INTEGRATED

MARKETING
COMMUNICATION
CHAPTER 6 :
CREATIVITY IN ADVERTISING MESSAGES
Chapter Learning Objective:-
LO 1 :To discuss what is meant by advertising creativity.

LO 2 : To consider the process that guides the creation of advertising messages and
the research inputs into the stages of the creative process.

LO 3: To examine creative strategy development process.

LO 3: To analyze various types of appeals that can be used in the development and
implementation of an advertising message.

LO4 :To analyze the various creative execution styles that advertisers can use and the
advertising situations where they are most appropriate.
How much attention someone
is likely to pay to marketing
communication is generally a
function of the way in which
words and visual are used in an
execution.
 Introduction
a. Advertising message is an important component in IMC – fundamental role of
advertising message is to communicate information.
b. Other role of advertising message : - entertain, motivation, fascination,
fantasy.
c. From the marketer’s point of view, advertising message is a way to :-
a. tell consumers how the product or service can solve a problem or achieve goals
b. Create images or associations and position a brand in the consumer’s mind
c. Transform the experience of buying / using a product or service.

d. Two factors that will determine advertising message will be

communicated effectively:
a. Creative strategy - determines the content of the advertising message
b. Creative tactics - how the message strategy will be executed.
 Element of executions

Executions must also hold attention so the message can be processed. In

this section we will be discussing some of the creative tactics that can
help both attract and hold attention
Element of executions:
1. Unexpected elements
2. Colour
3. Larger picture
4. Correct placement in print
5. Motive-dependent structure for commercial
Unexpected Elements
According to Myers (1994) , one of the easiest ways to attract attention
in print is to use letters in unexpected ways or by altering the spelling of
words.
The reason unexpected things attract attention is that people are
accustomed to experiencing things in certain ways, and when there is a
departure from the norm, interest is aroused.

People tend to notice changes in things that are out of the ordinary. If
you were to hear someone say ‘ you placed the emphasis on the wrong
syllable , ’ stressing the second syllable rather than the first in emphasis
and syllable, your attention would be immediately drawn to what was
said.

In marketing communication this can easily be done in the voice track by

simply placing more emphasis on a particular word where it would not
be expected.
 For all print media, four-colour (i.e. full colour) attracts more
attention than two-colour, which attracts more attention than
black and white. This is true for both consumer as well as
business and trade marketing communication.

Color adverts draw about 50% more attention than black and
white
( Rossiter and Bellman, 2005 ).
Size of picture or illustration
In print advertising the picture or illustration will draw most of the
attention of a reader. For example, about 70% of the time looking at
print adverts is spent looking at the picture ( Rossiter, 1988 ). Research
has consistently found that the larger the picture size in an advert,
the more it will be processed (cf. Franke et al., 2004 ).
Print placement
While not strictly a creative tactics, where adverts are placed within a
magazine can have a significant effect on how much attention will be
paid to it. Back cover placement will gain the highest attention, followed
by the inside covers; and cover position in business-to-business
publications will have very high-attention value ( Rossiter and Bellman,
2005 ).
Paradoxically, having another advert on a facing page will actually
increase attention slightly, while editorial content will significantly hurt
attention to a nearby advert.
 What is advertising
creativity?
a. Advertising creativity is the ability to generate fresh, unique,
and appropriate ideas that can be used as solutions to
communications problems (consumers purchase intention).
b. To be appropriate and effective, a creative idea must be
relevant to the target audience. Many ad agencies recognize
the importance of developing advertising that is creative and
different yet communicates relevant information to the target
audience.
c. However, creative advertising can not guaranty the sale of the
product will increase.
The Role of Creativity
Effective advertising is usually creative. Most memorable advertisement
make their selling points in an entertaining, creative fashion.

But what is creativity?

Originality
Appropriateness
ORIGINALITY
Advertising that is the same as most other advertising is unable to break through the
competitive clutter and grab the consumer’s attention. Thus an ad need to be creative
and original.

An ad is original in the sense that the methods, techniques, and copy are novel
for the product category in question.

That is, an original ad is somehow:

1. out of the ordinary;

2. it differentiates itself from the mass of mediocre advertisements.
Appropriateness
Appropriateness, means that an advertisement must offer a useful solution
to a marketing problem.
In an advertising context, the problem, or challenge, is achieving marketing
objectives such as increasing sales by a specified percentage.
An ad that is original but not appropriate may win awards in advertising
competitions but will be unlikely to “move the sales dial” by any
substantive degree.
Creative ads are original while at the same time being useful
given the imperatives facing a brand at the time an ad campaign
is initiated.

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jXro5cuB0U
Advertising Plans and
Strategy
- Advertising plans provide the framework for the systematic execution of
advertising strategies.
- To put an advertising plan into action requires, firm need to:
- carefully evaluate customer behavior related to the brand,
- detailed evaluation of the competition,and
- a coordinated effort to tie the proposed advertising program to the brand’s
overall marcom (marketing communication) strategy.

- Advertising strategy involves a FIVE-STEP PROGRAMME:

- Specify the key fact from the customer’s viewpoint.
- State the primary problem, or advertising issue, from brand management’s
perspective.
- State the advertising objective.
- Implement the creative message strategy.
- Establish mandatory requirements.
 Step 1: Specify the Key Fact

The key fact in an advertising strategy is a single-minded statement

from the consumer’s point of view that identifies why consumers
are or are not purchasing the product, service, or brand or are not
giving it proper consideration.

Example:
Research performed for Holiday Inn undoubtedly revealed that many
consumers perceived this hotel chain as offering limited amenities in
comparison to other similarly priced hotel chains. This perception had to
be overcome in order to increase the number of business travelers and
family vacationers choosing Holiday Inns over competitive chains.
 Step 2: State the Primary Problem

Extending from the key fact, this step states the problem from the
brand management’s point of view. The primary problem may be
an image problem, a product perception issue, or a competitive
weakness.

Example:
Holiday Inn needed to improve its image and change the
erroneous perception that it offers fewer amenities (such as kids
staying free, in-room restaurant service, reward points, etc.) than
competitive hotel chains.
 Step 3: State the Communications
Objective

This is a straightforward statement about what effect the advertising is

intended to have on the target market.

Example:
Holiday Inn’s advertising with slacker Mark and his family was not
designed to increase awareness of the Holiday Inn name. Most
business travelers and family vacationers are fully familiar with this hotel
chain that has been in business for over 50 years. Rather, the objective
was to clarify misconceptions about the chain—namely, that it does not
offer a full range of services—and to increase room occupancy rates.
 Step 4: Implement the Creative Message
Strategy

Creative message strategy, sometimes also called the creative platform,

represents the guts of the overall advertising strategy. The creative
platform for a brand is summarized in a single statement called a value
proposition or positioning statement. A positioning statement is the key
idea that encapsulates what a brand is intended to stand for in its target
market’s mind and with consideration of how competitors have
attempted to position their brands.

- Implementing creative message strategy requires

- defining the target market
- identifying the primary competition
- choosing the positioning statement
- offering reasons why
Step 5: Establish Mandatory Requirements

The final step in formulating an advertising strategy involves the

mandatory requirements that must be included in an ad.
Mandatory requirements are those imposed by corporate officers
as a matter of policy and tradition or perhaps, in some instances,
due to regulatory dictates—for example, when advertising
prescription drugs to consumers, side effects must be listed.
Non-regulatory mandatory requirements remind the advertiser to
include, for example, the corporate slogan or logo or a standard
tagline at the bottom of a print ad or end of a commercial.
Brand attitude creative
tactics
Low-involvement
informational
Once the decision is low involvement, one simple benefit in the message is
enough. This benefit should be presented in the extreme because the target
audience does not really need to believe the claim.

Benefit focus
In all marketing communication, how one focuses upon the benefit must be
consistent with the underlying motivation. Informational versus
transformational brand attitude strategies require different ways of supporting
or drawing attention to the key benefit claim. When dealing with
low-involvement informational brand attitude strategies, the focus is directly
upon the key benefit claim which is expressed in terms of the subjective
characteristic of the brand: for example, ‘ fast acting ’ , ‘ the latest technology ’
, ‘ softer skin ’ , etc.
Low-involvement
informational
Once the decision is low involvement, one simple benefit in the message is
enough. This benefit should be presented in the extreme because the target
audience does not really need to believe the claim.

Source characteristic
When dealing with low-involvement informational brand attitude strategies,
the perceived source of the message must be seen as credible, and as an
‘expert ’ . We put the word ‘ expert ’ in inverted commas because we are using
it in its broadest sense here, not just in terms of technical expertise.

For example, a mother is an ‘ expert ’ at getting children ’s clothes clean. When

there are people in an advert, they will generally be seen as the source of the
message, and in this quadrant should be perceived as an ‘ expert ’in the
product category. When there are no people, the company or brand itself will
be seen as the source.
High-involvement
informational
when dealing with high-involvement purchase decisions it is necessary for the target
audience to not only pay attention and learn something from the message, they must
also accept it. Perhaps the single most important creative tactic for this quadrant is to
make sure the message is consistent with the target audience ’s current attitudes:
both toward the product and the brand.

Benefit focus
The focus on the key benefit for high-involvement informational executions, as in the
low-involvement case, will be to either draw attention directly to a subjective
characteristic of the brand that is seen as important by the target audience, or by
using the key benefit claim as the solution to a problem that is known to be important
to the target audience. The focus on the other important benefits used in the copy
should use specific attributes of the brand in support of the subjective characteristic:
High-involvement
informational
when dealing with high-involvement purchase decisions it is necessary for the
target audience to not only pay attention and learn something from the
message, they must also accept it. Perhaps the single most important creative
tactic for this quadrant is to make sure the message is consistent with the
target audience ’s current attitudes: both toward the product and the brand.

Source Characteristic
Credibility is the key characteristic for the perceived source. As in the
low-involvement informational case, the source must be seen as an expert,
again as either a technical expert or as a ‘ user ’ expert. But because the
message must be accepted, the additional credibility component of objectivity
is also required.
 Advertising Execution
a. The execution of advertising campaign requires creativity. It refers to
how appeal is represented.
b. There are numerous way to execute advertising messages:

Straight sell / factual

Comparison Animation
messages

Scientific/technical
Testimonial Personal Symbol
evidence

Demonstration Slice of life Imagery

Dramatization Humour Combinations

Straight-Sell or Factual Message
This tactic is commonly applied in print advertisement.
Message are presented straightforwardly. It focus on the product or
service and its specific attributes.
A picture of the product or service occupies part of the ad, and the factual
copy takes up the rest of the space.
 Scientific/Technical Evidence
a. In a variation of the straight sell, scientific or technical evidence is presented
in the ad.
b. Advertisers often cite technical information, results of scientific or laboratory
studies, or endorsements by scientific bodies or agencies to support their
advertising claims. This refers to information that the advisers often cite as
technical information, results or laboratory studies, or endorsement by
scientific bodies.
c. Example: Endorsement from Dental Council on how fluoride helps prevent
cavities.
 Demonstration
a. Demonstration advertising is designed to illustrate the key advantages
of the product/service by showing it in actual use or in some staged
situation.
b. Demonstration executions can be very effective in convincing
consumers of a product’s utility or quality and of the benefits of owning
or using the brand. TV is particularly well suited for demonstration
executions, since the benefits or advantages of the product can be
shown right on the screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1MYVG9gi8I
 Testimonial
a. Many advertisers prefer to have their messages presented by testimonial
– users PRAISE the product or service on the basis of his or her
personal experience.
b. It can have ordinary satisfied customers discuss their own experience
with the brand, and the benefit of using it.
c. Endorsement is also another testimonial technique – a well-known or
respective individual such as celebrity or expert in the product or service
area speaks on behalf of the company or brand.
 Comparison
a. The comparison execution approach is increasingly popular among
advertisers, since it offers a direct way of communicating a brand’s
particular advantage over its competitors or positioning a new or lesser
known brand with industry leaders.
b. Comparison executions are often used to execute competitive advantage
appeals, as discussed earlier.
c. The objective for comparison / comparative advertising are:-
a. To degrade competitor's brand
b. Acceptance of brand
c. Convince consumers of a brand specialty (s)
d. Increase consumers’ information and confidence
e. Evaluation of brand’s performance
 Animation
a. An advertising execution approach that has become popular in recent years is
animation. With this technique, animated scenes are drawn by artists or created
on the computer, and cartoons, puppets, or other types of fictional characters may
be used.
b. Cartoon animation is especially popular for commercials targeted at children.
Animated cartoon characters have also been used successfully by the Leo Burnett
agency in campaigns for Green Giant vegetables (the Jolly Green Giant) and
Keebler cookies (the Keebler elves).
c. The use of animation as an execution style may increase as creative specialists
discover the possibilities of computer-generated graphics and other technological
innovations.
d. Some advertisers have begun using Roger Rabbit-style ads that mix animation
with real people. Nike has used this technique to develop several creative,
entertaining commercials. One featured Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny
trouncing a foursome of bullies on the basketball court and was the inspiration for
the movie Space Jam.
Animation Advertisement Example
 Personality Symbol
a. Another type of advertising
execution involves developing
a central character or
personality symbol that can
deliver the advertising
message and with which the
product or service can be
identified.
b. Personality figures can be built
around animated characters,
person or animals.
Creative tactics for print advertisement
There are four basic components of a print advertisement
◦ Headlines
◦ The headline is the words in the leading position of the ad—the words that will be read first or are
positioned to draw the most attention.
◦ Headlines are usually set in larger type and are often set apart from the body copy or text portion of the
ad to give them prominence.
◦ Most advertising people consider the headline the most important part of a print ad. The most important
function of a headline is attracting readers’ attention and interesting them in the rest of the message.
◦ While the visual portion of an ad is obviously important, the headline often shoulders most of the
responsibility of attracting readers’ attention.
◦ Research has shown the headline is generally the first thing people look at in a print ad, followed by the
illustration. Only 20 percent of readers go beyond the headline and read the body copy.
◦ So in addition to attracting attention, the headline must give the reader good reason to read the copy
portion of the ad, which contains more detailed and persuasive information about the product or service.
◦ To do this, the headline must put forth the main theme, appeal, or proposition of the ad in a few words.
Some print ads contain little if any body copy, so the headline must work with the illustration to
communicate the entire advertising message.
◦ Type of headlines:
◦ Indirect headlines
◦ Direct headlines
Creative tactics for print advertisement
There are four basic components of a print advertisement
◦ Body copy
◦ body copy is usually the heart of the advertising message, but getting the target audience to
read it is often difficult.
◦ Body copy content often flows from the points made in the headline or various subheads, but the
specific content depends on the type of advertising appeal and/or execution style being used. For
example:
◦ straight-sell copy that presents relevant information, product features and benefits,
◦ competitive advantages is often used with the various types of rational appeals
◦ emotional appeals often use narrative copy that tells a story or provides an interesting account
of a problem or situation involving the product.
◦ Advertising body copy can be written to go along with various types of creative appeals and
executions—comparisons, price appeals, demonstrations, humor, dramatizations, and the like.
◦ Copywriters choose a copy style that is appropriate for the type of appeal being used and
effective for executing the creative strategy and communicating the advertiser’s message to the
target audience.
Creative tactics for print advertisement
There are four basic components of a print advertisement
◦ Visual elements
◦ The third major component of a print ad is the visual element.
◦ The illustration is often a dominant part of a print ad and plays an important role in determining its
effectiveness.
◦ The visual portion of an ad must attract attention, communicate an idea or image, and work in a
synergistic fashion with the headline and body copy to produce an effective message.
◦ In some print ads, the visual portion of the ad is essentially the message and thus must convey a
strong and meaningful image.
Creative Tactics For Print Advertisement
There are four basic components of a print advertisement
◦ Layouts
◦ A layout is the physical arrangement of the various parts of the ad, including the headline,
subheads, body copy, illustrations, and any identifying marks.
◦ The layout shows where each part of the ad will be placed and gives guidelines to the people
working on the ad.
◦ For example, the layout helps the copywriter determine how much space he or she has to work
with and how much copy should be written. The layout can also guide the art director in
determining the size and type of photos.
 Creative Tactics For TV Advertisement
a. TV is a unique and powerful advertising medium because it contains
the elements of sight, sound, and motion, which can be combined to
create a variety of advertising appeals and executions.
b. Unlike print, the viewer does not control the rate at which the
message is presented, so there is no opportunity to review points of
interest or reread things that are not communicated clearly.
c. As with any form of advertising, one of the first goals in creating TV
commercials is to get the viewers’ attention and then maintain it. This
can be particularly challenging because of the clutter and because
people often view TV commercials while doing other things (reading
a book or magazine, talking).
 Creative tactics for Television Advertisement
a. Like print ads, TV commercials have several components. The video
and audio must work together to create the right impact and
communicate the advertiser’s message.

Video Audio
 Creative tactics for Television Advertisement
a. Video
a. The video elements of a commercial are what is seen on the TV screen.
The visual portion generally dominates the commercial, so it must attract
viewers’ attention and communicate an idea, message, and/or image. A
number of visual elements may have to be coordinated to produce a
successful ad. Decisions have to be made regarding the product, the
presenter, action sequences, demonstrations, and the setting(s), the
talent or characters who will appear in the commercial, and such other
factors as lighting, graphics, color, and identifying symbols.
 Creative tactics for Television Advertisement
a. Audio
a. The audio portion of a commercial includes voices, music, and sound
effects.
b. Voices are used in different ways in commercials. They may be heard
through the direct presentation of a spokesperson or as a conversation
among various people appearing in the commercial. A common method
for presenting the audio portion of a commercial is through a voice-over,
where the message is delivered or action on the screen is narrated or
described by an announcer who is not visible. A trend among major
advertisers is to have celebrities with distinctive voices do the voiceovers
for their commercials.
c. Music is also an important part of many TV commercials and can play a
variety of roles. In many commercials, the music provides a pleasant
background or helps create the appropriate mood.
d. Advertisers often use needledrop - music that is prefabricated,
multipurpose, and highly conventional. Needledrop is an inexpensive
substitute for original music; paid for on a one-time basis, it is dropped
into a commercial or film when a particular normative effect is desired.
Creativity in Advertising
Creative advertising is the ability to generate fresh, unique and appropriate or
relevant ideas that can be used as solutions to communication problems.
The determinants for creativity :-
◦ Divergence
◦ Relevance

Divergence refers to extent to which an ad contains elements that are novel,

different or unusual.
Creativity in Advertising
Five (5) Factors that determine the ways divergence can be achieved in
advertising :-
◦ Originality
◦ Ads that contain elements that are rare, surprising or move away from the obvious and
commonplace.
◦ Flexibility
◦ Ads that contain different ideas or switch from one perspective to another.
◦ Elaboration
◦ Ads that contain unexpected details or finish and extend basic ideas so they become more
intricate, complicated or sophisticated.
◦ Synthesis
◦ Ads that combine, connect or blend normally unrelated objects or ideas.
◦ Artistic value
◦ Ads that contain artistic verbal impressions or attractive shapes and colours.
Creativity in Advertising
Relevance reflects the degree of the elements of the ad are meaningful,
useful or valuable to the consumers.
Relevance can be achieved through:-
◦ Ad-to-consumer relevance
◦ Situation where the ad contains execution elements that are meaningful to consumers. Eg:
advertisers use celebrity, music that the consumer likes, images or other techniques to capture
their interest.
◦ Brand-to-consumer relevance
◦ Situation where the advertised brand of a product or service is of personal interest to
consumers. Eg: fashionable clothing, jewelry, cosmetics often rely on visual image to deliver
their message rather than providing specific product information.
END OF NOTES