Message Strategy

Headline
Headline is the most crucial part of advertising.
Basically, it is used to arrest attention and to
create interest.
It should go beyond being catchy or sloganising.
It has, really, speaking a lot to contribute to the
style and mood of an advertisement.
Headlines many times do target the
advertisement to a select audience.
They are inviting enough to motivate the reader
to read the advertisement copy further.
 Basics of Writing Headlines

They should suggest a quick and easy way out.

Taj Mahal Tea Bags (Dip, Dip, Dip).
Self-interest is created in every headline.
News is included in the headline.
The following list of words gives news value to the advertising.
Announcing.
Surprise.
Now.
It's here. Just arrived. Amazing. Sensational.
Revolutionary.
Last chance.
 The headline should always target the
advertisement towards your prospective
customers.
Thus Johnson's baby powder headlines do have the
word MOTHERS for whom it is meant.
Many more people read the headlines.
All of them may not read the rest of the copy. So it
makes good sense to use the brand name of the
product in the headline.
So the Cerelac advertisements headline reads 'Give your
baby the Cerelac advantage from the first solid feed.'
 Headlines can be made by imaginatively
coined words (coinages).
The best example is Lacto Calamine's headline
"Skinnocence." How wonderful! It is one word
headline. But it promises an innocent, blemish free
skin. It is so striking too.
We have to include the selling promise in the
headline.
Headlines sometimes arouse our curiosity.
Chivas Regal is curiously advertised like this: 'The
Best things in the world aren't free. Just duty free'.
Since it is available at duty-free shops at the airport.
 Some headlines play games.
Though to be practiced with caution, negatives are used in
headlines these days as a 'No cholesterol oil' etc.
Do not use blind headlines where on its own headline is
meaningless.
In short:

You must break the ice

You have to be concise

Headlines can't drift along. They are crisp. They are specific.

Headlines should be provocative

Relevant
 Different forms of headlines
Direct Promise Headline: Ponds Special Baby
Powder headline promises you 'to take good
care of your baby.' Such advertisements indicate
the benefits of the product or service in a direct
manner.
News Headline: It may include new promises,
product improvements, price reductions,
premium offers etc. Parle's Monaco was again
made available in a big pack. So the headline
announces 'The Big Monaco pack is back.'
 Curiosity or Provocative Headline:
Sweetex, a non-sugar sweetener uses this technique very
efficiently in its recent advertisement. The headline is a startling
statement, followed by a question:
There's a rich, gooey chocolate cake hidden in the picture. Can
you spot it?
This headline is so curious that we see what is it all about. There
is only a cup of tea.
There is no chocolate. We feel compelled to discover what is
hidden in the copy.
The copy begins by saying: It (chocolate cake) is tucked away in
the cup of tea. Or more precisely, in the sugar. If you drink five to
six cups of tea or coffee a day, each with 2 teaspoons of sugar,
you are consuming about 2200 calories a week of sugar alone.
Which is equivalent of half a kilo of rich chocolate cake.
 Selective Headline: This headline holds a
specific promise for a special group. Childcare
products are for mothers. The headline identifies
this group. 'The natural choice for mothers who
care ... Childcare.'
Humorous Headlines: Though practiced with
caution, sometimes it really works wonders.
Humor, however, is a suspect element in
advertising. In fact, people do not buy from
clowns. But it is also true that humor makes the
advertisement noticeable. But it should not be
the.-man-slips on-banana-peel type humor.
 Command Headline: It also promises a
benefit. It is advisory in character.
Situation Headline: It is based on a
peculiar situation like an impending war,
flood, earthquake, epidemic etc.
 Label Headline: Some products like a TV set can be
headlined as a label. Here there is a strong need for the
product and so no other appeal is called for.
Challenging Headlines: Mostly a provocative question,
its mental compulsive.
Negative Headlines: Not very much forward, but are
used occasionally to direct to the right product. The
Afternoon Dispatch Headline is negative.
'Don't Waste Your Money Advertising in the Afternoon 'Dispatch.
Advertise in the
AFTERNOON'S WOMAN'S EXTRA EVERY THURSDAY.
This is a suitable medium for home-use or woman-oriented
products.
 Affirmative Headline: The message is not very
assertive. But it is not denied either. We thus say
about Complan: 'Growing Children Need
Complan.'
Headlines could be poetic, prosaic, matter of
fact or musical.
News... People are interested by news. Words
like new, introducing, announcing, now, at last,
etc. indicate something newsworthy.
 Testimonial... Nothing is more convincing
than a customer endorsement. ("This diet
program worked for me. It can work for
you, too!")
Question... When related to a benefit or
the reader's concerns, the question
headline is a powerful attention grabber.
("How do I know which mutual fund is right
for me?")
 Tips for electronic media
Always stick to one selling idea:
Being a fast-paced medium that has to
convey message in a matter of a few
seconds, we should restrict to one major
selling idea. Diffused communication does not
get across the viewers. The novel USP or the
big idea produces a lasting impact.
 Whenever possible, show the product
in use: Demonstration of the product is
one key advantage of TV and whenever
possible product should be shown in use.
Stubborn stain on clothes and
demonstration of Ariel's effectiveness is an
example.
 Use more visuals and fewer words:
TV commercial is essentially a picture story. It
should use minimum copy.
Show the package:
Either at the beginning or the middle or
preferably at the end, the product and its
package must be shown.
 Avoid visual clichs:
If viewers can anticipate the visual images of
the commercial, the impact of the commercial
would be lesser. Visuals should be uncommon
and unique. Stereotyped visuals lack effect.
Close-ups:
Product close-ups for sensory-stimulation are
used for ice-creams, chocolate bars etc.
 Opening with a surprise:
Since only a few seconds are available, we
should arrest the attention of viewers by
introducing the first frame with an element of
surprise.
Jingles:
Jingles have great value for India's audiences
who like lyrics and melody. They are useful to
create brand awareness, and have a high re-
call value.
 Make actors talk:
The cast in the commercial should do most of
the talking.
Supers:
Brand name/product benefit can be super-
imposed on screen to reinforce the oral
message.
 Identify the Brand:
It is advisable to identify the advertised brand in the
first 10 seconds. Later, the brand name be repeated.
Use emotional approach:
The emotional magic works wonderfully.
The commercial must be given a deep psychological
appeal. Here we communicate to reach the deeper
recesses of human mind. The consumers then
identify themselves with the brand. For instance,
Woodwards Gripe Water and Vicks Vapo Rub
commercials are good examples.
 Use metaphors:
They have a long life as ideas in advertising
communications. They lend themselves to
easy execution and can be used in sustained
manner. For instance, AI's Maharaja, Lalitaji
in Surf, Amul girl in butter ads is examples
of metaphors.
 Repeat the idea:
The same idea is repeated in different forms,
though the idea remains constant. Lux - a
beauty soap is endorsed by different stars.
Limca is a thirst drink in different ways.
 Slogans
Slogans are catchy sentences or phrase that is easy to
remember. Copywriters continuously for the sake of
establishing it use it. It creates an impact of repetition.
Gives an identity to the company or to the product.
It is part of the copy and is an effective and a concise
manner of telling an idea. A slogan is necessary because
they are:
Direct
Short
Easily remembered
Repeat the brand name
Friendly phrases
 The characteristics of a good slogan are as follows:

Should be simple and straight forward

Carries some pleasing sales idea

Conveys more in a compact form

Good slogan finishes the job in 7-8 words

So many ideas give rise to one good slogan

 Few award winning ad slogans of the last
millennium, which have created differentiation
in the minds of the consumers