner qualities such as Happiness (89%)
“physical attractiveness is
happiness, kindness, Kindness (86%)
about how one looks, Confidence (83%)
whereas beauty includes confidence, dignity, and humor
Dignity (81%)
much more of who a as attributes in making a Humor (78%)
person is”, and stems not woman beautiful Intelligence (75%)
from her looks Wisdom (72%)
but from her spirit and love Appearance of skin (67%)
of life Overall physical appearance (64%)
Facial appearance (62%)
Sense of style (61%)
Body weight and shape (56%)
Hairstyling (54%)

Women want younger generations

to inherit this. 82% agree that “If I
had a daughter, I would want her to
feel beautiful, even if she was not
physically attractive”

Women agree that happiness is the primary

element making a woman beautiful, and
strongly agree that they themselves feel
most beautiful when they are happy and
fulfilled in their lives (86%)

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 • The findings were based on interviews with 3,200 women between the ages of
18-64 and were largely disheartening.
• Worldwide, only 12% of women are satisfied with their physical appearance.
• No women described themselves as “gorgeous,” 1% of women described
themselves as “stunning” and 2% of women describe themselves as “beautiful.”
• 68% strongly agree that the media sets an unrealistic standard of beauty and
75% wish the media did a better job of representing the broad range of women’s
physical attractiveness, including size and shape, and age.

Simple but Revolutionary Strategy

Inspiration of the Campaign

Dove set out to make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety, for women.
Fifteen years later millions of beauty insecurities have been dispelled and billions of dollars have been added to brand
value.
Dove’s campaign touched hearts, impacted lives changed the beauty industry, and made Dove the most meaningful
beauty brand in the world. (Effie, 2022)

Real Beauty Campaign 2004

1. Real Beauty Campaign focused on interacting with the consumers, with Dove branding itself
not only as a beauty brand but also one that cares about and reaches out to consumers’ needs.
Adopting a reality-based campaign using everyday girls in their advertisements
2. Dove not only enhanced self-confidence but also showed that Dove provides effective,
accessible, and affordable products that real women can confidently use to care for their skins.
3. Dove launched the first phase of its campaign to combat the problems revealed in its global
study. They rolled out a series of advertisements featuring women whose appearances are
outside of the stereotypical norms of beauty.
4. The Dove campaign recruited women recruited off the streets (at coffee shops, bookstores,
grocery stores, etc.) instead of professional models. The women in the print ads are between
the ages of 22 and 96 and range across a variety of sizes (from 6 to 12)

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 Real Beauty Campaign 2005
It was the most iconic and featured six women with “real bodies and real curves.” This
phase’s mission was to directly challenge the stereotypical assumption that only thin is
beautiful. The ads promoted Dove’s firming lotion.

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 Real Beauty Campaign 2006
In response to the news and media outcry that erupted after Spain banned overly-skinny
models from runways in 2006, Dove expanded on this phase of the campaign with three
notable video ads: Evolution, Onslaught, and Amy. Each one of these videos tells a little
bit about their campaign.

Real Beauty Campaign 2013

Dove Real Beauty Sketches
• The way women depict themselves is dramatically different from how others perceive
them.
• Only 4% of women globally consider themselves beautiful and 54% agree that when it
comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critics.
• In 2013, Dove conducted a compelling social experiment to bring this to life.
Documented in a short film, Dove Real Beauty Sketches explores how women view their
own beauty in contrast to what others see.
• The original brief from Dove did not specify the type of media to be used, but Ogilvy
and Unilever collectively agreed that YouTube would be the most effective platform to
launch the three-minute film. YouTube provided an authentic way for viewers to
engage in and share the experience.
• “We knew that we had something magical with Dove Real Beauty Sketches and felt that
strategically it would reach the most scale on YouTube and online.” - Fernando
Machado, Global VP of Dove Skin.
• Anticipated search lift and made sure they captured interested audiences actively
looking for them. They added Google Search ads. (SEM)
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Who is the target audience?

What are the main insights of Dove Real Beauty Sketches

Campaign?

What are the main objectives of these campaigns?

What is the main advertising strategy of these two campaigns?

Is it Successful? Why?

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COMSUMER
BEHAVIOR

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 I am Sara
I study art and I love being on social media!
I love online shopping!
I always like to read reviews and share reviews.
Sara always likes to check her Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok accounts before starting her
day. While looking at her Facebook account she found there is a bazar coming up next
weekend. “Hits going”
Sara likes to pass by Starbucks to buy her coffee on her way to university. So, she stopped took
her coffee and posted a picture of her coffee on Instagram. Caption “Can’t start my day
without it” Then she looked at her watch and rushed to college! She is
running late!
In her break, her friend Hana showed her a picture of Amina Khalil telling her
that she loves her necklace!
Instantly Sara told her she knows the page on Facebook that sells this
necklace and she heard great reviews!
So Hana instantly got her credit card out and bought the necklace online!

I am Ahmed

I graduated from architecture and currently work as an architect at a firm. I am

not into social media platforms much and I like to shop offline more. I rarely
comment or share stuff online.

Ahmed wakes up, gets dressed and then drives to his office.
Asks ‫عم محمد‬for his cup of coffee, Sits at his desk and starts to work
Then mid-day he takes a break and orders food through “talabat” the food app.
While he eats his food he starts going through his Facebook account.
Then his fiancée sends him a WhatsApp to meet him after work to buy him his birthday present

After work Ahmed met his fiancée at the mall.

She convinced him to buy a shirt despite him wanting a shoe.
He thought that it was a bit expensive.
She posted a selfie of them on her account caption “always by your side convincing
you to buy stuff”

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 McDonalds introducing
THESE BRANDS WANT a new sandwich
TO REACH AHMED AND
SARA. SUGGEST THE Nike air new running
shoes
BEST WAY AND WHY?
Customized gold
necklace

What is consumer behavior?

Consumer behavior can be defined as the process and activities people engage in, when searching
for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products and services, to satisfy their
needs and desires.

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 1. Problem recognition
It is caused by the difference between the consumer’s ideal state and actual state. The sources of
problem recognition could be external or internal.

Sources of problem recognition

• Out of stock… a clear external problem
recognition.
• Dissatisfaction is an internal feeling.
• New needs / wants: changes in lifestyles or
social status can result in new needs and wants
• Related products purchases: like covers for
mobiles.
• Marketer’s induced problem recognition:
marketer’s actions encouraging consumers not
to be content with their current state or
situation... so creating insecurities like the out-
of-fashion feeling and the desire to be unique
by changing a hair color etc.… encourages
people to buy sometimes un-needed products.
• New Products: like Smart phones and robotic vacuum cleaners

Examining consumer motivation

Marketers realize that while problem recognition is often a basic, simple process, the way a consumer
perceives a problem and becomes motivated to solve it will influence the remainder of the decision
process.
Another consumer may see the purchase of a
One consumer may perceive the need to purchase a
watch as more of a fashion statement and
new watch from a functional perspective and focus
focus on the design and image of various
on reliable, low-priced alternatives.
brands.

To better understand the reasons

underlying consumer purchases,
marketers devote considerable attention
to examining motives—that is, those
factors that compel a consumer to take a
particular action.

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Motivation research in marketing uses a variety of methodologies to gain insights into the underlying
causes of consumer behavior. Methods employed include in-depth interviews, surveys, association
tests and focus groups in which consumers are encouraged to bring out associations related to
products and brands.

Motivations

If you ask a consumer why he is wearing

POLO shirt or uses a specific perfume or
Positive Motivation: It is consumer’s response
riding a mountain bike, most likely the
which includes enjoyment and optimism about
answer would be “it is best quality”, “I like
the product advertised
how it fits me” or “they are in style” etc.
we call these “manifest motives”

However, there are other reasons either

conscious or subconscious, “they show that I
Negative Motivation: It is consumer’s
have money” or “they make me desirable” or
response which includes sense of fear
“they show I am trendy and from a high social
class” … we call these “latent motives”

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 2. Information search
• The second stage in consumer decision making is information search, which is
internal and external
• Internal as in scanning information stored in one’s memory such as past
performance or outcomes from using a brand
• If the internal search does not yield enough information the consumer will seek
additional information by engaging in external search

Sources of external information

• Internet sources
• Personal sources: such as friends, relatives or colleagues
• Marketer-controlled (commercial)
• Public sources: articles in magazines and reports on TV
• Personal experience such as actually trying, handling, examining the product.

Forming Perception
• Knowledge of how consumers acquire and use information from external
sources is important to marketers in formulating communication strategies.
Marketers are particularly interested in
(1) how consumers sense external information,
(2) how they select and attend to various sources of information, and
(3) how this information is interpreted and given meaning.
• These processes are all part of perception, the process by which an individual
receives, selects, organizes, and interprets information to create a meaningful
picture of the world

Perception – the process (How do Perceive?)

Perception is a process that begins with consumer exposure and attention to
marketing stimuli ends with consumer interpretation.
Exposure and Attention are highly selective – meaning that the consumers
process only a small part of the available information.

Exposure occurs when a stimulus is placed within a person’s relevant

environment and comes within range of their sensory receptors
EX: seeing a TV ad or smelling a nice fragrance
Yet that does not guarantee that the person actually realized it…without
attention exposure can be useless.
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 Attention creates what we call selective exposure – the use of media that is
interesting for the target audience in order to encourage them to pay attention

Attention
Attention occurs when the stimulus activates one or more sensory receptor…
and the resulting sensation goes to the brain for processing.
Attention requires the consumer to allocate limited mental resources towards
the message received. Which comes by grabbing their attention. (size, color
intensity, attractive visuals etc…)

THROUGH SIZE INTENSITY

THROUGH
AT T R A C I T I V E
V I S UA L S

Interpretation
Interpretation is the assignment of meanings to sensations.
Interpretation is generally relative rather than absolute. And subjective.
This can be seen in the distinction between semantic meaning (found in the
dictionary) and the psychological meaning seen by the individual. So a product
that has high quality offered at a low cost is perceived of lower quality.

Perception is an individual process; it depends on internal factors such as a

person’s beliefs, experiences, needs, moods, and expectations.
The perceptual process is also influenced by the characteristics of a stimulus,
such as size, color etc… and the context in which it Is seen.

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Perception
Products and commercial messages often appeal to our senses. But because of
the excess of these messages, we do not notice most of them.
Sensation refers to the immediate response of our sensory receptors (eyes, ears,
nose, mouth, fingers, skin) to a basic stimulus such as light, color, odor, taste and
texture.
Perception is the process by which we select, organize and interpret these
sensations.

• Marketers messages are more effective when they appeal to several senses.
• In an experiment done, one group read an ad about potato chips which
mentioned the taste only, while another group was given an ad emphasizing the
product’s smell and texture in addition to the taste.
• The outcome was that the participants of the second group came out thinking
the chips would taste better than did those whose ad message was only about
the taste.

Sensory Marketing
Welcome to the new era of sensory marketing, where companies think carefully
about the impact of sensations on our product experiences. From hotels to
carmakers to food industry, companies recognize that our senses help us decide
which products appeal to us and which ones stand out from a host of similar
offerings in the marketplace.
In this section, we’ll take a closer look at how some smart marketers use our
sensory systems to create a competitive advantage.

• Vision
• Scent
• Sound
Sensory Marketing
• Touch
• Taste
• Augmented and virtual realities

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Perception – Vision
Sure, Apple’s products usually work pretty well—but that’s not why many
people buy them. Sleek styling and simple, compact features telegraph an aura
of modernity, sophistication, and just plain “cool.”
Marketers rely heavily on visual elements in advertising, store design, and
packaging. They communicate meanings on the visual channel through a
product’s color, size, and styling. For example, recent research shows that
people perceive a product to be larger when it is presented in a highly saturated
color that captures their attention to a greater extent than a paler hue. As a
result, they’re even willing to pay more for the saturated version even though
both sizes are in fact the same.

Perception – Scent
Odors stir emotions or create a calming feeling. They invoke memories or relieve
stress. One study found that consumers who viewed ads for either flowers or
chocolate and who also were exposed to flowery or chocolaty odors spent more
time processing the product information and were more likely to try different
alternatives within each product category.
Retailers like Hugo Boss often pump a “signature” scent into their stores; one
study reported that “warm scents” such as vanilla or cinnamon as opposed to
“cool scents” such as peppermint enhance shoppers’ purchases of premium
brands.

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 Researchers for Folgers found that for many people the smell of coffee
summons up childhood memories of their mothers cooking breakfast, so the
aroma reminds them of home. The company turned this insight into a
commercial in which a young man in an army uniform arrives home early one
morning. He goes to the kitchen, opens a Folgers’ package, and the aroma wafts
upstairs. His mother opens her eyes, smiles, and exclaims, “He’s home!”

Perception – Sound

Perception – Touch
Pretend for a moment that you are shopping online for a sweater. You navigate
to www.landsend.com, scroll through the cardigans, and pause at one that
appeals to you. You click on the sweater for more information. A larger photo
appears, and the caption reads: “Imagine holding this sweater, feeling the soft,
100% cotton in your hands.” What if you did as instruct? Would your perception
of the sweater be any different than if you had not imagined feeling it?
It seems that encouraging shoppers to touch a product encourages them to
imagine they own it, and researchers know that people value things more highly
if they own them: This is known as the endowment effect .
One set of researchers reported that participants who simply touched an item (an
inexpensive coffee mug) for 30 seconds or less created a greater level of
attachment to the product; this connection in turn boosted what they were
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 willing to pay for it. Indeed, the power of touch even translates to online
shopping where touchscreens create a stronger feeling of psychological
ownership compared to products consumers explore using a touchpad or a
mouse.

Perception – Taste
Our taste receptors obviously contribute to our experience of many products.
All of our senses interact with one another to influence taste: People think that
potato chips with a louder crunch taste better, and they don’t like food that’s
served on red plates.
In advertising taste can be expressed with visuals.

Perception – Augmented and Virtual Reality

The sensations we receive from the physical world can be overwhelming, but are
you ready to deal with digital sensations as well?
Although they are two different technologies, both terms are often used as
synonyms.

What is the difference between Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)?
• The distinctions between VR and AR come down to the devices they require and
the experience itself:
• AR uses a real-world setting while VR is completely virtual
• AR users can control their presence in the real world; VR users are controlled by
the system
• AR can be accessed with a smartphone, but VR requires a headset device.
• AR enhances both the virtual and real world while VR only enhances a fictional
reality
AR opens new worlds of information (and marketing communications)
• Do you want to test drive a Range Rover SUV using your smartphone?
• Would you like to read the bio of the singer you see on a CD cover?
• Who painted that cool mural in your local bar?
• How much did that house you were looking at eventually sell for?
• Just point your smartphone at each and the information will be superimposed
on your screen.

A good read: https://filmora.wondershare.com/more-

tips/metaverse-headset.html
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 3. Alternative evaluation
In this stage, the consumer starts comparing the various brands and services which he
reached at the end of the information search stage.

These various brands and services are referred to as the “evoked set”
The evoked set is usually a subset of all the brands the consumer is aware of.
The objective of most advertising strategies is to increase the likelihood that the
advertised brand will be part of the evoked set.
Brands with big budgets use “reminders” to maintain high awareness level thus
increasing the chances of always being part of the evoked set.

These are the dimensions or attributes of a product or service that are used to
compare different alternatives. They could be objective or subjective factors:
Objective: price, warranty, availability, performance etc…
Subjective: image, style, personal liking

Attitude Formation
Attitudes are learned predispositions to respond to an object and are some of the
most heavily studied concepts in consumer behavior.
More recent perspectives view an attitude as a summary construct that represents
an individual’s overall feeling toward an object.
Attitudes are important to marketers as they represent positive or negative
feelings and behavioral tendencies.
Advertising and promotions are used to create favorable attitudes towards new
products/services, or reinforce existing favorable attitudes and/or change negative
attitudes.

4. Purchase decision
At some point, the consumer stops the search and takes a purchase decision
Purchase decisions for consumer goods happen usually in-store, which is why
marketers need to have a strong presence in-store to strengthen the awareness
of their brands.
They use packaging, shelf displays and point-of-sales materials to ensure they are
in the evoked set.
As for the online shopping experience, what do you see as a consumer when you
decide to buy?

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 Integration processes
It is the way product’s knowledge, meanings and
beliefs are combined together to reach a purchase
decision.
In high involvement products, a formal integration
strategy is used by consumers requiring examination
and comparison of alternatives.
Sometimes consumers make their purchase decision
using more simplified decision rules known as
heuristics.
For familiar products which are purchased frequently,
consumers might use price-based heuristics, or affect
heuristics which is based on emotions and liking.

5. Post-purchase evaluation
The consumer decision process does not end with the purchase. After using the
product or service, the consumer compares the level of performance with the
expectations and is either satisfied or dissatisfied.

In the post-purchase evaluation step, you Learn!

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior caused by experience.
The learner need not have the experience directly, however; we can also learn
when we observe events that affect others.
We learn even when we don’t try: We recognize many brand names and many
product jingles, for example, even for products we don’t personally use.
We call this casual, unintentional acquisition of knowledge or incidental learning.

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What do you think/ feel?
In classical conditioning, consumers respond to a stimulus in a particular,
unconscious way – for example, by salivating when they see a picture of delicious
food.

If flowers are known for freshness

and moist, associating a beauty
product with flowers will
communicate the freshness and
moist benefits of this product

Learning – Operant Conditioning

While classic conditioning views the consumers as passive individuals, operant
conditioning on the other hand asks for their contribution either mentally or
psychologically…
a desired reward (benefit) will only be obtained if, and only if, the defined task
is performed.
By telling them about the negatives associated when not using or using a
product… or by letting them complete the missing part…
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 For example, electricity companies may charge more for electricity used
during peak hours. This is a way to get people to use less electricity during
peak hours.
Here the learning might be slower but stays for the longer term.
In operant conditioning, advertisers try to change consumers' behavior by
using rewards or punishment. For example, by giving consumers money back
after buying a particular product.
Coupons are a form of operant conditioning. Consumers use coupons to buy a
product for money off, then continue to buy the product even when the
coupons are no longer available, because they become conditioned to buying
the product. Free offers are another form of operant conditioning.
One operant conditioning strategy is to offer consumers a free sample, then a
coupon good for a large discount, then a coupon for a smaller discount. At the
end of this, the consumer may be so used to using the product that they
continue to buy it at full price. Offers such as “Buy 10, get one free” are
another form of operant conditioning.

Conditioning in Marketing

Coca-Cola, for example, has successfully

associated their brand with happiness
and satisfaction. By associating the
beverage with physical activities and
environmental factors like sports, the
sun, and the beach—things that make
you thirsty—Coca-Cola has positioned
itself in the minds of consumers across the world as a thirst quencher. So when you’re
hot, when you’ve exercised, or when you’re at the beach, there’s a good chance you
start thinking about a Coke.
In classical conditioning, the goal is to get consumers to associate brands with a
particular feeling or response.

Classical conditioning can also be used in product

extensions and diversifications
Procter & Gamble opened a line of Tide Dry Cleaners,
named after its bestselling laundry detergent. P&G
will rely on the more than 800,000 Facebook fans of

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Tide (what else do these people “like” on Facebook?) and other loyal detergent users
to trust their clothes to the franchise stores.
P&G plans to infuse the stores and its dry-cleaning fluids with the familiar Tide scent
just to underscore the connection.

A good read: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4295202-

procter-and-gamble-leveraging-brand-tide-cleaners

Operant conditioning

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 External Influences on Consumer Behavior
Influences
▪ Culture and Sub-culture
▪ Social Class
▪ Reference group
▪ Situational Determinants

CULTURE

The broadest and most abstract of the external factors that influence consumer
behavior is culture, or the complexity of learned meanings, values, norms, and customs
shared by members of a society.

Cultural norms and values offer direction and guidance to members of a society in all
aspects of their lives, including their consumption behavior.
* Culture is crucial when it comes to understanding the needs and behaviors of an
individual.
* Throughout his existence, an individual will be influenced by his family, friends,
society, that will teach him values, preferences as well as common behaviors to their
own culture.
* For a brand it is important to understand and consider the cultural factors inherent
to each market in order to adapt the strategy. As these will play a role in the
perception, habits, behaviors or expectations of consumers.

Sub-Culture
Within a given culture are generally found smaller groups or segments whose beliefs,
values, norms, and patterns of behavior set them apart from the larger cultural
mainstream. These subcultures may be based on age, geographic, religious, racial,
and/or ethnic differences.

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 Social Class

Social classes are defined as groups more or less homogenous and ranked against each
other according to a form of social hierarchy.
People from different social classes tend to have different desires and consumption
patterns. Disparities resulting from the difference in their purchasing power.

Reference Group

Reference groups are groups (social

groups, work groups, family, or close
friends) a consumer identifies with and
may want to join. They influence
consumers' attitudes and behavior. A
reference group helps shape a person's
attitudes and behaviors.

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Roles in Reference Groups
1- The initiator
The person who suggests buying a product.

2- The influencer
The person whose point of view or advice will influence the buying decision. Maybe outside the group (actor,
singer, blogger.) or inside the group, where the individual trusts their taste.

3- The decision Maker

The person who actually buys the product. Most of the time, they are the consumer, but sometimes it maybe
another person. (The mom in the house for her kids)

Situational Determinants
The final external factor is the purchase and usage situation. The specific situation in
which consumers plan to use the product or brand directly affects their perceptions,
preferences, and purchasing behaviors.
Three types of situational determinants may have an effect: the specific usage
situation, the purchase situation, and the communications situation.

USAGE PURCHASE COMMUNICATION

Usage refers to the
circumstance in which the
product will be used. For
example, purchases made
for private consumption
may be thought at
differently from those that
will be obvious to the
public.
The purchase situation
more directly involves the
environment operating at
the time of the purchase.
Time constraints, store
environments and other
factors may have an
impact.
The communications
situation is the condition
in which an advertising
exposure occurs. (in a car
listening to the radio, with
friends or family members
etc…)

This may be most relevant to the development of promotional strategies, because the impact on the
consumer may vary according to a particular situation.
For example, a consumer may pay more attention to a commercial that is heard alone at home than
to one heard in the presence of friends, at work, or anywhere distractions might be present.
If advertisers can isolate a particular time when listener is likely to be attentive, they will probably
earn his or her undivided attention.
In sum, the situational determinants may either enhance or detract from the potential success of a
message.

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 Insights, Consumer Profiling and messaging

Consumer Insights are little secrets hidden beneath the surface, that explain the underlying
behaviors, motivations, pain points and emotions of your consumers.

Insights
▪ It is almost impossible to define what an insight is.
▪ It’s that something you didn’t know you knew about yourself.
▪ A need that was inside you but you didn’t know it.
▪ An innate behavior that you had no record of doing it.

Definitely, the insight is what discovers things about you that you had not even stopped to think
about.

▪ In the world of advertising, finding good insights is vital to the success of campaigns. An
insight is a true revelation of the consumer. Find out why your target think what they think,
behave as they behave and feel what they feel. And work on it to respond to real needs.
▪ One of the biggest secrets and best adventures in the advertising world is to decode the
minds of consumers. Enter them and know what moves them to perform some actions. The
intuition, habits, environment and perceptions of each human being are what condition their
actions and your job is to find the root of all of them.

Get to Know Me

In North America, people brush their teeth an average of 1.6 times per day
Brazil people brush their teeth up to 4-6 times a day.
It’s a fact, not an insight.
What are we missing? Well it’s just a data point and we don’t really understand much else. Maybe
people in Brazil eat spicier foods, engage in closer conversation, have problems with lack of fluoride,
or maybe the people of Brazil have an increased vanity and this is just one more example. We don’t
really know, until we go below the surface of the facts and uncover meaningful insights.

35
What qualifies as an insight?
it’s not enough to just have “data.” It needs to be insightful. True insights, whether about consumers
or otherwise, need to meet a few criteria:

▪ They should be new: If you already knew (or suspected) a particular piece of information, it’s
not an insight.
▪ They should be unexpected: Ideally, you weren’t even looking for it.
▪ They must be relevant: New information might be interesting, but if it doesn’t match your
business goals or your buyers, it’s not an insight you can use.

If a new piece of information meets those criteria, it’s probably a good insight. And without true
customer insights, brands don’t give themselves the best chances of success.

36
37
How to describe your target audience?
Your goal is to discover
▪ How do your best customers research purchases for products/services like
yours?
▪ How they make purchasing decisions
▪ What media do they prefer?
▪ How they originally found out about your business
▪ Why they decided to buy from you the first time
▪ Why do they keep doing business with you?
▪ What they get from your business that your competitors don’t offer

Persona

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39
 Mood boards

Message Strategy
Simply put, message strategy is deciding what to say and how to say it, in order to
achieve an ultimate business goal. It’s how you turn marketing into communications,
and communications into results.

Everything sends a message.

Whether we’re conscious of it or not, everything (yes, everything) sends a message.
Your choice of clothing sends a message. The time you show up sends a message. The
food you order. The price you charge. The tone of voice you use when you answer the
phone. Etc…
40
It’s all communication. And when it comes to your brand, you should make decisions
deliberately — so that the message you intend is the same message that’s received by
your intended audience.

Two messages

Strategic message is the content you want to communicate to your target audience
▪ It stems from the objectives of communication identified earlier in the planning
process
▪ It is part of the creative brief that goes to the creative department
▪ It focusses on the benefit (technically)

Creative message is the translation of this content meaning onto insightful / creative
words.
▪ It is part of the creatives’ design of the advertising
▪ It focusses on the benefit (insightfully)
▪ Could take the shape of:
o Words
o Visuals
o Both

Strategic message:
Lego inspires the builders of
tomorrow

Creative message:
a visual translation of the strategic
message

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Objective: Smile direct club aims at building awareness among 40% of its target
audience about its straightening teeth offer being good value for money and
affordable within a 6 months campaign
Strategic message: Smile Direct Club offers affordable quality teeth straightening
The underlying benefit is straight teeth
Creative message: The insightful benefit here is “a smile you will love”

42
Case study

43
Always: Keep Going #LikeAGirl

The Campaign
For many years Always has had 'confidence' at its core, but expressed this only in
functional terms ("won’t let you down"). While this trust remained important, it
became insufficient to maintain relevance among younger women, increasingly drawn
to brands that also engaged them emotionally. We needed to extend the meaning of
'confidence' into emotional territory. Our exploration led to the discovery that puberty
is a time of confidence crisis in girls and that gender stereotyping through language
plays a big role. This is exemplified by the use of the phrase ‘like a girl’ as an insult,
implying that simply being female means whatever a young woman does is not good
enough. So, we created a campaign that challenged the use of this poisonous and
damaging expression, redefining it in a new, inspiring way, and using social media and
PR to spread the message.
Studies have shown that a girl's self-esteem drops two times more than a boy going
through puberty, and in fact, women never regain this pre-puberty level of confidence.
Always worked to change this through their #LikeAGirl campaign by empowering
females.
Always created a social experiment, holding a fake casting-call with young women and
men, boys and girls. We asked them to do things 'like a girl', for example to run or fight
like a girl. Women, boys and men behaved in a silly and self-deprecating way, acting
out the insulting stereotype. But prepubescent girls reacted completely differently.
They ran and fought as hard as they could, with confidence, pride and incredible self-

44
belief. They had clearly not been influenced yet by the 'rules' that define womanhood;
for them, doing something ‘like a girl’ meant doing it as best as they could.

Who is the target audience?

What are the main insights of Like a girl Campaign?

What is the strategic message and creative message?

Do you think this campaign is successful? How would you

recommend it continues?

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VISUAL
COMMUNICATION

46
 Show, Don’t Tell

Visual Communication
▪ Visual communication graphically represents information to efficiently and
effectively create meaning.
▪ This may sound simple enough. But the successful visualization of information
isn’t easy and requires a great deal of training and practice. As we’ll see later,
visual communication isn’t the same as graphic design, because the latter
doesn’t place the same emphasis on the accurate presentation of data and
information. That’s why all visual communication designers are graphic
designers, but not all graphic designers are visual communicators.
▪ When you think about visual communication, what comes to mind? The latest
viral meme? A text message composed entirely of emojis? These are just a few
basic examples of the types of visual communication we encounter every day.

47
Why is visual communication important?

Visual communication saves time by relaying messages faster.

We can get the sense of a visual scene in less than 1/10 of a second–that’s even faster
than you read this sentence!

Visual communication ensures that a clear, unified message is delivered.

It delivers a defined tone to an audience. From stroke weight to data visualization
style, visuals combine aesthetic choices, movement, and information to tell a unified
story.

Visual communication helps to provide a shared, consistent experience.

An important part of delivering a consistent experience with visuals is branding. In
addition to a logo, many organizations have defined brand colors that should be used
in all marketing activity.

Visual communication results in better retention of the information.

From a scientific perspective, it’s been found that using visuals help the audience
remember the information more effectively. The reason is that images are directly
deposited and stored into the long-term memory, whereas words only make it to the
short-term memory.
When it comes to social media, a study by Adobe found that Facebook posts that
include images produce 650% higher engagement than regular text posts.

That’s why visual communication is shown to significantly improve our

understanding when information is being shared.

To that end, it makes sense that using visual communication can have a big impact
on brand marketing strategies: it empowers organizations to communicate more
clearly with their target audiences in a way that feels natural to those audiences.

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Logos and designs
Creating an Effective Brand Identity starts with Logos
As a starting point, the brand concept must be conceived; so that it directly
communicates who or what it is? what is it’s purpose? and who is the target audience?
The logo design must visually encapsulate and represent all of these elements.

It is hugely important that the design and style of the logo fully reflects the brand
message, to ensure that the target audience recognizes it immediately. The logo must
be simple enough to be perceived quickly and with ease, and also have enough visual
content to be memorable so that the audience creates a strong visual association with
the brand overall.

Creating logos

General guidelines while creating a logo

▪ Create an original and unique visual

device that illustrates your brand
effectively.
▪ You can rarely go wrong when using
clean lines, strong shapes and a
simple form.
▪ Ensure that the design isn’t too
complex, so that it reads well up
close and from long distances.

Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities (the

cloud)

Color Theory: It is well known that use of color can evoke subliminal
and even emotional responses. Be aware of which colors you are using
and what they express. For example: Using red predominantly in an
Organic Food Company logo may detract from what the brand is trying to represent.
Using natural tones like green or brown may be more effective and coincide with the
brands ethos.

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Logos stories: Company logos are critical to a brand and its success as consumers
associate the brand's value to the image, sometimes more than to the product.

Gillette's razors are so sharp they even chopped the logo a

bit. The 'G' and the 'i' in Gillette are each sliced at an angle,
like when you accidentally cut your fingertips attaching the
thing.

The circle, actually represents a human’s head, and the ‘b’

letterform represents the brand’s headphones. This gives the
brand a personal element, allowing a customer to see
themselves in the headphones.

The yellow arrow in their logo starts at the letter ‘a’ and ends
at the letter ‘z’, implying that they sell everything from a to z.
The arrow also represents a smile, The smile indicates the
happiness people feel when they shop with Amazon.

The first is a bit more obvious, with a cyclist making up the letter
‘r’, but the second is more subdued. The yellow circle that acts as
the bike’s wheel is also a sun, indicating that the events of the race
only occur in the daytime.

Tostitos, the popular chip and salsa brand, has some fun imagery
hidden in its typography. The ‘t­i­t’ in Tostitos is actually two
people enjoying chips and salsa at a table, showing that the
snack is fun and social.

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 The Designer’s Toolkit
The designer’s Toolkit – size

IBM used a chick and an egg to demonstrate the smallness of its

hard disk drive, which is about the size of a large coin.

The designer’s Toolkit – Color

▪ Studies have found that colors can evoke

certain feelings, thus influencing
consumers to take a desired action.
Particular colors have been shown to
create feelings of excitement, energy,
tranquility, etc.
▪ Men and women respond to images differently, according to Taflinger. Males
respond better to more linear shapes and simple objects, looking for an
objective answer. Women prefer curves, colors and people that create a story.
Choose brighter, softer colors for an ad
targeting women and fewer, darker colors for
men.
▪ Color is powerful because it can influence our
buying mood. Choosing the right color in your
design and advertising projects plays a very
important role in the success of your visual
campaigns.
▪ Advertisements, posters and billboards use
color to captivate the audience’s attention.
Different colors evoke different feelings in the
viewer.

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Be Intentional About Your Colour

This series of ads for the French dentist office

Centre Dentaire Paris Loft uses color as a motif by
depicting commonly yellow objects as a pearly
white color, topping it off with the tagline “We
don’t like yellow”. This use of ‘incorrect’ colors
captures lots of attention whilst making a pretty
strong statement.

The designer’s Toolkit – Storytelling

In visual storytelling, the visual sets up a narrative that must be constructed by the
reader or viewer.
This is even more important for conveying abstract concepts.
Creative people and art directors design images that tell stories and create brand
impressions.

The Columbia Sportswear

Company is an American
company that manufactures
and distributes outerwear,
sportswear, and footwear, as
well as headgear, camping
equipment, ski apparel, and
outerwear accessories

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The designer’s Toolkit – Emotions

▪ Both the visual impact and storytelling lead to touching emotions and move the
consumer to respond positively to the brand
▪ In many situations’ emotions are the key driver of a prospect being turned on to
a message.
▪ The emotional hook of a visual engages the attention of the viewer and
contributes to the depth of the memory traces left behind by the brand
message.
▪ These highly impactful traces and engaging images result in a higher level of
liking for the brand

The designer’s Toolkit – Eye path or Hierarchy

▪ Once you’ve captured their attention,

where do you want them to go, and
what do you want them to do? Lead
them through your message to the
call–to-action by placing their goal on
a natural eye path. For cultures that
read left to right, a classic eye path
for them runs upper left to lower
right. Items not on this path can be
missed by the reader, unless another
attention-grabbing technique is used, perhaps a bright color, compelling
photograph, or exciting video.

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The designer’s Toolkit – Illustrations and Photos

• Illustration eliminates the details of a photo and focuses on the “highlights” of

the image.
• It can also simplify the message and focus on key details.
• The decision to use a photo or illustration is determined by strategy, and its
need for realism or fanciful images.
Illustration eliminate many details and
focus on the key details of the image.
Recognized as one of the most important
political images of recent years, the
Obama “hope” poster.

The designer’s Toolkit – Repetition

Repetition is used in advertising as a way
to keep a brand or product in the
forefront of consumers’ minds.
Repetition can build brand familiarity,
but it can also lead to consumer fatigue.
Consumers can become so tired of an ad
that they tune it out or actively avoid the
product.

The designer’s Toolkit – Association

Another powerful principle is the age-old advertising
concept of association. Whenever we see an image of
people having a good time, we automatically associate
their desirable state with the product they’re using.

Or, take for example the ad above. We almost

unconsciously associate David Beckham’s glamour and
celebrity status with the Breitling brand.

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The designer’s Toolkit – Composition and Focal Point

Composition has many aspects. Symmetry,

asymmetry, pattern, texture proportion, shape, line,
balance, movement, rhythm, focus, contrast, to
name a few. Often your composition will be affected
by the proportion and size of your ad, banner,
website design theme, photo content, or aspect
ratio. There are popular compositional guidelines
we humans have created, based on our
observations of nature:

This particular technique refers to the arrangement or placement of visual elements in a particular work of
art. Simply put, it has to do with the overall organization and the order of elements in a visual design
project.

For example, this ad creatively uses negative space and symmetry to create a subtle image of a wine glass.
Every existent element–and everything that is omitted–is deliberately placed in a specific location in relation
to the rest of the elements.

This example for Land Rover uses just two words of copy and a
super strong visual to create an attention-grabbing, clever and
smart ad. They focus on one feature of the car and put a simple
amount of punchiness to it.

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Rule of third

The Rule of Thirds is a basic compositional technique that is

implemented by dividing an image vertically and horizontally
using an imaginary grid, as seen here.

In the example, the focal points (the tree and horizon) are
perfectly aligned with the grid created by the Rule of Thirds. If the
tree was dead center horizontally and the mountains were
directly in the vertical center, the composition would not be so
pleasing.

Often used in photography, it applies to layout as

well. Divide your available space into horizontal and
vertical thirds, and you end up with a grid of nine
rectangles. Align elements of importance to the right
or left third, the top or bottom third. The
intersections of right/bottom, right/top, left/bottom
and left/top are special focal points that just look
right, and make a composition visually interesting.

The designer’s Toolkit – Symbolism

Symbolism is used in advertising to represent a particular brand, company or one or

more (often complex) ideas. By using symbolism, advertisers are able to link a deeper
meaning or message to the selling power of a product or an idea.

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The designer’s Toolkit – Exaggeration
Exaggeration is a fantastic tool in advertising, when used within
reason. Implying that your product can do something that it can’t is
a fine line to tread, and the one way to make sure that your ad
stays funny or impactful and not misleading is to introduce
a little hyperbole into your design.

This example for Raid bug spray shows the product having ‘killed’
the musical notes of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Flight of the
Bumblebee”, implying that Raid is strong enough to kill
absolutely any trace of bugs, including musical
interpretations of them. This claim is ridiculous, and so clearly
untrue that it’s made funny and satirical, not deceptive or
misleading.

The designer’s Toolkit – Grids

Grids bring organization not only to the design, but to
the process of creating design. Say you want to create a
poster for a lecture series. Create a strong grid and if the
dates, times, images and colors all change, your basic
designs will feel related. Instant consistency and less
time updating and adjusting.

The designer’s Toolkit – Typography

• Art directors also specify the ad’s

typography.
• Type is functional but it also plays an
aesthetic role.
• The font, the way capital letters are used,
variations coming from manipulating the
shape nd forms of the letters.
• Yet make sure it is legible

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Advertising Plan

58
In general, a communication plan seeks to match the right audience with the right message and
present the message in the right medium to reach that audience.

The focus is on the

Who?: are we trying to reach, and what insights do we have about how they think, feel, and act? How
should they respond to your brand’s message?

What?: what do you say to them? What directions from the consumer research are useful to the
creative team?

Where?: How and where will you reach them? What directions from the consumer’s media
consumption habits research. What are the new trends in contact points?

Key Strategic Decisions in an Advertising Plan

1. Target Audience (Consumer Behavior)

2. Analysis and Statement of communication objectives

3. Brand Position

4. Creative messaging

5. Budgeting

The Target audience

Target audience profile is a specific group of customers most likely to respond

positively to your promotions, products, and services.

Identifying them will help the brand to create a tone of voice that really speaks to your
customer

The channels, language, and information the brand uses to connect with audience
might not be as effective with one profile as it is with another.

It gives you a direction to your advertising campaign and ensures the consistency in the
message

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 • Targeting audiences for messages happens in brand communication plans.
• This decision is made possible because of deep knowledge about consumers’
insights and consumers’ profile mood boards.
• This research-based selection identifies what makes a specific group of
consumers different from people in other groups.
• Think of their consumer decision-making processes
• Research by account planners will help to flesh out the interests of these folks
and provide critical insights on consumers, customer and stakeholder
relationships.
• A list of primary and secondary targets is built, along with profiles of typical
members of this group.

Analysis and Statement of communication objectives

After a clear analysis and good understanding of internal and external factors, and
defining the areas that need to be addressed, we are ready to develop specific
communication objectives.

The six effects in the facets model are used to identify the most common consumer
objectives

Emotion
FEEL

Perception Persuasion
SEE/HEAR BELIEVE

Cognition Behavior
THINK ACT

Association
CONNECT

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Perception Objectives
A brand may want to grab
attention, create awareness,
stimulate interest and
recognition of a brand or a
message, and create brand
reminders

Consumers all have a selective

perception, that is, they choose
what they want to pay attention
to. With so many businesses
turning to content marketing,
consumers are bombarded with words and information online, so you’ll need to catch
their attention and reel them in.

To maximize interest and get people to not only view your content but read it all the
way through, tantalize their senses. Pique their curiosity with something they might be
surprised to see or hear.

Cognition Objectives

Brand has the goal to establish brand identity and positioning,

deliver info, helping in understanding features, benefits and
brand differences. It can explain how to use or do something,
create conviction / belief.
In cognitive learning, the presentation of facts, information,
and explanation leads to understanding. You want people not
to just read your content, but to find the truth, relevance, and
importance in what you have to say.

Uses terminologies and scientific names which appeal to the

logic and knowledge to the target audience This ad shows how
this eye concealer is created by using new technologies which created a sort of
differentiation.

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Affective or Emotional objectives

This facet is all about creating wants, desires, and excitement. If you know your
audience well, you’re in touch with their needs. Your content has to take this a step
further and generate a strong emotional connection with your product or service that
surpasses merely providing a solution to that need.
A brand may use psychological appeal – touch emotions and create bond with brand or
message – stimulate brand loyalty and brand desire.
Association objectives

A brand wants to create connections to positive brand experiences through its brand
personality and image (Images and symbols).
People form a connection with you when your brand takes on a symbolic meaning.
For instance, you don’t want to be ‘the store that sells tires,’ but the ‘place that always
bails me out of my car troubles.’
Association with Celebrities is one of the most used forms of associations
Persuasion objectives

People will only be persuaded to take action when they believe in the message of your
content.
The brand has the goal to change consumers’ attitudes, to motivate them, and involve
them.
The objective is to stimulate intention to buy, re-purchase, change of opinion, use
arguments and reasons or counter-arguments, create buzz and word of mouth, and
referrals.
• There are several ways in which you can make your campaigns more persuasive.
• Recognize the power of other people. Citing trusted, influential opinion
leaders and getting such people to vouch for you to impact the way
people view your brand.
• You can also bring in bandwagon appeals (everyone is doing it), to
convince people that many others have bought into your message
already.
• Involvement plays a large role as well. The more engaged your audience
is, the more conviction they will have in their beliefs about your brand
because through interacting they learn about your message on a different
level and come to their own conclusions.

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Behavior objectives
A brand wants to stimulate consumers’ actions, trials, and purchases, and generate
other types of responses (coupon use, attendance, test drives, visiting stores,
volunteering.
Just as the ultimate goal of advertising is to lead people to take the next step, you want
to write actionable content that motivates readers to do something.

• One of the simplest yet most important ways to get consumers to make a
conversion is to include a call to action. If you make it easier for people to
perform a given action, they are more likely to follow through.
• Product trials are also used frequently because people start to form habits
with the sample product or service. When they are satisfied with how the
trial is going, they want to buy the full version so that they can continue to
act at the same level of quality.
• If you think outside the box, you can use content to serve as a starting
point for free trials. Skin care allows you to take a quiz about your skin
type and beauty routine, after which they explain which of their products
would work best for you. This then leads to an email offering you free
sample sizes of each of the products they have recommended.

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 Brand Positioning

• A brand’s position is how consumers define the product or brand in comparison

to its competitors.

• A position must be based on a particular feature or attribute that is important to

the consumer where the brand has an advantage over the competition.

• In most cases, we are faced with a brand that already exists in the market, and
the question is: is the position working? Is it clear and focused, or does it need to
be polished, clarified or adjusted?

• A position is based on 2 things:

• A particular feature or attribute

• Coke Zero is low in calories but tastes like regular Coke. The feature
can also be psychological such as “heritage”

• This feature must be important to consumers

• Tangible features such as size, color, price, ease of use

• Intangible features like quality. Status, value, fashion and safety

Differentiation and competitive advantage

 Product differentiation is a strategy that focuses attention on product

differences that distinguish the company’s product from others in the eyes of
consumers.

 Products that are basically the same (eg, milk, oil, and ghee) are called
undifferentiated or parity products. For these products, we often promote
intangible or psychological differences.

 The creation of a unique brand image for a product is the most obvious way to
differentiate one product from the other

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 In the Cola war, Pepsi undertook a
major repositioning effort in 2012 to
reinvigorate the brand. So while Coke
represents happiness and moments of
joy, Pepsi represents individuality and
the “excitement of now”

Differentiation and competitive

advantage (USP)

A technique called feature analysis helps structure an

assessment of features vs competition

65
 There are several different types of product positioning —
The one you choose depends on your target users’ wants and needs.

Price­based Lifestyle­based
positioning positioning

Characteristics­ Quality (prestige)

based positioning based positioning

Price-based positioning
• The price of a product is one of the first tools customers use to compare their
options.

• Price-based positioning refers to offering your products at a competitive or

lower price versus others in the market.

• Most often consumers choose these products based purely on price — without
considering or comparing the other options.

Vs
.

Lifestyle-based positioning
• Brands may also define their market position by associating their product with a
certain usage or lifestyle.

• Products may contain the same or similar features, but the benefits of using
those features will be explained (positioned) differently.

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Characteristics-based positioning
• Unique positioning is created based on these characteristics:

• Reliability, performance, efficiency, sustainability, aesthetics, and novelty

• Positioning your product based on these characteristics encourages consumers

to develop a certain brand image based on what your product can offer.

Quality (Prestige) based positioning

Prestige positioning is when brands avoid competing on price — using their higher fees
to suggest a product of higher quality or status.

The perceptual map

• Perceptual mapping is a diagrammatic technique used by marketers that
attempts to visually display the
perceptions of customers or potential
customers. Typically, the position of a
company's product, product line, or
brand is displayed relative to its
competition.

• It is a marketing research technique in

which consumers’ views about a
product are traced or plotted (mapped)
on a chart. Respondents are asked
questions about their experience with
the product in terms of its performance,
packaging, price, size, etc. These qualitative answers are transferred to a chart
(called a perceptual map) using a suitable scale (such as the Likert scale), and the
results are employed in improving the product or in developing a new one.

67
• It simply uses two determinant attributes on the graph. This is a simple example
of a perceptual map for soft drinks in this format.

• The main advantage of this presentation format is that it is very simple to

construct and interpret. You will note that only two product attributes have
been considered. In this case, they are ‘to what extent does the consumer
consider the product to be high/low in sugar’ and ‘to what extent is a product
considered high/low in caffeine’.

• The simple combination of these two scores (obtained from a consumer survey)
places the product offering onto the map. For example on this map, the 7UP
product offering is perceived as having a moderate level of sugar and being
relatively low in caffeine’.

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 Exercise

Let’s draw our own perceptual map for

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 Budgeting

Objective- Percentage- All you

Historical Competitve
Task of-sales can afford
Method budgets
method method

Last year’s What do we Compares total Use competitors’ Whatever is left

budget want to do sales with total budgets as over; not a
plus and what will advertising to get benchmarks and strategic
inflation; it cost? Based ratio. relates to the approach.
not based on goals. product’s share of
on goals. market.

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Guerilla Marketing

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• Guerrilla marketing is an advertising strategy that uses unconventional tactics
to delight and attract customers.

• It is an alternative to traditional marketing, such as print media, television

commercials, billboards, and direct mail.

• Instead, it focuses on disrupting public spaces and events with unusual,

memorable images or activities that may lead to brand association or
purchase.

• Typically, guerrilla marketing relies on human interaction in urban areas to

create a big impact on a small budget in hopes of spreading by word of mouth
and social media.

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 ● Companies using guerrilla marketing rely on its in-your-face promotions to be
spread through viral marketing, or word-of-mouth, thus reaching a broader
audience for free.

● Connection to the emotions of a consumer is key to guerrilla marketing. The use

of this tactic is not designed for all types of goods and services, and it is often
used for more "edgy" products and to target younger consumers who are more
likely to respond positively.

● Guerrilla marketing takes place in public places that offer as big an audience as
possible, such as streets, concerts, public parks, sporting events, festivals,
beaches, and shopping centers.

● One key element of guerrilla marketing is choosing the right time and place to
conduct a campaign so as to avoid potential legal issues.

Types of guerrilla marketing

There are five main types of guerrilla marketing: outdoor, indoor, event ambush,
advergaming and experiential.

1-Outdoor guerilla marketing

is the act of placing something unusual in an

outdoor environment? This tends to be done in
urban areas with plenty of foot traffic.
Examples of outdoor guerrilla marketing
include adding something to a statue, placing
an oversized replica of a typically small object
(like a cupcake) in a park, or putting objects in
the streets (like IKEA’s sofas at bus stations in
Australia).

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 2-Indoor guerilla marketing
Indoor guerrilla marketing takes
advantage of enclosed public spaces
to generate hype. This could include
university campuses, train stations,
or museums. In 2009, T-Mobile
sponsored a flash mob at Liverpool
Street Station that has over 40
million views on YouTube, won TV
commercial of the year at the
British Television Advertising
Awards, and translated to a 52
percent increase in sales.

3-Event ambush guerrilla marketing

Event ambush guerrilla marketing
promotes a product or service at a pre-
existing event, such as a concert,
sporting event, or festival, sometimes
without permission. This type of
marketing catches event attendees by
surprise when something unusual
occurs.

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 4-Experiential guerrilla marketing
Experiential guerrilla marketing can take place anywhere (outdoors, indoors, at an
event) and enlists the public to interact with the brand. This can range from a free
sample of beer, a slide into a pit of branded pillows, or subway stairs that turned into a
slide—Volkswagen’s campaign and social experiment.

5- Advergaming
● Advergaming is an advertising technique where games are used as a means of
advertising products or services. This not only promotes brand awareness but
also improves engagement.

The games developed as part of an advergaming strategy are usually free,

distributed online, and compatible with different types of devices. Typically the
protagonist of these games is the brand, company, product, institution or service
that is being promoted.

● Don’t confuse advergaming with the ads that are inserted inside a video game.
The ads that you see when playing a game are actually banners or display
advertising. In advergaming, the presence of the brand is not secondary, but
constitutes the core of the game.

Is guerilla marketing right for your brand?

Guerrilla marketing can leave a lasting and emotional impression. But it can also
backfire if it is not well executed. Here are some questions to help you decide if this
tactic is right for your brand:
• Do you have a fun, original idea for engaging or surprising potential customers?
• Does your idea leverage the local space or culture in a respectful way?
• Can passersby participate in your campaign? How?
• Is the idea aligned with your brand positioning? What is the purpose of the
message you want to send?
• Is it legal? Is it controversial?
• Will you be able to document and measure your campaign’s results?
• Does it have the potential to go viral?

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Is guerrilla advertising an effective alternative to traditional advertising?

As effective as guerrilla marketing can be when used correctly and appropriately, in

most cases it is not an alternative to traditional advertising, but rather a valuable
addition to a traditional advertising campaign.
Traditional Non-Traditional

Structured Non-structured

Less risky High risk

Focused on strategic planning Focused on execution

More informative More entertaining

More Expensive Less Expensive

Reaches Mass Audience More Specific Audience

Expected Element of surprise

Less consumer touch points (less interactive) More consumer touch points (more interactive)

Clutter No Clutter

Viral word of mouth is unexpected Has potential of creating word of mouth

Easy to Avoid Hard To avoid

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Word of Mouth

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How many times have you heard “the best advertising is word-of-mouth”?

It is also called word-of-mouth advertising, which is the social media era’s version of
simple word-of-mouth.
Traditionally, word-of-mouth marketing was spread from one person to another based
on recommendations.
Many best practices and marketing tactics encourage natural word of mouth, but
campaigns — particularly on social media — can have the explicit aim of promoting an
online business’s social exposure.
Organic vs. Amplified Word of Mouth:

➢ Word-of-mouth marketing happens in 2 ways: organically and through the use of

marketing and advertising campaigns.
➢ The two have inherent overlaps –– and a good WOM marketing strategy will
cause increased organic WOM. Vice versa, if you already have a decent amount
of organic WOM, your WOMM campaigns will be much more successful.
These two types of WOMM are called and defined as:
➢ Organic word of mouth: Organic WOM occurs naturally when people become
advocates because they are happy with a product and have a natural desire to
share their support and enthusiasm.
➢ Amplified word of mouth: Amplified WOM occurs when marketers launch
campaigns designed to encourage or accelerate WOM in existing or new
communities.

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Importance of Word of mouth marketing
➢ Impact: Word-of-mouth marketing is literally the best form of marketing
because 92% of people will buy the product which is referred to them by
WOMM.
➢ Huge returns on investment: It is a myth that word-of-mouth marketing does
not cost anything. You need to invest in giving solid service to customers to
generate WOMM. However, once u give that service, you will get a huge return
on investment.
➢ Using Brand advocates: Sometimes, some customers become so happy with
your brand that they become brand advocates. These customers are the ones
who generate maximum business for you via word-of-mouth marketing –
without any cost to you!

Negative word of mouth can cause huge losses to a freshly launched product or
brand.
Did you know that 54% of customers share bad experiences with more than five
people, while only 33% share their good experiences?
One bad review from them can cost you everyone in their circle of friends. It is
essential to keep an eye out for negative reviews online and take immediate
measures to counteract negative word-of-mouth marketing.

How to respond to Negative WOM?

1- Create a positive, unique proposition around the negative review
Some negative reviews directly attack what a company or brand stands for. The
good thing about reviews like these is that businesses can take advantage of them.
For example, if a customer left a review complaining about the limited number of
items on the menu, the business can reply back to them with an apology followed
by some marketing. They can start with “We are sorry you felt that way,” and go on
to say how the restaurant believes in making fewer items but with excellent quality,
and that is what makes them different from most other restaurants.

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2- See a negative review as an opportunity to improve
A negative review does not have to be as bad or gut-wrenching as people make it
sound. Not always. Sometimes it’s nothing more than constructive criticism or
feedback.
When a customer takes the time to provide constructive feedback, apologize to
them and show them that they are being taken seriously. It’s great if the business
can tell the customer what measures they are taking to fix the problem addressed.

3- Take it offline, and solve the problem

• When a customer posts a negative review, say on a Facebook page, a vague,
generic response to the post isn’t going to cut it.
• The business needs to get in touch with them through email or phone and
offer to fix the problem for them. The business should ask them how they can
make it right, and do whatever they can to make it up to them.
• Remember that one bad review doesn’t mean that the customer is
regretting choosing the business; they still can fix it and make things right.
• The bottom line is that giving a negative reviewer attention and time is
crucial to retain them and changing how they feel about the company.
• Always stay polite, even if you have to be firm, do so politely.
• Don’t get rattled by negative reviews. Don’t let it go to your head.
• If there is something to really learn from the feedback, thank your luck, learn
and move on.
• If it truly is the customer’s fault, it’s okay to correct them, but keep it very
subtle.
• Respond to reviews like a person and not like a company. It helps humanize
a business in the eyes of customers.
• Always respond but don’t react to negative reviews. Don’t make impulsive
decisions in situations like these.
• Businesses need to address negative word-of-mouth marketing quickly and
effectively, or they'll get burned.

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 Tips to implement WOM
Advertising Strategy
Make sure your WOM strategy plays on these content tips
Emotions
➢ If you have something to offer to which people can connect with emotionally,
then there are very high chances of your item being shared and talked about
amongst their peers.
Emotional attachment is a big driving factor for what people share and talk
about.
Social Value
➢ Who doesn’t like things which will make them look better and appear more
confident? Yeah, everyone.
So, if your products provide that social value to people, they will go viral.
Originality
➢ The originality of any idea or product increases people’s willingness to talk about
it more and exchange information about it.
Usefulness
➢ Product usefulness determines whether the information being exchanged
amongst people is positive or negative. Anything which is extremely useful
always remains at the tip of our tongues.
Stories
➢ People always like to hear and share stories. No one likes plain mundane stuff.
So, add some flavor to it and see the magic.
Public
➢ Obvious one. Publicly shared content has higher chances to be copied and
shared further. On the contrary, private stuff is not seen and hence less shared.

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Encourage User-Generated Content
➢ User-generated content (UGC) combines very effectively with word-of-mouth
marketing. If you (or your influencers) can encourage everyday consumers to
create and share content promoting your content, then that has to be a win-win
situation. It is probably more useful for brand awareness than for trying to make
sales; however, it should increase the number of people who take an interest in
your product.
Use Influencer Marketing for Your Content Distribution
➢ Influencer marketing is in many ways, the ultimate in WOMM. Influencers are
experts in a niche. They are the go-to people for their specialist topics. Assuming
your products or services are of sufficient quality to interest them, they can be
the best people to spread your message to your intended audience. You just
need to ensure that you pick the right influencer with the right group of
followers for your brand.
➢ Firms often work with influencers to help achieve Buzz Marketing focuses. It
encourages consumers to spread conversations about a product. For this to
succeed, a company has to create a “buzz” about a product, building up product
and brand awareness.
Ask for Reviews
Although many firms may not consider reviews to be marketing, they are an
essential part of WOMM. The modern consumer places enormous faith in reviews,
and many people will only buy from companies that can claim a four or five-star
review on a significant review platform.
➢ If you lack sufficient positive reviews, you can make a point of asking your
customers to create some new ones for you.
➢ Many people don't even think about doing a review, or they get distracted and
forget to do it. You could perhaps send a follow-up email (or DM) to your
customers asking for a review.
➢ If you have an online store, make it easy for people to place reviews on your
pages, so that potential customers can see them.
➢ Once you have sufficient positive reviews, make them even more visible on your
website, and also use them in your social media posts.

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Run referral program
➢ For today’s marketers, referral programs are one of the most common methods
of gaining new customers. They’re also a standard component of many effective
word-of-mouth marketing campaigns.

Don’t Ignore Your Existing Customers and Employees

➢ Your employees probably know more about your product than anybody else.
Therefore they make great brand ambassadors. Who else can spread the word
about your product's useful features and benefits, than those who work with it
every day?
➢ Well, perhaps there is one group that may be even more enthusiastic. These are
your best customers. You don’t have to convince them; they already love your
product. Therefore, you should encourage them to tell the world about your
product and why they love it.

Create Content People Want to Share

For successful word-of-mouth marketing, you either need some form of buzz, or
you need content that is of sufficient quality that people will want to share it.
You don’t want your content to be boring, run-of-the-mill material that's already
plastered all over the internet.

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Campaign Creative
Concept and
Advertising Idea

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Creativity in advertising
Creativity is critical to effective advertising. Many brands have used creativity to
build brand images.
Leadership in creativity and artistry in advertising help distinguish brand leaders.
Knowing how to use creativity to deliver powerful ad messages is key.

The Art and Science of IMC

The art and science of marketing communication come together in the phrase
creative strategy. A winning marketing communication idea must be both creative
(original, different, novel, and unexpected) and strategic (right for the product and
target and meeting the objectives).
A creative strategy leads to a Creative Concept or the Big Idea for a campaign.

What is a creative concept?

A creative concept is an overarching “Big Idea” that captures audience interest,
influences their emotional response and inspires them to take action.
It is a unifying theme that can be used across all campaign messages, calls to action,
communication channels and audiences. Typically, the creative concept is
embodied or reflected in a headline, tagline and a key visual.

Why Develop a Creative Concept?

In today’s busy and constantly changing communication environment, ideas must
be creative and strategic to compete with commercial advertising and capture the
audience’s attention. The creative concept shapes the core of the campaign, which
helps create consistency across messages and materials. Developing creative
concepts is also important because it allows the team to:
• Test which benefit is most appealing to the audience
• See how the campaign will work (or not) across multiple media channels
• Identify an idea that ties the whole campaign together
• Reach the audience more effectively by finding ‘big ideas’ that resonate
with them

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 Example of concept boards
• Let’s say you are about to open a new Coffee shop, you already know your
positioning, a pet friendly coffee shop.
• How will you attract your target audience, which approach is most appealing for
them?
• You are considering starting the communication, many creative ideas reflecting
the positioning (creative concept of a campaign):
1 - your pet too deserves coffee time
2- share your quality time with your beloved
3- your pets needs socializing too

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• Once your creative concept is identified, your campaign will take a clear
direction.
• Let’s say the pets socializing was your winning concept, all your IMC tools need
to reflect this concept.
Now since we are focusing on advertising in this course, the creative concept will
lead us to develop the “advertising idea”

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1- About the benefit
• It may seem obvious: great Ad Ideas have to speak directly to the benefit of the
product. Otherwise, why will the consumer care?
• Truly business-building advertising needs to remain benefit-focused. To see what
we mean, take a look at the Casio ads.

2- meaningful to your target consumer

• You want your consumers to relate to an ad idea; if they can't, they will simply
ignore it. Or worse, they will assume that the product is not for them.
• Making an ad idea accessible to your target so that they can relate to the Brand's
strategic benefit is crucial to business-building advertising.

3- help distinguish a Brand from its competitors.

• Brands often have the same strategic benefit to offer their consumers.
• The trick is to position your Brand in such a way that makes it more desirable
than the competition, and a solid ad idea can do just that.

4- Mind/Heart Opening.
• Ad Ideas that draw the consumer in by making them think or feel differently are
the true distinguishing factor for business-building advertising.
• The trick is to position your Brand in such a way that makes it more desirable
than the competition, and a solid ad idea can do just that.

• Where Do Ad Ideas Come From?

• Creative expressions of your brand's identity is the core of an ad idea, but the
sources of inspiration are the catalysts of these expressions.
4 basic categories that help:
• Consumer Insight
• Life Experience
• Product Demonstration
• Pop Art & Culture

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 Brand Messaging
A successful campaign not only captures people’s imagination but has the right
strategy to make it stick.
While difficult to execute well, an effective integrated marketing campaign looks
at the strengths of each channel and tailors content and messaging to each. The
aim?
To target a range of audiences across different platforms to ensure a brand’s
campaign doesn’t go unnoticed and speaks to the right people in the right
places. After all, over half of customers are more likely to buy a product if they
love the brand’s story.
This is why having cohesive messaging across all mediums is so important.

Message Strategy
Simply put, message strategy is deciding what to say and how to say it, in order
to achieve an ultimate business goal. It’s how you turn marketing into
communications, and communications into results.
Everything sends a message.
• Whether we’re conscious of it or not, everything (yes, everything) sends a
message.
• Your choice of clothing sends a message. The time you show up sends a
message. The food you order. The price you charge. The tone of voice you use
when you answer the phone. Etc…
• It’s all communication. And when it comes to your brand, you should make
decisions deliberately — so that the message you intend is the same message
that’s received by your intended audience.

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•

90
Digital Transformation

91
 Advertisement Digital Transformation

Companies increasingly turn to digital solutions to connect with customers and to

enhance clients’ engagement with their products and brands (Barreda, Bilgihan, Nusair
& Okumus, 2015). While most firms have a strategy that incorporates Web 2.0
platforms into their marketing mix (Batra & Keller, 2016), practices regarding the use
of virtual environments and Virtual Reality (VR) are not as crystallized. In fact, the
arrival and increasing penetration of VR applications pose a new set of challenges for
companies. In the past, the infrastructural and computational demands presented
entrants with severe limitations (Brooks, 1999; Nazir & Lui, 2016). With substantial
recent technological advancements, together with the launch of several commercial
VR head mounted devices, these limitations are increasingly phasing out, enabling
businesses to exploit and embrace the creative potential inherent in these innovative
technologies (Carr, 2016; Scroxton, 2016).

Ad Formats
The format of the ad simply refers to the manner in which it appears. In traditional
media, ads are generally formatted in the same, basic fashion. For example, TV
commercials generally are formatted in 30- or 60-second spots, whereas magazine ads
have a half- or full-page format.

At the same time, the Internet has the capacity to support a number of additional ad
formats, some of which we do not find in traditional media. According to the Internet
Advertising Bureau (1999), 55% of all online ads are formatted as banners, 37% are
sponsorships and 8% are formatted as hyperlinks, interstitials and pop-ups.

With the exception of sponsorships, all of these formats are certainly unique to the
Internet. Even in the case of sponsorships, it has been argued that the manner in which
they are formatted online is often unique compared to the format found in traditional
media (Rodgers, 2000). Knowing how Internet ads differ from traditional ads in terms
of formatting should add understanding to the manner in which the ad stimuli affects
Internet users. Therefore, we begin with a brief definition of each of these interactive
ad formats, incorporated with a discussion of how each format relates to our model.

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The reader should keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive of the ad
formats found online. Rather, this list should be viewed as examples of the major types
of formats found on the Internet.

Banners. Banner ads are those rectangular-shaped graphics, usually located at the
top or bottom of a web page

A number of findings from various studies demonstrate the importance of including

banner formats in a processing model of interactive ads. First, banner ads have been
shown to increase awareness even without click-throughs (e.g., Briggs & Hollis, 1997;
IAB, 1997). When banners are clicked on, however, attitudes appear to become more
positive and purchase intentions stronger (Brill, 1999) than unclicked banners. Banner
size has certainly been shown to make a difference in terms of information processing.
Larger banners have almost always shown higher click-throughs than smaller banners
(e.g., Cho, 1998; Li & Bukovac, 1999), as have animated (versus static) banners, which
we will discuss in the next section.

Interstitials and Pop-ups. The terms "interstitial" and "pop-up" are often used
interchangeably in trade articles and/or books. Yet, each represents different formats.
Interstitials are usually full-screen ads that run in their entirety between two content
pages. Pop-ups, on the other hand, appear in a separate window on top of content
that is already on the user's screen. This distinction is important for a number of
reasons. First, unlike pop-ups, interstitials do not interrupt the user's interactive
experience because they tend to run while the user waits for a page to download.
Users, however, have less control over interstitials because there is no "exit" option to
stop or delete an interstitial, which is common among pop-ups. In other words, with
interstitials, users have to wait until the entire ad has run.

We presume that these ad formats will have different effects on the Internet user. Ads
that interrupt the user's flow of work probably will be perceived as less favorable and
more frustrating to the user, as in the case of a pop-up, than an ad that runs in
between the user's activity, as in the case of an interstitial. In addition, we would
expect an interstitial to have a greater effect on memory, considering the ad takes up
the entire computer screen, whereas a pop-up takes up maybe one-tenth of the

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screen. We will return to the topic of size as a structural feature of interactive ads in
the next section. For now, suffice it to say that interstitial and pop-up ads are expected
to exert differential processing on Internet users.

We also expect the format of pop-ups and interstitials to interact with Internet motives
and modes. Individuals who are highly goal-directed, as in the case of researching a
specific topic, presumably will find pop-ups and interstitials frustrating. This may
particularly be the case with ads that get in the way of completing the goal (e.g., pop-
ups). In contrast, individuals who are less goal-directed, such as surfers, may find pop-
ups appealing, interesting or possibly even fun to explore.

Sponsorships. Although no common definition of sponsorship in a traditional

medium has been accepted up to this point (Cornwell & Maignan, 1998), a sponsorship
in an online context can be defined as "an indirect form of persuasion that allows
companies to carry out marketing objectives by associating with key content"
(Rodgers, 2000, p. 1). In traditional media channels, most sponsorships tend to be
simple and are limited to brand name identification (e.g., "Sponsored by Kraft Foods")
or, in some cases, the brand name and a brief slogan (Hansen & Scotwin, 1995) (e.g.,
"Kraft Foods: Feeding the hungry one person at a time").

Although the same is true of online sponsorships, they also can appear as part of the
content of a webpage, or as part of a list of sponsors (Rodgers, 2000). In addition,
electronic sponsorships can be interactive, such that a click of the mouse sends a
visitor to the homepage of the sponsor (Rodgers, 2000). So we can see that even for
online sponsorships, the interactive format is quite different than what we would find
in a non-interactive environment. Another difference with sponsorships is that they
almost always take up little space and, as a result, demonstrate more "consideration"
of screen space, as well as the user's time (i.e., interstitials require longer download
time, whereas sponsorships require almost no download time). Rodgers (2000) has
speculated that this difference alone may account for sponsorship's popularity and
seeming high credibility (compared to other ad formats) among Internet users.

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In terms of psychological processing, sponsorships have been shown to outperform
other ad formats, such as traditional (Rajaretnam, 1994) and advocacy ads (Haley &
Wilkinson, 1996), in terms of recall and credibility. Although no study has tested this
proposition in an interactive environment, we assume the same would be true of, say,
sponsorships versus banners and/or sponsorships versus pop-ups.

Hyperlinks. A hyperlink, also sometimes referred to as a "hypertext link," is simply

a highlighted word, phrase or, sometimes graphic, that allows users to link to another
website by simply clicking on the hyperlink. Hyperlinks are similar to sponsorships in
that they generally take up less space than other ad formats, such as banners or pop-
ups, and are generally embedded in the content itself. Several differences worth
noting, however, is that there are no limits to the number of hyperlinks that can
appear on any one webpage (Lewis & Lewis, 1997), and hyperlinks are often
reciprocated, especially among popular websites (e.g., ESPN. com and Playboy.com)
(Thorson, Wells, & Rodgers, 1999). No study we know of has actually tested the
psychological effects of hyperlinks as ad formats, but one study in particular
demonstrates that too many clickable surfaces decreases the attractiveness,
friendliness and usefulness of a website or webpage (Coyle, 1997). Too many
hyperlinks might yield similar results.

Websites. Until recently, a website generally has been considered a "carrier" of ad

formats, such as the ones highlighted above. Singh and Dalal's (1999) recent
conceptualization of the website as ad, and Chen and Wells' (1999) recent measure for
attitude toward the website, demonstrate the importance of placing a website in a
category with other ad formats. This seems logical when we consider that many
corporations, at least initially, created their websites using "shovelware" (Brill, 1999).
(i.e., "shoveling" brochures and promotional pieces onto the website). So the
corporate homepage has traditionally served the function of a "communications
message" (Singh & Dalal, 1999, p. 92), much like the function of any online ad.

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In short, it is important to articulate the format in which an interactive ad is seen
because, as our model predicts, different ad formats result in differential processing
and outcomes. In addition, we expect to find that the user's motive and/or mode will
"interact" with the ad format to influence consumer responses.

Consumer-Controlled Aspects of the Internet

Perhaps one of the most basic ways to think about how individuals process
advertisements in an interactive environment is to distinguish between aspects of the
Internet that are consumer-controlled and those that are advertiser-controlled.
Traditionally speaking, advertisers have controlled which ads consumers see, when and
how. Of course, consumers always have the option of not paying attention to,
becoming involved with or ignoring the ad. In the case of the Internet, however, the
control has switched (for the most part) from advertiser to consumer.

In fact, a number of researchers and practitioners argue that consumers have more
control on the Internet than do advertisers (Roehm & Haugtvedt, 1999). Some have
gone so far as to argue that interactive marketing and advertising techniques will not
work unless practitioners "step into the shoes" of and approach the Internet from the
consumer's vantage point (Cross & Smith, 1997).

This makes sense if we consider the fact that most Internet users typically log onto the
Internet with some sort of plan, or goal, in mind (Cannon, Richardson, & Yaprak, 1998).
Thus, initiation of Internet use is completely under the consumer's control. Add to this
the fact that users are in the driver's seat throughout the entire online experience--
interacting with websites, ads, advertisers, other consumers and so on (Hoffman &
Novak, 1996)--and it becomes even easier to imagine why an Internet processing
model must delineate which aspects of the Internet are consumer- versus advertiser-
controlled, and how this control ultimately influences consumer responses.

"You've heard this a million times by now: artificial intelligence is

changing the marketing world and how brands advertise to
consumers — and the trend isn't stopping anytime soon."

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AI marketing uses artificial intelligence technologies to make automated decisions
based on data collection, data analysis, and additional observations of audience or
economic trends that may impact marketing efforts.

AI marketing is already being used today to boost the performance and

ROI of digital marketing campaigns. It can also yield these business
benefits:

Make advertising smarter. AI helps elevate account-based marketing solutions by

using big data to promote insightful analysis and create smarter online ads. AI can also
process your data and look at your results to drive targeted advertising.

Make searches better. AI and big data solutions can analyze consumers’ digital search
patterns and help pinpoint key areas on which to focus marketing strategies

Personalize content. By combining big data, machine learning and AI, marketers can
refine analytics to understand customers on an individual level, and personalize
content accordingly. Hyper-personalization is the latest trend with a focus on the
customer’s preferences by combining digital and non-digital channels.

Improve customer service. Chat and other consumer engagement tools have
increasingly become the domain of AI bots, and the trend should continue as AI
performance grows more sophisticated

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How does AI contribute to personalization in marketing campaigns?

• Organizations need to treat each customer as an individual. That requires hyper-

personalization, which means more than greeting customers by name. It means:
• Making an offer depending on each customer’s personal profile
• Meeting each customer’s needs based not just on past purchases but on real-
time information
• Providing a seamless, customized experiences across every channel, every time
• A sophisticated customer analytics ecosystem can help you deliver superior
customer experiences across all marketing channels.

AI Marketing Use Cases

In the latest study by Influencer

Marketing Hub on the future of AI, 19%
of respondents indicated they are
planning to spend more than 40% of
their marketing budget on AI-powered
campaigns.

AI marketing consists of a few major

marketing disciplines that are
fundamentally changing the way we approach marketing. The most prominent are:

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1. Content creation: AI-powered tools can help generate content, such as product
descriptions, social media posts, and blog articles. These tools use natural
language processing and machine learning algorithms to create content that is
engaging and relevant to the target audience.
2. Ad targeting: AI-powered ad targeting uses machine learning algorithms to
identify the most effective target audience for an ad campaign. It analyzes
customer data to identify patterns and behaviors that are most likely to result in
a sale.
3. Marketing automation: Marketing automation tools use AI to automate
marketing tasks, such as sending emails, scheduling social media posts, and
tracking website visitors. This frees up time for marketers to focus on more
strategic tasks, such as campaign planning and analysis.
4. Personalization software: AI-powered personalization tools provide marketers
with the ability to tailor content to the specific needs of individual customers.
This software uses machine learning algorithms to analyze data and create
targeted campaigns that are tailored to a customer's interests and behaviors.
While personalization software can be effective, it also poses some challenges,
such as data privacy concerns.
5. Chatbots: Chatbots are a popular form of AI marketing software. They allow
companies to provide instant customer support, 24/7. Chatbots can also be
programmed to answer frequently asked questions, reducing the load on
customer support teams. However, they are not without their limitations, as
they can sometimes misinterpret customer queries and provide inadequate
responses.

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 6. Predictive analytics: Predictive analytics uses machine learning algorithms to
analyze customer data and provide insights that can inform marketing
campaigns. Predictive analytics can be used to predict customer behavior, such
as which products they are most likely to purchase. However, the accuracy of
predictive analytics is dependent on the quality of the data being used.
7. Voice search optimization: With the rise of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa,
voice search optimization is becoming increasingly important. AI-powered voice
search optimization can help companies to create content that is optimized for
voice searches, making it easier for customers to find what they are looking for.

Examples:

1. Whole Foods In 2021, Whole Foods opened several Just Walk Out stores across the
U.S., allowing customers to pick up their items and leave without stopping at a register.
The items are instead charged to the customer via AI. The AI's purchase information
can help identify patterns and predict future behaviors. The information allows Whole
Foods to send personalized messages to customers. For example, if a customer
regularly purchases pasta sauce, basil, and pasta, Whole Foods could send promo
codes and discounts for other Italian-related ingredients and foods.

*The Just Walk Out stores create a simple customer experience for shoppers while
seamlessly gathering helpful information that can better serve them in the future”

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2. Heinz partnered with Rethink Ideas, a creative agency, to create a series of AI-
generated advertising visuals. The campaign started the team at Rethink Ideas began
playing around with AI image generator DALL-E 2 and noticed that prompts related to
ketchup yielded images that looked almost exactly like Heinz ketchup. The agency then
asked consumers to share their AI prompts for ketchup images. The best prompts were
featured on social media and in print ads."

• This use of AI allows consumers to have fun and participate in the creative
process. Furthermore, it's a clever way to show how well-known and trusted
Heinz is among consumers.

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 Some critics say that the metaverse is a vague concept or simply “the feel-good
place of the exciting future” created by tech giants without enough applications of
it that are useful to users (WORT 89.9FM Madison 2021), or that it is simply a
fantasy world created by the powers that be to control our lives and drive us to the
“black hole of consumption” (Bogost 2021). Many others, however, believe the
metaverse is not a buzzword but an evolution that is already under way (Lee 2021).
In fact, the metaverse is not a new concept that tech companies are just now
beginning to actively consider. The Metaverse Roadmap, published in 2007 (Smart,
Cascio, and Paffendorf 2007), predicted that the Internet in the 10 years that
followed would see “an all-encompassing digital playground where people will be
immersed in an always-on flood of digital information, whether wandering through
physical spaces or diving into virtual worlds” (Terdiman 2007). The prediction was
not simply fantasy but based on the emerging technologies that were already being
developed.

Consumer brands such as Gucci and Coca-Cola are selling their nonfungible tokens
(NFTs) in metaverse platforms, such as Decentraland. We are system where multiple
players, small and large, help one another create a second world simulating the real
world

(INCLASS ASSIGNMENT: What is the role of advertising in the metaverse? Will it work the same way as
it does in the real world? Will earlier advertising research findings still apply in the metaverse?)

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 References

AI Advertising: Pros, Cons, Tips & Examples. (2023, June 15). AI Advertising: Pros, Cons, Tips &

Examples. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/ai-advertising

Boyd, D. E., & Koles, B. (2019, July). An Introduction to the Special Issue “Virtual Reality in Marketing”:

Definition, Theory and Practice. Journal of Business Research, 100, 441–444.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.04.023

Mileva, G. (2023, February 19). What is AI Marketing? Influencer Marketing Hub.

https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-ai-marketing/

Moriarty, S. E., Mitchell, N., Wells, W. D., & Wood, C. (2017). Advertising & IMC: Principles

and practice (11th ed.). Pearson.

Rodgers, S., & Thorson, E. (2000, September). The Interactive Advertising Model. Journal of

Interactive Advertising, 1(1), 41–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2000.10722043

Young, M. (2017). Ogilvy on advertising in the Digital age. Carlton Books.

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