Copywriting

BMM-Semester-V

By: M H Lakdawala

Chapter 1.Copy
INTRODUCTION

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is essentially selling with words. Copywriting is using words to convince

readers they will benefit (come out ahead) by using a certain product or service and then
motivating them to take action (buy).

Copywriting is the words used in advertisements, TV commercials, and brochures. Whenever

a business promotes itself (through a press release, a leaflet or a newsletter), it needs a
copywriter. That’s why copywriting is everywhere - on big posters, local newspaper ads, and
every clever slogan. And when you put a postcard in a newsagent's window, to sell your old hi-fi,
you're using copywriting again.

Copywriting is probably the most creative and demanding branch of writing. You
start with a blank sheet of paper. You may have only a couple of days to meet the
client’s deadline. And your work could be read by millions of people.

Who needs copywriters?

The market is vast. Every business, small and large, has to promote itself. Every company
needs leaflets or direct mail letters. And every new product needs a pack that will entice us to buy
it.

These days all organizations need to communicate. That includes hospitals, local authorities
and charities. So the opportunities for the copywriter are infinite.
Because organizations constantly alter, their literature and ads need regularly changing, too.
That keeps copywriters busy!

I. Attributes of a good copywriter

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1. A good copy writer has an excellent and well-rounded portfolio - Take a look at a copywriter's
past work. Is it professional? Do you see some good concepts? Are the projects high-caliber? You
don't necessarily have to see work that is specific to your particular industry. A broad spectrum of
work demonstrates a copywriter's talent and skill as well as the ability to adapt her knowledge to
just about any market. A good portfolio will also show experience in a range of formats, such as
print, web, outdoor, direct mail, press releases and corporate communications.

2. has plenty of marketing and public relations savvy - Pretty words are, well, pretty. But they
don't necessarily do what you want them to do for you. Look for a copywriter who has a rich
background in marketing and public relations. That person will have a quicker and deeper grasp
of what the copy needs to do and how to make it do it.

3. Listens to clients - When a copywriter listens to a client, wheels are turning. He's making
observations about the "who, what, when, where and why" of your company, product or service.
Questions come to his mind. He will have things he wants to discuss and find out more about. But
first, he listens carefully to what you have to say.

4. Asks the right questions - You don't want an order taker; you want a copywriter who knows
how to find out what she needs to in order to do the best job. What is your goal? Who do you
need to sell to? Why should people care about your product or service? What sets you apart from
your competition? What does your product or service does and how does it do it? How are you
already reaching out to your audience with marketing and public relations?

5. Doesn't always take your word for it - Sure, it's important for a copywriter to understand the
client's take on the situation. But a thorough copywriter will do a little digging on his own to find
out things like how the competition brands itself, what's being said about your company, product
or service and what is generally important to your customers' buying decision.

6. Brings ideas to the table - You tell your copywriter you want content for your web site, just
your basic About Us, Products & Services and How to Contact Us. A good copywriter will make
suggestions, like "Have you thought about featuring some case studies?", "Have you had a key
word analysis yet?" or "How about doing a newsletter that will let you capture email
information?"

7. Can develop concepts - The copywriter's approach to a project is often determined by the
client's process. Sometimes a graphic designer has already created a look and feel, determined
what the tone should be. Other times, the copywriter is called upon to help shape the message
from the beginning. Find a copywriter who has experience developing concepts and you'll have
someone who can make a broader contribution to the project.

8. A good copy writer is empathetic - Read something written by a good writer and you can tell
that she truly becomes the customer, brings that person right into her head. When she writes
about a new home, she imagines walking through her dream house. When the reader will be a
business person who has been thinking seriously about going back to school for that MBA, the
copywriter feels that person's restlessness and desire to move up.

9. Offers flexibility - You need someone who will meet your time constraints and deadlines. Or
maybe the copywriter will need to be proactive and persistent about getting information from
some very busy, hard to reach people. Whether it's patience or persistence you require in your
copywriter, she should be someone who can deliver.

By: M H Lakdawala 2
10. Is someone you enjoy working with - In the end, when you've determined that a copywriter
has what it takes--talent, skill, experience, savvy--it comes down to whether or not she is
someone you respect and enjoy working with. The work will thrive if you're a good team.

II. PRINCIPLES OF COPYWRITING

1. Use Attention Getting Headlines

For example – print ad for DHL uses only one word as it’s headline – “URGENT”, which is
underlined in red, and is enough to attract anyone’s attention.

Star TV print ad for The Big Fight does not use words, but uses a pair of boxing gloves as
headline.

2. Expand Headline with Lead Paragraph

Follow up the headline immediately with the first paragraph. If you ask a question, answer it.
If you propose a thought, explain it. Don't leave them hanging too long; you may end up hanging
yourself.

The ad for Maruti N2N fleet solutions uses the headline “ Who says managing a huge fleet of
company cars is hard work? This is followed by the lead paragraph which explains how Maruti
N2N works

3. Draw the Reader In

Avoid page and advertising layouts that are confusing or hard to read. Reading your message
should be a pleasure to read. Keep your copy simple, clear and concise. Talk to your reader as
you would a friend or family member. Be straight and sincere with them. Spell it out and explain
points that need explaining. Don't leave your reader second-guessing your copy.

4. Focus on the Reader, not the Product

Of course your copy must contain information and facts about your product or service, but
that is not your focal point. You must focus the reader. Use their needs, wants, desires, fears,
weaknesses, concerns, and even fantasies to sell your product or service.

The ad for Lakme Deep Pore Cleansing begins with the headline “There's a lot that shows on
your face”.

By: M H Lakdawala 3
 The body copy includes - Now, one-and-a-half minutes is all it takes to uncover the
real you. Presenting the complete Deep Pore Cleansing Regimen from Lakme. Simply
because your face says it all.

Thus, not only does the ad talk about the product, it also focuses equally on the
reader. Using words like “you” would make the reader feel good, rather than an ad that
boasts about the product but says nothing about how to use it, how it could make your
life better, etc.

5. Use the "That's Right!" Principle

Get your prospect to agree with you. Tell them something they know already. Get them to say
to themselves, "That's Right!"
The print ad for JW Marriott starts with the headline -: Your mom knows exactly how you
like your bed, your toast, and your coffee….
This headline will indeed make the target exclaim – that’s right!

6. Ask Provocative Questions:

Leading into your copy or headline with thought provoking questions will grab the reader's
interest and move them to read more for the answer.

The ad for Deccan Chronicle uses an attractive female model asking a provocative question
like – “Want to play the number Game?”. The ad actually talks about the impressive figures of
circulation of the Deccan Chronicle.

7. Move Quickly from Intro to the Pitch:

Don't waste your reader's time trying to "warm them up". If they got that far, there's blood
flowing already. People are busy creatures. If you lose their interest, you neither sell nor profit.
Get on with it!

8. Be Sincere:
What's the number one fallback for sales on the web? Fear! Fear of being scammed or ripped-
off. The more sincere you are the better your chance of building a "selling" relationship.

The sincerity and genuineness of Air Sahara comes across in its ad where the body copy
says – as hard as we may try at this time of the year (winter), there are chances of flight delays
due to weather conditions. Every step is taken to help passengers get to their destinations on time.
To make this process easier, we need your help too.

9. Don't Contradict Yourself:

Double-check your copy. You would be surprised to know that many copywriters
unknowingly contradict themselves leaving the reader suspicious, thus destroying your credibility
with them.

10. Keep Your Focus Aligned

The more focused your target group, the better your chance of meeting their needs. Don't try
to sell everyone!

11. Make Your Product Irresistible

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 Dress it up. Your product should sound like the cream of the crop. Focus on your selling
point (price, quality, etc) and make it impossible for the reader to imagine another in comparison.

12. Use Fear as Motivation: Fear is both a weakness and strength, but also a powerful
selling tool. Fear of injury, death or missed opportunity. If you sell a safety product you would
use this fear to your advantage. If you're offering an opportunity, the fear of missing their chance
is a strong seller.

Many ads for financial services use fear to motivate their target.
For example in the ad for New India Assurance – Shop Owners Policy, a shop owner
imagines a riot occurring near his shop, which causes damage to his shop I.e. the physical
property. Thus fear is used to motivate shop owners to get their shops insured under the policy
offered by NIA.

13. Flattery will get you everywhere

Yes, everyone likes to hear a little flattery. Keyword here is "little". Don't overdo it!

14. Be Personable
Let them know that there is a kind, honest and real person behind the page. People would
rather deal with people, not companies, corporations or conglomerates. Add the "Human Touch"
to your copy.

Ex: the institutional ad for Eureka Forbes which shows model Aditi Gowatrikar with her
child has a human touch to it, what with the body copy saying – “…times have changed. Yet your
dreams remain the same. So open up. Say ‘yes’ to life…”

15. Its Guaranteed

A guarantee reassures the reader that you are reputable and will live up to your promises.

For example, in the Vim Bar TVC, the anchor promises that if “your” detergent is better than
Vim Bar, you will get a year’s supply of your detergent free. This guarantee lends credibility to
the offering and induces the viewer to act.

16. Use "Power"ful Words:

"Power" words are words that move a buyer by enhancing and reinforcing your presented
idea. Certain words have proven to be movers and shakers in the advertising world.

Examples of persuasive and attention-grabbing

words

Convenie
Easy Exclusive Indulge
nt

Advantag Comforta
Genuine Dependable
es ble

Immedia WANTE
Instant WARNING
te D

More Biggest Oldest Original

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 17. Share a Secret
People want to get the inside track. If you can convince your prospect that you have an
exclusive message for them, you're one step closer to a sale.

18. Keep It Lively:

There are many ways to keep your copy lively. Telling a (brief) story is a strong technique for
getting your message across. Separating and highlighting key information or facts is another.
Using personal pronouns like "you", we and us will add a sense of warmth to your copy.

19. Go with the Flow

Writing copy requires the ability to make a smooth transition from one point to another.
Rather than laying them out like a list, learn to use transitional words. Transitional words are used
to go from one point to another.

20. Check Your Spelling

Take the time and spell-check your work. Finding misspelled words in copy leaves the reader
wondering how competent your product or service could be, if you cannot take the time to be sure
you spelled the words in your web copy correctly.

21. Use Photo's to Demonstrate:

Use photos to demonstrate your product or service. If used correctly a picture really is worth
a thousand words.
Ads for cosmetics generally use photographs to demonstrate the benefits of using the product
– smooth skin, fairness, etc.

22. Use Graphics to get Attention:

Using buttons, icons and arrows can help direct the reader's attention to important details. If
organized correctly they can also help sort facts or messages into categories.

The ad for Toyota Qualis uses arrows to draw the readers’ attention to the unique features of
the vehicle such as integrated bumper; wood finishes paneling, captain seats, etc.

23. Offer Testimonials

Offer short, reputable testimonials. People want to hear what others have to say about your
product or service.

Diana Hayden – Miss World 1996 offers testimonial for Loreal Hair color.

24 Create a Memorable Logo

Create a simple, but memorable logo or custom graphic that your visitor can easily relate to
your product or service

Examples:
Nike swoosh
Tata
Mercedes
McDonald Golden Arches

25. Create an Unforgettable Slogan

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 Use a short, easy to remember slogan that a reader will walk away with on his or her lips.

Nike – Just Do It.

Visa – Go get it
Pepsi – Yeh Dil Maange More
Asian Paints – Merawalla….

26. Get a response

There are many techniques for getting a prospect to respond. Spell it out for them. Tell them
to respond. Tell them why they should respond. Give them a reason they should respond now.
Offer a bonus or freebie if they respond.

This can be done by using words like – order now, order today, for a short time only, last

chance, etc.

Ex:

Service – ICICI Bank – Two Wheeler Loans

“Take Home Passion (Hero Honda Passion) by just paying Rs. 3999 only

STAGES IN COPYWRITING/ THE APPROVAL PROCESS

Product Manager Lega

of Client l

Client Service
(Agency)

Creative Director Account Lega

Management Team l

Art Senior Acct. Accou

Director Writer Supervisor nt
Manager

Staff
Writer

By: M H Lakdawala 7
 The client company representative (product manager) gives the brief to the client-servicing
department of the ad agency. This brief is then broken down into creative and media brief.

The creative brief is given to the creative director who passes it on to the art director and the
copywriter. These two work in conjunction to create the ad.

The (rough) ad is then shown to the account management team consisting of the supervisor
and manager. They look into legalities that might affect the ad and whether the ad meets the
client’s brief and budget. Changes, if any, are communicated to the creative department

The (rough) ad is then shown to the client servicing dept. The dept. might also suggest
changes. The ad is finally shown to the client for his approval. Once the approval is received, the
creative department goes ahead with the actual production of the ad.

Chapter 2. Creative Strategy: Planning and Development

I. Developing an Advertising Plan: An advertising plan is a document created with the

goal of matching the most effective message to your audience
Definition: An outline of what goals an advertising campaign should achieve, how to
accomplish those goals, and how to determine whether or not the campaign was successful in
obtaining those goals.

Advertising Plan in Context

Marketing Plan

Ad Plan
Specifies thinking and tasks needed to conceive
and implement an effective advertising effort

Developing an Advertising Plan

An advertising plan is a document created with the goal of matching the most effective
message to your audience. An Advertising Plan Matches the Right Audience to the Right
Message and Presents It in the Right Medium to Reach That Audience

Advertising Plan
Definition: An outline of what goals an advertising campaign should achieve, how to
accomplish those goals, and how to determine whether or not the campaign was successful in
obtaining those goals.

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 Typical Advertising or Campaign
Plan Outline (Tab.1)
I. Introduction
• Executive Summary or Overview is provided.
II. Situation Analysis
• Advertising Problems
• Advertising Opportunities
III. Key Strategy Decisions
• Advertising Objectives
• Target Audience
• Competitive Product Advantage
• Product Image and Personality
• Product Position

IV. The Creative Plan

V. The Media Plan
VI. The Communication Plan
• Sales promotion
• Public relations
• Direct marketing
• Personal selling
• Sponsorships, merchandising, packaging, etc.
VII. Implementation and Evaluation
VIII. Budget

II. Advertising Creativity: The five stages of creativity,

Creative Thought Process,
What Is Creativity?
Creativity is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts,
or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts
More than 60 different definitions of creativity can be found in the psychological literature

Definitions of creativity are typically descriptive of activity that results:

1. In producing or bringing about something partly or wholly new
2. In investing an existing object with new properties or characteristics
3. In imagining new possibilities that were not conceived of before
4. In seeing or performing something in a manner different from what was thought possible
or normal previously.

Distinguishing between creativity and innovation

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 Creativity is typically used to refer to the act of producing new ideas, approaches or actions,
while innovation is the process of both generating and applying such creative ideas in some
specific context.

Advertising Creativity involves two processes:

1. Thinking,
2. producing.

Young's Creative Process

Getting
Getting Raw
Raw Material,
Material, Data,
Data,
Immersion
Immersion Immersing
Immersing One's
One's Self
Self in
in the
the Problem
Problem
to
to Get
Get the
the Background.
Background.
Ruminating
Ruminating onon the
the Data
Data Acquired,
Acquired,
Digestion
Digestion Turning
Turning It
It This
This Way
Way and
and That
That in
in the
the
Mind.
Mind.
Ceasing
Ceasing Analysis
Analysis and
and Putting
Putting the
the
Incubation
Incubation Problem
Problem Out
Out of
of Conscious
Conscious Mind
Mind for
for
aa Time.
Time.

AA Sudden
Sudden Inspiration
Inspiration or
or Intuitive
Intuitive
Illumination
Illumination Revelation
Revelation About
About aa Potential
Potential Solution.
Solution.

Studying
Studying the
the Idea,
Idea, Evaluating
Evaluating It,
It, and
and
Verification
Verification Developing
Developing It
It for
for Practical
Practical Usefulness.
Usefulness.

III. Components of the Creative Strategy:

1. Advertising Campaign Themes

The
The central
central message
message that
that will
will be
be
communicated
communicated
in
in all
all of
of the
the various
various IMC
IMC activities
activities

Miller
Miller Chevy
Chevy
AMUL
AMUL BMW
BMW
Lite
Lite Trucks
Trucks

““Taste
Taste of
of ““The
The Ultimate
Ultimate “Like
“Like aa Rock”
Rock”
India”
India” Driving
Driving
Machine”
Machine”

By: M H Lakdawala 10
 Successful Long-Running Campaigns

Company or Brand Campaign Theme

Nike Just do it
Thumps up Taste the thunder
Hallmark cards When you care enough to send
the very best
Fevicol Yeh Fevicol ka jod hain tutega nahin
Intel Intel inside
Airtel Express yourself

LUX soap Beauty soap for film star?

DOVE 1/4th Moisturizing cream
Vicks Vicks ki Goli lo Khich Kickh door karo

2. Major Selling Ideas

Use
Use aa Unique
Positioning
Positioning the
Unique
the Create
Use
Use aa Unique
Create aUnique
a Brand
Brand
Brand
Selling Position
Brand
Selling Position Selling
Image
Selling Position
Image
Position

Seeking
Seeking the
the
Major
Major Idea
Idea

Find
Create
Find the
Create
thethe
Inherent
the Brand
Inherent
Brand
Positioning
Positioning Drama
Image
Drama
Image

Approaches to the Major Selling Idea: USP

Unique
Unique Selling
Selling
Proposition
Proposition

Benefit
Benefit Unique
Unique Potent
Potent

Buy
Buy this
this Must
Must be be unique
unique The
The promise
promise
produce
produce andand to
to this
this brand
brand or
or must
must bebe strong
strong
you'll
you'll benefit
benefit claim;
claim; something
something enough
enough or or
this
this way
way oror rivals
rivals can't
can't or
or attractive
attractive
enjoy
enjoy this
this don't
don't offer
offer enough
enough to to move
move
reward
reward people
people

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 Perspectives of Great Ad Men on the Major Selling Idea

David
David Ogilvy
Ogilvy Leo
Leo Burnett
Burnett

Brand
Brand image
image oror Find
Find the
the inherent
inherent drama
drama oror
personality
personality is
is particularly
particularly characteristic
characteristic of
of the
the
important
important when
when brands
brands product
product that
that makes
makes
are
are similar
similar consumers
consumers buy buy itit

“Every
“Every ad ad must
must contribute
contribute “(Inherent
“(Inherent drama)
drama) isis oftenoften
to
to the
the complex
complex symbol
symbol hard
hard to
to find
find but
but itit isis always
always
that
that isis the
the brand
brand image.”
image.” there,
there, and
and once
once found
found itit isis
the
the most
most interesting
interesting and and
believable
believable ofof all
all
advertising
advertising appeals.”
appeals.”

3. Creating a Brand Image

Used
Used when
when competing
competing brands
brands are
are so
so
similar
similar itit is
is difficult
difficult to
to find
find or
or create
create aa
unique
unique attribute
attribute

The
The creativity
creativity sales
sales strategy
strategy is
is based
based on
on aa
strong,
strong, memorable
memorable brand
brand identity
identity through
through
image
image advertising
advertising

Often
Often used
used for
for products
products such
such as
as soft
soft
drinks,
drinks, perfume,
perfume, liquor,
liquor, clothing,
clothing, airlines
airlines

Approaches to the Major Selling

Idea: Inherent Drama

Messages
Messages generally
generally presented
presented
Inherent
Inherent in
in aa warm,
warm, emotional
emotional way
way
Drama
Drama Hallmark, Maytag, Kellog
Hallmark, Maytag, Kellog

Focus
Focus on
on consumer
consumer benefits
benefits
with
with an
an emphasis
emphasis on
on the
the
dramatic
dramatic element
element in
in
expressing
expressing them
them

By: M H Lakdawala 12
 4. A. Advertising appeals

Appeals are broadly classified as rational, emotional and moral appeals:

Rational appeals are those directed at the thinking process of the audience. They involve some
sort of a deliberate reasoning process, which a person believes would be acceptable to other
members of his social group. They attempt to show that the product would yield the expected
functional benefit. Rationality has come to be equated with substance.

Rational appeals:
A rational ad becomes believable and effective. Although there may be some disagreement
regarding which motives are rational and which are emotional, the following are some buying
motives, which are normally, considered rational under ordinary circumstances:
(i) High Quality: People buy television, stereophonic music systems, furniture, refrigerators,
electric gadgets; kitchenware and a host of consumer durables for their high quality. Many
consumer goods, too, are bought for their quality, such as clothing, beverages, food items, etc.,
and not merely because of their taste or fashion, or style.
(ii) Low Price: Many people buy low-priced locally made air conditioners for their homes
because they believe that these products will show a product performance similar to, or slightly
inferior to, that of nationally reputed brands at higher price. Whether this is true or not, a person,
as long he believes this to be true, thinks his reason will be accepted as a "good" one by his social
group. In this case, he is exhibiting a rational motive.
(iii) Long Life, as of a car tyre that will give 30,000 kms, before its utility has been
exhausted.
(iv) Performance, as of a ballpoint pen that won't release excessive ink or skip under any
circumstances.
(v) Ease of use, as of a screwdriver with a magnetized tip which clings to the metal head of
the screw, or a timer in the kitchen mixer which switches off automatically after a pre-determined
time period.
(vi) Re-sale Value, as of a two-wheeler scooter. "Bajaj" has a better re-sale value than any other
make.
(vii) Economy, in the operating expenses of some brands of refrigerator is greater because they
consume less electricity. Many two-wheeler vehicles claim a better mileage per litre consumption
of fuel than similar other vehicles.

We should, however, point out that some of the best ads are totally irrational. Porsche car ads
listed such irrational benefits. Volkswagen built itself on the proposition it's ugly but it works.
Nine per cent of the human psyche is irrational. But, what is irrational can be made to seem
rational. Gary Goldsmith is not content with just a rational benefit but expects the benefit offered
to be such, which a rational person can understand.

Industrial buyers are most responsive to rational appeals. They make purchase decisions in line
with the technical specification of the product, product quality, etc. Most industrial buyers are
knowledgeable about the product class, trained to recognize value and are responsible to others
about their choice. Often, industrial buying decisions are made after a thorough comparison of
various offers and after evaluating the various benefits of different makes.

Consumer durables of high value 'are also often bought on the basis of rational appeals. People
are ready and willing to give rational motives if asked why they have made a particular [purchase.
Those who buy Playboy or Debonair are likely to say they buy them for the articles. Even when
decisions are made on emotional grounds, people like to rationalize their decision~ to show that

By: M H Lakdawala 13
they are based on sound rational grounds. Strong emotional propositions need rational
underpinnings. Most of us want others to regard us as rational human beings. That is why we like
to give socially acceptable reasons for our buying decisions. We feel that rational motives will
raise our status in the eyes of our associates and colleagues.

Emotional appeals:
Emotional appeals are those appeals, which are not preceded by careful analysis of
the pros and cons of making a buying. Emotions are those mental agitations or excited states
of feeling which prompt us to make a purchase. Emotional motives may be below the level of
consciousness, and may not be recognized by a person; or even if he is fully aware that such a
motive is operating, he is unwilling to admit it to others because he feels that it would be
unacceptable as a "proper" reason for buying among his associates and colleagues.

Emotional appeals are designed to stir up some negative or positive emotions that will motivate
product interest or purchase. Different emotional appeals, which are particularly important from
the advertising point of view, are listed below. Following several motivation research studies, it
has been found that negative emotional appeals are more effective than positive ones. We
shall also, therefore, name the negative appeals first.

All brands have rational and emotional credentials. Levi's is youthful, rebellious and sexy.
But it offers rational benefits like strength too. One has to balance between rational and
emotional arguments. Singapore Airlines presents the Singapore girl, an emotional icon. But it
also emphasizes in-flight service that other airlines talk about, which is a rational proposition.

Negative Emotional Appeals: An advertiser may try to induce a particular behavioral

change by emphasizing either positive or negative appeals, or a combination of both. For
example, an advertising campaign to get the target audience to buy fire insurance may stress the
positive aspect -low cost relative to other investment, the services the insurance company
provides, early settlement of claims, and so on; or it may stress the negative aspect of not getting
insurance - the danger of losing one's possessions or the ravages of fire. Positive appeals use the
strategy of "reducing" a person's anxiety about "buying and using" a product, while negative
appeals use the strategy of "increasing" a person's anxiety about "not using" a product or service.
In general, a positive appeal stresses the positive gains to a person from complying with the
persuasive message; the negative appeal stresses his loss if he fails to comply.

Emotions are those mental agitations or excited states of feeling which prompt us to make a
purchase. Emotional motives may be below the level of consciousness, and may not be
recognized by a person; or even if he is fully aware that such a motive is operating, he is
unwilling to admit it to others because he feels that it would be unacceptable as a "proper" reason
for buying among his associates and colleagues.

Emotional appeals are designed to stir up some negative or positive emotions that will motivate
product interest or purchase. Different emotional appeals, which are particularly important from
the advertising point of view, are listed below. Following several motivation research studies, it
has been found that negative emotional appeals are more effective than positive ones. We
shall also, therefore, name the negative appeals first.

All brands have rational and emotional credentials. Levi's is youthful, rebellious and sexy.
But it offers rational benefits like strength too. One has to balance between rational and
emotional arguments. Singapore Airlines presents the Singapore girl, an emotional icon. But it
also emphasizes in-flight service that other airlines talk about, which is a rational proposition.

By: M H Lakdawala 14
 Negative Emotional Appeals: An advertiser may try to induce a particular behavioral
change by emphasizing either positive or negative appeals, or a combination of both. For
example, an advertising campaign to get the target audience to buy fire insurance may stress the
positive aspect -low cost relative to other investment, the services the insurance company
provides, early settlement of claims, and so on; or it may stress the negative aspect of not getting
insurance - the danger of losing one's possessions or the ravages of fire. Positive appeals use the
strategy of "reducing" a person's anxiety about "buying and using" a product, while negative
appeals use the strategy of "increasing" a person's anxiety about "not using" a product or service.
In general, a positive appeal stresses the positive gains to a person from complying with the
persuasive message; the negative appeal stresses his loss if he fails to comply.

Precautions while using the Emotional Route:

1. The advertising should have relevance. If the product needs attribute-based rational
advertising, emotional appeals should be avoided.
2. There should be a natural flow of feelings.
3. Execution should not be exaggerated. The level of emotionality should not exceed that
experienced by the consumer.
4. There is a difference between a consumer's emotions associated with the product / brand
and a consumer's emotional reaction to the ad copy itself. Preferably, these two should be
compatible.

Fear Appeals: The fear appeal is most important among emotional appeals, and also the
most effective. It is said that the message's effectiveness increases with the level of fear it
generates. The use of fear appeal in getting people to start doing things they should is very
common.

Many ad messages of toothpaste employ this appeal. They present the fear of tooth decay or
unhealthy gums or bad breath, and then suggest the use of a specific brand of toothpaste to get rid
of such fears. A recent ad of "Promise" shows a boy weeping because of severe toothache, and
then suggests the use of "Promise" to avoid a recurrence of toothache.

A fear appeal of this kind is used in a wide variety of product categories. When products are
designed to protect an individual from some loss of health (medical or life insurance), the fear
appeal of the type illustrated above can be effectively employed. Then there are products
designed to protect an individual from loss of property (automobile or home), which successfully
employ fear appeals to induce a particular buying behavior.

Fear appeals are at times used in ad messages in connection with getting people to stop doing
the things they shouldn't do. The advertisements relating to prohibition, prevention of losses and
conservation of energy fall in this category. The warning on the cigarette packet that smoking is
injurious to health is a typical example, even though this is a statutory warning and advertisers
themselves would not like to include it is the ad on their own.

Then there are many products that are, directly or indirectly, involved in the avoidance of a
fearful situation. A large number of advertisements employ the fear appeal in their ad messages
of products, which relate to more subtle social and psychological motivations, such as loss of
status, friendship, job, position, and so forth. Personal-care products (soaps, cosmetics,
deodorants, shave lotions, mouthwash, etc.) fall in this category. Fear is the higher level
of tension; but anxiety has been used to promote the sale of a large number of instant foods, other

By: M H Lakdawala 15
food products and home appliances. Think of ads wherein the housewife's anxieties are fully
exploited to get the message across to the target audience.

The more carefully fear is built, the greater is the tension resulting in a greater drive from
within to reduce the tension. Research studies have proved that extremely great fear appeals ate
less effective than moderate ones in motivating people to adopt the product and eliminate fear.
However, very weak fear appeals are not effective either in evoking the desired response.
Therefore, a selection of the appropriate fear level is important; it should be strong enough to
heighten the drive of the people to buy a particular product.

But if an excessively strong fear is pictured, it is possible that people would exhibit a
defensive behavior, and tries to avoid the ad, and may not be prepared to accept the threat. They
may even take the view that the solution recommended in the ad may be inadequate to deal with
so great a fear.

However, some researchers have found cases where strong fear appeals have worked
beautifully. They feel that buyers have different tolerances for fear and that therefore, different
levels of the fear message should be set for the various segments of the audience. However, the
underlying concept that every message should promise to relieve, in a believable way, the fear it
arouses should be the ultimate guide in the selection of the levels of fear appeals. A general
principle of "not too much and not too little" is most relevant in the selection of appropriate fear
appeals.

CARE (an American conducted a methodical study in rural north India (mainly UP) ad
agency) to discover which of the two appeals - positive or negative-would work better in getting a
nutritive food accepted. The positive appeal was love of children and the negative one was fear of
the consequences of malnutrition. The "love" campaign featured a proud mother rearing her
thriving child on the prescribed food. The "fear" approach created a frightening devil (rakshas),
symbolizing the disease and misfortune arising from wrong food habits. These campaigns were
run for a full year in two different areas.

The evaluation of these campaigns clearly showed that the fear appeal created a great deal
more awareness of the value of the nutritive food. The negative proposition aroused immediate
reaction because of the fact that an unpleasant bang is more likely to make one sit up than the
melodious strains of soothing music. Some authors and experts in the field of advertising,
however, may disagree with this view. But fear appeals are seldom composed entirely of
negatives. The warnings generally pave the way for positive advice and exhortation, and in this
form the negative appeals appear to be just as effective on the average as positive appeals.

Take, for example, the recent advertisement of Khaitan Kitchen fans employing a negative
appeal. The headline states: "Are you cooking or being cooked?" It goes on: "Every housewife
knows how miserable she feels when she cooks. It makes her irritable and saps her energy.
Khaitan presents a simple, efficient and inexpensive answer. ‘The Khaitan Fresh Air Fan.’ It
drives out smoke, smells and heat, and brings in fresh air. Not only that; thanks to the continuous
inflow of fresh air, the chances of dampness are eliminated. And this prevents cockroaches and
other insects from breeding in your kitchen."

The headline and the initial part of the body of the copy effectively create fear; but the latter
part of the copy presents the solution and the positive appeal of the product. Such is the most
common form of the advertising message - first building up fear and then offering a solution with
other positive appeals of the product advertised. On the level of fear, Aaker and Myer, in their

By: M H Lakdawala 16
book, Advertising Management, rightly state that fear or anxiety has two kinds of possible effects
on message reception and yielding. As a stimulus, its effect tends to be negative; and as a drive, it
tends to be positive.

Furthermore, too little anxiety tends to provide an insufficient drive, and too much anxiety
tends to make the stimulus aspect predominant. The net result of these two factors is to make the
relationship between anxiety level and message effectiveness non-monotonic, with maximum
effectiveness occurring at the intermediate levels of anxiety.

And, lastly, so far as appeals to fear are concerned, this approach is useful for products that
are of little interest to consumers when rational appeals are employed. Even in cases where the
product fulfils a generally recognized need, fear appeals are effective. Take the case of life
insurance. Fear appeals are still required to sell policies. However, fear appeals fail in the case of
the cancer hazard of cigarette smoking, which is often rejected by most smokers.

Fear Appeal and Market Segmentation: We have just now stated that, in some cases, big
doses of fear are recommended, whereas, in others, the use of low levels of fear is the logical
strategy. We have also given examples of an ad about dental health, where the degree of
associated fear is high, and an ad about smoking and cancer, where the level of fear is low.
Furthermore, apart from the differences in product categories, the age and personality differences
in the target audience vary the effectiveness of each level of fear appeal. That is why it has been
recommended that both the market segment and product category groupings should be taken into
consideration before designing appropriate fear appeals.

Let us take an in-depth look at the use of fear appeals and their relationship with the
market segment, for this will provide a valuable insight to advertisers. It is important to note
that although people generally prefer positive arguments, a fear appeal can make an
advertisement stand out from others. For individuals whose aroused fear or anxiety about the
product is low, and those who would not normally search for information about the product, the
fear appeal can be particularly effective if these individuals have been previously exposed to
positive arguments.

It has been found that it is better to put fear first in the order of presentation, to threaten
someone close to the prospect rather than the prospect himself. While advertising a helmet for
scooter-riders, the fear of injury to the head is the most appealing to the wife and to someone
close to the rider. The rider himself may not accept the idea promptly because of self-esteem and
of ego consciousness. The appeal of intense fear might be best for people who tend to be of low-
anxiety and high self-esteem people, who exhibit a copying behavior, and who find the product to
be of low relevance.

There are many who have a low vulnerability to fear and anxiety. For example, life insurance
companies find that fear appeals work beautifully with those who feel that they do not need
coverage for their lives. Fear appeals are appropriate for breaking into new market segments. In
fact, the susceptibility to fear appeals is one more approach to the market segmentation process.

A careful analysis of those potential fear appeals, designed to arouse emotion in a group or
audience, should be made a part of advertising strategy, wherein all ads addressed to this
audience will incorporate such fear appeals. Thus, if appropriate fear appeals are defined, they
become a useful tool in market segmentation.

By: M H Lakdawala 17
 Positive Emotional Appeals: Positive appeals highlight product benefits and attributes
capable of influencing consumer behavior. They are love, humor, pride, prestige and joy. Most
baby food products have a mother's love appeal. Love for family is perfectly employed in an ad
of Dettol soap that has been called "The Love & Care Soap." In the closing sentence, the ad
appeals by saying: "Give your family the Loving Care of Dettol Soap." Mother's love for the
baby has been appealed to in ad of Johnson's baby soap. It says: "Gentle as a kiss on your
baby's tender skin." It further, goes on to say: ''Johnson's Baby Soap. Because Johnson &
Johnson care for your baby almost as I much as you do." Is this positive appeal not
effective, when the advertiser shows as much care for a child as its mother does?

Advertisers have also successfully used messages communicating the joy and thrill (all, those
soft drink, ads) associated with using the product. A humorous message attracts more attention
and creates more liking and belief in the source, though it reduces comprehension. David
Ogilvy, a well-known personality in the advertising profession, believes that humour has been
over-used: "People are amused by clowns - they don't buy from them…So many people
in advertising are compulsive entertainers who seek applause rather than sales."

Other positive emotional appeals involving price, prestige or exclusiveness are often used in
ads of suitings. Advertisements of suitings by Raymonds, Digjam, Dinesh etc., employ emotional
motives, "Suitings for the Connoisseur," a Digjam ad campaign, is an example of appealing to
those individuals who are experts in matters of taste and choice of clothing. Other emotional
motives are illustrated in the following list:
(i) Desire to be different, as illustrated by people who build an ultra modem home in an
area of traditional homes.
(ii) Desire to confirm, as in the case of teenage boy and girls who want to be "in jeans"
because all their friends wear jeans.
(iii) Desire to attract the opposite sex, as shown by a teenage girl who buys a new
cosmetic in order to make her skin more beautiful.
(iv) Desire for prestige, as shown by a person who buys the most expensive automobile
(Mercedes, Toyota, etc.) he can afford in order to impress his friends.
In making purchases, many combine both rational and emotional motives. In fact, a blend of
buying motives usually is the basis of a purchase: An engineer may take up a management course
at any of the prestigious schools because he feels it will make him look important in the eyes of
his associates and help him in securing a better job in the industry and business. A woman may
want to buy a new home in posh locality because it will improve her family's social status and
because it is within walking distance of a good school for her children.

Moral appeals are those appeals to the audience that appeal to their sense of right and
wrong. These are often used in messages to arouse a favorable response to social causes, such as
prohibition, adult literacy, social forestry, anti-smuggling 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 messages that appeal for
generous donations for flood victims and for famine relief operations - these are often based on
moral appeal. Many commercial advertisements are criticized on moral grounds. The most
controversial ad campaigns are by multinational companies marketing baby food products. Many
WHO experts are critical of these corporations that promote bottle-feeding against breast-
feeding.

Sex Appeals in Advertising: Sex appeal is being increasingly used in Indian advertising to
overcome the culture in the print as well as broadcast media and to grab attention. Sex appeals in
contraceptive ads have become explicit, and are more visual than verbal. Does sex really sell? Or

By: M H Lakdawala 18
is it a negative influence on consumer? The answer is not either affirmative or negative for these
questions, and depends upon a number of factors.

Effectiveness of ads is measured in terms of the objectives - creating awareness may be the
objective, and then brand recall is a measure of effectiveness. The advertising objective may be to
make the consumer buy - here buying intention is a measure of effectiveness.

The following summarizes the research studies in this context.

Research shows that non-sexual illustrations are more effective than sexual ones while
undergoing brand recall. Men remember the sexy illustration and neglect the brand. Favorably
disposed people to the use of sex had a higher brand recall of brand names that used sex appeals
in their ads.

Negatively inclined people to sex had a lower brand recall. .

Research also shows that nude illustrations of female are least appealing, are associated with
lowest quality product and least reputable company. Recently Seven's research shows that explicit
sex appeals do not interfere with the ability to recall brand names.

It has also been observed that visual which is highly sexual interferes with the cognitive
processing of the message since readers tend to spend more time on the ad as a whole.
Information transmission is definitely adversely affected by sex appeal. Functional sex appeals
have highest recall and so also symbolism. Inappropriate sex appeals have lowest recall. Fantasies
are also used as sex appeals. Appeal that are consistent with the product, lead to a higher recall.
There might be gender-related responses to sex appeal. Females may find the sexual ad offensive
and so its use for a female-targeted product runs a risk. A lipstick ad showing a female model that
is seductive may grab the attention of the male-audience rather than the targeted female audience.

Connotative sexual appeals like symbolism are more acceptable than explicit
appeals.
The sexual appeals are justified in case of products like personal products, panties, bras,
undergarments, and swimsuits. They may not go well with industrial products. The relevance of
the appeal to the product is very important.

The manner of sex portrayal, the sex of the models and the target segment also affect the
effectiveness of the ad. Blatant references to sex are suddenly the in-thing in American
advertising. Marketers promoting perfumes, jeans, alcohols, gloves, watches and cars are
resorting to this route. Media clutter may be one reason that leads to the explosion of sexual
imagery in advertising. Ads of perfumes have traditionally focused on the sensuous. For Calvin
Klein, sex has always been a favorite selling point.

The late Justice Hidayatullah had ruled "where obscenity and art are mixed, art must be so
prepondering as to throw the obscenity into the shadow." We tend to agree with him. There is a
thin line between nudity and crudity. Even an act of kissing has both sexual and non-sexual
content. "Of no use to one, yet it is absolute bliss to two. The small boy gets it for nothing, the
young man has to steal it and the old man has to buy it. The baby's right, the lover's privilege, the
hypocrite's mask. To a young girl, faith; to a married woman, hope and to an old maid; charity."

Sex appeals are interpreted differently from time to time, region to region, person to person,
country to country, and society to society. Even the same person reacts to them differently at
different stages of his life cycle.

By: M H Lakdawala 19
 Humour

Humour has always been a great way to sell, especially if used tastefully. one has
traditionally seen humour being used to sell either FMCG or durables.

Conventional wisdom had it that you don't use humour to sell serious products like insurance
or products where the technology and value proposition seemed to be the hero.
And of course the Government thought that the entire populace was a morose mass of
morons who did not have a sense of humour. As they say, "you can think like only you can".

That's why Centre Shock and Alpenliebe successfully used humour and other `serious' service
industries didn't. Well, these days, the joke is on those who did not dare to use humour. For one,
humour is light, elevating, rejuvenating and has great repeat value.

On a more practical level, humour is a great differentiator, more so, when others don't have
the guts to use it. Remember any advertising for batteries? Odds on, you have forgotten all the
serious stuff about technical specs and the like. The Standard Furukawa advertising where the
campaign used humour in small-sized print advertising (Why is a Standard battery like a mother-
in-law? Because it goes "on and on and on".)

The fantastic animation and humour packaged tightly with superb art direction for Amaron
Batteries. From the `sing-song' narrative to the `ting-tong' sign off, the advertisement is a winner
all the way. Hutch and Nokia have discovered the joys of entertaining customers not just with
their products but also with their advertising. A recent TV commercial has an animated family
that is `shrunk' to watch movies on their handsets.

One would of course, wish that recognised songs are not directly lifted and used. Nokia, in
fact, had another memorable commercial where an army of clowns scrambles to put a smile on a
dreary customer's face. That's entertainment for you. Dominos and Reliance Infocomm have been
using the amazing width of expression that Paresh Rawal can bring to any role he graces to keep
their audiences smiling. Paresh really brings the RIM commercial to life with his persona.

For many years (yes, private insurers have been advertising for about four years now)
insurance companies thought that since they dealt with `morbid' subjects like death and injury,
they should put on a black hat, hold a sickle in their hands and act as if the grim reaper had come
to collect the insurance premium from the hapless customers.

Fortunately, they seem to be breaking out of that mindset now. ICICI Prudential deserves to
be congratulated for leading the charge in the right direction. The fact that its `Chintamani'
advertisement in its TV and print versions is doing an encore this year proves that there is no
`chinta', only money for ICICI and Lowe in persisting with this lighter approach.

Tata AIG has also decided that a smile is a good policy and has created its second TVC in the
`smile genre.' All in all, the message seems to be clear. Make the customer smile and you can
laugh all the way to the bank.

By: M H Lakdawala 20
 Pros and Cons of Using Humor
Advantages Disadvantages
• Aids attention and • Does not aid persuasion
awareness in general
• May aid retention of the • May harm recall and
message comprehension
• Creates a positive mood • May harm complex copy
and enhances persuasion registration
• May aid name and simple • Does not aid source
copy registration credibility
• May serve as a distracter • Is not effective in
and reduce the level of bringing about sales
counterarguing • May wear out faster

All brands have rational and emotional credentials.

Use of Humor
FAVORABLE TOWARD UNFAVORABLE TOWARD
HUMOR HUMOR
• Creative personnel • Research directors
• Radio and television • Direct mail, newspapers
• Consumer non-durables • Corporate advertising
• Business services • Industrial products
• Products related to the • Goods or services of a sensitive
humorous ploy nature
• Audiences that are: • Audiences that are:
– Younger – Older
– Better educated – Less educated
– Up-scale – Down-scale
– Male – Female
– Professional – Semi- or Unskilled

Levi's is youthful, rebellious and sexy. But it offers rational benefits like strength too. One
has to balance between rational and emotional arguments. Singapore Airlines presents the
Singapore girl, an emotional icon. But it also emphasizes in-flight service that other airlines talk
about, which is a rational proposition.

4. B. Advertising Execution Techniques

Execution style – the way the particular appeal is turned into an advertising message
presented to the consumer

By: M H Lakdawala 21
 Ad Execution Techniques
1.
1.Straight
Straight
Straight
Straight sell
sell
sell
sell 7.
7.Animation
Animation
Animation
Animation

8.
8. Personality
Personality
2.
2.Scientific
Scientific
Scientific
Scientific Personality
Personality Symbol
Symbol
Symbol
Symbol
9.
9. Imagery
Imagery or
or
3.
3.Demonstration
Demonstration
Demonstration
Demonstration Imagery
Imagery
Light
Light Fantasy
Fantasy

4.
4.Comparison
Comparison
Comparison
Comparison 10.
10.Dramatization
Dramatization
Dramatization
Dramatization

11.
11. Reason
Reason why
why
5.
5.Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial Humor
Humor
copy:
copy:

6.
6.Slice
Slice
Sliceof
Slice ofof
life
of life
life
life 12.
12. Combinations
Combinations

1. Straight-Sell Copy: A type of body copy in which the text immediately explains or
develops the headline and visual in a straightforward attempt to sell the product. The
technique consists of a straightforward and clear presentation of the product and its
benefits. The advertisement clearly explains the features of the product such as its USP
and features, differentiating it from other products.

1. Scientific / technical: the presentation focus on the scientific and technological aspect
of the product. Example while promoting digital cameras the focus is on picture quality
and the mega pixel.
2. Demonstration: Demonstration advertising is designed to illustrate the key advantages
of the product/ service by showing it in actual use or in some staged situation.
Demonstration executions can be very effective in convincing consumers of a products
utility or quality and of the benefits of owning or using the brand. TV is particularly well
suited for demonstration executions, since the benefits a little less dramatic than TV
demonstration ads can also work in print.
3. Comparative copy: Comparative advertising, as a special form of advertising, is a sales
promotion device that compares the products or services of one undertaking with those of
another, or with those of other competitors. All comparative advertising is designed to
highlight the advantages of the goods or services offered by the advertiser as compared to
those of a competitor. In order to achieve this objective, the message of the advertisement
must necessarily underline the differences between the goods or services compared by
describing their main characteristics. The comparison made by the advertiser will
necessarily flow from such a description.  

Function of comparative advertising 

Comparative advertising should enable advertisers to objectively demonstrate the merits of
their products. Comparative advertising improves the quality of information available to
consumers enabling them to make well-founded and more informed decisions relating to the
choice between competing products/services by demonstrating the merits of various comparable
products. Based on this information, consumers may make informed and therefore efficient
choices. (These statements are true only if the comparative advertising is objective.) 

Comparative advertising which aims to objectively and truthfully inform the consumer
promotes the transparency of the market. Market transparency is also deemed to benefit the
public interest as the functioning of competition is improved resulting in keeping down prices and

By: M H Lakdawala 22
improving products. Comparative advertising can stimulate competition between suppliers of
goods and services to the consumer's advantage.  

4. Testimonials: Many advertisers prefer to have their messages presented by ways of

testimonials, where a person praises the product or service on the basis of his or her
personal experience with it. Testimonial executions can have ordinary satisfied customers
discuss their own experiences with the brand and the benefits of using it.

This approach can be very effective where the person delivering the testimonial is
someone with whom the target audience can identify or who has an interesting story to tell.
The testimonial must be based on actual use of the product or service to avoid legal problems
and the spokesperson must be credible.Apple Computer made effective use of testimonials as
part of its “Switch” campaign, which features computer users from various walks of life
discusing why they switch from Windows-based machines to Macintoshes.

The people giving the testimonials in the ads are from various walks of life.Switch was
an advertising campaign launched by Apple Computer on June 10, 2002. It featured what the
company referred to as "real people" who had "switched" from the Microsoft Windows
platform to the Mac. An international television and print ad campaign directed users to a
website where various myths about the Mac platform were dispelled. The television
commercials were directed by Errol Morris.

5. Slice of Life: Advertising-copy technique where a real-life problem is presented in a

dramatic situation and the item being advertised becomes the solution to the problem.

Detergent manufacturers rely upon this advertising format heavily. These types of
advertisements connect with consumers on a personal level. The ads usually portray a family
scene occurring (a "slice of life") during a typical day.

These advertisements create a positive feeling about specific products in the minds of
consumers because they can relate to these everyday situations which they too face.

Widely used in print advertising formats, this execution shows a real life problem and
what the person in the ad does to overcome it. This execution is a combination of the
demonstration and the testimonial executions. Ads for consumer products use this method
effectively. An example is a housewife who is having trouble cleaning her kitchen floor, with
a product offered which can solve this problem.

6. Animation: This technique used animated characters or scenes drawn by artists or on

computer. Animation is extremely effective when marketing a product aimed at children.
They relate well to cartoon-like imagery therefore commercials that utilise animation
grab their attention easily. A good example is the Kellogg’s Coco Pops adverts. They
depict an imaginary island inhabited by eccentric animals. Generations of children have
found this to be extremely appealing.

Animation is an inherently creative medium. The human mind goes through a thought
process of depicting meaning from an animated aesthetic. It instigates thought in the way that
advertisers can use to their advantage by inspiring thoughts of desire. When harnessed well,
animation is one of the most multipurpose tools for increasing sales of any product or business or
simply getting a message across.

By: M H Lakdawala 23
 When dealing with concepts that can not be expressed in words or with illustrations can be
extremely frustrating for advertisers and marketers - This is where animation steps in. The fact
that these concepts can be portrayed successfully and can make it easy for the consumer to grasp
your idea or concept without any kind of explanations is unparallel tool in the advertising
industry.

7. Personality symbol—this type of execution involves the use of a central character or

personality symbol to deliver the advertising message and with which the product or
service can be identified. The personality symbol can take the form of a person who is
used as a spokesperson, animated characters or even animals.

8. Imagery / Fantasy—this type of appeal is often used for image advertising by showing
an imaginary situation or illusion involving a consumer and the product or service.
Cosmetic companies often use fantasy executions although the technique has also been
used in advertising for other products such as automobiles and beer.’

9. Dramatization—this execution technique creates a suspenseful situation or scenario in

the form of a short story. Dramatizations often use the problem/solution approach as they
show how the advertised brand can help resolve a problem.

10. "Reason Why" was the answer of Kennedy to what makes people purchase a particular
good. "True 'Reason-Why' copy is logic plus persuasion plus conviction, all woven into a
certain simplicity of thought-pre-digested for the average mind, so that it is easier to
understand than to misunderstand it.In addition, the growing importance of national
advertising of branded products produced a perfect condition for growth of "reason-why"
adverting. The need to stimulate interest and desire seemed to be fully satisfied by
"Reason-Why" ads, which aimed to present the consumer with convincing arguments to
purchase the advertised brand. Ads had the task of pointing out the distinctive
characteristics of a brand and explaining its superiority. In this sense, "reason-why"
advertising was the appropriate method of implementing a strategy of product
differentiation.

11. Combinations—many of these execution techniques can be combined in presenting an

advertising message. For example, slice-of-life ads are often used to demonstrate a
product or make brand comparisons.

12. Feel good Ads: "Feel good" ads are those ads which do not have a specific call for a
response: to buy something, to do something, to take action, or to vote. As this term is
used here, "feel good ads" can describe the many different ads and sponsorships which
generate good will, or create a feeling of warmth and pleasantness, so that we know and
like the product or the company.In advertising, any individual "feel good" ad must be put
into a wider context, as a small part of a larger ad campaign. For example, most ads
targeted at kids not only seek an immediate response (kids or their parents buy
something, now), but also to build long-term good will for "later" because kids will grow
up to be adults. Note how often kids will say "When I grow up, I'm going to get
a ...."People buy from people they know, and like.

13. Fund raising copy:The fund raising copy is all about inspiring potential donors to
believe in a cause. The copy says unexpected things in elegant ways, which moves
readers and stirred thier emotions, which angered them or made them proud, a copy
which they want to read from beginning to end. But fine words alone don’t make for

By: M H Lakdawala 24
 good fundraising copy, as Smith knows. It’s how you use them that count. Remember the
old Roman aphorism, ‘When Cauis spoke in the Senate the people said, “That was a
remarkably fine speech”, but when Marcellus spoke they shouted, “Let us now march on
Byzantium!”.’

For Marcellus’ powerfully put words had moved his listeners not to sympathy but to
action. You need to know to write more clearly, more convincingly and more accessibly
with clarity and precision.

IV. Combining Creativity and Strategy:

In advertising, different creative strategies are used in order to obtain consumer attention and
provoke shoppers to purchase or use a specific product. Advertisers use different ways of
thinking to create catchy slogans that capture consumer attention. Creative strategies promote
publicity, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion.
These ways of thinking are divided into three basic descriptions: Weak strategies, mid-
strength strategies and strong strategies. The strategies labeled "strong, mid-strength, and weak
are generic phrases used in the text books referenced below to help students understand the
intensity of each different type of advertising strategy. Advertisements, weak, mid-strength, and
strong can be found in television, radio, and magazines/print.
Since the beginning of advertising, strategies have been created, starting with the simplest
(weak) strategies in the 1940s.

V. Organizing the Creative Task

Strategy and Creativity?

Strategy: What is an advertising strategy? Basically, it is the formulation of a message that

communicates to the market the benefits or problem solution characteristics of the product or
service. What you are trying to convey through your advertising and state in your strategy is what
your product offers to meet the consumer's need; how your product has more beneficial
characteristics than the competition's; and what the beneficial characteristics are.

The advertising strategy is a direct result of the market strategy. The market strategy focuses
on the improvement of operations and the positioning of the storefront, while the advertising
strategy concentrates on reaching out to the marketplace and conveying what the market strategy
has accomplished internally.

The first step in formulating an advertising strategy is to determine the product or service you
have to offer to the marketplace and the objective of the campaign.

Creativity:
Creativity is simply the ability of a person to create. To understand creativity one can simply refer
to a person with unique ideas and willing to bring new things into the life. Usually creativity is
considered as the natural ability of a person. However, the creativity can also be developed in a
person.

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Weak strategies

Generic and Pre-emptive strategies describe the two weakest forms of advertising that were
most popular through the 1940s.

 A generic strategy gives a product attribution. An example of this would be how the Milk
industry chose to advertise their product. With their slogan, “Milk, it's good for health,
have it with dinner,” consumers aren't learning anything new about the product.
 The Milk slogan simply states milk as a dinner item. It enhances the product in no other
way.

A pre-emptive strategy is a form of advertising that makes a generic claim stronger. An

example of a pre-emptive strategy can be found in Folgers Coffee. As many of us know, most all
coffee is grown in the mountains. Folgers took that fact and claimed it as their own with their
slogan, “Folgers: Mountain Grown Coffee.”

Middle-strength strategies

Secondly, are the mid-strength strategies: 1.

1. Unique positioning strategy

2. Brand image and

3. Positioning?

1. A unique positioning strategy is proving that something about your product is truly
unique. This is commonly found when producers take an average product and add a new, unique
element to it. An example of Unique Positioning Strategy would be in Dove soap. Dove added
the unique feature of moisturizing cream in their product to differentiate it from other brands of
soaps.

A downfall in Unique positioning strategy advertising is that if a unique feature increases

sales on one product, many other brands are likely to adopt the “unique” feature, making the end
product not so unique.

2. Brand Image is another very common way companies choose to advertise. In brand
image, an advertiser is not trying to create rational thinking. This type of advertising strives to
create emotion and give a brand a personality. A common way of doing this is by using a
celebrity as a spokesperson.

A great example of brand image is found in Proactive Acne Solutions. In each of their
commercials they have celebrities sharing their Proactive experiences, giving the brand a face
people want to be.

3. Positioning is one of the most common forms of advertising. It was developed in the
1970s and is still widely used today. In positioning one brand will take its product and “position”
it against a competing product.

By: M H Lakdawala 26
 An example of positioning can be found in the rental car company “Avis'” store slogan. With
“Hertz” car company being the leader in rental car services, Avis took their number two position
and used it to their advantage by creating the slogan, “When you're number two, you try harder.”

Positioning

Positioning is another basic concept in strategy design. Position is defined as the perception
that the targeted consumers have of a firm's products or services relative to competitive products
or services. Positioning is based on product or service attributes or characteristics that are
potentially relevant to the audience.

One methodology suggests that positioning strategy may be approached via one of six
positioning trait sets, shown in Table 2. We'll look briefly at each of these.

Positioning Trait Sets

1. By Attributes

2. By Price and Quality

3. By Use or Application
4. By Product User

5. By Product Class

6. By Competitor

Positioning by Attribute

Positioning by attribute is probably the most often used positioning approach. An attribute is
a characteristic feature or benefit of the product or service. To use this method, you begin by
defining a relevant set of attributes, usually in pairs. These attributes can be anything as long as
the consumer of the products or services perceives the attribute as an important characteristic of
the product or service.

Positioning by Price/Quality

This may be thought of as a set of attributes, but they are of such importance to all consumers
that they probably should be considered their own category for positioning purposes. The
price/quality set reflects a perception in consumers' minds that brands which offer more features,
and/or better service performance, are often priced higher. Higher prices tend to signal a higher
quality of product or service. The relationship of the price/quality judgment made by consumers
about products creates the positioning on these specialized attributes.

Positioning by Application

In this process, positioning is established by attributes or characteristics of the product's use.

For example, Gatorade, a fruit-based drink, positioned itself as "for use during strenuous
workouts" when it was introduced. It became established in the market for this use and is still
primarily seen as a workout thirst quencher and bodily fluid replenisher.

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 The downside to this application-specific type of positioning is that later attempts to
reposition the product or service to another application may fail because of deeply entrenched
consumer positioning. For example, Seven-up, a soft drink product, was positioned at its
introduction as a mixer for alcoholic cocktails. Attempts to position it as a soft drink were not
successful. It was only with its repositioning as an alternative to cola drinks that Seven-up was
able to shake its position as a mixer.

Positioning by Product User

This is product positioning by a specific type of user or class of users. Some kinds of
cosmetics for women associate themselves with well-known models and are positioned in the
minds of consumers as appropriate for women who want to be associated with that type of
beauty.

Or, what about the Thai potato chip company who depicted Hitler eating their chips, then
becoming transformed into a good person? Some ideas are just bad.

Positioning by Product Class

This is a rare and potentially dangerous product positioning technique. Here the product is
positioned against competing products in other associated classes. For example, a brand of
margarine called "I can't believe it's not butter" positions itself against butter, rather than against
other brands of margarines.

Positioning by Competitor

An established image of a competitor can serve as the basis for positioning. As an example,
Avis Rent-A-Car was made famous for its advertising campaign based on the positioning against
a well-established competitor, Hertz. The now-famous "We're number two so we try harder"
advertising slogan established Avis in the minds of consumers as second largest firm, but one
from whom the consumer could expect better service. The some notion is now used in the "not
exactly..." commercials by Hertz.

Strong strategies

The third and strongest form of creative strategy includes affective advertising and resonance
advertising.

Making people feel really good about a product is called affective advertising. This is
difficult to do, but often humor and an honest character can make affective advertising possible.

A great example of affective advertising is found in the “Vodaphone” commercials. By

creating a friendly, honest, funny Zoozoo as a spokesperson, consumers tend to trust what the
Zoozoo is saying and find humor in his actions. This creates a good feeling about the actual
service “Vodaphone” offers.

Lastly, resonance advertising is a way of identifying with consumers. If an advertiser can

create a campaign that certain target markets identify with, then resonance advertising has been
achieved.

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 An example of resonance advertising is in “Tide” detergent ads. Many times mothers are
busy doing laundry in between sports practices and driving their children around in mini vans.
Their recognition with soccer moms makes “Tide” a favorite pick among women with children
who are very involved in activities

VI. CREATIVE PROCESS

Writing the Creative brief or Copy platform

In developing the message strategy, the copywriter needs to create a copy platform, a
document that serves as the creative team’s guide for writing and producing the ad. The copy
platform is the written strategy statement of the most important issues to be considered in the ad
or campaign – the who, why, what, where, when and how of the ad:

1. Who is the most likely prospect for the product?

The copy platform must define the prospect in terms of geographic, demographic,
psychographic, and/or behavioristic qualities.

2. Why? Does the consumer have specific wants or needs that the ad should appeal to?

Advertisers use two broad categories of appeals. Rational appeals are directed at the
consumer’s practical, functional need for the product or service; emotional appeals are directed at
the consumer’s psychological, social, or symbolic needs.

3. What product features satisfy the consumers’ needs?

What factors support the product claim? What is the product’s position? What personality or
image – of the product or the company – can be or has been created? What perceived strengths or
weaknesses need to be dealt with?

4. When and where will the messages be communicated? What medium?

What time of the year? What area of the country?

5. How should this be communicated?

What style, approach or tone will the campaign use? And generally what will the copy say?

The answers to these questions help make up the copy platform. After writing the first ad, the
copywriter should review the copy platform to see if the ad measures up. If it doesn’t, the writer
must start again.

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 Who is a creative person?

Creative Strategy: Components of the Creative Strategy, Putting the Strategy in writing:

CREATIVE BRIEF (Copy Platform) FORMAT

Building a Copy Platform Outline

6.
6. Supporting
Supporting Information
Information and
and Requirements
Requirements

5.
5. Creative
Creative Strategy
Strategy Statement
Statement

4.
4. Selling
Selling Idea
Idea or
or Key
Key Benefits
Benefits to
to Communicate
Communicate

3.
3. Specify
Specify Target
Target Audience
Audience

2.
2. Advertising
Advertising and
and Communications
Communications Objectives
Objectives

1.
1. Basic
Basic Problem
Problem Advertising
Advertising Must
Must Address
Address

Chapter: 3 Phases of campaign creation:

Understanding Campaigns

What is an Advertising Campaign?

A series of related advertisements focusing on a common theme, slogan and set of advertising
appeals.

Three Phases of Campaign Creation

There are three phases involved in the creation of any campaign.
(i) Strategy Development Phase,

By: M H Lakdawala 30
 (ii) The Briefing Phase and
(iii) The Creative

(i) Strategy Development Phase

This phase decides the objectives and contents of communication. It analyses the research
data and decides positioning of a brand. The strategy formulation is in modern day's agencies a
team effort. The creative persons form a part of this team not as creative persons but as a mind.
There are brain- storming sessions. The team throws up the ideas.
These ideas ultimately make up the strategy. The brilliant in the team pick up one or two
ideas from the total ideas generated and develop them. Our strategy should give us a competitive
edge.

AI Ries and Jack Trout started focusing on the strategy side of advertising business in the late
60s when they first started writing about positioning. Everybody else was talking about creativity,
whereas they decided to talk about strategy. They found that clients did not want to buy strategy
from an ad agency.
It is essential that advertising professional should appreciate the importance of strategy
development phase. If the strategy is wrong, no amount of creativity will help. If the strategy is
right, despite the poor creative work, one can sell due to right strategy. However, right strategy
and creative campaign is a winning combination.

Mere creativity and no strategy never work. To agency should tell what they are trying to
achieve in their communication. The strategist is the left-brain oriented, very linear in thinking,
very logical in deduction. The strategy formulation leads to an advertising brief.

If you want to catch fish, you have to think like a fish. If you want to catch a consumer, you
have to think like a consumer. That's the first principle. What most companies do is they think
like themselves. They spend all their time with themselves' (AI Ries and Jack Trout).

Bob Isherwood, creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi, Australia emphasizes that a good
effective ad has to be married to the right strategy, if it has to sell. He is also a strong believer of
the theory that a creative director is as important a member of the strategizing team as the account
director is especially if it involves a product launch.

II. Advertising Brief to the Creative

As a matter of fact, the client has to brief the agency about the strategy. However, most of the
time this does not happen. The agency is supposed to brief itself. The strategy formulated is
communicated to the creative people. They are briefed about how to create the advertising the
product needs. The strategy should be communicated with clarity. The strategist should be a good
motivator for the creative team.

Proper briefing is going halfway as far as creativity is concerned. Bad brief to the creative
team results into bad work. Good brief ensures good work. Within the creative team, the
copywriter and visualiser work together and it is difficult to attribute the final product to either of
them. Yes, when they are working, there are sparks of creativity. Please appreciate that briefing
completes half the job. Creative campaigns are creative due to a good brief.

It is critically very important to question the brief. Very often, a brief is a set of clichés. We
have to get the real situation. Creative brief of strategy contains a key consumer insight. If the

By: M H Lakdawala 31
brief acquaints you with the consumer, and how his mind works, it has the seeds of creativity in
it. It gives stimulus to creative team.

Success or failure of the advertisement is largely dictated by the brief. It is the job of a client
to tell the agency what he wants to say and it is the agency's job to decide how to say it. Great
briefs inspire great work. Briefs should have clarity and single-minded objective. They should
aim at a target person. The idea is to have the desired response. All briefs must suggest a benefit
or a product plus.

III. The Creative Phase

Here the lateral thinkers come on the scene. They leap from a single unidirectional idea of the
strategist to an advertising idea that will add value to the product/brand. The creative persons are
supposed to be right-brained - lateral thinkers, irrational thinkers as against the accounts director
who is left brained, i.e., logical. They make connections that had not existed before. They
rearrange the order of things.

They create abruptions in the consumer mind. There should be a beautiful marriage between
the strategy and the lateral thinking by the creative people. The creative director's post has
become a more responsible one. He does not remain content with a clever copy or stimulating
visuals. He is required to understand the product and its market completely.

He is now an overall ad man, an all-rounder. He participates in research and has active role in
positioning. He does not follow a policy of art for the sake of art any more. He sits at briefings
alongside the client servicing people. Creative are involved in the whole campaign - right from
the concept to the commissioning stage.

Spink of the Lowe group says "Strong creatives are probably the cheapest competitive
advantage that a company can have." The best creatives are derived from a complete
understanding of the product and the benefits it offers. But a thorough understanding of the target
audience provides an edge. Norman Berry of O & M says, "It is the sensitive understanding of the
audience that takes one's creative from logic to magic."

By: M H Lakdawala 32
 I. Understanding the psychographics of target audience

Psychographics are a way to measure consumers’ beliefs, opinions, and buying habits. Rather
than demographics which use age, income, gender and other quantitative data, psychographics
provide a way to understand more qualitative data. Psychographics can be extremely helpful to
predict differences in buying patterns and stimulating ideas for communicating with the target
group.

Psychographics of various audiences and writing Copy for them

1. Copy for Youth

Youth Marketing is a term used in the marketing and advertising industry to describe
activities to communicate with young people, typically in the age range of 12 to 34. More
specifically, there is the Tween Marketing, targeting people in the 8 to 12 year-old range, Teen
Marketing, targeting people age 13 to 19, College Marketing, targeting college-age consumers,
typically ages 18 to 21, Young Adult Marketing, targeting young professionals, typically ages 22
and above.

The youth market is critical because of the demographic's buying power and its members'
influence on the spending of family members. In addition, teens and young adults often set trends
that are adopted by other demographic groups.

The youth market is viewed as a difficult group to connect with and sell to, based on the
fragmented media landscape and young people's keen ability to identify and reject marketing
messages that lack credibility. Nonetheless, many brands market to youth by offering relevant
products and services while communicating a brand message in an appropriate voice and tone.
Successful brands marketing to youth have a foundation in or association with key interests and
drivers among youth: music, sports, fashion, video gaming and technology, among others.

Youth marketing strategies commonly include television advertising, magazine advertising

and online marketing. Today young people expect to be able to learn about, interact and be
entertained by with brands or services targeting them online. Other common youth marketing
tactics include entertainment marketing, music marketing, sports marketing, event marketing,
viral marketing, school and college programs, product sampling and influencer marketing.

Essentials for writing copy for youth:

1. The key to tapping into this coveted market is to understand why young consumers choose
one product over another in the first place.

2. the most important factor is the never-ending desire to be accepted, to belong. For many
members of Generation Y (now aged around 12–20 years), this is by far one of the most pressing
issues confronting them in daily life.

By: M H Lakdawala 33
 3. In essence, it is a fear of not belonging that drives the youth market to adopt the consumer
patterns that are unique to their demographic group. Marketers should be aware of the impact
these desires have on this demographic’s decision to purchase a product or service. The flow-on
effects of having a sense of belonging and control are the feelings of empowerment, confidence
and independence—emotions highly sought by young people.

4. Marketers must emphasize the elements within their product that evoke these emotions
when communicating to this market.

5. So how can one use these factors to drive sales?

Take mobile phones as an example. Among the youth market, mobile phones are an absolute
necessity. They are tools that give the user control, independence and important information.

Those companies that understand this inherent desire for acceptance have in their back pocket
one of the keys to success within the youth market. As well as promoting the emotional aspect of
a product or brand that gives the user the desired feelings, it is also important for marketers to
analyze their product placement when pitching to this demographic.

6. In the youth marketplace more so than any other, being seen on the cutting edge has a
major impact on the attention that a brand, product or service receives. The use of SMS and the
Internet as media of cutting edge communication are avenues that the youth market is very
comfortable with.

7. Marketing to the younger members of the consumer world is based around the age-old
concepts of wants and needs. Empower your market, give them the confidence to take control,
provide them with a sense of belonging and don’t forget to stand on the cutting edge.

2. Copy for women- Homemakers, modern women

It's no secret that men and women have different communication and decision making styles
as well as different priorities and preferences.

Your communications need to be sensitive to them. Your services need to reassure a woman
that you will be around in a predictable way when she needs help. If she needs her washing
machine repaired, assure her that the mechanic would not just be courteous, but that he would
come home at her convenience with tools and cleaning cloth. Assure her that he would leave only
after he clears the mess. This is a basic expectation. Women simply care more for these things
than men do. If she tries your spices and the dish doesn’t taste quite the way she expected, she
will be relieved if she can talk to someone. She might forgive you for some mistakes, if only she
can speak what is on her mind and be understood.

Women have different needs as compared to men. They take extra-ordinary efforts to satisfy
their needs. A woman will travel to another end of town to buy something like rice, dry fruits, or
vegetables if they believe that they are getting something special. Few
men will take such efforts on their own.

What do women need?

At a fundamental level a woman yearns to be understood. The way a woman narrates
happenings in a day with the finest of details to anyone close to her holds a significant lesson to

By: M H Lakdawala 34
those connected with marketing. A woman needs attention. She needs to be listened to. She will
be happy to be waited on, to be fussed over.
Small things matter to women. These could be matching of colors, co-ordination of
accessories, a texture, or a pretty hairclip. Take care of those small things, and they will shower
you with their favors.

A woman has an uncanny ability to spot what she wants amidst clutter and chaos. Look at
the way women go through the hustle and bustle of shopping areas. A woman will take whatever
it takes to get such small things. She does all this to feel herself.

Women have very strong need to enter into relationships; even if they are of -I love
you, I hate you -kind.

Factors to keep in mind while writing copy for women

1. “Brand Lite” isn’t the answer:

Many companies make the mistake of thinking they need to create a separate brand to reach
women, one that is softer and more accessible. And let’s be honest, they’re also afraid that
feminizing the core brand will alienate the guys. The reality is that marketing to women is just
smarter marketing strategy, grounded in meeting and exceeding high standards and consistently
delivering on your brand promise.

One of the best examples of a great company that gets it right with women is Apple. Terrific
design, easy-to-use technology, and a passionate lifestyle brand message hold strong appeal for
women and for consumers overall. No need to invest money in making and marketing her Pod
when iPod is pretty damn great the way it is.

2. Communicate product value instead of listing features:

Sounds simple, but many organizations develop and market products without ever asking
their female customers what features they think are most important and why. Volvo has made
gaining women’s input a key part of its development process since the late 1980s, leading to such
improvements as color coding of fluid lids under the hood, easier-to-fold-away rear seats and
easier-to-load trunks. But rather than make its marketing message an endless list of “look at all
our cool stuff,” the “Volvo for Life” slogan conveys the two umbrella messages that are
especially important to women: safety and dependability. Online research and a visit to the
dealership reveal all the terrific features Volvo has developed to back their message up.

3. Understand that she’s always watching: Women are great at detecting inconsistencies.
If your marketing message doesn’t match up with your product performance and your retail
experience, you’ve lost her trust and she’ll go somewhere else.

4. Respect her
In Fara Warner’s new book, The Power of the Purse, she chronicles the substantial shift
McDonald’s began making following a 2002 sales slump, when the company was forced to
realize that it was still talking to women as if it was 1955. Up until that point, the company had
viewed women mainly as a conduit to kids. This “mom marketing” no longer fit with modern
women and they were taking their kids and their dollars elsewhere. McDonald’s quest to “find the
woman inside the mom” led them to the highly successful launch of Premium Salads, healthier
Happy Meal options and a revamping of Play Places to include comfortable seating and wireless
internet access. A willingness to solicit and listen to women’s input and understand that women

By: M H Lakdawala 35
didn’t see themselves only through the “mom” lens allowed McDonald’s to redefine its
relationship with its most important consumer, ultimately winning her business back.

5. Embrace high standards

Women are suckers for quality and, more importantly, when they find it they’re willing to
pay for it. Consider Whole Foods, which has enjoyed a 1,552 percent increase in its stock price
over the last decade. Affectionately nicknamed “Whole Paycheck” by some, Whole Foods is able
to charge higher prices in a notoriously low margin industry because they have created a lifestyle
brand that delivers on its promise. With high quality, hard-to-find products, a pleasant
atmosphere, knowledgeable, courteous sales people, and even chair massage in some locations,
Whole Foods has transformed something uninspiring and mundane into a premium experience.

6. Be willing to commit
There it is, the dreaded “c” word. The reason? It goes both ways. This isn’t a market you can
just dip your toes into. Wyndham Hotels recently celebrated the ten-year anniversary of its
award-winning Women On Their Way initiative, launched in 1995 to better serve the needs of
women business travelers with improved services and amenities, such as healthier menu options
and a courtesy call announcing room service. When the program began women accounted for 19
percent of Wyndham’s business travelers. Today that number has increased to over 35 percent.
When you consider that, according to the Center for Women’s Business Research, 86 percent of
women entrepreneurs say they use the same products and services at home as they do in their
business it’s clearly no accident that women also now make up 50 percent of Wyndham’s
customer base overall.

7. They wish to be themselves: Women crave to look good. They wish to be independent
and mobile. They wish they could do without help from men. They wish to be themselves. Few
manufacturers care.

A Kinetic Honda came around with electric start and gearless driving. It looked feminine.
Kinetic Honda was a huge success. An Activa rode in with nicer looks, good power, better
brakes, and decent fuel efficiency. Activa became a runaway success without so much of
bragging and boasting by Honda. These were mere happy coincidences on a long road littered
with products born to insensitive design and brought to customers by arrogant marketing.

There are many more examples –a ketchup bottle with a crown cap which needs a man to
open, a tin with tough metal seal that requires a hacksaw for cutting, a sachet of shampoo that
requires a pair of scissors, a coconut oil bottle that drips with oil despite all the fancy packaging,
a cell phone requiring complex menu navigating abilities and that comes with complicated
telephone bills, cars with too low roofs requiring crawling to get inside, and movie theaters where
women can not walk between two rows without feeling embarrassed.

Women no doubt can manage all above creations by men. They do it with minimum fuss. But
you would earn their gratitude and loyalty if you free them from such men-made mess. They will
enthusiastically recommend your products to many other equally enthusiastic women. Women
constitute about half of the market. If their influence in buying decisions is considered women
control much more than half the market.

8. Needs of women –bonding, sharing, looking and feeling beautiful, and dreaming about all
this

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 3. Writing copy for children
Marketers pay special attention to children, who are considered as the most vulnerable
audiences because they enjoy advertisement to the maximum extent. Children initially take
advertisement as entertainment and having soft heart; force their parents for product purchase.
This is called as a ‘Nag Factor’.

Industry spending on advertising to children has exploded in the past decade. Parents today
are willing to buy more for their kids because trends such as smaller family size, dual incomes
and postponing children until later in life mean that families have more disposable income. As
well, guilt can play a role in spending decisions as time-stressed parents substitute material goods
for time spent with their kids.

Children represent an important demographic to marketers because they have their own
purchasing power, they influence their parents' buying decisions and they're the adult
consumers of the future. Marketer tries to draw children’s attention through various means like
TV, Magazines, Stickers, etc.

Young children, in particular, have difficulty in distinguishing between advertising and

reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world.

What do young children need?

To feel safe
To be allowed the freedom to explore
To play
Girls & boys have different patterns of growth & development (genetic factors)
Freedom of expression through art (Avoid asking “What is it?”)
Opportunities to exercise autonomy

Why Marketers target Children?

Children represent three different markets. In addition to the direct money that children spend
and the money they influence, children also represent a third major market and perhaps the most
significant and that is the future market.

Advertisers recognise that brand loyalties and consumer habits formed when children are
young and vulnerable will be carried through to adulthood.

Factors to keep in mind while writing copy for children

1. "Pester power”: Today's kids have more autonomy and decision-making power within
the family than in previous generations, so it follows that kids are vocal about what they want
their parents to buy. "Pester power" refers to children's ability to nag their parents into purchasing
items they may not otherwise buy. Marketing to children is all about creating pester power,
because advertisers know what a powerful force it can be.

2. Nagging can be divided into two categories—"persistence" and "importance." Persistence

nagging is not as effective as the more sophisticated "importance nagging." This latter method
appeals to parents' desire to provide the best for their children, and plays on any guilt they may
have about not having enough time for their kids

3. Host selling: Advertisers not only feature cartoon or other characters from children's
television programmes to gain their endorsement for their products (known as host selling) but

By: M H Lakdawala 37
they sometimes even place those advertisements in the breaks of the television programmes about
those characters, thus blurring the distinction between programming and advertising and taking
advantage of the affection children feel for those characters.

4. Speak to both kids and parents: The conventional wisdom for reaching children is to
frame a marketing message in a manner that speaks to both kids and parents. From an ethical
standpoint marketers are reminded constantly that offers need to specifically address parents,
since it's the adult who will be forking over a credit card.

5. Keep the positioning simple and childlike: Keep the positioning simple and childlike:
The communication message must be based on simple ideas and appeal to the kids’ imagination

6. Compared to adults, kids are less capable of processing product information: They
have lesser product experience to realize in their decision-making process. They search for
bits and pieces of information that they can make sense of and tend to develop brand loyalty
based on these.

7. Use Fear appeal: Fears and worries are powerful emotions and marketers who can help
comfort a child by resolving a fear will have gained a loyal patron.

8. Two points to remember

 The two skills that are most useful for facilitating behavior change without damaging
a child cognitively, emotionally or socially are:
a. Communicating empathic understanding
b. Using three-part “I” messages
a. Communicate empathic understanding
• Communicating with children use empathic understanding to touch the child’s feelings so
they may become independent in their thinking
– Child: Teacher what do you think of my picture?
– Teacher: Wow, you are really excited about your picture, you must really like it.
b. Three-part “I” message
 To reinforce positive behavior
o “When I see you… (child’s action)”
o “It makes me feel… (your positive feeling)”
o “I just want to say hurray for you.” (your action)

 “When I see you writing with you pencil it makes me so happy I just want to say hurray
for you!”

 To discourage negative behavior

o “When I see you… (child’s action)”
o “It makes me feel… (your feeling)”
o “I just want to cry.” (your action)

 “When I see you hit Sally, it makes me so sad I just want to cry.”

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 4. Copy writing for the mature market
Growing old is a physical as well as an emotional condition. Research shows that some
attitudinal or psychographic segments in the mature market are more brand loyal than others and
their loyalties are to specific classes of products, not to all products across the board

The mature market is extremely varied and will only reward marketers who are willing to
deal with its complexities and pursue a targeted strategy.

The characteristic of senior citizens are:

1. Special needs
2. High discretionary incomes
3. Spare time

But how can copy effectively target senior market?

1. "The key elements are to keep message direct: The over-50s are experienced consumers,
so they don't want to read flowery language.

2. You also need to give them a lot of information.

Seniors have a lot of time on their hands and so you must be prepared for answering many
more detailed questions than you would for 20-year-olds.

3. Copy writers must avoid depicting older consumers in negative ways

Even Matures who are not as active and healthy as they would like to be dislike advertising
assaults that remind them of their problems.

4. Copy writers commonly err by emphasizing the biological age of their consumers.
Marketers can reach this practical, hard-working generation as they enjoy their retirement but
not by selling products for "old people
They have to be smarter than that.

Focus instead on themes that leverage the way Matures are motivated to buy.

6. Play to the notion that this generation overcame daunting odds to achieve their successes.
Don't be loud or brash; they already get the point. After working hard and sacrificing for so many
years, they have reached a level of financial comfort and a time in their lives where they can feel
freer to spend money on themselves . . . because they've earned it.

Their style of spending, however, reflected the more cautious, disciplined values of their
savings-focused outlook. Even as Matures spent, they actually saved a lot of money. And much
of this spending was for others anyway, especially their children.

8. As they age, satisfied and secure, Matures will begin to spend more money on themselves.
But they won't turn into recklessly wasteful spendthrifts in the mold of their Boomer children.

9. Nevertheless, [Matures'] interest in pleasurable or exciting experiences for their own sake
is low. They want to enjoy life, but they don't want to go overboard. The overriding attitude here
is that they have enough money to enjoy their retirement, and they plan to do so - wisely and
responsibly.

5. Writing copy for Executives

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 An executive always buy for personal desires, selfish reasons and self-interested motives.
Why?

Because people are people. Period. It's been that way for millions of years. Your job is to
express your offer in terms that trigger their emotions, press their hot buttons, jerk their tears, tug
at their heartstrings and nudge them into taking action. If not, you're only telling. Not selling.

1. Be prepared.
This is the most important strategy if you want to successfully sell to an executive. Research the
company before your meeting. Gain as much information as you can before writing copy for
executives.

2. Avoid details.
The majority of executives are not interested in the details. Executives are big picture thinkers
so be prepared to discuss your product/service on a macro level.

3. Respect their time.

The most precious commodity to an executive is time. The average senior-level
businessperson has at least 52 hours of uncompleted work on their desk at any given time. Plus,
they usually have only one or two of unscheduled time in a typical week.
Most executives get to the point very quickly and expect others to do the same. Be direct,
concise, and to the point.

4. Have A Relevant Message.

Deliver a Real Solution that Solves a Critical Challenge.

5. Business people are often so tied to their businesses or products that they get tunnel vision
and fail to look at their copy from their readers' perspective.

6. Be benefit-rich, of course. But more important, be ego-driven when describing those

benefits.

7. Appeals to Their Ego: Executives people are still the ones Okaying the deal, whipping
out their credit cards or signing the checks. And executives always buy for personal, selfish
reasons.

8. Copy using convoluted, complex, pretentious language doesn't sell product to executives.
When executives can visualize the process of doing what you want them to do, including the
enjoyment of the benefits of your offer, you drive their actions almost instinctively.

9. Follow the "3 C's" Rule: Express your offer

as Clearly,
as convincingly and
as compellingly as possible.

10. Be enthusiastic. Be energetic. Be excited about your offering, because your job is to
transfer that excitement into the minds of your buyers.

11. Use words, phrases and imagery that help paint vivid mental pictures.

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 12. You need to make them feel important. Write as if you were speaking with your
prospect, right in front of them, in a comfortable, conversational manner

13. When you do, your copy will imply that you understand them, you feel for them and their
"suffering" (for which you have a solution), and you're ready to nurture and take care of them.

14. Forget things like "best," "fastest," "cheapest" and other, broad claims. Because the worst
thing you can do, second to making broad claims, is to express those claims broadly.

15. If you want to tell people how better or different or superior or unique your offering is,
make sure you express those claims in your sales message in a way that directly benefits your
buyer and appeals to her ego.

16. Being different is important.

But don't focus on how better or unique you are. Focus on how that uniqueness directly
benefits executives; even to the point they can almost taste it.

II. Purchase Logic: The Foundation of Marketing Strategy

The foundation of a successful marketing strategy is an understanding of what
product/service should be offered, how it should be presented, and to whom. Determining these
three things is the essence of the marketing function. Purchase Logic is marketing’s primary tool
for coming up with the answers.

What is Purchase Logic?

Definition: Purchase Logic is the description of how and why someone buys a particular
product or service. Purchase Logic is an understanding of customer motivation that goes far
beyond industry or demographic classifications. Purchase Logic defines what an individual
customer wants and how he or she sorts among different alternatives.

What Determines Purchase Logic: The more factors involved in a purchase decision, the
more complicated Purchase Logic becomes. Small, routine purchases have simple Purchase
Logics.

The complexity of Purchase Logic increases as any of the following variables

Increase:
• The number of needs and wants to be satisfied
• Length of commitment to or longevity of the product/service
• Number of people involved in the decision
• Number of alternatives
• Price
Two examples illustrate how Purchase Logic becomes complex. First, think about buying a
meal for lunch at work. You are hungry, have half an hour to spend and have no plans to meet
anyone. The decision is simple. You run downstairs to the cafeteria and pick up a sandwich for
four dollars. This choice was easy because you had few options and a very simple need to satisfy
your hunger and perhaps also take a little break. The price was also insignificant.

Now think about buying a meal on Saturday night. Because you are going out with your
family, you sort through many more factors to arrive at a decision about where to go. Hunger is
only one need to satisfy. You also seek some kind of entertainment or atmosphere. You have four
people’s tastes to blend and will spend a significant amount of money. Further, you have many

By: M H Lakdawala 41
more options. Even if you are not aware of it, you use a fairly complicated Purchase Logic in
selecting the restaurant.

This latter scenario is still quite straightforward compared with most purchase decisions.
Thus, in order to succeed in selling a product or service, it is important to take a systematic and
formal approach to looking at Purchase Logic.

COMPONENTS OF PURCHASE LOGIC

A systematic approach to examining Purchase Logic will look at each of its four components:
Benefits, Barriers, Trade-offs and Price.

PURCHASE LOGIC IS A PROCESS

Every purchase decision involves a number of steps. These steps may not be clearly discrete
or particularly conscious, but they do exist. They represent the order in which alternatives are
sorted and decisions are made. The more factors involved in a purchase decision, the more
complicated Purchase Logic becomes.

Sellers need to understand each step of Purchase Logic in order to make sure they are talking
about the right thing at the right time. Clearly, a seller will benefit by understanding what is on
the buyer’s mind and how he or she is approaching the purchase decision. Purchase Logic reveals
how a prospect will react to what is offered.

Purchase Logic also defines the sequence in which issues must be confronted.
Benefits must be addressed first. After the benefit ts have been established, it is time to
address barriers to purchase. Next come trade-offs and price. After an individual weighs all these
factors, a purchase decision is made.

BENEFITS
We all buy benefits. Even if we have a specific idea of what features will deliver them,
benefits are what we seek. Benefits fulfill needs and wants. Purchase Logic defines all relevant
needs and wants. Purchase Logic allows us to understand how important each benefit is to an
individual buyer and why it is so important.

Wants can be particularly tricky to identify. Often they are emotional and may appear
irrational. Buyers are often reluctant to share their wants with a seller; frequently they are not
even conscious of some of them. Nevertheless, wants are usually most influential in a buying
decision.

Think about purchasing a watch. The desire for prestige or some other very emotional need or
want justifies the choice of a Rolex over some much lower priced alternative. Both do an equally
good job of satisfying the basic need—to tell time reliably.

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 BARRIERS
Barriers to purchase are those factors that may prevent a customer from purchasing.
We need to design our products or services so that they overcome these barriers. They can be
at least as important as the desired benefits. Overcoming barriers can become the most important
benefit. Barriers to purchase can be hard to discover.
Because people want to avoid conflict, they usually do not offer objections and criticism
freely. Sometimes barriers may seem irrational or unfair; thus, the buyer will not mention them.
However, barriers must be dealt with. The seller needs to know what they are in order to address
them.
One highly motivating barrier in business-to-business situations is the fear of criticism. This
fear causes buyers to select the safest choice, the “one that can not be criticized.” Usually that is
the brand leader. In this situation, demonstrating product superiority is not enough. In order to
win, the seller must also provide evidence that the buyer can use to defend his choice.

TRADE-OFFS
Trade-off analysis is the process of assessing the relative value of different offerings.
Customers do not buy individual features, functions or benefits. They choose among services or
products that offer bundles of benefits. The trade-off is a comparison of these different bundles.
What a customer concludes from the trade-off evaluation directly determines how that customer
will react to different prices.

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 PRICE
Price is the mechanism by which sellers capture some of the economic value of the product or
service being offered. Price is a function of the benefits provided. The value of those benefit is to
a specific customer determines the maximum price that a customer will pay.
Cost does not determine price unless you are selling a commodity. However, what a customer
will pay is very much influenced by the relative value of alternative products or services. Cheaper
acceptable alternatives put limits on how high a price a customer will pay.

PURCHASE DECISION
As the customer completes the Purchase Logic process, the answers to three questions
determine the final purchase decision:
1. What is the relative value of the options I am still considering?
2. Is the value of one choice enough to justify a higher price?
3. Since nothing is perfect, which minuses am I willing to live with?

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 Part 2. Why Should You Care About Purchase Logic?
There are four specific areas in which a seller can apply an understanding of
a Purchase Logic to enhance the likelihood of success:
1. Analyzing the Market,
2. Communicating,
3. Identifying Qualified Prospects and
4. Altering Offerings for Stronger Appeal.

ANALYZING THE MARKET

You will gain a clearer picture of the kinds of people who are likely to be interested in what
you have to offer. In addition, you will have a deeper understanding of what your current
customers seek. This gives you power to change your offering or approach, and thereby
strengthen or defend your position.

COMMUNICATING
No matter what communication vehicle is used, knowing your prospects
Purchase Logic will help you talk about the right topic at the right time. You will know what
benefits to stress in order to motivate purchase. Also, you will know how to “position your
product” for greater appeal versus others in its market.

IDENTIFYING QUALIFIED PROSPECTS

From Purchase Logic you can pull out some salient questions or characteristics that will help
you identify good prospects. In some cases you may even be able to construct selling messages
that will prompt buyers to self select and identify themselves to you.

ALTERING OFFERINGS FOR STRONGER APPEAL

As we have already suggested, Purchase Logic can also help you revise or improve your
products and services to give them stronger appeal. Clear understanding of your market’s needs
and wants and their relative importance will give you the guidance you require to make effective
changes.

Part 3. How Is Purchase Logic Turned Into Positive Action?

Understanding precisely what your customers want and why they want it is a powerful tool
for managing the marketing of your product or service. Specifically, your understanding of
Purchase Logic enables you to choose the most compelling features, marketing programs and
sales message.

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 These choices become clear because Purchase Logic defines what products and services to
offer and how to talk about these offerings. Once you have identified the Purchase Logic(s) in
your marketplace, the direction in which you need to move will be evident.
We close with two brief examples of how an understanding of Purchase Logic can make a
difference.

The first focuses on how Purchase Logic may be used to redefine product offerings. The
second illustrates how understanding Purchase Logic can increase the power of your
communications.

 Understand the barriers to purchase

Unless brands owners know what is preventing people from buying their brand in store, then
they have no hope in being able to change their ways in the last few feet. Some of the barriers
may not be brand related, they can be environmental, such as not being able to find or locate the
product. Maybe the packaging and product design does not reflect the premium image the brand
claims, or makes it standout against the others around it. Or has the brand failed to deliver its
benefits sufficiently to the shopper thereby not arming them with the reasons why it should be
chosen over competitors. Marketers used to rely on advertising to do this work for them, but
increasingly it will be the last 3 feet that delivers the reasons to buy.
 
Barriers to purchase, as the name suggests are the various barriers that the consumers have to
overcome in order to buy a service or a product. The barriers can be physical, psychological or
financial. It always makes sense to list down the various barriers that your clients may have to
overcome in order to reach you. Once you know the barriers, you can dismantle them one by one
and make it easy for the clients.

How the to overcome the Barriers to purchase:

Influencing barriers to purchase is not always a case of running a brand or price promotion. If
the barrier is “I don’t believe in this brand” then some sort of brand in store campaign that talks
about brand benefits might be a good idea, but if the barrier is “I don’t know what it’s for or don’t
see the point”, then delivering an in store campaign that helps the shopper to understand why they
should buy is the way forward. In short, brands need to align their assets to overcoming these
barriers in way that best leverages what they know about how the shopper is shopping.
1. Why should I buy it?
2. So what’s different?
3. It sound too good to be true
4. Its not worth the price
5. where’s the buzz

III. Developing an ear for ‘human insights’

What is a brand? ‘We live in a brand world, but its not just what it does to you, but how it
makes you feel’. A brand is a set of memories; however these memories don’t even need to be
your own memory for you to be able to identify a brand as associations can be thought. Even
when you have never been in Paris, you still could recognize it by just seeing the words romantic,
elegant and fashionable.

To understand brands, it’s important to know that strong brands have unique personalities,
are consistent in spirit and have anchored themselves on powerful universal human emotions or
insights, e.g. Apple, Marlboro & Harley Davidson. It’s almost impossible to copy strong brands,

By: M H Lakdawala 46
as they go beyond the product like the Marlboro man or the Singapore girl. The ultimate feeling
one could have with a brand is a feeling of unification: ‘I am Harley Davidson.’ According to
experts no. 1 brands have (on average) 3 times higher gross margins than no.2 brands and 6 times
higher than no. 3 brands.

As in every successful marketing campaign, actionable human insights are critical to its
success. Understanding the passions, expectations, needs and desires of the people you want to
talk to -- or inspire to talk about you -- is vital. Marketers (and those of us who serve them) need
to take a close look at what's going on in the consumer's world. We need to listen.

Sweet spot
In marketing, there is also a sweet spot like in sports, and this is what makes a consumer
relate to a brand. A sweet spot is met when the relevant benefit fuses with the right consumer
insight. The insight can be slightly below the surface, it’s a personal truth about a consumer, in
order to have effect. It is a revelation about human behavior or human emotions that can be
leveraged to build a brand. An insight makes advertising meaningful, relevant and helps connect
with the target. Important to bare in mind is that it springs from an understanding of people, not
products.

Take for example the powerful insight on chocolate: women who are depressed like
chocolate, ‘it puts a smile back on her day’. Understanding Indian Living in India everybody
knows that it is very diverse, with many different cultures, languages, geography and races. India
is extremely complex and paradoxical, and what you see is not what you get.

To understand India the single biggest problem is that the many professional people who
create Indian advertisements have not been exposed to the diverse Indian culture, and don’t know
a thing about how or where their target group lives. They have difficulty to relate and fall
regularly into clichés. Golden rule is that one cannot write creative, if you don’t know whom you
write it for. Much research is done by people whom have a different value system from the target
group.

So what makes India different? Is there a common set of values for the whole of India? And
very important, can we appeal to all Indian through one communication?
There are two solutions to communicate with Asians:
1. Leverage universal human insights but localize them to fit each region;
2. Forget globalization and take a completely localized approach.

Brands like McDonald’s and Pepsi approach Asian countries with universal human insights,
but with a local flavour. McDonalds brings out the child in you and focused on the knowledge
between parents and children. They talk to the parent through the child.

On the other hand, the localised commercials had a sense of humour and value to them that
was very different for each country.
Understanding Malays
• Rustic simplicity
• Unhurried approach to life
• Family orientation
• Sensitive sophistication
• Gentleness
• Focus on play rather than work
• Graciousness rather than frantic pace

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 Understanding Indians
• Spirituality over materialism
• Sentimentality and drama
• Respect for elders
• Intellectual orientation
• Family honor before personal honor
• Spontaneity, joy and passion
• Mythology over history
• Fatalism
• Stronger individuality compared to the rest

Understanding Chinese
• Materialism over spirituality
• Pragmatism over sentimentality or abstractions
• Action orientation over intellectual orientation
• Premium on face value
• Ambition / success orientation
• Hard work ethic

Even though the Asian people are very different, there are some common Asian values that
would make it possible to create an Asian localised’ commercial or advertisement:
• Harmony and order
• Institution above individual
• Respect for elders
• Strong family and community ties
• Fear of losing face / honour
• Team above self
• Consensus based approach
• Strong traditional anchors
• Premium on relationships rather than objectivity

One should not be misled by appearances. Do look beyond the surface; what you see is not
what you get! People may look westernized with miniskirts etc, but their values can still be
conservative. Never underestimate the sophistication of Indian culture. And last, but not least you
can’t talk to Indian if you don’t master “the nuance”.

An insight makes advertising meaningful, relevant and helps connect with the target. ...
Universal human insights, but with a local flavour. ..

IV. How to get an idea

What does “Idea Generation” really mean?

The term idea generation is a blanket description referring to any means of creating or
developing ideas. There are various different techniques for generating ideas; from free
association to mind mapping, with brainstorming arguably being the best known and most
often utilized.

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1. Brainstorming is a group creativity technique for generating ideas to solve a problem.
The results of a brainstorming session can be a complete solution to the problem or a list
of ideas resulting in a plan, but more often than not is a list of potential ideas.
Brainstorming originated in 1957 with advertising executive, Alex Osborn’s book,
Applied Imagination. Today the term brainstorming is often generically applied to the
many differing forms of advertising creativity processes based upon this original concept.

2. Free Association, another type of idea generation process, depends largely on a mental
‘stream of consciousness’ of which there are two major varieties- serial and centered.
Serial Association starts with a trigger, recording the flow of ideas that come to mind,
each idea triggering the next until ultimately reaching a potentially useful one. Centered
Association, which is closest to classic brainstorming, is meant to generate multiple
associations of the one original trigger so it can be more fully explored.

3. Mind or Thought Mapping are the various processes based upon a mind map; a hand-
drawn diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged
around a central key word or idea. This graphic version of the classic brainstorming
method is used to generate, visualize, structure and classify ideas. It is a visual aid in
organization, problem solving, and decision-making processes. Many software
companies are now selling versions of Mind or Thought Mapping tools which supposedly
aid in facilitating and recording this process.

4. Six Thinking Hats was a method developed in the 1980’s by Dr. Edward de Bono. The
method is meant to promote fuller input from more people. In de Bono's words it
"separates ego from performance". The key point is a “hat” represents a direction to think
rather than a label for thinking. There are six metaphorical hats and the thinker can put on
or take off one of these hats to indicate the type of thinking being used. The criticism of
Six Thinking Hats is it has to be learned and practiced, and the process supplies and
training materials can only be written and authorized by Dr. de Bono.

5. Convergent thinking: Problem solving technique in which ideas from different fields
or participants are brought together (synthesized) to find a single optimum solution to a
clearly defined problem.

6. Divergent thinking: In contrast to convergent thinking, (which aims at solving a

specific problem) divergent thinking is creative, open-ended thinking aimed at generating
fresh views and novel solutions. Divergent thinking uses exploration to search for all
possible alternatives

7. Analogies and metaphor: Used to see new patterns or relationships. An analogy means
Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar. A comparison
based on such similarity. Thus it’s a form of logical inference or an instance of it, based
on the assumption that if two things are known to be alike in some respects, then they
must be alike in other respects. Metaphor means something used, or regarded as being
used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.

The problem with any of these idea generation processes is the lack of understanding,
time or focus of participants. The knowledge and problem-solving expertise required make
idea generation successful are often simply not available within the organization

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  Choosing the idea that effectively communicates the emotional/rational
benefit

Chapter 4: Brief
A brief is one of the most important aspects of Client servicing executive. Critical to the
creative process is developing a clear understanding of our clients' needs and expectations. At the
important initial meetings we listen and ask a lot of questions to help us establish the full scope of
the project, budget parameters and timelines.

So what should we ask for?

More often than not we are not given a written brief from the client instead we need to extract
a brief. This can be painful and pointless if we are not asking the correct questions and more
importantly the correct person.

Before you get into asking the usual questions of how big, how much and where, try starting
at the beginning.

It helps to find out about your customer. This can be done before the appointment via the web
where you might find out what they do, how big they are, and how many people work for the
company and how many offices they have. If they are a foreign owned company it is quite
possible that the decision will be made abroad. You can pick up product ranges, departments and
divisions. You might even be able to see a picture of a previous stand. It’s information like this
that the smart client servicing executive gathers without thinking.
If they don’t have a web site ask them to send you a brochure before your meeting.

Initial Proposal
Inspiration is what our clients expect so we spend time refining the initial brief and make sure
our proposals will deliver it. This is our opportunity to shape a vision for the project and to set out
the means for achieving it, as well as realistic deadlines for every stage.

Strategy and Research

If appropriate and practical, we like to include careful market analysis through customer and
competitor research. This helps us to fully understand where our clients are coming from and
where we can help them go

Creative Concepts
This is the stage when all the groundwork produces the first buds of creativity and culminates
in our first major presentation. Together we discuss and agree which of our ideas are worth
developing.

Development and Application

Even the greatest ideas require careful implementation to achieve their full potential.
Following client feedback, we develop and polish our ideas into carefully crafted final Creative
strategy. Whatever the required deliverable, Its essential that highest quality work is delivered.

 Product Brief:

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 The product brief (initial information provided by the contracting company that dictates what
they require from me). A product brief is a document designed to focus on specific benefits and
attributes of clients’ products.

 Marketing brief:
The purpose of marketing brief is to help assess client’s current situation, both internally and
relative to its competition. It’s the starting point for any work agency do for their customers. The
details elicited in marketing brief provide the foundation for refining clients marketing message
and revising and updating their marketing and advertising program.

A marketing brief is the best way for the marketer to clearly lay out a framework for the
creative team. The process can be driven by either side - creative or marketing - but both sides
need to agree on the brief before the work can commence.

Marketing brief is a document outlining the expectations by a company's marketing team

regarding a finished project. The marketing team can clearly define what they want the creative
team to create. Follow these tips to create a marketing brief so all parties involved will know
what work is expected of them.

a) Where are we? (situational analysis - the market, trends, competitive analysis, etc.)

b) Where are we going? (opportunities, objectives & strategy)

c) How are we going to get there? (actions, plans & controls)

Instructions for creative Marketing brief:

Step 1
Write a summary of the project including any background information. Include all areas and
all players who will be involved in the project. Know the prices of each part of the project and the
total cost.

Step 2
Outline the expectations of each party involved. Know the individual jobs of each player and
include these job expectations in your creative marketing brief. You want everyone to be clear
about the job at hand.

Step 3
Include the dates of each part of the project. Know who is completing what and when it
should be completed. Have a date for the final project.

Step 4
State your goals and objectives. so that everyone knows the purpose of your project. You
have a better chance of succeeding if everyone is clear on this point.

Step 5
Know your target group. The more you know about the target, the more successful your
project will be. Once you know the target group, you can tailor the project to that group.

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 Step 6
Write your brief in project format with clear headings and sections for each part of the
project. Include plenty of white space between sections so readers can scan for information.

10 Point Marketing Brief (Brief)

1. Background
you have to supply enough detailed information, regarding your needs. We will have
little or no knowledge of your market and will have to understand the key elements that
need to be focused on by the marketing campaign. Remember, you are the expert in your
field.
2. Research
Include any and all relevant research that could support the marketing campaign.
3. Previous Marketing Material
If you have tried marketing and advertising previously, provide full details of the targeted
markets, details of your previous campaigns and the results.
4. Aims
What are the required results of your marketing campaign? Confirm your expectations
and aims.
5. Objectives
Will your objective be:
o Raising awareness of your products or service?
o Changing preconceived attitudes

Your objectives must be comprehensible, specific and quantifiable. They should be

conceived in simple detail, as they will present the principal concept for your campaign.

6. Target Market
Know exactly who you want your message aimed at. The target audience can be
portrayed in terms of current market behaviour, degree of awareness, product/service
knowledge, favoured method of receiving info and clients/customers enthusiasm
/obstruction to take notice of and accept the information.
The more comprehensively you recognise your target audience, the greater the prospect
of a successful campaign.
7. Key Message
Be clear and concise concerning the purpose of your marketing campaign. An unclear
message may result in an ineffectual strategy and an unsuccessful campaign.
8. Budget
Define your marketing budget. If you do not specify a budget in your brief then a
marketing strategy may be proposed that exceeds what you had in mind.
9. Timescale
Provide an approximate schedule for the campaign. Results will take time and we need to
know the timescales we are working to.
10. Evaluation
If you do not build in a stratagem to appraise the campaign, you will not know if it was
successful and if your money was well spent. Equally, if the campaign doesn’t produce
the required results, evaluation will help identify where things went wrong

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 Agency brief
This comprehensive guide provides, in outline form, essential questions and topics of
discussion necessary for informing outside agency about clients marketing communication needs,
both short and long term. This document will serve as a broad-based reference tool for both focus
and direction of your marketing efforts.

What’s fascinating is that this is true. The agency brief document purpose is to involve
advertisement agency within clients marketing strategies –from the beginning until the end.

The oft-used word, partnership, is a good benchmark for defining the relationship between
agency and client. It is fundamental to a healthy client-agency relationship that the agency be
seen as a fully engaged partner with client.

By partnership we mean complete and thorough disclosure, prompt response to requests, and
the commitment by both client and agency to see the creative process as one of collaboration, not
driven by ego and private agenda. At the end of the day, if the campaign is highly successful, who
cares where the idea emanated from? If the campaign is less than successful, then both sides must
take mutual accountability

A good advertisement agency will ask client for a briefing. A briefing is crucial for good
advertisement. The agency must really understand clients issues, its product and the vision clients
want to communicate.

Since agency brief is very detailed and goes into great depth, its recommend that a team
complete this briefing. A single person would provide the agency with just one view that may be
skewed by his or her specific discipline.

 Converting into creative brief

Once an effective appeal is found, the advertiser should prepare a creative brief, typically
covering one or two pages, it is an elaboration of the positioning statement, and it should include:
a. Key message
b. Target audience
c. Communication objectives
d. Benefits to promise
e. Supports for the promise
f. Media to be used.

Note boxes will expand to accommodate verbiage. Try to keep Creative Brief as concise as
possible..

(Client Name) Creative Brief Format

Agency/Graphic Designer: ____________________________________

By: M H Lakdawala 53
 Agency Phone:______________ Fax: _____________ Email:
______________________

AgencyAddress:
______________________________________________________________

Street City State Pin Code

Project Summary: Clear, concise description of project – keep brief.

Target Audience: Whom are you trying to attract? Be specific.

Key Messages: One or two key “thrusts” – those most important to the project’s success.

Key Benefits: What’s in it for the audience?

Background/Competitive Positioning: Briefly discuss the competition, market realities,

obstacles, etc.

Communication Strategy: Indicate any specific elements to be included (logos, key

visual images,key words and phrases, key contact information, specific internet links etc.)

Desired Message Tone: How do you want the message perceived -- creative, fun, warm,
active?

Project Timeline: Indicate major milestones.

Anticipated Budget:

By: M H Lakdawala 54
 Other: Add any key information not covered under the above items.

Prepared by :
_________________________________________Date:________________________

Accepted by:
Agency/Graphic Designer Signature: ______________________________

Title: ______________________________

Date: ______________________________

Chapter: 5 The BIG IDEA

A BIG IDEA can be used to provide a basis for the campaign. e.g. a “hook” that you can use
for multiple executions. Does the ad position the product simply? …and with unmistakable
clarity? Does this ad bolt the brand to a benefit? Does this ad contain a power idea? Does this ad
have brand personality?

Is how the Advertising meets its promotional objectives given its audience and constraints?
Translates the ads purpose into its Creative Strategy (how it will do what it is supposed to). The
Creative Strategy is built around a theme that contains an appeal. The theme is the ad’s context,
or setting. The appeal taps into the audiences’ motives to initiate and guide behavior / learning.

Big idea—“The flash of insight that synthesizes the purpose of the strategy, joins the product
benefit with consumer desire in a fresh, involving way, brings the subject to life, and makes the
reader or audience stop, look, and listen.”

David Ogilvy’s Quotes 1

It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product.
Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night. I admire people
with gentle manners who treat other people as human beings. I abhor quarrelsome people. I abhor
people who wage paper-warfare.

David Ogilvy’s Quotes 2

The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Never insult her intelligence
You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas

Creative Strategy 
The search for the “BIG IDEA.” The concept or central theme that will bind the campaign
together.  

By: M H Lakdawala 55
 Tone of Voice
Tone of Voice often communicates so much more than even the expression on your face.
You are constantly engaged in changing your tone of your voice as you speak. You admonish
a naughty child in on tone, and use another if the child is frightened and needs comforting.

You can use Tone of Voice to give orders, raise an alarm, and evoke pity; In short, use Tone
of Voice to generate a mood, or to impel action. So when you communicate through an ad, first
decide when Tone of Voice you wish to use when talking to your target audience.

What sort of feelings do you wish to inspire in the housewife’s heart? Should you inspire
confidence, or evoke fear? What sort of voice will make the reader of your ad eventually respond
as you want him or her to respond? Tone of Voice is a crucial element in designing
communication message.

Chapter: 6

Writing for Print Media- Parts of a press ad- the headline, subhead,
body copy

WRITING THE COPY

The elements of the copy, from headline to closing should follow the 4 steps in the selling
process – “A-I-D-A” in a logical progression.

THE HEADLINE PROVIDES THE “A” AND “I”

In copywriting, the attention and interest of the potential customer must be caught by the
headline, or the page will be turned and the possible sale lost.

The headline has 3 functions:

1. To capture attention.
Ex: Axe effect – red lips creating a sensuous appeal are a very attention seeking ad
and the visual acts as the headline.

2. To awaken the interest of the reader in learning more about the product.
The ad for Intelligent Investor, which uses the headline “Why being a regular reader
of Intelligent Investor is such a healthy habit”, would awaken the interest of the readers.

3. To select the special readers who might have a specific interest in what you are
selling.

By: M H Lakdawala 56
 Eanadu Pradesh ad targets media planners, hence the headline – “Perhaps the first ad
written with the belief that a media planner is human, and not a counting machine”.

Once the dominant selling point and copy appeal have been determined, there are several
grammatical forms the headline can take. It may be determined as:

 A statement or part of a statement

The Business Standard ad uses a statement the headline:” Its tough being a Business
Standard reporter”.

 A question
Onida TV ad- Headline – “should the new Onida TV be banned?”
Surf excel – sample laaney ki kya zaroorat hai

 A command.
get it! – Visa

Ad for Star News that has a headline, which just says

“Stop”

Onida TV – headline - “Don’t!”

Sub-headline – “don’t just envy the Ondia TV, buy it”

What a headline contains is more important than the form in which it does it.

Headlines may be classified by performance as follows:

Headline Types

 Benefit

 News and Information

 Command

 Provocative

 Question

 Reason why

By: M H Lakdawala 57
  Caution headline

 How-to-type

 Selective headline
 Solution to problem

 Advice headline

 Gimmick headline

1) Promise of a Major Benefit

This is the safest, most widely used type of headline. And for it to be as effective as possible,
it must display the #1 benefit your prospect will receive buy purchasing your product or service.

The most effective way to determine this benefit is to survey your customers - by phone,
email, or postal mail. Ask them the top 3 reasons for purchasing your product or service, and
have them rank them in order. It's a good idea to offer your customers an incentive for providing
you with this information.

2. News or Information:
Conveys real news or important information about a product.. If your product or service
offers something newsworthy, announce it in your headline. Newsworthy is usually the
introduction of a new product or the improvement of an existing product. Here are some words
you can use in your News Headline: New... Announcing... Introducing... Finally... Just Released...
Now... Now Available... At Last...
Examples:

Eg. The Times of India ad that boasts of the circulation of TOI as compared to that of
Deccan Herald.

“ The Times of India: 301927 copies.

Deccan Herald : 147538 copies”

3. The Command Headline. The Command Headline tells your customer what to do.

Your command should encourage action by offering your prospect a benefit that will help
them. Effective Command Headlines start out with action verbs.
Examples:
♦“Trade In Your Old Motor cycle for-Bye to Maintenance Headaches!”

4. Provocative

5. The Question Headline. Here again, to use this headline, you must really know your
market. You need to know what your prospect is thinking, what their anxieties are, and what

By: M H Lakdawala 58
they’re hoping to accomplish. If you know your target audience this well, then the Question
Headline is an effective headline to use.

The Question Headline should focus on your prospect’s self interest and ask a question they
want to know the answer to. The best type of questions to ask are questions that get your prospect
involved.

Examples:
♦ “What Does the Space Shuttle Have To Do With LaZer Runner’s 7 Year
Premium Protection Warranty?”
♦ “Can Half of All Laser Tag Owners in America Be Wrong?”
♦ “What Do The Giant Entertainment Companies Know That You Don’t?”

6. The “Reason Why” Headline. With the “Reason Why” headline, you give our prospect
specific reasons why they should read your ad. “Reason Why” headlines are effective because
they contain facts and specific numbers. “Reasons why” headlines don’t need to include the
words “reason why”.
Examples:
 “7 Reasons Why IBM Provides You With a More Reliable System”

7. The How-To Headline. These two words -- “how to”, are very powerful words. You can
never go wrong using a How To Headline. (Over 7,000 book titles start out with How To.) How
To Headlines promise your prospect a source for information, advice, and solutions to their
problems. If you ever get stumped for a headline, use the How To Headline -- it works!
Examples:
♦ “How To Expand Your Customer Base and Increase Your Profits”

8. Selective
Select a specific audience with specific language and words.

The Malaya Manorama ad, which addresses advertisers. The print ad starts with the
headline which says – “A few commandments to advertisers this Xmas.”

Media planer ad of Eenadu Pradesh.

9) Solution to a problem

This type of headline is a slight variation of the #1 benefit headline. The problem solved by
your product or service is the #1 benefit - it's just presented in a problem/ solution format.

Example:

"Now You Can Melt at Least 3 Inches of Fat from Your Waist in 30 Days or Less -
Guaranteed!"

This headline presents the benefit of reducing fat in the waist as the #1 solution to the
problem of having excess fat in the waist area.

10) The Flag Headline

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 A flag is a phrase calling for the attention of a particular person or group. Use a flag headline
to attract your target audience - those most likely to buy your product or service. For example…

Attention: New Mothers!

New Exercise Safely Burns the Fat You Gained During Your Pregnancy in Less than 60 Days
- Guaranteed!

You can also use the flag headline to increase response by catering your offer to readers of
the publication you're advertising in. Example…

Attention: Newborn Journal Readers!

New, Exercise Safely Burns the Fat You Gained During Your Pregnancy in Less than 60
Days - Guaranteed!

11) The Warning Headline

This type of headline can yield tremendous results when use properly. There are a few ways
to use this approach. Your headline can propose a warning to read your message before making a
purchase. Or you can use the warning to flag a specific audience. The following example uses
both of these techniques.

* Warning: Dieters *

Don't eat another reduced calorie meal until you read this startling message… Why Your
Current Eating Habits May be Doing More Damage to Your Body Than Good!

12) The Testimonial Headline

This is simply a satisfied customer testimonial used as a headline. Here's an example:

"Big Boulder Protein Powder helped me pack on 11 pounds of muscle and reduce my body
fat by 6.4% in only 37 days, without changing my exercise routine, and I'm convinced it can do
the same for you too."

The quotes around the headline signify that it's an actual quote from a customer, giving it
added validity.

When using this method, it's important that the testimonial has a strong impact. It must make
a significant claim related to a major benefit of your product or service. Don't just use an
"average" testimonial, or it won't have the desired effect.

13. Claim:
Insist that this product has an outstanding record or performs in a certain way. It
should not be overly blatant and boastful, if so then it is called Horn-Blowing.

DHL: “when sending shipments to the US, more of India’s companies choose us”.

By: M H Lakdawala 60
 Horn blowing – the Asian Paints yamaraj ad – this ad just exaggerates the durability
aspect of the paints which kind of sounds boastful.

14. Advice or Promise:

Promise a real benefit if the product is used.

Ex: Don’t get a credit card from us and you may end up with the wrong one in your
hands - timesofmoney.com ad.

15. Logo Or Slogan:

Stress the reputation of the company behind it.

Toyota, Tata both use their logos for most of the ads for their automobiles –
Camry and Indica respectively.

16. Mood-Setting:

Set a mood to create receptivity in the reader.

Eg. The JW Marriott ad, which uses the headline –“The earth is mostly water. So is
the view from our hotel. A picturesque scene of girl relaxing supports this

17. Provocative:

It must provoke the reader into probing further. It means startling or interrupting in
order to capture attention. If a provocative headline is used it must be pertinent to the
product. If it presents a question, the answer must lie in the subheadline or body copy and
in the product’s characteristics, features, and performance. Sometimes it presents a
contradiction or an apparent paradox to the reader, with the explanation provided in the
body copy. There are exceptions: Those messages where a headline and very descriptive
visuals are able to tell the whole story.

The advertisement for HLL looking for baby models –

Headline – “Nude models wanted”

Ad for Amitasha Foundation – Her parents cursed the day she was born”

18. Visuals are as much a part of headlines as are verbal concepts.

Eg. The “bad night – Goodknight” ad with Lisa Ray …….her face tells the whole story and
there’s no body copy!

Sub-headlines:

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 Sub-headlines are sectional headlines. There are over lines and underlines. An over line is a
sub-head that leads into headline.

An underline is a sub-headline that follows the main headline and leads the reader into the
copy test.

Generally the purpose of the sub-headline is to support the main headline and complete the
meaning of the headline. It may also be used to bring out related but additional or different
appeals. It can also be used to break up a lengthy copy.

Functions of Sub-headline:
•Include important information not communicated in the headline
• Communicate key selling points or information quickly
• Stimulate more complete reading of the ad

BODY COPY

Body copy carries the selling message.

Once the headline and visual have attracted attention and aroused interest, the body copy
attempts further to develop the interest of the potential customer, to awaken the desire to own the
product, and to close with a “call to action”.

Body copy can be extremely important to the success of an ad. It allows you to fully convince
the target audience of the benefits of the product. But unless you can get them to read it, it's a
huge waste of your time and your client's money. And most people won’t read body copy--in fact,
80% of readers won't read it. So what do you do? You can leave it out of the ad and hope that the
ad will compel readers to seek more product information elsewhere (at the Web site, at the
showroom, etc.) But sometimes advertising is the most efficient way of communicating all the
product information so you have to write good body copy. In that case, you must try to entice
readers into the body copy. And the best way to do that is with a great "lead." This is the first
sentence of the body copy. No matter what style of copy you're writing, it should draw the reader
from the headline and into the text.

The copy approach is the way the copy and its appeal are presented.

Copy approaches, various as they seem, can be grouped into three categories:

1. Factual, direct or rational approach

LIC – The LIC ad states the benefits of the Komal Jeevan policy, the eligibility,
minimum sum assured, etc.

Several ways to work out this approach

 a. Direct selling information
Ads that offer information on products like music cassettes, books, CDs, etc, which are
sold by the newspaper/magazine in which the ads feature, provide direct selling
information.
For example – The Economic Times Entertainment 2001-2002 report.

By: M H Lakdawala 62
  b. Implied suggestion (“soft sell”)

Amway – the ad does not urge you to “ buy today” or “hurry”, instead, it lays down the
benefits of using Amway products in a subtle way. Besides, since Amway products are
made available through personal selling, the body copy does not state any contact address
or number. Rather, it states – “ someday soon, someone will suggest that you find out for
yourself how exquisite our personal care products are.

 c. Testimonial copy

1. When Sachin Tendulkar says – “Boost is the secret of my energy”, he is offering

testimony to the benefit offered by Boost, i.e. energy.

2. Ratan Tata lends credibility to the plea made by Dept of Electronics – Govt. of India by
ratifying the seriousness of the Y2K Bug.

Body copy developed for the factual approach:

1.Amplification of headline in the lead (1st sentence (s) of body copy)

2.Proof or evidence

3.Additional details

4.Closing

The ad by Infosys seeking recruits starts with the Headline – “ We need Though
Leaders who can assert our Domain Competence.”

1. Amplification of headline – “As a global IT consulting and services organization,

Infosys is at the cutting edge of IT development and a thought leader in business and
technology domains…”
2. Proof or evidence: a seal is shown in the ad which states –
Best employer to work for in India
Business today – Hewitt Associates survey – Jan 2001

Software’s Best Employer

Dataquest – NFO – MBL Study
May 2001

3. Additional details: details about Domain Competency, the focus areas of the project,
eligibility criteria are given.
4.
5. Closing: So, if you are a though leader who wants to fly high, act now!
Mail your resume…

2. Narrative approach story board

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 Ex: om kotak mahindra

A man joins a party and is bewildered by what he sees. He moves forward

in a daze and recognizes his own image as an old man. "Ek din, main apne aap se mila. Aur apna
bhavishya dekha." He dances together with his vision, and
enjoys the carefree moment. "Aatmanirbhar, surakshith. Azaad." They become the life of the
party as... ...the MVO adds, "Om Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance. Jeene
ki azaadi."

The ad uses the narrative approach to emphasize the USP of Om Kotak Mahindra Life
Insurance, i.e. Independence.

Several ways to work out this approach:

 a. Descriptive or human interest story

Most NGOs use this approach to elicit a favorable response from the readers.
For example, ad for the Amitasha foundation - Nurturing the girl child, show the

photograph of a girl in rags, with the headline – “Her parents cursed the day she was

born. So does she.”

 b. “Slice of life” – slice of life ads depict situations that one can relate to, situations
that could have occurred in anyone’s life. McDonald, Cadburys dairy milk, etc use
this approach

 c. Fictional testimony
In the ad for Dove, women who have used Dove narrate the positive effects of
using Dove in their lives.

 d. Monologue or dialogue

Hindustan Times

 e. Humor

Most of the Fevicol ads have used humor to make the ads noticeable, interesting
as well as memorable. Even the feviqwick ad where two men are shown fishing, has
the same effect.
The ad - a suave gentleman is shown fishing in a lake for hours, but could not
catch a single fish. Then comes a rustic local, who applies Feviqwick at a few places
on his fishing rod, dips it in the water and out comes with five fish stuck to his rod.
Thus, humor gave high noticibility as well as recall to the ad.

Body copy developed for the narrative approach:

By: M H Lakdawala 64
  Predicament

Most fair and lovely ads start with a predicament – the girl faces problem/s because of her
complexion. like the ad in which the father wishes that he had a son and not a daughter. The
daufghter comes across an offer for the job of an airhostess, but a after look at her dark
complexion in the mirror, only ends up cursing herself.

 Transition to the product.

But things change when she uses Fair and Lovely

 Happy ending

Not only does she become beautiful (fair) and confident, she even becomes an airhostess.
The ad ends with the female taking her father out for coffee to a five star hotel, and the father
proudly calling her ‘beta’ (son).

 Closing (suggestion to the reader)

Ads, which end with words, like – “jaldi kijiye”, hurry now, etc.

Example – Safal ad – jaldi kijiye - mahurat nikal na jaye

3. Projective or emotional approach

This approach puts the reader realistically into the situation, involving him emotionally
through a projected “factual story” or through fictional story about fictional characters. This
approach relies on the customer’s association with the characters in the story – as if it were
happening to him.

Eg. The emotional impact of this type is often felt in copy written about perfume,
cosmetics, lingerie, cars and travel.

McDonald’s ad.

A little boy takes a last look around his old home. Everything is being packed up and
stashed away to be moved Saying good-bye to his best friend he gets into the car and
they drive out. On the way, he spots a McDonald’s restaurant and....he recalls all the fun
they had here. The occasions celebrated and the good times come flashing back to him.
Cut to the new house. His sister drags him to the window to show him something. The
father draws a Mac logo in the air. As they look out, the kid sees a McDonald's restaurant
opposite and his gloom disappears. The ad ends with the jingle - McDonald's mein hai
kuch baat.

By: M H Lakdawala 65
BOXES AND PANELS

Boxes and panels are great tools for the copywriter. In the information age, writers can access
huge amounts of information to support their product’s utility and demonstrate why customers
need it. To avoid having the ad’s text become a glut of testimonials, data, and off-the-issue
discussions, copywriters segregate information of a secondary and supportive nature into boxes
and panels next to the main body copy. This allows readers to first focus on the main issues and
later study the detailed facts.

A box is copy with a line around all four sides. A panel is an elongated box that runs the
whole length or width of an ad.

Boxes are useful for framing information that the prospect must read – e.g. coupons, special
offers, contest rules, and the order blanks.

Quick tips for Body copy;

1. A writer must put conviction into their own copy.

2. Never oversell in your body copy
3. Get quickly to the crux of your body copy message.
4. Keep your line of thought on track.
Address arguments before they arise.
6.Write for your audience-not yourself.
7. Keep your copy user friendly
8. Present your body copy in a logical sequence that relates to the rest of the text.
9. Use one of the twelve slogans for constructive persuasion.

SLOGANS

A slogan is a small attractive phrase used in the ad to sum up the advertising message in a
few words. Ideally the slogan should be short, preferably 5 to 7 words or even less than 5 words.

The words must be simple, clear and easy to remember. It should be so designed that it can be
repeated , perhaps a year or years together. The slogan should be such that it can be used in any
media, whether on TV, radio, press and outdoor. Slogans are not easy to create.

Sometimes, they just come along but most often slogans are the result of hard work of days
together put in by the creative marketing people/advertising people.

Great slogans are like great ideas, they don't come overnight.

Basis for writing a slogan: Techniques/factors

1. Slogans can be based on the Quality of the product.
Example: ‘The best tobacco money can buy’-Rothmans.

2. Slogan can be based on the Life of the company.

By: M H Lakdawala 66
 Example: ‘ A trusted household name for over fifty years’-Philips.

3.Slogans can be used to build Trust and confidence.

Example: ‘The name you can trust’- Mafatlal.

4.slogans to guard against substitutes.

Example: ‘when it’s Philips, you can be sure’.

5. Slogans emphasizing sales of the product.

Example: ‘India’s largest selling soft drink concentrate’. Rasna.

6. Slogans emphasizing International reputation of the product.

Example: ‘The world’s favorite airline’- British Airways.

7. Slogans can place emphasis on Advanced technology of the company.

Example: ‘In tune with tomorrow.’- Bush.
Example: Dunlop is Dunlop, always ahead’.

8. Slogans emphasizing the use of the product.

Example: ‘A pocket doctor for aches and pains-Amrutanjan pain balm.
Example: ‘Real relief, real fast-Moov.

9. Slogans expressing Love and Affection

Example: ‘A gift for someone you love-Amul chocolates.

10. Slogans expressing Joy and happiness.

Example: ‘ Happy days are here again.-Thumps up

11. Slogans emphasizing the choice of specific class.

Example: ‘The choice of new generation’- Lehar Pepsi.

12. Slogans emphasizing the comfort and convenience.

Example: ‘Arrive in better shape’-Cathay Pacific.

13.Slogans based on pride and possession.

Example: Neighbours envy, Owners’ pride’.

14.Slogans emphasizing name of the brand company.

Example: ‘Only Vimal’

15. Slogan based on the headline of the ad.

Example: ‘Filter and tobacco perfectly matched’-Wills. (headline: ‘Made for each other),
The twelve slogans of constructive persuasion:
1. Slogan are about you: Successful slogans tend to use the word ‘you’ some where in the
copy.
2. Slogan make promises
3. Slogans call for action
4. Slogans create ideals: Zindagi ke saath bhi Zindagi ke baad bhi.
5. Slogans are it: Go for it, It’s here, you can’t beat it.
6. Slogans are in a world of their own. Enter a new world of writing.

By: M H Lakdawala 67
 7. Slogan may rhyme: Top for shops, meals that appeals.
8.Slogans can be full of alliterations
Supremely Scottish Salmon
Buy better. Buy bigger, by far.
9. In order to sell, slogans don’t have to be clever.
The writer’s choice
The best pen you can buy.
10. Slogans conveniently package everything in one sentence.
Affordable reliability in your pocket.
11. Slogans repeat key word patterns.
The right price. The best quality.
12. ‘The’ slogan is king
The best; The one;the Answer, The shape.

Functions of Slogan:
1. Aid memory recall: It should be easy and pleasant to remember.
“ I love you Rasna”.

2. To describe the use of a product.

“ The weekly update on the hospitality industry- Express Hotelier & caterer Magazine.

3. To suggest the product’s special advantage or unique benefit. "

On time, every time.” DHL.

4. To suggest increased use or frequency of use.

5. To stress the quality of the product

“ Greater Reliability through Better Technology”. Rane ( Madras Limited).

6.To build name and goodwill of the company.

“ The world’s favorite airline.” British Airways.

7. To stress market leadership

“ India’s No.1 Radial.” JK Tyre.

8. To emphasize international standards.

“ World Champion Lubricants.” Castrol.

Many slogans – also called theme lines or tag lines – begin as successful headlines. Through
continuous use, they become standard statements, not just in advertising but also for salespeople
and company employees. Slogans become a battle cry for the company.

Slogans have two basic purposes: to provide continuity to a series of ads in a campaign and to
reduce an advertising message strategy to a brief, repeatable and memorable positioning
statement.

De Beers ads still use the slogan – “Diamonds Are Forever/Heera Hai Sada Ke Liye”

Because of their use in positioning a company or product, many slogans are developed at the
same time the product or company is conceived.

By: M H Lakdawala 68
 Slogans should be like old friends- recognized instantly year after year.
Effective slogans are short, simple, memorable and easy to repeat, and most important, help
differentiate the product or the company from its competitors.
Rhyme, rhythm, and reason – not to mention alliteration – are valuable tricks of the trade for
slogan writing.

SEALS, LOGOTYPES AND SIGNATURES

The concise Oxford Dictionary describes the word ‘Logo’ simply as ‘logo type’. In turn,
logotype is describe as:

Word, or more letters than one, cast in one piece.

Non-heraldic device chosen as company symbols or badge of organization and used in
advertisements, on note paper, etc.

The company’s logo is the corporate signature. It reposes in itself the collective pride of the
company and is designed with great care to represent the personality of the company and its
product. In other words, the corporate logo embodies the company with a personality, a human
quality and character.

Apart from lending personality to the Company’s public image, logo styles also incorporate
nuances about the company. Movement related corporations like Air India, Indian Airlines, and a
host of other airline and travel agencies prefer their logotypes to move from left to right and
underline the sense of motion through Italicised typefaces.

A seal is awarded only when a product meets standards established by a particular institution
or organization.

Sunsilk claimed that it had passed the rigid tests and had received the approval of Elida Hair
Institute of Paris
.
Companies claiming to be ISO approved

Since these organizations have credibility as recognized authorities, their seals provide an
independent, valued endorsement for the advertiser’s product .

The term Seal is sometimes interpreted to mean the company seal or trademark. They are
actually called logotypes. Logotypes and signature are special designs of the advertiser’s
company name or product name. They appear in all company ads and, like trademarks, give the
product individuality and provide quick recognition at the point of purchase.

Captions:
Captions do form part of copy text. Captions are small sentences that seem to come out the
mouth of the people shown in the ads. Comic strip type of copy make use of captions.

For example, you must have come across such captions in the print ads of Tortoise Mosquito
Coil.
Essentials/ Characteristics/ Attributes of a Good copy:

By: M H Lakdawala 69
 1. Be Concise
2. Be Simple
3. Be specific
4. Be Personal
5. Make it believable
6. Be clear
7.Make it interesting
8.Make it persuasive
9.Keep a surprise in the copy
10. Follow the headline and illustration.
Creative Tactics: Print Ad Layout

3. Jingles
These are catchy little tunes, which we pick up and hum quite unconsciously most of the
times, like a refrain registered in our brain, which refuses to go away. Jingles make possible the
association of memorable phrases with the product or with the company.

As David Ogilvy once said, “ If you have nothing to say, sing it.” A jingle with its repeat
phrases has a far higher recall value than the visuals do. The signature tunes immediately conjure
up their products. The music catches the attention of children and teenagers. It is important to
know the target audience when composing a jingle. It is important to know the target audience
when composing a jingle.

The mood briefs are generally given to the jingle singer by the Agency. They tell whether a
tune should be ‘peppy’ or ‘romantic’, or ‘joyous’. They also give a profile of the target audience.
Sometimes a story-board is given by the Agency to make the singer aware of the characters
expected to be mouthing the jingle.

Jingle composing, singing and making it work is highly creative art. Jingle composing
involves co-ordination with client, composer, musician, recording studio, singer, voice over
person and host of others.

Chapter: 7 Writing for Television:

Stages of producing a TV Commercial

1) Writing scripts and developing storyboards
2) Briefing the producer
3) Pre-production
4) Shooting
5) Post-production

The Two elements that make TV so exiting are:

(1) Sight
(2) Sound

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 Focus on single big idea:
TVC are generally use for launching the single Big Idea to leave its impression. Effective TV
commercials merge video and audio into a powerful sales tool. But don't think one is more
important than the other. Audio and video go hand-in-hand.

For example, turn down the volume on any commercial. You should be able to identify the
benefits of purchasing a product just from the video. The same holds true for audio. Close your
eyes and listen to the announcer. If the audio doesn't explain the product in detail, then the
commercial isn't effective.

Potential customers should be able to hear your message even if they're not in the room to see
it. Always use a strong audio and video combination when creating your own commercial.

Say you're selling a handheld vacuum cleaner:

Your video could actually demonstrate the product vacuuming the stairs, hard to reach places
and inside a car.

You'd also use video to show someone struggling with a regular, bulky vacuum cleaner -
fussing with cords and heavy equipment. Use your audio to explain the advantages of owning
your product. You'd use words like "convenient, portable, and lightweight."

However, there are no words more important than your call to action. What do you want your
viewer to do? Tell them to call now. Order now. Visit their local dealer. Your video must match
your audio to drive home your selling points. For instance, you wouldn't want to see video of a
woman struggling with a large vacuum cleaner while you hear audio claiming, "Our handheld
vacuum cleaner is great for cleaning the inside of your car!" Your message gets distorted. The
viewer gets confused. And you lose the sale.

Think of television as an intimate medium.

1. If you're advertising a restaurant, don't just use a shot of your building's exterior. Use a
close-up of your food in your commercial. And show people eating your food.

2. If you're producing a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about drunk driving, don't just
use a shot of a crowd of people at a funeral. Show a tear streaming down a child's face.

3. Combining sight and sound should spark your viewers' emotions and help them identify
with your product. And if they can identify with your product, you're more likely to get

Successful television advertising sells through emotions:

1. Motivate viewers: Television viewers rarely remember the details of an ad, but they can
recall how the ad made them feel. Make sure they feel motivated after viewing yours.

2. Get to the point. You have about two seconds to grab the television viewer's attention,
so use a strong opening image - the visual equivalent of a strong headline. You then have
a total of maybe five seconds to say what the ad is about - if it's not clear you've lost the
viewer for the entire ad.

3. Keep your message simple. Stress your benefits. And remember to stress them
visually. You can do this by "showing" what they are, rather than just "telling" what they
are.

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 4. Be sure to tell the viewer your name visually. Put it right there up on the screen,
along with your logo, and your address and phone number. Better yet, hit them twice by
having the voice-over announcer read it aloud at the same time.

5. Don't forget your call to action. Tell the viewer what to do - Call now!!!; Visit your
local dealer; Compare the value; Come see us; etc.

Television has a tremendous advantage over radio:

In that action as well as sound can be used in the message. The ability to create a mood or
demonstrate a brand in use gives television it superior capability.

But this also changes the whole concept of copy for the copywriting effort. Copy for
television must be highly sensitive to the ads visual aspects as specified by the creative director.

The opportunities inherent to television as an advertising medium represent challenges for the
copywriter as well. The copywriter must remember that words do not stand alone. Visuals,
special effects, and sound techniques may ultimately convey a message far better than the
cleverest turn of a phrase.

Television commercials represent a difficult timing challenge for the copywriter. Copy must
be precisely coordinated with the video. The road map for this coordination effort is known as a
storyboard. A storyboard is a frame-by-frame sketch depicting in sequence the visual scenes and
copy that will be used in a television advertisement.

Writing TV Copy
Television Advertising Formats:
Because of the broad creative capability of the television medium, there are several
alternative formats for a television ad:

Demonstration. Demonstrating a brand in action is an obvious format for a television ad.

Brands whose benefits result from some tangible function can effectively use this format.
Demonstration with sight and sound lets viewers appreciate the full range of features of a brand.

Problem and Solution. A brand is introduced as the savior in a difficult situation. This
format often takes shape as a slice-of-life message, in which a consumer solves a problem with
the advertised brand. A variation is to promote a brand on the basis of problem prevention.

Music and Song. Many television commercials use music and singing as a creative
technique. The beverage industries (soft drinks, beer, and wine) frequently use this format to
create the desired mood for their brands.

Spokesperson. The delivery of a message by a spokesperson can place a heavy emphasis on

the copy. The copy is given precedence over the visual and is supported by the visual, rather than
vice-versa. Expert, average-person, and celebrity testimonials fall into this category.

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 Dialogue. As in a radio commercial, a television ad may feature a dialogue between two or
more people. Dialogue format ads pressure a copywriter to compose dialogue that is believable
and keeps the ad moving forward. Most slice-of-life ads in which a husband and wife or friends
are depicted using a brand employ a dialogue format.

Vignette. A vignette format uses a sequence of related advertisements as a device to

maintain viewer interest. Vignettes also give the advertising a recognizable look, which can help
achieve awareness and recognition. The Taster's Choice couple featured in a series of
advertisements in the United States and Great Britain is an example of the vignette format.

Narrative. A narrative is similar to a vignette but is not part of a series of related ads.
Narrative is distinct in that it tells a story, like a vignette, but the mood of the ad is highly
personal, emotional, and involving. A narrative ad often focuses on storytelling and only
indirectly touches on the benefits of the brand. Many of the "heart-sell" ads by Kodak and
Hallmark use the narrative technique to great effect.

Guidelines for Writing Television Copy

1. Use the video.
2. Support the video. Make sure that the copy doesn't simply hitchhike on the video.
3. If all the copy does is verbally describe what the audience is watching, an opportunity to
either communicate additional information or strengthen the video communication has
been lost.
4. Coordinate the audio with the video.
5. Sell the product as well as entertain the audience.
6. Be flexible. Due to media-scheduling strategies, commercials are produced to run as 10-
15-, 20-, 30-, or 60-second spots. The copywriter may need to ensure that the audio
portion of an ad is complete and comprehensive within varying time lengths.
7. Use copy judiciously.
8. Reflect the brand personality and image.
9. Build campaigns. When copy for a particular advertisement is being written, evaluate its
potential as a sustainable idea.

Common Mistakes in Copywriting

Beyond the guidelines for effective copy in each media area, there are common mistakes
made in copywriting that should be avoided:
1. Vagueness. Avoid generalizations and words that are imprecise in meaning.
2. Wordiness. Being economical with descriptions is paramount. Copy has to fit in a
limited time frame (or space), and receivers bore easily.
3. Unoriginality. Using clichés and worn out superlatives was mentioned as a threat to
print copywriting. The same threat (to a lesser degree, due to audio and audiovisual
capabilities) exists in radio and television advertising. Trite copy creates a boring,
outdated image for a brand or firm.
4. Creativity for creativity's sake. Some copywriters get carried away with a clever idea.
It’s essential that the copy in an ad remain true to its primary responsibility:
communicating the selling message.

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The Copy Approval Process
In copy approval, copy may be subjected to research scrutiny. Developmental copy research
provides audience interpretations and reactions to the proposed copy. Evaluative copy research is
where the audience expresses its approval or disapproval of the copy used in an ad.

The final step in copywriting is getting the copy approved. A typical copy approval process
goes as follows.

In the advertising agency, a copywriter submits draft copy to either the senior writer or the
creative director, or both. A redrafted copy is forwarded to the account management team within
the agency. A main concern at this level is to evaluate the copy on legal grounds.

After the account management team has made recommendations, a meeting is likely held to
present the copy marketing staff. Inevitably, the client feels compelled to make recommendations
for altering the copy. Finally, copy should always be submitted for final approval to the
advertiser's senior executives. Often, these executives have little interest in evaluating advertising
and they leave this responsibility to middle managers.

Storyboard
Creating the Storyboard is the second level of making a television commercial (TVC).
Storyboard is a series of visuals which convey the story or the idea behind the commercial. Once
the concept behind a TVC is ideated, presented to the client, approved and researched, the
storyboard artist is called upon to present the ideas visually with a brief from the creative
department. In Advertising, these visuals are usually hand-drawn. The artist is given a detailed
description on the commercial viz. Socio-economic profile of the protagonists , their age group,
their costumes, the place / location where the TVC is set in and so on. The artist then presents his
interpretation of the commercial in visuals as various shots conceived by the creative team. The
dialogues / lyrics of the jingle are written against each corresponding visual. This storyboard is in
turn forwarded to the producer /director of the TVC.

After the initial discussions on the TVC with the creative, the director then takes over the mantle
and in consultation with the director of photography, visualizes the entire film shot by shot. His
interpretation of the commercial is again presented by a storyboard artist as various shots, locales,
look of the models etc on a storyboard but this time in a more detailed version.

For a TVC, a storyboard makes things easier for all parties involved. It makes the director's job
much easier once he has his well-defined visual representation. The Director of photography too,
with the help of a storyboard knows his shots and the angles much in advance and this helps his
planning with the kind of equipment, lenses , the lighting technique which could be used to make
the frames look interesting. The editor, even before the film gets shot, gets a fair idea on the
editing pattern, thanks to the storyboard. From the advertising agency's perspective, the director's
storyboard helps them understand what exactly the director's visualization is, of their script.

I. Cinema:
Art of script writing
In a good screenplay, dialogue tends to be used frugally. Too much dialogue clutters up and
slows down the impact of the film, especially when it slows down or reduces visually showing

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the audience what is happening. So one of the most important lessons a screenwriter can learn is
to show rather than tell.

Dialogue is only used to add subtlety to characters and action and to provide additional
information that will help the audience better understand what is going on and why.

The Elements of The Screenplay

i. Drama: First we are telling a story in the form of DRAMA. In presenting our story on
the screen through the medium of photographed action we have SCREEN DRAMA. The
story is about people, giving us characters.

ii. CHARACTERIZATION: The portrayal of these characters gives us

CHARACTERIZATION. The characters, being human, have desires.

iii. MOTIVE: These desires cause them to do certain things--and the causes are called
MOTIVE.
iv. Motive finds its outlet in deeds, which are the effects of the causes, giving us ACTION.
v. CONFLICT and STRUGGLE: The various motives, clashing, give us CONFLICT and
STRUGGLE.
vi. Waiting for the outcome of the conflict gives us SUSPENSE
vii. CONTRAST: To be interesting the characters must be dissimilar, giving us CONTRAST.
viii. CLIMAX. The various minor happenings throughout are INCIDENTS.
Incident by incident the conflict grows into SITUATIONS. Each situation builds up to a
CRISIS. There must be several situations and crises, following one after another, giving
us SEQUENCE. The sequence of situations builds to the final situation and the greatest
crisis in the story, which culminates in the CLIMAX. After which we gather the various
threads of the story together and reach the ENDING.

DIALOGUE is used throughout to add subtlety and to convey information that fleshes out
what is being communicated visually. In addition to these components, there are
other fundamentals which are important:

The OBJECT of conflict must be of sufficient importance to possess

SIGNIFICANCE. The story usually involves a single general SUBJECT known as THEME.

II. Radio:

Writing Radio Copy

1. Characteristics of Radio environment
2. Message strategy
3. Writing script
4. Radio production process

1. Characteristics of Radio environment

1. Radio has been called the Rodney Dangerfield of media because it gets no respect from
many advertisers.
2. Radio is capable of presenting words and “theatre of the mind.
3.Radio has also become a medium characterized by highly specialized programming
appealing to very narrow segments of the population.

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 4. Radio has survived and flourished as an advertising medium because it offers advertisers
certain advantages for communicating messages to their potential customers.

However, radio has inherent limitations that affect its role in the advertiser’s media strategy:
a. Creative Limitations: Absence of visual image. A radio commercial is like a TV ad, a
short-lived and fleeting message that is externally paced and does not allow the receiver to
control the rate at which it is processed.

b. Fragmentation: The high level of audience fragmentation due to large number of

stations.
c. Limited Research Data. Audience research data are often limited, particular compared
with TV, magazines, or newspapers.
d. Limited Listener Attention: It is difficult to retain listener attention to commercials.
Radio programming, particularly music, is often the background to some other activity and may
not receive the listener’s full attention. Thus they may miss all or some of the commercials.

Advantages:
Cost and efficacy: Radio commercials are very inexpensive to produce. They require only a
script of the commercial to be read by the radio announcer or a copy pf a prerecorded message
that can be broadcast by the station.
Flexibility: Radio is probably the most flexible of all the advertising media because it has a
very short closing period, which means advertisers can change their message almost up to the
time it goes on the air. Radio commercials can easily adjust their messages to local market
conditions and marketing situations.

2. Message strategy
Deciding the message is the one of the important activity in the advertising
decisions, it includes:
1. Message generation
2. Message evaluation and selection
3. Message execution
4. Social responsibility review

Message generation:
An important component of communication is the message what is said or written. In order to
understand communication, it is useful to understand the characteristics of messages and how to
construct the most effective messages.

Advertising people have proposed different theories for creating an effective message.

 Reeves of the Ted Bates advertising agency favoured linking the brand directly.

 Leo Burnett and his agency preferred to create a character that expressed the product’s
benefits.

 The Doyle, Dane and Bern Bach agency favoured developing a narrative story with a
problem, episodes related to the problem and outcomes.

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 Whatever the method is used, creative people should talk to consumers, dealers and experts
and experts, to have suitability to the message and to understand likes and dislikes of the
customers and the middlemen’s.
Some creative people use a deductive framework for generating a advertising messages.
John Maloney proposed one framework, he saw buyers as expecting one of the four types of
reward from a product:
a. Rational
b. Sensory
c. Social
d. Ego satisfaction

Buyers might visualize these rewards from:

1. Results of use experience
2. Product in use experience
3. Incidental to use experience.

Crossing the four types of rewards with the three types of experience generate
twelve types advertising message.
For example the appeal ‘get cloths cleaner’ is a rational reward promise following the results
of use experience.

Message Appeal:
Message appeal is the feature that brings about attitude change on the part of the audience;
the message appeal can be:
a. Informative message: This is to create awareness and knowledge of new products
or new features of existing products or service.

b. Persuasive message: This type is to create liking, preference, conviction and

purchase of product or service.

c. Reminder message: This type is to create liking, preference, conviction and

purchase of product or services.

d. Reinforcement message: This is to convince current purchases that they made the
right choice.

Message evaluation and selection:

The good advertisement normally focuses on one core-selling proposition, but DIK Twedt
suggested that messages be rated on desirability, exclusiveness and believability.
The advertiser should conduct market research to determine which appeal works best with its
target audience.

Message execution:
The message impact depends not only on what is said, but often more important, on how it is
said. Some aim for rational positioning and others for emotional positioning.

Social responsibility review:

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 Advertiser and their agency must be sure their creative advertising does not overlap social
and legal norms.

Writing Radio script

1. When you place a radio ad, you're speaking to a captive audience –

The listener has to take an action (actively change the station) to pass by your ad. Because
listeners are often sitting alone (frequently in their cars), speak to them like you're having a one-
on-one conversation. Address them directly, and your message will get across.

2. On radio, you need to keep your message simple and focused.

Choose one theme and stick to it. Remember that it takes longer to say something out loud
than it does to read it. The average 30-second radio spot contains only about 70 words. Mention
your company name at least three times in those 30 seconds.

3. Different radio stations require different types of ads.

In "Guerrilla Advertising," Jay Levinson identifies two basic types of stations. "Background"
stations are on in the background and are typically music stations that are listened to passively.
Foreground" stations require active listening. They would include talk radio, all-news radio, call-
in shows, and the like. Make your ad sensitive to the format to keep the listener's attention - don't
use a "voice-only" ad on a music station; don't put a country and western jingle on a classical
music station; and don't use a music-driven ad on talk radio.

4. You have two basic choices when it comes to creating a radio ad.
You can provide a script and have it read by the announcer. Or you can provide a tape. If you
choose the latter, have a professional announcer read the copy; and consider using background
music or sound effects as a way of making the ad stand out.

5. If you're using a script, consider placing your ads on the show of a well-known radio
personality.
By having the personality read your ad, it will sound like a testimonial. And make sure the
personality is familiar with your product or service - send them a sample, if appropriate.

6. Repetition is very important in radio:

Because it takes several airings for the listener to become familiar with your name and
product or service. Frequency helps you break through the clutter. Consider running your spots at
the same time every day for a week. Take a week off and then run it for another week.

7. Entertaining Commercials sell

Humor, much of the “mad variety, holds audience just as well as the surrounding program
material. Music is used skillfully to capture attention or to create moods.
The good radio writer knows that in this era of half-listening radio audiences it is vital to give
the listener just one principal idea to carry away. Details should be kept to a minimum.

8. Words are your illustrations

Radio scriptwriter job is to make those-listening to your commercial see the product through
you’re his words alone, smell it, taste it, want it. If you are asked to prepare radio commercials
for an automobile you must deftly use description, put your audience in the driver’s seat of that

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car-make them feel its surging strength-its ease of handling-make them see its handsome lines.
Description is vital in a great many radio commercial. In radio the writer is the artist as well as
the writer.

9. Try them out loud

The one most important rule to learn about writing for radio is that every single word you set
down on paper for use over the air must be read aloud by you before you give it your personal
approval.

10. Length of words and sentences

Short words are usually the best radio words. Regardless of their pronunciation or ease of
understanding, words that contain more than three of four syllables should be used only when
absolutely necessary. Thus a “great car” is better than “an exceptional car”- “Lovely” preferable
to “beautiful”- “ good” to “ outstanding”, and so on

METHODS OF DELIVERY:
1. The Live Commercials
2. Station Announcers
3. The prerecorded commercials
4. Music
5. Dialog
6. Announcement
7. Celebrity announcer

III. Writing for Innovative medium

Innovative media focuses on alternative platforms of advertising which open up new avenues
for advertisers. As technological breakthroughs facilitate better modes of communication, the
emergence of new media has enhanced reach on several levels.

The result is new advertising vehicles which are wider in reach, specific in targeting and most
of all lower in cost.

1. The copy for innovative medium should reflect Newness, creativity, novelty and timing
which are key themes in innovative medium advertising
2. being different is important. But don't focus on how better or unique you are. Focus on
how that uniqueness directly benefits target group; even to the point they can almost taste it.
3. Use words, phrases and imagery that help paint vivid mental pictures.
4. Since innovative medium grab attention the copy should use Positive Emotional Appeals:
Positive appeals highlight product benefits and attributes capable of influencing consumer
behavior. They are love, humor, pride, prestige and joy. Most baby food products have a mother's
love appeal.
5. Other positive emotional appeals involving price, prestige or exclusiveness
6. Direct Appeals: Direct appeals are those that clearly communicate with the consumers
about a given need, followed by a message that extols the advertised brand as a product that
satisfies that need.

IV. Copywriting for Internet

Writing for Web

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 How to make websites and web pages popular and attract more traffic.

Listed below are some valuable tips to write effective copy for web pages and web sites.
1. Write for people’s interest: Writing articles for newspaper or magazine is different to
writing for Internet. It should be kept in mind and strictly adhere to the principles of online
copywriting to make headlines and copy appeal the online traffic.
Unlike writing for print media, writing for web pages is very different in as much as the web
traffic is very impatient and any thing less appealing is not likely to generate any interest.

Web posts that captivate reader’s mind and that are understandable, curt and laconic share
good ranking from search engine optimizers as well as from the readers’. Keep copy stick to one
topic and the topic should be burning and topical.

2. Search Engine Optimization: Write copy that is keyword rich. Write copy around the in-
demand keywords for your product or service. This enhances the visibility of web page on the
search engines, thereby increasing success rate.
Also adhere to following norms:
i. URL must contain the primary keyword to increase your search engine ranking.
ii. Primary keywords that you use in the URL should also be included in headline of the
copy.
iii. The body of copy should have sufficient secondary keywords.
iv. The anchor text of links in the body of text should also contain keywords.

3. Since customers can not touch, feel or try the products chosen on Internet, companies that
have online shops should offer warranties for products sold. This practice increases customers’
confidence thereby their willingness to buy on Internet
4. The Internet leads to faster discovery of customer needs, greater customization of the
products to the customer needs, faster product testing, and shorter product life cycles.
5. Internet offers the opportunity of developing new products or services. To develop a
product, there is a need for research on customers’ needs.
Internet provides the opportunity of offering a core product that satisfies the customers’
fundamental needs, but it also enables the companies to offer additional services such as
interactivity or more information about the company’s core product.
6. On Internet, a picture or description will replace the physical product offered in the
traditional marketplace or in stores. Providing complete and relevant product information is
crucial in order for the customers to get a realistic picture of the product and to make the product
offered more attractive.

V. Writing copy for SMS campaigns

Critical success factors for writing copy for sms campaigns:
1. Relevance: Advertising content must be targeted. The target group would consider
downloading and paying for the sponsored content as long as it was relevant.

2. Cost: Target group for sms campaign are generally extremely price sensitive, they will pay
for content that they perceive as valuable.
3. Awareness: Target group should be able to recognize that there is a relationship between
brands and associated content that they have experienced via other channels, "This is just like on
TV."

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 4. Brand Loyalty: Target group for sms campaign perceive some brands as "trusted," and
would enjoy receiving content they requested via opt-in customer acquisition methods.
5. Appropriate: Video content must be designed to meet the needs of the mobile handset.
Participants did not like the ads that were originally filmed for television and not formatted to
their phone

Chapter: 8 Principles of writing press release copy.

Whatever your objective, you can deploy PR tactics such as press releases to
your advantage. To succeed, you need to understand a few things about the
media and how it works.
Understanding what the Media Want
It is important to establish a working relationship between the organisation and
the media (both local and national). It’s not enough to want attention. The media have to want to
give that attention to you. The secret to successful media relations is to serve your interests by
serving the media’s interests. The more you can match your story to their needs, the more likely
they are to publish

You need to think about what they want:

i. they want news

ii. They want reader relevance
iii. They want fresh insights.

Often success in PR terms comes from a well-crafted, one-page press release. This press
release should be a short fact-filled document that tells editors the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’,
‘when’, ‘how’, and sometimes ‘why’ of your story.

Within its handful of paragraphs, the press release makes a compelling case for:
a. Newsworthiness
b. Reader relevance
c. The organization’s credibility

A press release should be able to attract further inquiry and generate publicity around your
offer.

Writing a Press Release

Follow three basic steps when writing your press release:
1) Get a grip on the content – be sure you have clear understanding of your story and all the
facts that support it
2) Follow the standard format – press releases have evolved into fast, easily skimmed
documents for the media’s convenience
3) Turn your content into compelling news – explain ‘why it’s important’ to the editor’s
readers. Think of it as the ‘so what’ rule.
4) For every statement you wish to include in the press release, answer, ‘so what?’
What is it adding to the different parties?

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 5) Preparing Yourself: If you want to capture the attention of a journalist, think like a
journalist!
6) Ask pertinent questions that go to the heart of the story.
7) Collect answers to the following questions:
 Who is your product/service (offer) useful for or meaningful to?
 How and why is this offer used, deployed or valued?
 How or where can the offer be obtained?
8) In addition to asking the big questions that capture the core idea of your press release,
you also have to consider smaller issues such as:
 Who – Who’s involved? Includes both the readers or the audience for whom the
story is relevant
 What – The bulk of your press release – the ‘what’ – covers all the
specifics of your statement
 How – May include both the offer and ‘how’ the prospects can acquire/ use it
 Why – The key question is ‘why is this important?’
Explain the significance of your statement to the editor’s readers.

9) One of the easiest ways to liven up a press release and to give it added credibility is to
include a direct quote from a person connected to the story -preferably someone who is
not a member of your organisation.

Constructing the Elements of the Press Release

1. Formatting the top of the release.
The press release begins with:
a. Release date – here you have two options; to make the release, ‘for immediate
release’, or, to be ‘embargoed’ until a particular publication date (which you can
specify)
b. Contact information – how can the editor/journalist contact the organization and
to whom should they speak?
2. Creating catch headlines
In many ways, press release headlines are like any other headlines. They have to
communicate the essence of your story right away. However, a press release headline is not a
place to make an offer (i.e. selling) – instead it must get right to the point and inform.

Your headline must summarise the essence of the release, providing the editor with enough
information to provide reassurance that this announcement is both newsworthy and relevant for
the publication’s readers. How do you write a good headline?
Write about the news plus the benefit the news provides. Think of the news as the actual
announcement and the benefit as the reason why the announcement is important to your target
audience.
3. The Body: The press release starts out with the fundamentals of your story.
The opening paragraph should cover:
 The facts – establish the fundamental facts of your story – the who, what, when, where,
why and how
 The reason – why this announcement is newsworthy – articulate why this news is
important to the publication’s readers

 Proof points – articulate evidence that validates your claims.

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 Following the opening paragraph, you now have room to elaborate with the ‘middle’ of the
release. This is your chance to really back-up the promises made in the release with just enough
detail to create a watertight case for the value and meaning of your story.
Some ways to do this include using:
1. Subheads – to help smooth the transition into another element of your story or to highlight
another key benefit or newsworthy item
2. Quotes – weave the quotes into the story in as seamless and natural a manner as possible

The end of the release

The purpose of the close of the press release is to signal to the editor that this is the end of the
release. You do this by adding a ‘boilerplate’.
Boilerplate’
A ‘boilerplate’ is a brief paragraph, with no more than two or three sentences, about the
organisation represented in the release. This information remains the same in every press release
your organisation produces, regardless of its contents, and it simply states ‘who you are’ and
‘what you do’.

Chapter: 9 I Mail Order Advertising:

Mail Order
It is a distribution channel. Consumer buy direct by post either in response to an advertisement or
from a sales promotional catalogue. Deliveries are made through the mail, by carrier direct from
warehouse or factory, or sometimes through a local agent.

Definition: What is mail order? 

Mail order is a term that refers to many different methods of soliciting and/or selling products or
services at a distance, where the potential customer is not physically present at a store or other
location to make a purchase or to place an order. The mail order customer learns of and views an
item and its description through one or more types of media, either print or electronic, including
catalog, direct mail, electronic catalog, website, email, television, radio, magazine, newspaper,
and others.

In today's marketplace, most customers can easily access any number of retail stores, but they
don't have the time. Instead of spending their precious free time at the mall, they can pore through
the pages of mail order catalogs that offer just about everything they can imagine.

Factors to keep in mind while writing copy for Mail order advertising:

1. Mail order advertising is always set in small type. It is usually set in smaller type than
ordinary print. That economy of space is universal.

(2) Every line is utilized. Borders are rarely used.

(3) In mail order advertising there is no boasting, save of super-service. There is no useless
talk. There is no attempt at entertainment. There is nothing to amuse. Mail order advertising
usually contains a coupon. That is there to cut out as a reminder of something the reader has
decided to do.

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 (4) Mail order advertisers know that readers forget. They are reading a magazine of interest.
They may be absorbed in a story. A large percentage of people who read an ad and decide to act
will forget that decision in five minutes. The mail order advertisers that waste by tests, and he
does not propose to accept it. So he inserts that reminder to be cut out, and it turns when the
reader is ready to act.

(5) In mail order advertising the pictures are always to the point. They are salesmen in
themselves. They earn space they occupy.

(6) The size is gauged by their importance. The picture of a dress one is trying to sell may
occupy much space. Less important things get smaller spaces. Pictures in ordinary advertising
may teach little. They probably result in whims.

But pictures in mail order advertising may form half the cost of selling. And you may be sure
that everything about them has been decided by many comparative tests. Before you use useless
pictures, merely to decorate or interest, look over some mail order ads. Mark what their verdict is.

(7) Mail order advertising tells a complete story if the purpose is to make an immediate sale.
You see no limitations there are on amount of copy. The motto there is, "The more you tell the
more you sell." And it has never failed to prove out so in any test we know.

(8)Sometimes the advertiser uses small ads, sometimes-large ads. None are to small to tell a
reasonable story. But an ad twice larger brings twice the returns.
A four times larger ad brings four times the returns, and usually some in addition. But this
occurs only when the larger space is utilized as well as the small space. Set half-page copy in a
page space and you double the cost in returns. We have seen many a test prove that.

I. Copywriting for Direct Mail-letters

Writing for direct mail-letters, product brochures, leaflets, folders etc

 
1. Direct mail works because it is "conversation in writing." No matter what you have heard,
read, or believe most people look forward to receiving and reading their mail.
 
2. Have something to say----- and say it in a way that's understandable by your audience.
 
3. Keep the opening paragraph of a direct mail letter short-absolutely no more than 17 words.
 
4. Whenever you go to second page in a letter, split the last sentence in half. Begin it at the
bottom of the first page; end it at the top of the next page. Why? To pull the reader with you and
"make" them turn the page.
 
5. Write about benefits. Not the features that you offer….. But the benefits that readers gain
from these features.
 

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 6. Of your first-time readers, 79%- almost 4 out of 5 – will read the P.S. in your letter first,
before they read your letter. The P.S. is a repeat of earlier key benefits, opportunities, offers, how
to respond.
 
7. Never, but never tell a lie. Tell funny stories. Be entertaining. Weave a scene. Make a
point. Be dramatic. Share a case history. Include testimonials. But never exaggerate. Always be
true.
 
Often when people are confronted by a long letter (and long letters almost always sell more),
they'll go to the end of the letter because they know that the whole letter will be summed up in the
offer and the P.S.
At least usually. You P.S. can do everything that your headline can do. Keep that in mind.
 
Ø      You can use it to:
Ø      Bring up the big promise again
Ø      Add more benefits
Ø      Powerfully state the offer
Ø      Create curiosity
Ø      Build urgency
Ø      Add even more credibility and proof
Ø      any or all of the above
 
Primary purpose of Direct Mailer
Ø      To motivate the reader to read the message.
Ø      To have the reader act ( Order the product, schedule a demonstration, send a donation).
Ø      To provide enough information so that the reader knows exactly what to do.
Ø      To overcome any objections that might prevent or delay action.
Ø      Secondary Purpose
Ø      To build a good image of the writer's organization. i.e. to strengthen the commitment of
readers who act, and make readers who do not act more likely to respond positively next
time.
 
Components of Good Direct Mail
Good direct mail has three components:
Ø      A good product, service, or cause appeal
Ø      A good mailing list
Ø      A good appeal        
 
 A good product appeals to a specific segment, can be mailed, and provides an adequate profit
margin.
A good Service or cause fills an identifiable need.
A good mailing list has accurate addresses and is a good match to the product.
A good appeal offers a believable description of benefits, link the benefits of the product or
service to a need or desire that motivates the reader.
 
Makes the reader want to read the letter, and motivates the reader to act.
The appeal is made up of the words in the letter, the pictures in the brochure, and all the parts
of the package, from outer envelop to reply card.
 
 
Direct Mail strategies start with three basic steps:

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1. Learn about the product, service, or organization
2. Choose and analyze the target audience
3. Choose a central selling point. These steps interact
 
How to organize a Direct Mailer:
 
Opener (Star): The opener of your letter gives you 30 seconds to motivate readers to read the
rest or thrown away.
 
A very successful subscription letter for Psychology Today started out:
 
Do you still close the bathroom door when there's no one in the house?
 
 To brain storm possible openers, use the four basic modes:
1. Questions
2. Narration
3. Starling statements a
4. Quotations
 
1. Questions
 
Dear writer
 
             What is the best way to start writing?
This letter selling subscriptions to Writer's digest goes on the discuss Hemingway's
strategy for getting started on his novels and short stories. Writer's Digest offers practical advice
to writers who want to be published. This information in the letter is useful to any writer, so the
recipient keeps reading; the information also helps to prove the claim that the magazine will be
useful.
Good question challenge but don't threaten the reader. They're interesting enough that readers
want the answers, so they read the letter.
Poor question: do you want information about investments?
Better question: can you still make money investing in land?
 
I. Narration, stories, anecdotes
 
Dear membership candidate:
 
1. I'm writing to offer you a job.
2. It's not a permanent job, understand. You'll be working for only as much time as you find
it rewarding and fun.
3. It's even a paying job. On the contrary, it will cost you money.
 
This fund- raising letter from earth watch invites readers to participate in its expeditions,
subscribe to its journal, and donate to its programs. Earth watch's volunteers help scientists and
scholars dig for ruins, count bighorns, and monitor changes in water; they can work as long as
they like; they pay their own(tax deductible)expenses.
Variations of this mode include special opportunities, twists, and challenges.
 
 

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 3.  Startling Statements
            This fund-rising letter from Earth watch invites readers to participate in its
expeditions, subscribe to its journal, and donat its programs. Earth watch's volunteers help
scientists and scholars diag for ruins, count bighorns, and monitor changes in water; they can
work as long as they like, they pay their own (tax-deductible) expenses.
            Variations of this mode include special opportunities, twists, and challenges.   
 
4. Quotations
 
"I never tell my partner that my ankle is sore or my back hurts. You can't give in to pain
and still perform."
The series of which this letter is a part sells season tickets to the Atlanta ballet by
focusing on the people who work to create the season. Each letter quotes a different member
of the company. The opening quote is used on the envelope over a picture of the ballerina and
as an opener for the letter. The letters encourage readers to see the artists as individuals, to
appreciate their hard work, and to share their excitement about each performance.
 
 
 
 
Body (Chain)
      The chain is the body of the letter. It provides the logical and emotional links that
moves readers from their first flicker of interest to the action that is wanted. A good chain
answers reader's questions, overcomes their objections, and involves them emotionally.
      Content for the body of the letter can include
1. Information readers will find useful even if they do not buy or give.
2. Stories about how the product was developed or what the organization has done.
3. Stories about people who have used the product or who need the organization's help
4. Word pictures of readers using the product and enjoying its benefits.
 
Action Close (Knot)
 
The action close in the letter must do four things:
Tell the reader what to do: Respond. Avoid if ("if you'd like to try…"). And why not
("why not send in a check?"). They lack positive emphasis and encourage your reader to say
no. Make the action sound of easy: fill in the information on the reply card, sign the card (for
credit sales), put the card and check (if payment is to accompany the order) in the envelope,
and mail the envelope. If you provide an envelope and pay postage, stress those facts.  Offer a
reason for acting promptly: Readers who think they are convinced but wait to act are less
likely to buy or contribute. Reasons for acting promptly are easy to identify when a product is
seasonal or there is a genuine limit on the offer – time limit, price rise scheduled, limited
supply, and so on. Sometimes you can offer a premium or a discount if the reader acts
quickly. When these condition do not exit, remind readers that the sooner they get the
product, the sooner they can benefits from it; the sooner they contribute funds, the sooner
their dollars can go to work to solve the problem. End with a positive picture: of the reader
enjoying the product (in a sales letter) or of the reader's money working to solve the problem
(in a fund raising letter). The last sentence should never be a selfish request for money.
     
      The action close can also remind readers of the central selling point, stress the
guarantee, and mention when the customer will get the product. 
 

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 II. Writing copy for yellow pages:
a. Tell your customers the benefits of buying your products/services immediately!
There's not much time so you have to grab a potential customer's attention. Tell them
how long you've been in business, why you are different from your competitors and
what associations you belong to.
b. Set the business name big and bold but not in all caps. All caps are harder to read.
The larger font makes the name stand out.
c. Summarize the scope of the business (and a key selling point) in the 'Year Round
Yard Maintenance' subheading.
d. Arrange the main services in columns instead of that centered paragraph with bullets.
One column of short words, one column of phrases - more contrast that's easier to
scan.
e. Used contrast (size) and placement/alignment (lower right corner) to emphasize the
telephone number (call to action).
f. Copy should be descriptive. People are usually ready to make a purchase or get more
information when they use the Yellow Pages.
g. Proof read: Once your ad goes in the Yellow Pages, it's going to stay that way for an
entire year. Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! If you sell "dogs" and your ad says you
sell "dots" then you'll have to wait until next year to fix the error.

III. Writing copy for trade directory

a. Give Them What They Want.
You have to look through the eyes of the consumer - imagine that they're interested in the
product but... but what? They may worry about the safety of using a credit card, ordering
online, privacy, system compatibility, getting unwanted junk mail and so on.
b. And make sure you put your message across with the right tone.
Business users have very different needs and ways of expressing themselves from the
average home user. Make sure you don't throw street-slang at the IT guy, or CPU usage
patterns at the young game player.
c. Another universal technique that works is the use of testimonials.
If a target group scanning a trade directory looking at a product/ service that appeals to
him, the testimonials can swing it. But make sure they look genuine, or you're wasting
your time. A three sentence praise of features, attributed to a person's full name and
company.
d. Copy for trade directory should be short, to the point, and lots of them!
e. The copy should be benefit- Copy using complicated, complex, pretentious language
doesn't sell.
f. Follow the "3 C's" Rule: Express your offer
as Clearly,
as convincingly and
as compellingly as possible.
g. Forget things like "best," "fastest," "cheapest" and other, broad claims. Because the worst
thing you can do, second to making broad claims, is to express those claims broadly.

V. Writing copy for classified advertisement,

The art of writing a powerful advertisement, in three or four lines in such a way that it
conveys the message and induces the reader to buy the product, is not easy.

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 a. The classified advertisement if written well could at times substitute a display
advertisement which would be much more expensive.
b. Whether it is newspaper, any other print media or internet, the classified
advertisement is a powerful way of conveying your message and sell a product.
c. Classified advertisement gives you very little room to convey your message. But
art of conveying a powerful, attractive, attention grabbing message is a challenge
in itself.
d. The readers will be scanning hundreds of advertisements at a furious pace. Your
advertisement has to make him stop and get the attention. The first two or three
words have to be really catchy. It should induce the reader to read the
advertisement.
e. You should remember that the reader is not looking at what you say, but what he
wants. There would be other advertisements vying with you with equally catchy
words to lure him away. The choice of your words should make him to believe it
is exactly what he is looking for.
6. There are four important ingredients in good classified advertisement.
i. It has to grab the attention of the reader.
ii. Next it has to make him interested in the product.
iii. Then create a desire in him to possess the product.
iv. Then it has to induce him to take action, to buy the product.
v. Generally readers respond to advertisements with names and phone
numbers than blind advertisements. Advertisements in bold letters
would get more attention but more expensive.

VI. B2B Advertising

Business-to-business advertising is where business houses uses advertising to attract custom

from other businesses rather the general public.

Definition: Advertising directed to other businesses, rather than to consumers

An area of advertising for products, services, resources, materials, and supplies purchased
and used by businesses.

This area includes:

(1) Industrial advertising, which involves goods, services, resources, and supplies used in the
production of other goods and services;
(2) Trade advertising, which is directed to wholesalers and retailers who buy the advertised
product for resale to consumers;
(3) Professional advertising, which is directed to members of various professions who might
use or recommend the advertised product; and,
(4) Agricultural advertising, which is directed to farmers as business customers of various
products and services.

B2B is traditionally focused on relationships. That means less emphasis on generating

transactions and more on providing customers with a consistent stream of information and
service.

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 Basing B2B appeals on facts and logic is no longer considered the only way to market.
Gaining attention and market share through emotional appeals to business buyers is now
emphasize.

For example, AT&T advertised its services to businesses through emotion-packed scenarios
where managers desperately rue their decisions to switch phone companies.

This approach appeals to those who value reliability, a rational way to be, but it does so by
striking fear in their hearts.

What type is your target?

Understanding the psychographics or logic system of your particular business target, whether
chemists, doctors or data systems managers, may be expedited by convening several focus groups
of typical prospects.

Some believe that the online medium will shift the B2B paradigm, as B2B customer behavior
is precisely tracked, analyzed, and responded to with advertising that more directly galvanizes
sales.

Factors to keep in mind while writing copy for B2B Advertisement:

1. Consumer online advertising works because they are on their own time and are more
willing to be diverted to different types of activities. But the same Internet users (B2B Target), on
the job during the day, are better focused. They are involved in solving a specific problem. The
goal of advertising should be to make that job easier. An advertiser that properly targets the
message will be successful. People are receptive to appropriate marketing messages at work.
With B2C, the advertisers are after instant transactions. In B2B, customers don't usually click and
purchase.

2. Because B2B advertisers are not necessarily looking for an instant purchase, they must
look at a longer time line to determine the effectiveness of their approach. That is why click-
through rates are not particularly effective in measuring B2B ad effectiveness.

3. Not only is the B2B purchasing cycle longer, but also there is usually more than one
person making the decision. The ad viewer might pass the information along to someone else or
save the information for future reference."

4. Lately, however, other aspects of B2C advertising – such as positioning and brand
awareness – are being increasingly emphasized also in B2B advertising.

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Creating B2B Advertising

Chapter: 10 Different types of copy

I. Advertorial
An advertorial is an advertisement written in the form of an objective opinion editorial, and
presented in a printed publication —usually designed to look like a legitimately and independent
news story. The term "advertorial" is a portmanteau of "advertisement" and "editorial."

Advertorials differ from publicity advertisements because the marketer must pay a fee to the
media company for the ad placement, whereas publicity is placed without payment to the media
company and with no control over the copy. Most publications will not accept advertisements that
look exactly like stories from the newspaper or magazine they are appearing in. The differences
may be subtle, and disclaimers—such as the word "advertisement"—may or may not appear.
Sometimes euphemisms describing the advertorial as a "special promotional feature" or the like is
used.

Advertorials commonly advertise new products or techniques—such as a new design for golf
equipment or a new form of laser surgery. The tone is usually closer to that of a press release than
of an objective news story: advertisers will not spend money to describe the flaws of their
products.

Many newspapers and magazines will assign staff writers or freelancers to write advertorials,
usually without a byline credit. A major difference between regular editorial and advertorial is
that clients usually have content approval of advertorials, a luxury usually not provided with
regular editorial.

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 A related practice is the creation of material that looks like traditional media (for instance, a
newspaper or magazine) which is in fact created by a company to market its products. One
familiar example are airline in-flight magazines which usually feature reports about travel
destinations to which the airline flies.

Product placement is another form of non-obvious paid-for advertising.

This strategy was first popularized during the energy crisis of the 1970s. Mobil Oil felt its
efforts to gets its side of the story out through the American press was failing. Political and media
advisor Fred Dutton developed a strategy to publish Mobil Oil's opinion as an advertisement on
editorial pages across the country. The strategy proved successful in getting its message out to
both the public as well as politicians and Mobil Oil quickly became identified with this unique
advertising strategy.

II. Infomercial
Infomercials are television commercials that run as long as a typical television program
(roughly 28 minutes, 30 seconds). Infomercials, also known as paid programming (or
teleshopping in Europe), are normally shown outside of peak hours, such as late at night or early
in the morning. The word infomercial is a portmanteau, which is formed by combining the words
"information" and "commercial". As in any other form of advertisement, the content is a
commercial message designed to represent the viewpoints and to serve the interest of the sponsor.
Infomercials are often made to closely resemble actual television programming, usually talk
shows, with minimal acknowledgement that the program is actually an advertisement.

Infomercials are designed to solicit a direct response, which is specific and quantifiable, and
are, therefore, a form of direct response marketing (not to be confused with direct marketing).
The ad response is delivered directly to television viewers by infomercial advertisers through the
television ad. In normal commercials, advertisers do not solicit a direct response from viewers,
but, instead, brand their product in the market place amongst potential buyers.

Infomercial advertisers may make use of flashy catchphrases (such as "Set it and Forget it"),
repeat basic ideas, and/or employ scientist-like characters or celebrities as guests or hosts in their
ad. Famous infomercial personalities include: Cher, George Foreman (with the George Foreman
Grill), Daisy Fuentes, Jack Lalanne, Chuck Norris, Ron Popeil, Tony Robbins, Cheryl Tiegs, and
Kevin_Trudeau. The book As Seen on TV (Quirk Books) by Lou Harry, Sam Stall and Julia
Spalding highlights the history of such memorable products as the Flowbee, the Chia Pet, and
Ginsu knives.

Because of the sometimes sensational nature of the ad form, consumer advocates recommend
careful investigation of the claims made within any infomercial ad and investigation of the
company sponsoring the subject product of the infomercial before purchasing the featured
product or products. Infomercials are for the largest part shown late night to early morning
between 2:00am and 6:00am.

III. Comparative advertising,

Comparative advertising is a special form of advertising. It is a sales promotion device
that compares the products or services of one undertaking with those of another, or with those
of other competitors. All comparative advertising is designed to highlight the advantages of
the goods or services offered by the advertiser as compared to those of a competitor. In order

By: M H Lakdawala 92
 to achieve this objective, the message of the advertisement must necessarily underline the
differences between the goods or services compared by describing their main characteristics.
The comparison made by the advertiser will necessarily flow from such a description.  

Function of comparative advertising 

Comparative advertising should enable advertisers to objectively demonstrate the merits of
their products. Comparative advertising improves the quality of information available to
consumers enabling them to make well-founded and more informed decisions relating to the
choice between competing products/services by demonstrating the merits of various comparable
products. Based on this information, consumers may make informed and therefore efficient
choices. (These statements are true only if the comparative advertising is objective.) 

Comparative advertising which aims to objectively and truthfully inform the consumer
promotes the transparency of the market. Market transparency is also deemed to benefit the
public interest as the functioning of competition is improved resulting in keeping down prices and
improving products. Comparative advertising can stimulate competition between suppliers of
goods and services to the consumer's advantage.  

IV. Copy for different languages The most important factor to be kept in mind for writing
copy for different language is the context of the readers' general knowledge of language.

1. A copy writer must have some conception of what is meant by "normal language". Every
language has evolved to have many different kinds of functionality, each of which corresponds to
different situations and styles of use. From an analytic point of view, it seems to make most sense
to understand "normal language" to include the variety of styles of language that mature speakers
and readers control. This will form the backdrop of everyday language in its many functions,
against which we can view advertising language.

2. Like many aspects of human being and human behavior, our unconscious knowledge of
language is much greater than our conscious knowledge of it. While writing copy the facts about
language that are immediately accessible to the average person only should be use.

3. Focus on creative possibilities language allows,

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