MODUEL 4 MARKETING COMMUNICATION

29.1 ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT

Meaning of Advertising
The term advertising emanates from the Latin adverto, which
means to turn around. Advertising thus denotes the means employed to
draw attention to any purpose. In the marketing context, advertising
has been defined as any paid form of non-personal representation &
promotion of ideas by an identified sponsor . Through an ad, the
advertiser intends to spread his ideas about his products among his
customers/prospects. Popularization of the products is the basic aim of
the ad-activity.
Advertising Rests on a Thorough Understanding of the Buying Process
The mere transmission of an ad-message does not imply that the
advertiser has communicated with his audience. His audience must see
the ad; they must pay some attention to it; they must also understand &
comprehend what it conveys; and finally, the purchase behavior of the
target audience should be influenced & shaped in favor of the
advertised product.
So, an advertiser has to necessarily know the intricacies of buyer
behavior. He should also know what type of media would carry his
message successfully & economically to wide sections of his target
audience. He should also know what type of message appeals to them.
It is also essential for him to be familiar with the process of diffusion.
To foster positive diffusion & create favorable responses is his task. In
short, his job is to break the perception barrier of his target audience &
spread some of his ideas to their minds.
In general, it can be said that the ultimate intention of any advertising is to
influence the purchase behavior of consumers in a way favorable to the
advertiser.

MODUEL 4 MARKETING COMMUNICATION

29.2 PERSUATION OF BUYERS BY ADS
Should be of interest to the audience
The audience should interpret the message in the intended manner
The ads should influence the audience

Attitude Change Central Theme in Advertising

Attitude is a central theme in advertising. And, what is Attitude? The
traditionally accepted view of attitude is that it is made up of 3 interrelated components cognitive, affective (emotional), conactive (action).

Theories on Attitude Change

There are quite a few theories that attempt to explain the process of attitude change.
The Consistency Theory: The consistent theories rest on the basic idea that
man seeks consistency, balance & harmony in his belief system. The consistency
theories basically postulate that when inconsistencies occur between the existing
belief system of the individual & new information to which he gets exposed, the
given attitude will tend to change so that the inconsistency gets resolved.
The Congruity/Dissonance Theory: Congruity theory & Dissonance
theory are 2 important versions of the consistency theory. The congruity theory
lays stress on the nature of relationship among the elements of the cognitive
structure; the basic need is for balance, congruity (conjugal) & harmony.
The dissonance (distancing) theory also rests on the logic of cognitive balance
reasoning. It assumes that when a consumer buys one product, rejecting
another, the very decision creates a psychological conflict. The conflict is
proportional to the implications of the choice.
The Balance Theory: The balance theory holds that any cognitive structure
has 3 elements an individual or a perceiver, another person who tries to interact
and some object -- & that there is a definite relationship among them. A
cognitive structure is balanced or unbalanced, based on the configuration of
relationship among the elements. All the different versions of consistency
theories that attempt to explain attitude change are but refinements of this idea.

MODUEL 4 MARKETING COMMUNICATION

29.3 AUDIENCE PERSUASION/SOURCE CELEBRITIES
Factors in ad that bring about audience persuasion
The Source of the Endorser
The credibility of the source
Likeability/Attractiveness of the source
The sources approach to the views

The Message
The message structure (Anti/Climax order, Pyramidal order,
Message conclusion)
The message appeal (Rational/Emotional)

Ads using celebrities as source/endorser

Amitabh was used by ICICI for its retail banking

Amitabh was used by Maruti for Versa
Pataudi was used by Gwalior suiting
Tendulkar was used by Pepsi, Visa, Philips etc.,
Sunil Shetty was used by Colgate for its toothpowder
Shah Rukh Khan was used by Pepsi, Hyundai etc.,
HLL used various film stars for its Lux for over 4 decades
Javed Akhtar was used by Rotomac pens
Priya Tendulkar & Neena Gupta were used for domestic appliances
Obviously, in all these, the intention is to win over the audience
through the prestige & attractiveness of the endorsers
MRF was more innovative in its endorsement. Instead of using a
person, MRF used names of famous cars that are distinguished users
of the tire. The MRF copy showed Opel Astra, Ford Escort & Fiat
Uno. And the message ran like this:
These cars ride only on MRF Radials
The copy concluded MRF Radials: Indias answer to world-class
cars.
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MODUEL 4 MARKETING COMMUNICATION

29.4 RATIONAL/EMOTIONAL/HUMOR/FEAR APPEALS
Examples of Rational Appeal
SUNDROP: Claims for convincing audience on superiority of oil
ZODIAC: Highlighted product features one by one
Brand to Brand Comparisons: TVs, M/Cs, Fridges, W/Machines
PEPSODENT: Superiority over COLGATE
REGULATIONS ON COMPARITIVE ADS: In India, the Advertising
Standards Council (ASCI) specifies that comparative ads direct &
implied is permissible on the following conditions:
Aspects compared are clear
Comparisons do not confer artificial advantages on the advertiser
It is factual, can be substantiated
Consumer is unlikely to be misled
No unfair denigration of the competing products

Examples of Emotional Appeal

J & N PAINTS: Love at first sight, Love ever after
ASIAN PAINTS: Paint does not fade, despite many other changes
COMPLAN: Child riding a bicycle

Examples of Humor Appeal

CENTRE FRESH: Boy emptying swimming pool
ALPENLIBE: Tasting Alpenlibe in the temple
ACTION 500: For common cold

Examples of Fear Appeal

U I INSURNCE: You (dont) need insurance
HUGGIES: Rashes on the child
POLIO DROPS: Importance of Polio drops

MODUEL 4 MARKETING COMMUNICATION

29.5 DECIDING ADVERTISING OBJECTIVES
Areas Where Advertising Objectives Can Be Set
Introduction of new products
Expansion of the market for existing products
Countering competition/Reminding customers
Removing post-purchase dissonance
Building company/brand image
Closing an immediate sale (clincher ads)
Stimulating impulse buying
Enthusing the channel to stock the product

Advertising objectives are essential because it helps the

marketer/advertiser to know in advance what they want to achieve & to
ensure they are preceding in the right direction. There is intimate linkage
between the buyers attitude change & purchase on the one hand, and
advertising on the other. A few models:
The 4-stage model: Attention, Interest, Desire & Action
The 5-stage model: Awareness, Interest, Evaluation, Trial & Adoption
The 6-stage model: Awareness, Knowledge, Liking, Preference,
Conviction, Purchase
DAGMAR: Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising
Results

Advertising objectives revolve around 4 broad themes: Advertising

objectives can be set around four broad themes:

The behavioral constructs; generating trial purchases & store visits

Attitude; attitude change & attitude measurement
Awareness; creating awareness of new products/ideas
Product positioning & brand building

MODUEL 4 MARKETING COMMUNICATION

29.6 DECIDING THE COPY
The term copy includes every single feature that appears in the body of
the ad the written matter, pictures, labels, log & designs. Copy
development becomes successful only when there is close interaction
between the advertiser & the ad-agency.

Keep Message Simple & Short

Minds are limited: Avoid unnecessary words
Minds hate confusion: The simple the message, the better will be its
absorption
Minds are insecure: When unsure, consumers misunderstand
Think simple: Tell a simple story
Never ignore the obvious: Obvious ideas tend to be powerful ideas

Testing the Copy

Copy testing can be done at different stages in the advertising process.
It can be done at the very beginning or at the end of the copy
development process, at the end of actual production process or after
the campaign is launched. Tests done after the launching of the
campaign are called post-tests & the others conducted at different
stages are called pre-tests.
The DAR Test: Day-After-Recall (DAR) test indicated the probable
success of the ad.
Copy Decisions are Linked to Advertising Objectives/Budgets/Media Choice
Every aspect of the copy decision has to be related to the advertising
objectives of the firm. For ex, in the case of a new brand, the copy is
likely to be developed with the intention of building brand-awareness or
inducing trial purchases. For an established brand, the copy will tend to
remind one of those distinguishing characteristics of the brand vis--vis
the competition. The copy decision also has to be checked against the
budgets & choice of the media.

MODUEL 4 MARKETING COMMUNICATION

29.7 DECIDING THE MEDIA
Major Ad Media
Print Media

Newspapers
Magazines
Trade Journals
Direct Mail
Audio/Visual/AV/Electronic Media

Radio
TV
Internet
Cinema
Cassettes Audio/Video
Outdoor
Commonly Used Outdoor Media Vehicles

Hoardings/Posters
Neon signs
Transit ads (Railways/Bus/Air)
Fairs & Exhibitions
Amusements parks
Dance/Drama/Puppet Shows
Loudspeaker announcements
Balloons/Sky-writings
Measuring TVRs

Peoplemeter: Mechanical device, which records when the TV is on &

which member of the family is viewing is at a particular point.
Lasermeter: It automatically records the # of people present in a
room through heat sensors.