Advertising Fundamentals: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on Jun 12, 2024 in Arts and Humanities

UNIT 1: Basics of Advertising

What is Advertising?

Advertising is a multifaceted process that involves:

  • Building trust
  • Creating spontaneous awareness
  • Safeguarding brand position
  • Ultimately driving sales
  • Making the brand memorable
  • Conveying emotion
  • Making an idea visible
  • Caring about reputation

Advertising Communication Process

1. Communicator/Advertiser/Brand

This is the individual, group, corporation, or public administration that plans and executes the communication strategy. They are the sender of the message and aim to persuade or sell. Their success depends on their reliability, attractiveness, and power.

2. Advertising Agency

These are the communication experts, advisors, or facilitators. They can be local creative shops, independent networks, or international networks responsible for developing and implementing creative and communication strategies for their clients.

3. Channel/Media

This refers to the medium through which the message is transmitted. It can be:

  • Audiovisual: Print, street marketing, TV, cinema, radio
  • Digital: Websites, social media, search engine ads, banner ads, online gaming, mobile services

The advertising strategy should consider a specific media mix, adapting content and formats to each channel.

4. Code

This encompasses the language and symbols (art and copy) used to transmit the message. It must be:

  • Understandable
  • Empathetic
  • Memorable
  • Original

5. Message

This is the core idea (the big idea) to communicate, representing the brand promise. It must:

  • Grab attention
  • Be attractive
  • Meet a goal (persuade)

The message aims to change or modify consumer behavior or thinking. It is encoded considering the target audience and specific circumstances.

6. Receiver/Target

This is the audience targeted by the campaign or ad (consumers, public, followers). Understanding them involves:

  • Segmentation: Age, gender, status, etc.
  • Relationship to the product: Social/economic circumstances

Perception and Attitude

Perception: The cognitive impression formed of “reality,” influencing an individual’s actions and behavior toward an object. It’s based on prior attitudes, beliefs, needs, stimulus factors, and situational determinants.

Attitude: A person’s overall evaluation of a concept, involving general feelings of liking or favorability.

Marketing

Marketing is a broader process than advertising, encompassing the activity, institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that hold value for customers, clients, partners, and society.

4 P’s of Marketing

  • Product
  • Price
  • Promotion
  • Placement

AIDA Model

The AIDA model describes phases of customer engagement with an advertisement:

  • Attention: Capturing the consumer’s attention
  • Interest: Generating interest in the product/service
  • Desire: Creating a desire for the product/service
  • Action: Encouraging the consumer to take a desired action

Advertising Goals

1. Commercial Advertising

  • Create awareness
  • Provide product information
  • Showcase new usages
  • Improve product image
  • Associate the product with values
  • Gain competitive advantages
  • Support the sales team
  • Intensify consumption
  • Acquire new clients
  • Compete effectively

2. Institutional/Public Advertising (Government, Institutions)

  • Inform
  • Modify habits
  • Enhance public image
  • Attract supporters
  • Obtain financial support (fundraising)
  • Promote ideas, changes, trends

3. Social Advertising (NGOs, Charities)

  • Raise awareness of social issues
  • Denounce abusive situations
  • Modify attitudes and beliefs
  • Fundraise
  • Influence public opinion
  • Provoke and shock

UNIT 3: The Advertiser

The advertiser is the entity (person, organization, company) that places advertisements to target consumers. They are the sender of the message, aiming to inform, persuade, and make an impact.

Types of Advertisers

1. Companies

Companies can be private or public. Types of advertising include:

  • Single Branding: Advertising the company and its products/services directly.
    • Product Advertising: Promoting specific products or services.
    • Individual Branding (Multibranding): Each product has a unique brand name and identity (e.g., Procter & Gamble’s Tide, Pampers, Gillette).
    • Umbrella Branding (Family Branding): Selling multiple products under a single brand name (e.g., FedEx Express, FedEx Ground).
  • Brand Advertising: Building long-term relationships with consumers by establishing brand identity, credibility, and loyalty.
    • Co-branding: Partnering with another company for joint promotion (e.g., Airbnb and Barbie).
    • Generic Advertising: Promoting a general product category rather than a specific brand (e.g., “Got Milk?”).

2. Individual Branding (Example: Inditex – Zara, Pull & Bear)

Each product has its own unique brand name, image, and identity, targeting different market segments.

3. Umbrella Branding (Family Branding)

Multiple products are sold under the same brand name, image, and identity.

4. Co-Branding (Example: Airbnb & Barbie)

Two or more brands with similar customer bases partner to jointly promote a product or service.

5. Generic Advertising

Promotes a general product category without focusing on a specific brand.

6. NPOs and NGOs

Non-profit organizations use advertising to raise awareness, attract supporters, and secure funding.

7. Public Administration

Government agencies and institutions use advertising to inform citizens, promote public services, and advocate for social causes.

8. Individuals

Individuals use advertising to promote their services or sell personal items.

UNIT 4: The Briefing

A comprehensive brief includes:

  • Client: Brand name
  • Communication objectives
  • Target audience
  • Tone
  • Budget
  • Scope of the campaign (e.g., print ad)
  • Requirements
  • Timing

UNIT 5: The Ad Agency Process

Departments

1. Account Management/Client Servicing

  • Client communication
  • Strategy development
  • Brief creation
  • Presentation development
  • Follow-ups

2. Creative Department

  • Copy: Conceptualization, writing, content development, scriptwriting
  • Art: Visualization, design, illustration, layout, photo shoot supervision

3. Studio Department

  • DTP operators
  • Photoshop artists
  • Production managers
  • Proofreaders

The Creative Brief

  1. Background/Objective: Why is this brief necessary?
  2. Target Group: Who are we trying to reach?
  3. Desired Action: What do we want them to do?
  4. Communication Strategy: How will communication achieve this?
  5. Proposition: What are we trying to convey?
  6. RTBs (Reasons to Believe): What supports our claims?
  7. Emotional Takeaway: How do we want them to feel?
  8. Mandatories: Essential elements to include
  9. Channels: Media platforms to use

The Workflow

  1. Marcom brief (from client)
  2. Creative brief (developed by servicing)
  3. Creative development
  4. Client approval
  5. Internal approval (servicing, creative, studio)
  6. Artwork production

Internal Approval

  • Art: Logo, colors, revisions, key lines
  • Copy: Proofreading, client information
  • Studio/Production: Size, files, resolution, format

UNIT 6: The Media

Media: Platforms for message dissemination (TV, radio, print, outdoor).

Channel: Specific segments within a medium (CNN, MTV, Radio 3).

Traditional Media (ATL)

Includes television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and outdoor advertising. ATL aims to reach a broad audience for brand building and general message conveyance.

Non-Traditional Media (BTL)

Includes direct mail, email, social media, events, sponsorships, and in-store promotions. BTL targets specific consumer groups for personalized engagement and immediate actions.

UNIT 7: Target Audience

Pillars of Segmentation

  • Demographic: Age, gender, race, income, education
  • Geographic: Country, region, city
  • Psychographic: Interests, activities, opinions
  • Behavioral: Social media usage, patterns, interactions

Target Audience

The specific group of people the advertising message is directed at. Understanding their sociodemographic and psychographic variables is crucial for effective communication.

Types of Target Audiences

  • Potential Market: Those who might be interested in the product and benefit from it.
  • Buyer Market: Existing customers who already use and need the product.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Understanding consumer needs and motivations is essential for effective advertising:

  1. Physiological Needs: Basic survival needs (food, water, shelter)
  2. Safety Needs: Security, stability, protection
  3. Love/Belonging Needs: Social connections, relationships
  4. Esteem Needs: Self-esteem, respect, recognition
  5. Self-Actualization Needs: Reaching full potential

Consumer Insights

Deep understanding of consumer motivations, needs, behaviors, and aspirations. Insights provide valuable knowledge for making informed advertising decisions.

UNIT 8: Advertising Campaign

Strategy

A plan of action designed to achieve specific advertising goals. It involves making key decisions about message content, creative execution, and media channels.

Advertising Strategy Phases

  1. Content Strategy: Defining the message and what to say.
  2. Creative Strategy: Determining how to convey the message creatively.
  3. Media Strategy: Selecting the appropriate channels to reach the target audience.

Content Strategy

  1. Understand consumer insights.
  2. Analyze the brand and its offerings.
  3. Research key competitors.
  4. Identify the problem to be addressed.

The Big Idea

A unique and powerful creative concept that supports the advertising strategy. It should be:

  • Substantial: Meaningful and desirable to the consumer.
  • Credible: Believable and trustworthy.
  • Provocative: Thought-provoking and attention-grabbing.

Media Strategy

Selecting the most effective media channels to reach the target audience based on the creative brief, target audience insights, and campaign objectives.

Creative Strategies

Examples of creative approaches:

  1. Product-focused storytelling
  2. Celebratory campaigns
  3. Challenge-based initiatives
  4. Gamification
  5. Co-branding partnerships

This comprehensive guide provides a solid foundation for understanding the key concepts and principles of advertising. By applying these insights, businesses and organizations can develop effective advertising campaigns that resonate with their target audiences and achieve their marketing goals.