QUES 1ST

Basics of Writing Headlines

The following points must be considered at the time of preparing the headline in an Ad copy

1.

They should suggest a quick and easy way out that means it has the capacity to satisfy some need or want. Self-interest is to be created in every headline. News also is a part of headline copy. The headline should always target the advertisement towards the prospective customers. Many people read the headline but all of them may not read the rest of the copy, so it is important to use the brand name of the product in the headline. Headlines can be made by imaginatively coined words. We have to include the selling promise in the headline and for that the headline may be little longer. But it can sell, if it is properly constructed. Some headlines can be used in a tricky manner. In this puns are used or literally allusions are used. Though to be practical with caution negatives are used in headlines in todays competitive world.

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Do not use blind headlines where the own headline is meaningless.

QUES 2ND
Different Forms of Headline

1.

Direct Promise Headline

Such advertisement indicate the benefits of the product or service in a direct manner. e.g. Ponds special Baby Powder promises you to take good care of your baby. 2. News Headline

It may include new promises, product improvement, price reduction, premium offers etc. e.g. Parles Monaco was made available in a big pack. So the headline announces The Big Monaco pack is back.

3.

Curiosity or Provocative Headline

The headlines invite the reader to read further. e.g. Sweets sugar

4.

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

5.

Humorous Headline

Humour, however is a suspect element in advertising. In fact, people do not buy from clowns. But it is also true that humour makes the advertisement noticeable Teda Hai Par Mera Hai.

6.

Command Headline

It also promise a benefit. It is advisory in character. e.g. VIPs feelings cotton panties have the commanding headline : Bay hellow with feelings. It is a great new you.

You will appreciate that it is a command but with a promise.

7.

Situation Headline

It is based on a peculiar situation like an impending war, flood, earthquake, epidemic etc.

8.

Label Headline

Some products like a TV Set can be headlined as label. Here there is a strong need for the product and so no other appeal is called for.

9.

Challenging Headlines

Mostly a proactive question, its mental answering becomes compulsive.

10.

Negative Headlines

Not very much forward, but are used occasionally to direct to the right product.

11.

Affirmative Headlines

The message is not very assertive. But it is not denied either. e.g. Complan : Growing children Need Complan.

QUES 3RD
DIFFERENT TYPES OF COPY

Copywriting is one major task in the creation of an advertisement. Copies can be written in several forms, of which the following are illustrations.

Scientific copy

In this copy, the technical specifications of a product are explained. The merits of the product are described in scientific terms. It gives conviction value to the copy. Saffola a low cholesterol edible oil makes use of a scientific copy. Many porridges and nutritional products of the babies may make use of a scientific copy.

Descriptive copy In a non-technical manner, the product attributes are described. The copy uses direct active sentences. There are short and pithy sentences. It looks very common-place announcement. For example, Milly from Marlex is a flour mill for the kitchen.

Narrative copy Here a fictional story is narrated. The benefits of the product emerge from the story. May be, the narrative is humorous. Or else, it has strong appeal. It should make an imprint on our memory.

Colloquial copy Here informal conversational language is used to convey the message. It could even become a dialogue. In may TV advertisements, we find the colloquial copy. Amul chocolates a gift for someone you love follow a colloquial pattern.

Humorous copy Humour has been heavily used in advertising especially in TV commercials. It is just as heavily suspect. But effective humour makes the advertisement noticeable.

TOPICAL COPY When the copy is integrated to a recent happening or event, it is said to be topical copy. Many such topical copies are made by Da cunha for Amul butter. Mostly political events, national sports, world events, parliament news all get extended to the advertisement copy.

ENDORSEMENT COPY In these copies, a product is endorsed by an opinion leader who has a large following. The choice of the opinion leader depends on the product. Mostly celebrities are chosen to promote televisions, coffee, tyres, textiles, soft drinks, toilet soaps, and what-have-you.

QUESTIONING COPY In this copy, several questions are put forward not to seek answers but no emphasize a certain attribute. Park Avenues, a J.K. Concern marketing readymades, puts a question like this: Should a grown mans clothes just conceal his body or reveal his mind? These clothes are not just a cover but a revelation of personality.

PRESTIGE COPY The product is not directly advertised. Only a distinguished and favourable atmosphere is created for the sale of the product.

REASON WHY COPY It is known as an explanatory copy where the reasons for a purchase are explained. Each reason illustrates a particular attribute, and its benefit to the consumer.

INTERNATIONAL COPYING Advertisers often intentionally copy elements from rival creatives in the same product category in order to create the dissonance with a view to secure competitive foothold, e.g., Liril vs. Cinthol ads both emphasizing lime freshness or BPL Mobiles and Maxs citizen of the World. The idea is so take away a competitive brand advantage by a pre-emptive strike.

QUES 4TH
Advertisers go through the following steps to develop a creative strategy: 1. Message generation 2. Message evaluation and selection 3. Message execution Message execution The messages impact depends not only upon what is said but also on how it is said. Some adds aim for rational positioning and others for emotional positioning. Message execution can be decisive for those product that are highly similar such as detergent, coffee etc. The advertisers usually prepares a copy strategy statement describing the objective content support and tone of the desired act. Creative people must now find a style tone words and format for executing the message. Creative is a specially required tone headlines. There are six basic types of headlines: B1. 2. 3. 4. 5. News Question Narrative Command 1, 2 3 ways

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How, what and why

Format elements such as ad size, colour and illustration will make a difference in an ads impact as well as its post. A minor rearrangement at mechanical elements within the air can improve its attention getting power. Four colours illustration instead of black and white increase ad effectiveness and ad cost. The reader first notices the pictures and it must be strong enough to draw attention. Then the headlines must be effective in propelling the person to read the copy.

QUES 5TH
POSITIV EMOTIONAL APPEALS Positive appeals highlight product benefits and attributes capable of influencing consumer behavior. They are love, humour, pride, prestige and joy. Most baby food products have a mothers love appeal.

Advertisers have also successfully used messages communicating the joy and thrill (all those soft drink ads) associated with using the product.

Moral appeals are those appeals to the audience which appeal to their sense of right and wrong. These are often used in message to arouse a favourable response to social causes, such as prohibition adult literacy, social forestry, antismuggling and hoarding, consumer protection, equal rights. For women, social responsibility projects of corporations, rural development, siding weaker sections of society, employment generation, and so on. There are message which appeal for generous donations for flood victims and for famine relief operations these are often based on moral appeals.

DIRECT APPEALS Direct appeals are those which clearly communicate with the consumers about a given need, followed by a message which extols the advertised brand as a product which satisfies that need. In Industrial advertising, some ads may have a direct appeal, satisfying the customers technical need; but, in consumer advertising, the direct appeal plays a very limited role.

INDIRECT APPEALS Indirect appeals are those which do not emphasize a human need, but allude to a need. Because advertisers understand the influence of needs upon selective perception, they leave some ambiguity in the message so that the consumers may be free to interpret it and the need to which the advertiser is appearing. Since this interpretation of the consumer is not difficult, there is no risk involved in keeping the ambiguity in the message.

PRODUCT-ORITNTED INDIRECT APPEALS (i) Feature-oriented Appeals The basic message is about product features, characteristics and attributes. Examples: Instant Shine, Cherry shoe polish, Promise, the unique toothpaste with the time-tested clove oil.

(ii)

Use-oriented Appeals The basic message emphasizes specific in-operation and/or postoperation advantages of the brand advertized.

(iii)

Product Comparison Appeals The basic message emphasizes the differences between the advertized brand and the competing brands. The advertised brand, of course, has a net advantage over those with which it is compared; otherwise the whole exercise becomes futile.

CONSUMER-ORIENTED INDIRECT APPEALS They are further divided as follows:

(i)

Attitude-oriented Appeals The basic message is one which is in line with the consumers attitude his value belief structure. Example: The ad series by Shriram group, namely: Indian Corporate Evolution, The Shriram Experience.

(ii)

Significant Group-oriented Appeals The basic message emphasizes the kind of group which uses or approves of the advertized brand.

(iii)

Life Style-oriented Appeals

The basic message emphasizes an identifiable life style relevant to a defined target market.

(iv)

Sub-conscious-oriented Appeals The basic message is distinguished and is directed at the consumers subconscious (or unconscious) need.

(v)

Image-oriented Appeals Although all advertising appeals create a brand image in the minds of consumers, the image-oriented approach is distinct in the sense that here the advertiser, consciously and purposefully, makes an effort to mould a brand image. There is an intention to create a specific brand image. One strategy is to create a brand image which fits either the self-image or self-ideal image of the target market.

QUES 6TH
ESSENTIAL OF AN ADVERTISEMENT APPEAL (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) It must be thematically sound. It must be communicative. It must be interesting. It must have credibility. It must have finality and be complete. It must contain truthful information.

QUES 8TH
COMPONENTS OF A LAYOUT In preparing a chapter of this nature, there is the temptation to look back and give some space to the origin or history of layouts. But it should be borne in mind that while advertising, as a practice, can trace its origin back to the days of Babylonia, advertising in the print media can claim a history of only a few hundred years.

BACKGROUND This term is a self-explanatory and does not require a detailed definition, its application being apparent in Figure 1. In this example, the background has provided the theme of the layout, the other layout components or units being accommodated in a type mortise. In this example, too, the background has been broken; and here it should be pointed out that this simple method of employing a background is usually the most economical from an engraving point of view. The alternative method of leaving the background intact and of superimposing the other units upon it calls for more detailed art supervision, and often for more than one block from the engraver, before the layout can be completed.

BORDER The border may be defined as the frame of the advertisement, and as frames are used for pictures, it may be light or heavy, obvious or unobtrusive, plain or fanciful, useful or useless. Broadly speaking, the modern trend is towards the elimination of the border for practical as well as aesthetic reasons. The practical reasons have been more fully dealt with elsewhere; but here it should be mentioned that, except for purely symmetrical displays in which the border presents a sales argument or atmosphere, its use may severely hamper internal movement and, unless used with discretion, is liable to distract interest from the vital message.

CAPTION This word is often used to describe the sub-title. We use it throughout this book, however, to define the description, usually in type, appearing with an illustration. If you analyze both the editorial and advertisement columns of any daily newspaper, you will find that captions are much more freely used by the

newspapers make-up man than by the advertisers layout man. One reason for this is that the advertisement illustration must, where possible, tell its story quickly, clearly, and decisively; another is that the caption is often difficult to locate if it is to be read. The caption is such a troublesome unit that, in a great majority of advertisements, it is more easily converted into a heading or a subheading.

COUPON The coupon is that portion of the advertisement which is intended for the convenience of the prospective customer in communicating with the advertiser. From the layout mans viewpoint, it is immaterial whether the advertiser seeks inquiries, order, or other information for the technique of the coupon remains fundamentally the same.

The coupon is such a valuable unit that it deserves our closest attention.

It must first contain the name and full postal address of the firm to which it is to be sent, unless this information is clearly given in the body of the advertisement. The offer or the request must them follow, briefly and concisely, the prospective customers obligation by his signature being clearly set out. Faint or dotted lines for the prospective customers name and address are the next logical steps these being spaced to allow easy use without cramping.

DECORATION The earliest conception of an advertisement decoration appears to have found its most popular expression in the type founders ornament. One has only to go back a generation to find advertisements generally weighted by these creations of the type foundry. It would be easy to condemn them entirely; but many possessed artistic merits which did much to justify their use.

Today, there is little scope for their employment in a press advertisement, and, except for their discreet introduction in occasional displays of a heavy, formal character, they might almost be classified as obsolete.

In their place, the type founder has given us neat and unobtrusive type ornaments for harmonious working with nearly every modern display face of note. The use of these ornaments is quite in keeping with modern practice.

But type ornaments are not the most important or the most useful decorations at the layout mans disposal. Of greater interest are those decorations drawn especially to emphasize or supplement the message of the advertisement as a whole. Their value is limited only by the ingenuity of the layout man, who conceives and introduces decorations to attain any desired reaction from speed to heaviness.

HEADING The heading, or headline, may be defined as the title of the advertisement. Title would, in fact, be a more appropriate term, for it is not a hard and fast rule that the heading should appear at the head of the advertisement. This position of eminence is often given to all illustration or some other component of the layout.

In dealing with the technique of the heading, we find that there is a considerable difference of opinion. In contradiction of the rule that the heading should be short, one comes across almost daily evidence pointing to the undoubted success of the four, five and even six-deck heading; and it soon becomes apparent that the size of the heading must depend upon the importance of what it has to say, and on the support afforded to it by the other units of the layout. The news headlines of the national dailies will give a student as much material for study as the heading of the neighbouring advertisements.

ILLUSTRATION Broadly speaking, any unit of a pictorial nature may be classified as an illustration; but in a study of the layout, it is easier to regard the dominating picture as the illustration and, should other pictures be used, to think of them as supports. In this way, one is helped to build ones layouts with a singleness of purpose to avoid over-emphasis in the subsidiary matter and so make the appeal of the display clear and direct. The illustration, therefore, should be regarded as that unit of the layout which pictures the basic theme of the advertisement, either directly or by analogy.

Animal ads are noticeable. But irrelevant and extensive use of animals in advertising recommended. Some commercials which focus on animals do not appear to convey anything. Therefore, of animal should also not be unimaginative. While shooting animal ads, they should not be ..

MASCOT The mascot is variously known as the Trade Character, or Trade Figure. It may be defined . .. illustration of either a real or an imaginary figure or personality introduced into the advertisement.. personalize the sales message or the name of the product or service. The splendidly conceived for air India may be cited as a model example. Appu is another. NAME PLATE OT COMPANY LOGO The name plate, or name block, is the signature of the advertisement. The term name plate is preferred because it does not restrict us to a study of the advertising signature on the blocks in the engravers sense of that term. Today, with so many distinctive typefaces available, it is not essential that the name and address should be hand-drawn.

PRICE When the price of the commodity is features in a face larger or heavier than the body type, it is advisable to consider it as a separate and distinct unit of the layout.

With the expectation of bargain sale announcements, price is seldom the dominating feature in the layout. When the price is displayed boldly, the selling mesasage of the display is usually identified with the cheapness of the commodity, and there is much in Bollings contention that it is impossible to conduct a successful advertising campaign with cheapness as the principal argument in favour of the goods offered for cheapness does not create permanent goodwill.

PRODUCT

Product, in the layout sense, refers to the representation of the product offered for sale.

The product may be featured in startling isolation; it may be thrown up by a heavy or futuristic backgrounf, or by decorations; while a number of the products may be arranged and photographed is as to form an artistic or even a beautiful composite.

A very popular practice is to show the product in use, and for this reason it is advisable to study the illustration and product conjointly.

SLOGAN A slogan may be defined as a tabloid sales argument.

In outdoor advertising, it is, of course, of course, of immense value, for the wording on a poster must be brief and direct. In press advertisements, too, it enjoys a popular vogue because it establishes some sort of continuity between the two forms of advertising.

The position of the slogan in the layout must be determined by the importance of its relation to the advertisers message.

SPACE Space may be used to describe the entire space in a publication bought by the advertiser or the white space remaining when the layout has been completed. In the latter sense - as a unit of layout- it comes in for detailed attention in the page which follow.

SUB HEADING A sub-heading is a secondary heading. It may be employed either to supplement and support the heading or to pick out the various selling points contained in the text.

The conventional sub-heading, as exemplified in the editorial columns of a newspaper, is not so popular as it was in the past. The truth is that the desks of sub-headings tend towards monotony, and their interest value is small unless the message is personal or vital to the reader. The use of numerous sub-headings in the modern proprietary medicine advertisements is significant in this connection.

TEXT The text or the body of the advertisement is a term loosely applied to the general reading---- or copy. We may be permitted to think of the text as the panel or panels of the type mater the advertisement may contain.

The text should be set in panels neither too wide nor too narrow. The narrow type panel tires; ---- wide one repels all but the earnest readers. Typography enables the layout man to overcome ---- the difficulties of measure the wider the measure, the larger the type face employed.

Again, lower case letters are easier to read than capital letters; expanded letters are easier than ----- letters, and roman letters are easier than italic letters.\

TRADE MARK The trade mark is the word or design by which the commodity is defined. When the trade mark has been registered, there are very good reasons for its inclusion in the layout.

Its position is entirely fluid. It may form the background or be embodied in the border; it may dominate the heading or the name plate. The trade mark, in fact, may show up in all our units with the exception of price and space.

NAME, PLATE OR COMPANY LOGO