MKT20021

Integrated Marketing Communication

Semester Jan 2023 – Week 7
By Zulik Nguyen
Internal use only
The Creative Process
There are 3 steps in the creative process

1. Message strategy

2. Big idea

3. Execution
1. Message strategy
Message strategy – What to say

The message strategy determines what to say: what message of the campaign should be.

The major selling idea should emerge as the strongest singular thing you can say about
your product or service: What is the consumer’s need that your product will solve better
than competitors?

Message strategy is essentially about 3 things (the strategic triad):

CONSUMER PRODUCT COMPETITION

• Understanding the consumer
• Demographics & Psychographics
• Consumer insights
• Making purchase
• Understanding what the product • Understanding who the real
is to customers. competitors are.
• Functional characteristics. • Those in the same category.
• Brand image or personality or • Those competing for our time,
added value. money or attention.
Message strategy statement

The message strategy must be clearly articulated to be understood & executed,

including 3 main points:

• A principal benefit: how this product will solve the consumer’s problem.

• A reason: why the product can make this claim (benefits or unique characteristics).

• The tone or brand personality.

Message strategy statement

Framework for relating the message strategy to IMC:

FOR Who is the behavioral target our communication program is to impact?

WHO What is the customer insight that has been identified? What is the
category motivation that drives that customer or prospect?

OUR PRODUCT IS A What is our product or service in the eyes of the customer or prospect?
What is our whole product?

THAT PROVIDES What is the key benefit or value that the customer wants that our
brands or product can deliver based on our insights?

UNLIKE Who is the relevant competitor or competitors?

OUR PRODUCT IS What is our key point of differentiating relevance?

Types of message strategies
GENERIC Promotes the category, not the brand (eg. Electric vehicles).
Makes a claim that no other competitors have and therefore appears unique (eg.
PRE-EMPTIVE
Vinhomes customers have vouchers to buy Vinfast).

Makes a unique proposition based on functional attribute of product (eg. M&M's melt in
USP
your mouth, not in your hands).
POSITIONING Positioning product in consumer's mind (eg. BMW is a luxury car).
Builds an image or attitude or personality about the product or service (eg. Coke has
BRAND IMAGE
always been about image rather than quenching your thirst).

Uses the drama within the product to portray its benefits (eg. Life insurance ads - show
INHERENT DRAMA
the drama of protecting your loved ones).

The ad strikes a chord or resonates with the viewer (eg. The milk ads which show over
RESONANCE
choice - "low fat, no fat, reduced fat, high calcium" is something milk buyers can relate to.

Appeals to the viewer on a purely emotional level (eg. I still call Australia home for
AFFECTIVE
Qantas).
8 rules for creative advertising

1. Isolate the basic grassroots human want

2. Preach to the converted

3. Keep it simple

4. Impact with a big idea and brilliant execution

5. Appeal primarily to the heart, not the head

6. Talk in a friendly, human and local tone of voice

7. Make the message sympathetic to the medium

8. Build-in ingredients for long life and repetition

2. Big idea
Message strategy is not the creative idea. The big idea emerges from consumer insight.

It builds on message strategy by converting the 'what to say' into an idea that makes the
message relevant and engaging to the consumer.

The big idea is the point where insight meets inspiration.

Creative thinking

James Webb Young’s mode of the creative process contains 5 steps:

Gathering raw material and information through background

IMMERSION
research and immersing yourself in the problem.
DIGESTION Taking the info, working it over and wrestling with it in the mind.
Putting the problems out of your conscious mind and turning
INCUBATION
the information over to the subconscious to do the work.
ILLUMINATION The birth of an idea - the Eureka! I have it! Phenomenon.
Studying the idea to see if it still looks good or solves the
REALITY OR VERIFICATION
problem: then shaping the idea to practical usefulness.
 Emotional appeals:
Advertising appeals • Relate to customers' social or
psychological needs.
Information / rational appeals:
• Consumers' motives are emotional
• Focus on the consumer's practical, and their feelings about a brand can
functional or utilitarian need. be more important than knowledge

• Emphasize features of a product or of its features or attributes.

the benefits or reasons for owning • Positive mood states and feelings
or using a particular brand. created by advertising can have a

• The content of these messages favorable effect on consumers'

emphasizes facts, learning, logic of evaluations of a brand.

persuasion. • Emotional advertising is better

remembered than non-emotional
messages.
Advertising appeals – Emotional appeals

PERSONAL STATES / FEELINGS SOCIAL-BASED FEELINGS

Safety Arousal/stimulation Recognition
Security Sorrow/grief Status
Fear Pride Respect
Achievement /
Love Involvement
Accomplishment
Affection Self-esteem Embarrassment
Happiness Actualization Affiliation/belonging
Joy Pleasure Rejection
Nostalgia Ambition Acceptance
Sentiment Comfort Approval
Excitement
3. Advertising Execution
Techniques and tactics

Advertising appeals, which will be used as the basis for the advertising message, has
been determined, creative execution begins.

Creative execution is how an advertising appeal is presented and it involves

exceptional techniques and creative tactics.

Effective ad campaign: https://express.adobe.com/video/yx3935SrmQi6C

EXECUTION STYLE DESCRIPTION POPULAR KIND OF APPEAL EXAMPLE
straightforward presentation of Sunsilk shampoos for different hair
Straight sell or factual rational
product information types

showcases laboratory tests, technical Sensodyne presents scientific

Scientific/technical evidence information, endorsements by rational evidence in support of its new
scientific organizations toothpaste

squeezing the sponge to show the

'seeing is believing'. shows how the
Demonstration rational/emotional amount of tar in a cigarette smoker's
product or service works
lungs

compares product advantage with Kleenex aloe vera tissues compares

Comparison rational/emotional
competitors or objects or symbols normal tissues with sandpaper

person, staff or celebrity discuss

Jennifer Lopez for L'Oreal or the staff
Testimonial or celebrity endorsement personal satisfaction with product or emotional/rational
at Bunnings
service

product solves problem in real-life

Slice of life emotional/rational Telstra BigPond Rabbits
situation

Animation stylised execution emotional Wrigley Extra gum food creatures ad

focus on visual elements like pictures,

Imagery emotional Car ad with focus on location
illustrations, and symbols

Dramatisation tells a story where product is hero emotional/rational Apple's iconic 1984 campaign

uses humour to appeal to target

Humour emotional Carlton Draught Slow Motion ad
market

Combinations any of the above rational/emotional

Guidelines for creative output

Basic criteria for evaluating creative approaches:

1. Is the creative approach consistent with the brand’s marketing, IMC & advertising objectives?

2. Is the creative approach consistent with the message strategy & objectives? Does it
communicate what it is supposed to?

3. Is the creative approach appropriate for the target audience?

4. Does the creative approach communicate a clear & convincing message to customers?

5. Does the creative execution keep from overwhelming the message?

6. Is the creative approach appropriate for the media environment in which it is likely to be seen?

7. Is the ad truthful & tasteful?

Strategic planning &
Communication planning
High level view of planning process
Determining
Competitive &
Selecting the Marketing
Positioning
Target Audience Communication
Analysis
Objectives

Selecting the
Selling the Selecting the Marketing
Strategy Creative Idea Communication
& Media Mixes

Evaluation &
Budget Review Implementation
Testing
Strategic planning

IMC relies heavily upon Strategic Planning in the early

phases of campaign development.

Strategic Planning is concerned with the messaging of a

campaign – what to say, what not to say, how to establish
the persuasive triggers to engage the target audience
based on who they are & their current state of Strategic Planners understand
psychology, research, consumer
engagement.
behavior & brand management as
the core of their capabilities.
Strategic Planners help Creative teams get to a ‘Big Idea’.
The Big Idea will live beyond a single campaign.
Communication planning

Communication Planning is concerned with the mechanics

of a campaign. Upon reaching a Big Idea, Communication
Planners will work with Creative teams, Account Service,
Media teams, and Clients to expand that idea out across all
relevant touch points.

A Communication Planner (or Creative Strategist) will

Communication Planners understand
ensure that the content is fit for purpose in the channel. touchpoints, media, and how
audiences engage with them, how to
Communication Planning (or Creative Strategy) will focus make them work together to achieve
on the requirements of a specific campaign. communication objectives.
 Strategic Planning Communication Planning

• Concerned with the messaging of a • Concerned with the mechanics of a

campaign campaign.
• Strategic Planners help Creative teams • Communication Planners will work with
get to a ‘Big Idea’. Creative teams, Account Service, Media
teams, and Clients to expand a Big Idea.
• The Big Idea will live beyond a single • Focus on the requirements of a specific
campaign. campaign.
• Understand psychology, research, consumer • Understand touchpoints, media, and how
behavior & brand management. audiences engage with them, how to make
them work together.
Creative thinking
You have just got the brief. Now what???
Don’t try to write brilliance with your 1st idea.
Start with an idea that simply makes sense,
then focus on a better one, and another
better one after that.

If you get stuck, try the view of the others.

 Assume
This is that what
what you don’t
you know is 10
know times
bigger
than what
you do
This is
what you
don’t know
This is what you
know

• The more you know, the more you don’t know

• Always expand your horizons
Assignment 2a & 2b
Assignment 2a

• Objective: To promote Swinburne University HCM Campus

• Budget: 5,000 USD ~ 117 million VND

Must include:
• Word limit: 3,000
• Executive summary (this is not
• Weighting: 35% an introduction, not included
in the total word count)
• Due date: End of week 11
• Table of contents.
• Professional document in business report format.

• References.

• Check an exemplar on Canvas.

Assignment 2a - Structure

1. Situational analysis

2. Target market

3. Communication objectives

4. Budget

5. Marketing mix strategy

6. Evaluation & control measures

Assignment 2b - Structure
Assessment criteria
1. Presentation content and quality.
• Campaign pitch in class
2. Understanding and integration of
• Time limit: 8 mins
relevant IMC theory and concepts.
• Weighting: 15% 3. Demonstration of professional or
industry relevance.
• Due date: Week 12
4. Presentation structure & delivery.
• Structure of the presentation:

o A short introduction of your team and their roles.

o Communications objectives, as well your team’s IMC and media strategies.

o Recommendations regarding the creative solution and media plan (crucial part).

o Justification of your recommendations.

Thank you for listening!
Next week: Media & Contact Strategy
Acknowledgement of Country
We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, who
are the Traditional Owners of the land on which Swinburne’s Australian
campuses are located in Melbourne’s east and outer-east, and pay our
respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

We are honoured to recognise our connection to Wurundjeri Country,

history, culture, and spirituality through these locations, and strive to ensure
that we operate in a manner that respects and honours the Elders and
Ancestors of these lands.

We also respectfully acknowledge Swinburne’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander staff, students, alumni, partners and visitors.

We also acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of lands across

Australia, their Elders, Ancestors, cultures, and heritage, and recognise the
continuing sovereignties of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations.