Download 3.3.1 Advertising Copy - KV Institute of Management and Information

ADVERTISING AND SALES PROMOTION
UNIT – III
DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF ADVERTISEMENTS
Message development – Different types of advertisements – Layout – Design appeal – Copy structure –
Advertisement production – Print – Radio. T.V. and Web advertisements – Media Research – Testing validity
and Reliability of ads – Measuring impact of advertisements – case studies.
Table of Contents
3.1 Advertisement message ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
3.1.2 Creating the Advertising Message ............................................................................................................................... 2
3.2.3 Message development .............................................................................................................................................. 5
3.2.4 Message-appeal ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
3.3.1 Advertising Copy ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
3.3.2 Objectives of Advertising Copy ................................................................................................................................. 10
3.3.3 Characteristics of Copy : ....................................................................................................................................... 11
3.4 Layout ............................................................................................................................................................................... 20
3.4.2 Types of Layout : ...................................................................................................................................................... 21
3.4.3 Process of Layout : ................................................................................................................................................. 22
3.5.1 Copywriting Advertisements......................................................................................................................................... 27
3.5.2 Copywriting for Print Advertisements ....................................................................................................................... 27
3.5.3 Copywriting for Cyberspace .................................................................................................................................. 28
3.6.1 DESIGN & LAYOUT OF ADVERTISEMENT ........................................................................................................... 34
3.6.2 Components of Advertisement Layout....................................................................................................................... 37
3.7.1 ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 41
3.8.1 Testing validity and reliability of advertisements .......................................................................................................... 55
3.8.2 Need of Evaluating Advertising Effectiveness : ....................................................................................................... 58
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3.8.3 Approaches of Evaluating Advertising Effectiveness ............................................................................................ 65
3.1 Advertisement message
The effectiveness of marketing communication largely depends upon message. Ideally, the message
should get attention, hold interest, arouse desire, and obtain action. Message consists of facts, opinion, appeal,
idea, symbols, pictures or convincing arguments about the product. Main purpose of ad-copy is to communicate
with the largest audience. Advertiser wants to send some information, facts, and appeals, in a convincing way so
that the attention of audience can be attracted and their interest can be aroused and they can be persuaded to buy
the advertiser’s product. The effectiveness of advertisement depends on how message is designed and framed.
The decision regarding message-content, message-format, and message-source depends upon factors likecompetition, consumer-characteristic, buyer-behavior, product features, legal factors, amount of ad-budget, etc.
Message consists of facts, opinion, appeal, idea, symbols, pictures or convincing arguments about the
product. Main purpose of ad-copy is to communicate with the target audience. Advertiser wants to send some
information, facts, and appeals, in a convincing way so that the attention of audience can be attracted and their
interest can be aroused and they can be persuaded to buy the advertiser’s product. The effectiveness of
advertisement depends on how message is designed and framed. Kotler points-out that formulating message
require solving following problems:
1)
What to say? (Message-content),
2)
How to say? (Message-format),
3)
Who should say it? (Message-source)
The decision regarding message-content, message-format, and message-source depends upon factors likecompetition, consumer-characteristics, buyer-behavior, product features, legal factors, amount of ad-budget, etc.
3.1.2 Creating the Advertising Message
Advertisements need to break through the clutter:
•
Gain attention
•
Communicate well
Advertisements need to be better planned, more imaginative, more entertaining, and more rewarding to
consumers
•
Madison & Vine—the intersection of Madison Avenue and Hollywood—represents the merging of
advertising and entertainment
Creating the Advertising Message
o
Message strategy
o
Creative concept
o
Message execution
Message strategy is the general message that will be communicated to consumers
•
Identifies consumer benefits
Creative concept is the idea that will bring the message strategy to life and guide specific appeals to be used in
an advertising campaign
Characteristics of the appeals include:
•
Meaningful
•
Believable
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•
Distinctive
Message execution is when the advertiser turns the big idea into an actual ad execution that will capture the
target market’s attention and interest.
•
The creative team must find the best approach, style, tone, words, and format for executing the message.
Message execution also includes:
•
Tone
–
Positive or negative
•
Attention-getting words
•
Format
–
Illustration
–
Headline
–
Copy
Advertising manager must concentrate not only on the content of message but also on how the message should
be structured for presentation and who should be the message-source. Message-design and development is
different for different types of media like the message will be different for radio, T.V, magazine, etc.
Message attributes
Messages that perception
Messages that drive cognition
Messages that touch emotions
Messages that persuade
Messages that transform a product into a brand
Messages that drive action
Messages that drive perception
To be effective, advertisements need to get exposure through the media buy. The message, however, needs to
get attention and build awareness. It also needs to get consumers interests, which it tries to do by being relevant.
Then advertisers hope consumers will remember the message. Here are some suggestions on how to do that:
i)
Attention and awareness
Getting consumers attention requires stopping power. Ads that stop the scanning and break through the clutter
are usually high in originality.
ii)
Interest
Getting attention is the stopping power of an advertisement; keeping attention is the pulling power of an ad-it
keeps pulling the reader or viewer through to the end of the message. Advertisers stimulate interest by speaking
to the personal interests of their target audience.
iii)
Memory
Not only does advertising have to stop (get attention) and pull (create interest), it also has to stick (in memory).
One technique to ensure memorability is repetition. Psychologists maintain that people need to hear or see
something a minimum of three times before it crosses the threshold of perception and enters into memory.
Jingles are valuable memorability devices because the music allows the advertiser to repeat a phrase or product
name without boring the audience.
Messages that drive cognition
In general, informational strategies are focused on a product’s features. To have a practical effect on customers,
managers must identify the product characteristics or features that are most important to the target audience. In
addition to importance to the customer, the advertising might also point to the product’s point of differentiation
relative to the competition, which reflects its position.
Messages that touch emotions
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Emotional strategies highlight the psychological attraction of the product to the target audience through such
responses as love, fear, sexual attraction. These are all soft-sell strategies because they are not using a rational
approach to present information or reasons. A soft-sell strategy can be used for hard products. Creating a feeling
of involvement is another good way to connect with people on a personal level. Events, such as fairs, contests,
grand openings, and exhibits are particularly good at doing this.
A general emotional goal is to deliver a message that people like in order to create liking for the product. That is
a product justification for the use of entertainment as a message strategy. Entertainment uses drama, humour,
and song-and-dance messages to reward the audience with an engaging message. Advertisers have found that
commercials that look like T.V. shows and provide high entertainment value seem to be better liked by audiences
than ads with high levels of information.
Messages that persuade
Persuasive advertising is designed to affect attitudes and create belief. Strategies that are particularly good are
testimonials and messages that generate word of mouth about the product. A referral from someone who is not
affiliated with the product will have more persuasiveness than an ad that everyone knows is paid for by its
sponsor.
i)
Appeals: Persuasion sometimes uses the psychological appeal of the product to the consumer as the focus
of a message strategy. An appeal connects with some emotion that makes the product particularly attractive or
interesting, such as security, esteem, fears, sex and sensory pleasure. Although emotion is at the base of most
appeals, in some situations appeals can also be logical, such as saving money for retirement. Appeals generally
pinpoint the anticipated response of the audience to the product and the message.
ii)
Selling premises: advertising has developed a number of approaches that speak to the head with a sales
message. A selling premise states the logic behind the sales offer. A premise is a proposition on which an
argument is based or a conclusion is drawn. It is usually a rational approach – an appeal to the head. A rational,
appeal to prospectus and motivate them to respond. Here is a summary of these rational customer-focused
selling premises
a)
Benefit: The benefit emphasizes what the product can do for the user by translating the product feature or
attribute into something that benefits the consumer.
b)
Promise: A promise is a benefit statement that looks to the future and predicts that something good will
happen if use the product.
c)
Reason why: A type of a benefit statement that gives the reason why it should buy something, although
the reason sometimes is implied or assumed. The word ‘because’ is the key to a reason-why statement.
d)
Unique selling proposition: A USP is a benefit statement that is both unique to the product and
important to the user. The USP is a promise that consumers will get this unique benefit by using this product
only.
iii)
Conviction: The end result of persuasion is conviction, which means the consumer is committed to
something, prefers it, and probably intends to buy it or respond in some way. Conviction is often built on strong,
rational arguments that use such techniques in their creative strategies as test results, before-and-after visuals,
testimonials by users and experts, and demonstrations to prove something. Publicity that generates news stories
in the media is more believable than ads and thus rates higher in credibility. Celebrity endorsements are also
used to intensify conviction in the target audience
Messages that transform a product into a brand
The transformative power of branding, where the brand takes on character and meaning, is one of advertising’s
most important functions. Image advertising is used to create a representation in a consumer’s mind. The image
takes on a particular meaning based on the ideas, feelings, and attitudes that a consumer has about a product, as
well as the consumer’s past experiences with the product and its advertising. Advertising’s role is to provide the
cues that make these meanings and experiences come together as a coherent image of the brand.
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An association message strategy delivers information symbolically by connecting a brand with a certain type of
person, lifestyle or other characteristics. This link is often created through visuals. A car in front of a mansion
says luxury without having to state that message in words.
Messages that drive action
Even harder to accomplish than conviction is a change is behavior. Sometimes an advertising message can drive
people to act by offering something free or at a discounted sales price, as in retail advertising. Many of the
strategies advertisers use to encourage behavior come from other marketing communication areas, such as direct
marketing and sales promotion. Sales promotion, e.g, works in tandem with advertising to stimulate immediate
action using sampling, coupons, and free gifts as incentives for action. Advertising plays a role in delivering
information about these promotions.
Most ads end with a signature of some kind that serves to identify the company or brand, but it can also serve as
a call to action if it gives direction to the consumer about how to respond. Most ads have response information,
such as a toll-free phone number, e-mail address to make it easier for people to respond.
Another challenge is to find interesting and original ways to generate word of mouth and get people talking about
the product. Trade shows can do this. This is sometimes called viral marketing, or buzz, and it takes advantage
of the fact that personal communication is generally seen as more persuasive than mass-media advertising and
more likely to motivate action. Viral marketing, which refers to messages being passed through an online
network, is another way to create buzz.
3.2.3 Message development
It is the process of creating the advertising message. Advertisers must first determine the desired
audience response and then develop the advertising message to achieve that response The advertising message is
very important to the success of the advertising campaign. It must attract audience attention and communicate
effectively.
Message designing and development includes creative aspects of advertising. It is the process which starts with
the designing of message and results into the development of a finished ad-copy. Message development process
is different for different types of media, like designing ad-copy for print media is different from designing adcopy broad cost media. Message development should increase the impact and memorability of the message. By
including creative ideas, innovative styles, and by improving production quality, advertiser can increase the
effectiveness of advertisement. Effective message development helps to overcome the problem of media clutter.
Clutter here refers to increasing number of advertisements in media. Nowadays, newspapers, magazines are full
of advertisements. So, advertiser wants that his advertisement must be eye-catching so as to attract attention of
readers/viewers. Effective message development helps to overcome the problem of media clutter.
Message development includes creative process of advertising and copywriting. Advertising managers must
consider not only the content of message but also how the information will be structured for presentation, and
what type of message-appeal will be used. Many options are available with respect to design of message.
Message design includes following decisions
Message structure
Message appeal
Message format
Message source
Message structure
Message structure includes decisions regarding order or presentation, drawing conclusion, message-sidedness,
etc. These decisions are as follows:
1)
Order of presentation
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In the order of presentation, it is decided that what type of arguments should be given in the beginning, in the
middle and at the end of message. By presenting the strongest arguments in the beginning, the audience attention
can be attracted towards the message. Presenting strong points at the end enhances recall and retention of the
target audience. An ideal message presentation is that where strong points are given both at the end and in the
beginning. While weak arguments can be given in the middle of message. If target audience are not interested in
the topic, or advertiser’s position is weak in the market then strong arguments should be presented in the
beginning.
2)
Drawing conclusion
Another important question regarding message structure is whether definite conclusion should be drawn for the
audience or allows the audience to draw their own conclusion. A message in which conclusion is not drawn is
called open-ended message. Educated people prefer to draw their own conclusion. If conclusion is drawn in the
message, then message becomes easy to understand. But some consumers feel that message which draws
conclusion is over aggressive and it is an attempt to influence their choice forcefully. If message is complex,
target audiences are less educated, they are less involved in advertiser’s product, then message should draw a
firm conclusion. If immediate action from target audience is desired, then conclusion should be drawn in the
message.
3)
One-sided or two-sided message
Another important question regarding message-structure is whether message should be one-sided or two-sided.
One-sided message mentions only positive aspects of the product, i.e., only benefits, uses, good qualities are
shown. In two-sided message both positive and negative aspects of the product are mentioned. Most of the
advertising messages are one-sided, as advertisers do not want to disclose shortcomings of their product. But
two-sided message enhances the credibility of the message and in this case, message seems to be more objective
and less biased. Highly educated target audience can be impressed with two-sided message.
Some advertisers feel that if message given negative aspects of the product also, then it is more difficult to
persuade the target audience to buy the product. Moreover, two-sided message, conclude their message with
favorable remarks. They mention the weaknesses of their product, but later they make it clear that most of these
weaknesses can be overcome and are irrelevant and ultimately the message draws a favorable conclusion.
4)
Refutational – message
In refutation, advertising message is designed to make counter claims, to nullify the competitor’s claims or to
overcome dissonance of public, caused by negative publicity against advertiser’s product. In refutational
message, advertiser tries to build positive attitude towards its products and defend against attacks or criticism of
his product. Such messages are used to refute the opposing viewpoints, i.e., if competitors are making tall claims
of their products and are criticizing the product, then people will design refutational message to defend against
attacks or criticism, e.g., when a report about cold drinks was published that these contain pesticides above the
authorized limit, then people stopped using cold drinks, then cold drink manufactures designed refutational
messages to defend against such criticism and to overcome to dissonance of public
5)
Verbal versus non-verbal message
In message-structure, a decision is taken that how much verbal and how much of non-verbal message should be
used in the advertisement. In case of broadcast ads, verbal message includes spoken words and in case of print
ads, verbal message means information given in the form of words. Non-verbal message includes visual
elements of the ad like illustration / photo in the ad or the scenes in the television commercial. Both verbal and
non-verbal messages communicate with the target audience. In some print ads, visual part of the ad dominates.
Visual part of the message makes the advertisement more attractive and eye-catching
3.2.4 Message-appeal
Message appeal refers to what advertiser wants to communicate to target audience through advertising
copy. It refers to the approach used in attracting the attention of audience or influencing their feeling/behavior
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towards advertiser’s product or service. Appeal helps to arouse interest of audience towards advertiser’s product.
Ad appeal can be many types. In message appeal advertiser may give the message regarding high quality of the
product, low price, good after sale services, durability of product, good performance of the product, main
benefits of product, superiority of advertisers product over other brands, information about exchange offer,
discount offer, festival offer, place of availability of product, modifications made in products, etc. The message
may include sense of security, safety, pride, achievement, recognition, satisfaction, etc., after buying advertiser’s
product. Message is communicated to target audience by making different types of appeals in the ad-copy. Main
advertising appeals are discussed below:
1)
Rational appeal:
Rational appeal as the name suggests aims to focus on the individual’s functional, utilitarian, or practical needs
for particular products and services. Such appeals emphasize the characteristics and features of the product and
the service and how it would be beneficial to own or use the particular brand. Print media is particularly wellsuited for rational appeals and is often used with good success. It is also suited for business-to-business
advertisers and for products that are complex and that need high degree of attention and involvement. The main
rational appeal are:
i)
Feature appeal
It highlights main features of the product, uses of the product, easy availability after sales services,
guarantee/warranty on product, etc., and high performance of the product
ii)
Favorable price appeal
If price of the product is low then it is highlighted in the ad appeal.
iii)
High performance appeal
It stresses on high quality and good performance of the product. Such appeal is generally used for washing
powder, kitchen appliances, engine oil, writing pens, etc.
iv)
Long-life appeal
It lays emphasis on durability and long-life of the product. Such appeal is generally used for durable goods like
furniture, refrigerator, car tyres, etc.
v)
Economy appeal
It highlights on low operating cost, low fuel consumption, low electricity consumption, more mileage, low
maintenance cost, etc. Such appeal is generally given for vehicles, tubes, electric equipments etc.
vi)
Easiness-in-use
It stresses on the fact that it to operate the product and involves no complexities. It is commonly given for nongear scooters, automatic washing machines, food processors other kitchen appliances, etc.
vii)
Re-sale value
It highlights on the high re-sale value of the product in comparison to other brands even after the economic life
of the product.
viii) New product appeal
It lays stress on the fact that the product has been improved, has some additional features and is a modified form
of its own previous product. The words like ‘improved’, ‘new’, ‘modified’ are used in this appeal. When the
business unit adopts improved technology, it often uses this type of appeal.
ix)
Comparative Advantage Appeal
In this appeal, advertiser’s product superiority is shown by comparing it with competitive products. It is
common among ads of detergents.
x)
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Announcement Appeal
If some new feature is added or some modification/improvement is done in the product or new distributionoutlets are opened, etc., then target audience are informed about these changes. Similarly, if company has
achieved leading position in the industry, then it is highlighted in the announcement ad appeal.
1)
Emotional Appeal: An emotional appeal is related to an individual’s psychological and social needs for
purchasing certain products and services. Many consumers are emotionally motivated or driven to make certain
purchases. Advertisers aim to cash-in on the emotional appeal and this works particularly well where there is not
much difference between multiple product brands and its offerings. The main emotional appeals are as follows:
i)
Pride appeal: In this appeal, product users are shown feeling pride in using advertiser’s product. They
feel status and recognition in the society by using such products. Expensive / luxurious products are advertised
by this ad appeal.
ii)
Affection appeal: in this appeal, love and affection is the main advertising theme. Products of baby care
are advertised on this ad appeal in which mother’s love / affection is depicted.
iii)
Comfort appeal: In this appeal comfort, happiness, joy, pleasure of person using the advertiser’s product
is shown. Such ads are common for fans, coolers, air conditioners, cars, etc.
iv)
Safety appeal: in this appeal, the audience are made to feel that they will be safe and secure by using
advertiser’s product. Advertisers of insurance policies, helmet, pressure cookers, electric bulbs, etc. make such
appeal.
v)
Product popularity appeal: it spells out that the product is very widely used and has large market share.
Such appeal is given by business units which are market leaders; e.g., Johnson and Johnson, a common brand for
baby care products and Activa scooter which is very popular give product popularity appeal in their
advertisement.
1)
Combining rational and emotional appeals:
Both rational and emotional ad appeals are used in developing effective advertisement copy. Both appeals
influence the customer’s buying decisions / buying motives. Purpose of both appeals is same, i.e., to attract
attention, create interest, arouse desire, and persuade the prospective buyers to purchase the product. Generally
kids, children and young persons are more influenced by emotional appeal; while mature, aged persons are more
influenced by rational appeal. If target customers are young ones, then more of emotional appeal can be used;
and if target customers are aged, then more of rational appeal can be used. If buying-decision of product is taken
by family members collectively then both appeals are equally important in influencing the buying decision.
2)
Sex appeal:
Sex in advertising or sex sells in the use of sexual or erotic imagery in advertising to draw interest to a particular
product, for purpose of sale. A feature of sex in advertising is that the imagery used, such as that of a pretty
woman, typically has no connection to the product being advertised. The purpose of the imagery is to attract the
attention of the potential customer or user.
Appeals utilizing overt sexual information are common in mainstream consumer advertising. Sex appeal is
pervasive in advertising and is used with increasing frequency. As advertisers seek out ways to break through
clutter and draw attention to their messages, the use of sexually oriented appeals have been used as a
communication technique.
3)
Moral appeal
Moral appeals are based on morality. These appeals are generally used in social advertising; like ad for polio
education, eye donation, environment protection, protection to girl child, protection against exploitation of child
labor, tree plantation etc. these appeals draw attention of audience on what is right.
Considerations in selecting advertising appeal
Selection of advertising appeal is important in designing of ad-copy. All appeals do not suit all products / all
types of customers. Effective ad appeals are unique, catchy and different. It should match with the target
audience. Following points should be kept in mind while selecting the ad appeal / ad theme:
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1)
Ad appeal should be believable, convincing interesting and attracting.
2)
It should be simple so that it can be understood even by an average target audience.
3)
It must match with the characteristics of target audience. For example, if the target audience is middle
income group, then rational appeal emphasizing on low price will work. If target audience consist of high
income group then emotional appeal with pride / prestige appeal will be more effective.
4)
Ad appeal must match with the product features. The main / unique product feature should be
highlighted in the appeal.
5)
Ad theme must be original, unique, and not just copy of competitors
6)
Ad theme should be changed with change in market conditions.
7)
Ad theme should be strong enough to affect change in attitude and action of target audience.
Message-format
Message format is the way a message is presented. Message format should be such as attracts the attention of
audience. Message format should be simple, logical and attractive. Presenting the strongest argument first from
the various message contents has the advantage of creating attention and interest in the message. It is even more
important in newspapers and other print media where audience often do not attend the whole message. The
headlines of message should be attractive, e.g; using the words ‘Dhamaka! Dhamaka!, ‘Festival discount offer’,
‘Exchange offer’, ‘Sale! Sale! Sale!’, ‘50% off’, ‘Buy one get one free’, ‘0% interest’, as headlines usually
capture audience attention. In a printed communication, the communicator should decide on headlines,
illustrations and color. For a T.V communication body language, gestures, dress, hairstyles, etc. are to be
planned. Message format is also called ‘layout of advertising copy’.
Message-Source
Message source as a component in the communications process can have an influence on receivers. Some
communicators are more persuasive than others, and the degree to which they are more successful depends on
how credible or believable the audience perceives them to be. For example, If the audience believes a
communicator has underlying motives like personal gain, the source will be less persuasive than one they
perceive as having nothing to gain. ‘Overheard conversation’ has a similar effect as the receiver believes they
were not the intended target of the message, so believes the communicator has no direct intent to manipulate
which increases the source’s credibility.
In advertising, the consumer is wary of the intentions of the advertiser. It is difficult to eliminate intent to
persuade. Same television advertisements attempt to increase credibility by using ‘candid’ interviews with
homemakers. The homemaker is asked to explain why they purchase a particular brand or asked to ‘trade’ their
usual brand for another, e.g., one box of their regular detergent for two boxes of another detergent (and the
answer is always ‘no’,). Another approach is to ask ‘consumers’ to compare their brand of product with another,
both in disguised form. The ‘consumer’ acts surprised when they learn that the sponsor’s brand performs better
than their regular brand. In these commercials advertisers are attempting to imply a degree of objectivity to
establish credibility for their message.
If the audience perceives the source to be an ‘expert’ speaker, perhaps one who has appropriate education,
information, or knowledge on a given subject the source will be more successful in changing audience opinions
pertaining to this area of expertise. Specialized sources of information, particularly the media, are quite often
perceived as expert sources. For example, in the advertisement of Oral-B toothbrush, a dentist gives the ad
message. In case of health-drink Complain, a dietician is shown as message source person to increase the
reliability of message.
Perceived status or prestige of the source affects its credibility. This can relate to a class concept, but also to the
‘role’ of the source in the particular situation. Everyone has several roles to play. One individual may be a
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corporate executive, a husband, a father, a. member of the local Masonic lodge and secretary of the local
Chamber of Commerce. Each role carries with it a status or level of prestige. A person usually separates these
roles, adopting the one appropriate to a given situation. Generally, the higher the perceived status of a source, the
more persuasive it will be. This is particularly true when the source is communicating on a topic related to role
position.
3.3.1 Advertising Copy
Advertising copy
Text of a print, radio, or television advertising message that aims at catching and holding the interest of the
prospective buyer, and at persuading him or her to make a purchase all within a few short seconds. The headline
of an advertising copy is said to be the most important part, and quite often a small change in its wording brings
disproportionate results. Although a short advertising copy is more common in consumer-product advertising,
according to the UK advertising guru David Ogilvy (1911-1999) people do read (and listen or attend to) lengthy
advertisements if they are skillfully written. Most advertising copy is based on advertising/consumer research
and is composed by professional copywriters hired by advertising agencies. Also called advertisement copy, ad
copy, or just copy.
A „Copy‟ means a written matter in any advertisement. It may consist only one word or many words. A
copy consist of headlines, subheads, captions etc. The copy supports the illustration and contains description of
the products merits, demerits, uses, services etc.
A copy is the heart of an advertisement. It shoulders the responsibility for influencing the buyers.
The word ‘copy’ has specific meaning in the world of advertising. The wording use in advertising and promotion
is called copy. Ad-copy is the written or spoken message which the advertiser wants to communicate to its target
audience through any type of advertisement. Written or spoken material in ad-copy mainly includes headlines,
message, illustrations, claims, logo, closing idea, etc. Ad-copy is defined as “written or spoken material in it,
including headlines, main body, sub-heads, pictures, caption, slogans, information about brand name,
trademarks, prices, coupons, claims, advertiser’s name. address, logo, phone numbers, website, etc.”
Advertisement copy is the product of collective efforts of copywriters, artists, layout designers, models,
choreographers, directors, market-researchers, etc. Effectiveness of advertising-campaign depends on effective
ad-copy. Ad-copy should attract attention, create interest of readers/viewers, induce or persuade the readers to
purchase the product or take them near to purchase. The advertising copy should be capable of turning potential
and prospective buyers into actual buyers.
3.3.2 Objectives of Advertising Copy
Advertising objectives must be set to guide the creation of advertisements. Without such set of objectives,
advertisements become ‘hit or miss’ propositions. It can be direct action objective or indirect action objective:
I) Direct Action Objective:
Direct action objective of a copy is to cause immediate direct action on the part of the consumer i.e., as soon as
the advertisement is read by the prospect; he responds to it and decides to buy the advertised product or service.
Majority of the retail advertisements and direct advertising aim at direct action.
2) Indirect Action Objective:
Indirect action objective of a copy is to create indirect action on the part of prospects. Such a copy hopes to
establish favorable attitude towards the company and such favorable response may be delayed.
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3.3.3 Characteristics of Copy :
(a) Brevity : A copy should be brief because readers have no time to go through the lengthy text and they must
be able to, read within a short time. So a copy should use simple language and small and easy words. The
message should be concise and precise.
(b) Clarity : A copy should be self-explanatory. The message to be delivered must be clear at first reading.
(c) Aptness : The message should be pointed towards the prospects. It must have a tone agreeable to the
respects. The viewers‟ attention should be led to the product and the message should be coached in such a way
that it would create interest inn the readers to read the message.
(d) Interesting : A copy should be interesting-provoking. It must stimulate the readers‟ curiosity to read the
message. The reader should himself decide to read „0 the message in detail.
(e) Sincerity : Sincerity can be achieved by using acts and quoting figures. Vague generalisations or stray
opinions must be avoided. Sincerity can be achieved if the copy contains one or two illustrations so that the
message will have an instantaneous appeal.
(f) Personal : The message should be directly addressed to the readers so that every reader forms the opinion
that it is directed to him only. This kind of direct personal attitude catches and retains the reader‟s or listener‟s
attention.
(g) Convincing : A copy provides information with a view to create in the mind of a reader first a desire and
then a conviction to possess the product. This means that the copy should be persuasive enough to lead the
readers towards buying the product.
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3.3.4 Types of Copy :
1. Scientific Copy : A Scientific copy is prepared for technical products describing about the features,
advantages, uses, contents and all the technical details about it. It is prepared for machineries, computers etc.
Scientific copy is directed, towards well versed customers who know about the product. For instance, a medicine
may be advertised to appeal to doctors. Thus, it explains the ordinary people in general and professional men in
particular about the technicalities of the product.
2. Descriptive Copy : It is a non-technical copy presented in such a manner that any layman can easily
understand. It does not require a professional expert to an the copy. It is just an ordinary, announcement of a new
items.
3. Narrative Copy : It is in the form of a fictitious story which narrates the uses advantages, after effect etc., of
the product. The story narrated is humurous to make it interesting.
4. Topical Copy : This copy establish a connection between the product and a particular happening e.g., A
watch company may advertise that those who were successful in climbing Mount Everest had with them the
watches of the company thus proving their excellent quality.
5. Personality Copy : This copy takes advantages of the opinion of an important personality. The statements are
made by leading personalities like sportsman, film actors, politicians etc. Their statements act as certificates
about the superior quality to increase the sales.
6. Colloquial Copy : In this type, informal language may be used to convey the message. The terms which are
used in daily conversation are in the copy.
7. Reasoning Copy : It is one which reasons to the customer as to why he should buy a product. This copy
explains to the customer in detail all the particular product must be purchased.
8. Questioning Copy : In this type, the text asks one or more questions to readers not for any answer but only
for the sake of response to it. For e.g. Do you want quient holiday in Summer? (Then stay at Hotel ABC at the
XYZ hill station).
9. Prestige Copy : In this type, the position and prestige of the customer is emphasised. It creates a favourable
atmosphere by changing the position of the customer for the sale of product. Normally luxury items are
advertised by such copies.
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3.3.5 Elements of Copy :
A copy normally includes the following elements or parts :
1. Main Headline : Headlines is the starting or the top line of an advertisement, usually printed in bold and of
larger type size. The prime function of the headline is to gain immediate attention.
2. Sub-Headlines : At times, some ads have more than one headline. Of these, one is usually the main headline,
and the others are sub-headlines. There may be overlines - that precede the main headline and there can
underlines - that follow the main headline. The subheadlines are used to support or to complete the meaning of
the main headline.
3. Body Copy : It refers to the text of the advertising message. Favourable information about the product and its
features is provided in the copy text. It is through effective copy writing the audience can be converted into
prospects and the prospects into customers.
4. 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.
5. Sloeans : Most ads do make use of slogan. It is a small catchy phrase used to sum up the advertising message.
Ideally the slogan should be short, preferably 3 to 6 words. Many a times the slogan says it all. For instance,
„The best tobacco money can buy‟
Rothmans.
6. Logo : Logos or signature cuts are special designs of the advertiser or its products which are used to facilitate
identification. There is no rule as to where a logo should be placed. However, in most of the cases, the logo is
placed at bottom right.
A headline is a word or phrase printed in large letters above the advertising message. Headline gives in
brief a fair, idea of the contents of the copy.
A good headline attracts attention and arouses interest. So that the reader would be induced to read the
advertisement.
Normally, the headline finds 10010 of the entire copy. Some advertising men believe that 50% to 75% of the
performance of an advertisement must be credited to the headline.
As people go through a newspaper or a magazine the headline is the only thing that attracts its attention.
Thus the headline carriages the heaviest burden of attracting readers to the advertisement.
Role of Headline:
A headline plays a significant role in advertise by performing the following important functions :
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a. to attract attention of readers to the ad;
b. to attract attention of the target consumers easily and quickly and to persuade them to read the whole of the
ad;
c. to create curiosity and interest in the ad;
d. to make the illustration and the copy more meaningful;
e. to introduce a unique selling proposition;
f. to sort out useful ads from useless ads;
g. to serve as the essence of the whole ad copy.
In the words of David Ogilvy, the advertising guru, “The headline is the most important element in most
advertising. It is the telegram, which decides for the reader whether to read the copy”.
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Essentials of a Good Headline :
1. Original : A good headline should be unique and should not be an immitation of any other headline.
Originality of headline creates a separate interest in the minds of readers.
2. Concise : A good headline must be brief i.e. it should not have more than 8 to 10 words and should form a
maximum of two lines.
3. Specific : The headline should be relevant and appropriate to the copy and illustration. It should convey the
advertising message specifically and not vaguely.
4. Provocative : A good headline should be forceful enough to induce the readers to go through the copy and
the entire advertisement.
Classification of Headlines
1. Benefits Headline : Such headlines indicates the benefits of the product or the service advertised.
2. News Style Headline : It emphasises on the quality, performances, services, advantages of the product list
this types, words like „Now‟. „Atleast‟ etc. are added to the headline.
3. Advice Headline : It advices the customers to purchase a product or avail of a service which will be
beneficial to them. e.g.
“How to bake better cakes”.
4. Challenging Type of Headline : This type of headline challenges the customer about the quality service,
price, performance etc. Such headlines emphasis on the superiority of the advertisers product..
5. Selective Headline : A selective headline is directly appealed to a selected group of customers. It may be
specially directed towards children, students, housewives to be used by those selected customers.
6. Situation Headline : It puts the customer in a situation and enquires whether the prefers to be in such a
situation. Such headlines supports the illustration.
7. Label Headline : A label headline announces not only about the lable of the product but also the selling
points. Such headlines are
„introducing type‟ or „warning type‟.
3.3.6 SLOGAN
Meaning :
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A slogan is phrase or sentence used repeatedly by a company or an organisation or an advertiser to aid in the
formulation of his message. A slogan is repeatedly used to create certain kind of effect on the minds of people.
Slogan is an important part of advertising copy. Like headlines and illustrations, slogans are communication
devices which are used to present an idea rapidly and concisely. It may be used throughout an advertising
campaign or over a period of many years. Some advertisers develop and use new slogans for each new
advertising campaign. A slogan suggests the thing and he advertises. It suggests the use of product again and
again or several times so that readers know it by heart. Generally, slogans are used for headlines in
advertisements. They are similar in structure to the summarizing headlines and try to summarise some
advertising idea just as a headline does. Slogans are mainly used in outdoor advertising. In such outdoor
advertising, a slogan becomes headline and the sales message. Slogans are generally developed from incidents in
the life of a product; such incident that optimise the use or value of a product when the incident is happily
expressed in a pleasing phrase and is used in advertising. The right frame having appeal becomes a good slogan.
A slogan sentence used repeatedly by a company of any organisation to create an impression in the minds of the
customers.
A slogan should suggest the thing it advertises. Slogans be used fur headlines in advertisements because of the
limitation on the length of a copy in this medium. The slogan then becomes headline and sales message all in
one.
Good slogans are not invented monthly by the advertiser. But they develop from incidents in the life of a product
of clause of a product etc. Then a incident is happily expressed in a pleasing phrase and used in advertising, it
becomes a good slogan e.g.
1.
“Any surface that needs ainting needs Asian Paints”.
2.
“A filter so true that the taste comes through”. (Bristol
Cigarette).
Characteristics of a Good Slogan :
A good slogan should :
1.
Contain a definite sales idea :
2.
Be compact in their construction :
3.
Be hardly more than 7 words long :
An ideal slogan is short, simple, easily remembered and filled with pleasing suggestion of the product. The
simplest slogans are the hardest to create. To create a good slogan is to define what you want to say in as many
words as necessary.
3.3.7 Logo
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The word „logo‟ comes from the Greek word „logos‟ meaning „simply the world‟. The noun „logos‟ also
appears in the Bible signifying „the word of God‟. Today the world logo is used in marketing and in advertising
parlance. From the coveted double „R‟ of Rolis Royce to the immediately recongrusable script that Coca-Cola
uses, logos are quickly identified by everyone. Apart from large corporations in every country even the small
businessman and one-man enterprises have adopted the corporate logo as a means for creating brand recognition
and corporate image.
Need for Logo : The need for a logo arises from the need to be different, followed closely by the need to be
recognised.
Your own given name could be a good example of a logo. In your childhood days, the name is a device to attract
your attention and to differentiate you from others. Over time as one grow up, the name takes on newer meanings
to yourself and finally becomes a matter of great pride when you dash off a signature on a letter, cheques or some
other document. It is your expression (difference, distinction and recognition) saying “this is me”.
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 product. Diversified Corporation use a
variety of symbols as part of their logos. ITC uses the upwards steeply, which also conveys the sense of growth
as well as excellence.
Welcome group uses unique folded hands symbols to denote hospitality in the inimitable Indian style. Others too
use Indian leitmotifs like LIC which uses two supped hands to denote security is care. Logos today go beyond
just being mere symbols. They represent the spirit, the belief, the raison„d‟ ere of companies and brands. Logos
the world over have their own logic which is distinguishable, easily recognised and identifiable.
3.3.8 Illustration
An illustration is a picture, photograph or drawing that is used in the advertisement to convey visually the
idea or message of the advertisement. An illustration, therefore, means a picture used in an advertisement to tell
the prospects the message of an advertisement. The presence or absence of a picture in an advertisement can
cause marked difference in its effectiveness. With the help of illustration over-emphasis in the subject matter can
be avoided and display appeal can be made clear and direct. The inadequacy of language is compensated for the
use of an illustration.
Essentials of a good illustration :
(a) It must support and compliment the copy theme and not detract from it.
(b) It must be “faithful reproduction” of the advertised product, if the illustration is that of the product.
The use of colour combination in an illustration must be in harmony with fundamental human nature, as it
influences the emotional behaviour of individuals.
(c) It must be simple enough to convey the ad message clearly, easily and quickly.
(d) It must be suggestive in design and construction. Though simple, it must be attractive, appealing and
beautiful to look at.
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(e) It must create a lasting impression on the mind of the reader.
(f) It must match with the lifestyle of the target consumer.
(g) It must occupy the proper place in the total layout of an ad.
(h) It must be capable of reproduction in the various advertising media.
(i) It must match with the headline of an ad and convey the same message to the reader.
(j) It must be original, unusual, and unique in design and presentation in an ad.
(k) Multiple illustrations must be used with a purpose in an orderly manner.
(l) Finally, illustrations must occupy and enjoy a dominant place in outdoor ads like posters, or, billboards.
Functions of Illustration :
1. Quick Attention : Without illustration an advertisement may look dull and unattractive. Illustration helps
consumers to quickly understand the message and motivates them to buy the product. Therefore, illustration must
capture the attention of the readers.
2. Demonstrate the Product : Illustration shows the product and its features at a glance. Illustration indicates
use of the product and how it works. Demonstration is usually visual and it passes on the message immediately.
3. Creates Right Atmosphere : Illustration creates the right atmosphere by using rainfall, river and forest with
the picture of the product. Such illustration has soothing effect on the consumers.
4. Communicate Message : Illustration can carry the advertising message quickly e.g., a bottle of perfume
conveys quickly the idea that the perfume is being advertised.
5. Support to Copy : Illustration is an important part of copy. Pictures carry message instantly and support the
message given in the copy.
6. Symbolize the Quality : The visuals used in the advertisement indicates power, speed, value, strength, etc.
e.g. MRF Tyres „Myscled Man‟, symbolizes strength and quickly of tyres.
7. Dramatise the Advertisement : Illustration dramatizes - story of the product. Illustration supports the
headline of the advertisement by pointing out the details of the product.
8. Provides Technical Details : Many consumers buying consumer durable products are interested to know the
technical details of the product. Advertisements of computers, washing machines, refrigerators and cell phones
gives many technical details of the product through picture of the product.
9. Lasting Impact : Illustration can make lasting impact on the mind of the consumers. Seeing is more
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convincing than being told. Pictures represent reality.
10. Fights Illiteracy : In a country like our where a large number of people are illiterate, picture of a soap
immediately communicates to all what the advertisement is about.
Types of Illustrations
There are various methods by which an illustration can be prepared. They are :
1. Product Alone : In this type, major portion of illustration is covered by the product for e.g. advertisement
that show Colgate tooth paste. The purpose is to give more importance to the product and to create image in the
minds of prospects.
2. Product in a Setting : In this type, the product is presented along with a background which is favourable to it
i.e. it is presented in an atmosphere wherein it is used.
3. Product in Use or Action : In this type, model may not be shown using the product or the product may be
shown in movement for e.g. A Cigarette company does not show merely a cigarette or packet but it shows a
person smoking a cigarette of a particular brand.
4. Result of a Products Use : In this type, the after effect of the product may be shown. The attention is to
emphasis advantages or benefits more dearly. For e.g. an advertisement of a cupboard of a cupboard will show
the space available, various as shelves etc.
5. Dramatisation of a Headline : In this type, the illustration supports the head line i.e. whatever is given in the
headlines is shown in action in the illustrations are combined, the effect is that the interest and attention of the
reader is attracted.
6. Dramatisation of a Situation : In this type, the illustration presents a situation in which a customer will be if
he uses the product or if he does not use a product.
7. Comparison : In this type, the illustration compares two superior products of the same or different type. The
basic idea is to relate the product to a concept which is established and familiar to consumer.
8. Contrast : While shows the similarity between two ideas, contrast emphasis the difference between two
products of the same type e.g. A modem appliance may be contrasted with an old fashioned model.
9. Magnifying Details : In this type, the important features or minute features are explained in details. It is used
to embassies specific advantages.
10. Symbolic Illustrations : This illustration shows a reorganised symbol along with an idea, and the advertiser
using a symbol may hope to identify this product with what the symbol stands for in the mind of the reader.
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3.4 Layout
A layout is a sketched plan of a proposed advertisement. It includes the headline, rough illustration and
copy which serves as plan for the advertisement. Layout is a working sketched plan showing the size, positions
and colour weight values of the different elements that make up the complete advertisement. Layout, thus refers
to the total exposure of an advertisement.
Layout is important in an advertising plan. It enables the advertiser to visualize how the complete advertisement
will look when published. It also gives the printer the location of each unit in the advertisement. Layout is
usually prepared to seek approval of the client and to see approval of the client and to see the overall impact.
Features of a Good Layout :
Following are the main features of good layout:
1. Balance : Balance in layout means achieving a proper distribution of weight through the arrangement of the
elements. Balance should be maintained in size, colour shape and density of elements. There are two kinds of
balance; formal and informal.
Formal balancing means placing of identical or similar items on both the sides of optical centre. Informal
balancing means spreading of elements at different places in the advertisement or have large illustration which
cover a major portion from the optical centre.
2. Movement : There should be mobility in the advertisement. It provides a visual type of flow and sequence. It
is more used in case of items which are mobile in nature e.g. An advertisement of an automobile should have
illustration which shows mobility in it.
Movement guides the render‟s eye from one element to another and makes sure that he does not miss anything.
Movement should start from the left hand top corner of the advertisement to the right hand bottom corner.
3. Gaze Motion : It is the direction of movements of the reader‟s eye. The element of advertisement should be
placed in such a manner that there is an easy flow in the movement of eyes of the reader. An illustration showing
a person walking in a particular direction on will cause the render to look in that direction.
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4. Structural Motion : A good layout should. Utilize lines, arrows, signs which will indicate or point out to the
important elements of the advertisement.
5. Proportion : It involves appropriate division of the space between the various elements like the headline,
illustration, subheads, copy etc. In a headline oriented advertisement, headline should be given major space and
in an illustration oriented advertisement, illustration will dominate the space.
6. Whide Space : Whide space is the area not occupied by copy. Effective use of whide space helps to establish
a sense of proportion. Whide space helps in reducing a crowdy appearance and brings prestige and luxury in an
advertisement.
7. Unity : There should be unity between the elements i.e. there should be proper correlation between the
headline and copy or illustration and copy. Unity is also achieved when the elements appears as component part
or a single unit.
8. Clarity : It implies that the various elements should be arranged in such a manner that the message is
understood clearly. The layout should not be too complicated and tricky but must be easy to read and understand.
The type, size, design should be selected for easy reading.
9. Simplicity : It implies that too many elements in an advertisement should be avoided. Those elements.
Which can be dropped without destroying the message should be dropped. The simplier the Layout, the clearer
the message.
10. Emphasis : It implies that the important elements should be given much emphasis. Emphasis must be
brought about by placing the most important feature at or near the optical centre. There should be emphasis on
the various selling points and the purpose of advertising depending upon the requirements. Layout should
emphasis on education, information and persuasion.
3.4.2 Types of Layout :
1. Standard Layout : It consists of a dominant illustration, headline, body copy and signature, generally in that
order. It is highly popular in the field of advertising.
2. Editorial Layout : The advertisement resembles editorial matter or press reports in a publication. Main
emphasis is on body copy. Words dominate the advertisement and illustration may be missing or given less
importance.
3. Poster Layout : Total stress is on the visual. Copy is very short and illustration provides details e.g.,
advertisements of soft drinks and chocolates.
4. Cartoon Layout : Cartoon type illustrations and matching copy is used to attract attention e.g., advertisement
of Amul butter and Tortoise coil.
5. Comic-Strip Layout : The layout follows the pattern of the comic strip by telling a story with the use of
sequence of drawings.
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6. Picture Caption Layout : Pictures and captions are used to explain different aspects of the product or
services e.g., advertisement of automobile or mixer grander. It is suitable to advertise costly consumer durable
products.
7. Picture-Cluster Layout : The layout performs the same function as in the case of picture-caption layout.
Captions are not used. Cluster of several vertical and horizontal rectangles are used.
3.4.3 Process of Layout :
The final layout is the outcome of several stages. The various stages are as follows:
1. Thought Sketch or Thumbnail Sketch : The first stage is the thought sketch or thumbnail sketch. Many-atimes, artist begins with small, rough sketches of possible layouts. These sketches provide a quick and
convenient way to get different design ideas. At first the headline and illustration are roughly prepared. The
location of logo and body copy is indicated. The artist may prepare several thumbnail sketches before arriving at
one that holds promise for further development.
2. Roughs Layout : The second stage is the rough layout, which is a refinement of the thought sketch. Some
artists prefer the start with a rough layout, bypassing the thumbnail sketch stage. One or more rough layouts may
be prepared. In this case headlines, slogan and illustrations are roughly drawn.
3. Finished Layout : When a final rough layout is selected, then it is transformed into a finished layout. This
layout is much more detailed and carefully drawn than the rough layout. The illustration is more or less finalised.
Headlines are carefully executed, and body copy is neatly ruled in the lines and blocks of copy of varying lengths
to indicate intention and paragraphs. This layout is normally shown to the client for approval.
4. Comprehensive Layout : Sometimes, the artist may prepare a comprehensive layout. It is more complete in
respect of art work, headline and slogan. Some times such layout look more beautiful than the final ad. If it is
photograph, the artist will paste the photograph on the layout. Comprehensive layouts may be prepared to give
the client a clear idea about the final ad.
5. Working or Mechanical Layout : Really speaking these are not actually layouts. These are blueprints for
production. The working layouts indicate the exact placement of all the elements in the ad specifies typeface and
size and includes relevant instruction for the typographer and engraver. The final ad is prepared from the
working layout.
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Conversational copy
The colloquial copy presents the message in the form of conversation. It uses informal language and conversation
takes place in terms of I and ‘You’ with personal reference to reader and the advertiser. For example, two
persons converse about the advantages of Insurance or Buying a Particular Book.
Suggesting Copy:
A suggestive copy tries to--suggest the readers directly or indirectly to pursue them to purchase a particular
product. It is useful where the reader is confused about the quality of a product brand and is not in a position to
take necessary decision about the purchase of the product or brand;
Narrative Copy:
Under narrative copy, an appeal is made to prospects with the help of a fictitious story which is narrated to bring
home to the public, the advantages of purchasing the product. The story is humorous and carries the message in
an appealing manner which will be remembered easily by the public.
3.4.4 Requisites of Effective Advertisement Copy
A good advertisement copy should have following features:
1) Attractive:
It should be attractive to catch the attention of target audience. If ad-copy is not able to attract attention of target
audience then the whole money spent on advertising will go waste. By including pictures, illustrations, slogans,
headlines, glamorous faces, attractive borders, coupons, proper color scheme, the advertisement can be made
attractive.
2) Interesting:
Ad-copy should create interest of target audience to read/view the advertisement. If the ad-copy is not
interesting, then the target audience may not go through the whole of ad-copy and may have only casual look on
the advertisement and the purpose of advertising to induce action will be defeated. Only interesting
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advertisements can arouse desire of target audience towards advertiser’s product or service. To make the ad-copy
interesting, it should have good layout, lyrics, music, testimonies, claims, appropriate appeal, etc.
3) Retention Value:
It means message given in the advertisement should be easy to memorize. If ad-copy is attractive and interesting
but not easy to memorize, then the audience may forget the advertisement at the time of making actual purchase
and they may purchase the product of competitor. By including slogans, phrases, lyrics, music, retentive value of
advertisement can be increased. Almost all ads include brief, musical, easy to remember slogans for increasing
retention value of advertisement.
4) Suggestive:
Suggestive value means suggesting target audience that how advertiser’s product will help them to solve their
problem. It highlights the main features, qualities, strengths of the product. For example, advertisement issued by
insurance companies suggests the target audience to secure their future by taking insurance policy. Such adcopies leave the final conclusion with target audience.
5) Educative:
The ad-copy should educate the target audience regarding uses of new products, improvements in existing
products, place of availability of product, methods of using the product, possible risks/dangers by not using the
product, etc.
6) Believable:
The ad-copy should be believable, trustworthy. It should not exaggerate the features/qualities of the product
otherwise the consumers will feel deceived at the time of actual use of the product. For making the advertisement
believable, advertisers can include testimonies, laboratory reports, reports from satisfied customers, endorsement
by well known experts, certification received from quality accreditation institutions like ISI, ISO, etc. For
example, ads of toothpastes, toothbrush, health drinks, show the favorable remarks given by dentists, dental
associations, dieticians, regarding advertiser’s product. These remarks make the advertisement believable.
Similarly, some ads give money back guarantee, warranty to make the advertisement more believable.
7) Appropriate Appeal:
Effective advertisement should include appropriate advertising appeal to influence the feelings/emotions of target
customers. Appeal can be rational, emotional, humorous, etc. Rational appeal includes appeal regarding quality,
dependability, durability, efficiency, performance, economy, superiority, or any other special benefit of the
product. Emotional appeal includes feeling towards safety, security, affection, happiness, pride, achievement,
comfort, status, belongingness, etc. Appropriate advertising appeal should be made depending upon nature of
product, nature of customers, their income level, age, educational background, etc.
8) Miscellaneous Characteristics
i) Brief: In an effective ad-copy, ad message should be brief and to the point. If ad message is lengthy, it will
involve more cost and lose interest of audience.
ii) Language: The advertisement should be presented in a language that is understood by majority of target
audience. For this, the same advertisement can be dubbed in different regional languages for presenting it in
different parts of country.
iii) Confirm to Rules: Advertisement copy should confirm to rules, regulations, enactments and standards. It
should not use national emblem, national flag in advertisement. The products requiring statutory warning like
cigarette should include such warnings in its advertisement copy. Advertisement should not be deceptive and
should not use unfair means which are prohibited under Unfair Trade Practices of MRTP Act.
iv) Avoid Obscenity: Ad-copy should avoid obscenity, vulgarity, nudity. Research has shown that vulgar
advertisements have very short life span and do not create favorable image of the product or advertiser.
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v) Simple and Easy to Understand: Advertising-appeal, ad-theme should be simple and easy to understand for
the average target audience.
i)
Match with Consumer’s Requirements: Ad-copy is made for target customers, so it must match with
target customer’s age, income level, educational level, needs, tastes, preferences, etc. For this purpose before
designing ad-copy, required information regarding target-customers, product-features, competition, economic
conditions must be collected.
ii)
Entertaining: In case of TV-ad-copy, it should entertain the audience along with conveying the admessage and persuading the target audience to buy the product. Entertaining-ad can easily hold the attention of
audience toward the advertisement and audience does not feel bored even in repeat telecast of such ads. For this,
some advertisements use humor-appeal in their advertising.
3.5.1 Copywriting Advertisements
Introduction
Copywriting is “the process of writing the words that promote a person, business, opinion, or idea. It may be
used as plain text, as a radio or television advertisement, or in a variety of other media. The main purpose of
writing this marketing copy, or promotional text, is to persuade the listener or reader to act — e.g., to buy a
product or subscribe to a certain viewpoint. Alternatively, copy might also be intended to dissuade a reader from
a particular belief or action”.
Copywriting refers to preparing advertising-copy. Before writing ad-copy, copywriter must have information
about the clients’ product/services, target-market, competition, general trends, legal restrictions, advertising
objectives, timing when the product is purchased and used etc. Thus,, copywriting is translating the information
provided by advertiser to copywriter, into advertisement in such a way that will help the advertiser in achieving
his advertising objectives.
Copywriting can include body copy, slogans, headlines, direct mail pieces, taglines, jingle lyrics, World Wide
Web and Internet content, television or radio commercial scripts, press releases, white papers, and other written
material incorporated into advertising media. Copywriters can contribute words and ideas to print ads, mail-order
catalogs, billboards, commercials, brochures, postcards, online sites, e-mail, letters and other advertising media.
3.5.2 Copywriting for Print Advertisements
Ad-Copy for print media includes headlines, sub-heads, illustrations, slogans, text or body copy, blurbs, boxes or
panels, identification mark, closing idea.
A print advertisement is created in two pieces — a copy sheet and a lay-out The two categories of copy that print
advertising uses are display copy and body copy (or text) Display copy includes all elements that readers see in
their initial scanning These elements — headlines sub-heads call outs, taglines and slogans — usually are set in
larger type sizes than body copy and are designed to get attention and to stop the viewer s scanning Body copy
includes the elements that are designed to be read and absorbed such as the text of the ad message and captions
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3.5.3 Copywriting for Cyberspace
The Web is more interactive than any other mass medium — not only does the viewer initiate the contact,
viewers can send an e mail on many if not most websites This makes web advertising more like two-way
communication, and that is a major point of difference from other advertising forms So not only is the web
copywriter challenged to attract people to the site but also to manage a dialogue based communication
experience Web advertisers have to listen and respond as well as target messages to audiences That is a major
shift in how web marketing communicators think about advertising
In this complicated, fast-changing medium there are not a lot of rules For banners and other formats that look
like advertising and seek to attract someone to a company’s website, verbosity is a killer In that situation, no one
wants to read a lot of type online However the web is an information medium and users come to it in some cases,
for extensive reference information formats look a lot like catalog or even encyclopedias The challenge for Web
advertisers, then, is to understand the user’s situation and to design messages that fit the user’s needs That means
web copywriters have to be able to write everything from catchy phrases for banners to copy that works like
traditional advertisements, or brochures or catalog A basic principle, however, is that good writing is good
writing, whether it be for traditional advertising media or for the web
3.5.4 Copywriting for Broadcast Advertisements
Broadcast advertising is radio and television commercials Broadcast media reaches a broad audience Radio and
television broadcast advertising is known as mass market g since national or even worldwide audiences can be
reached Advertising is one of the components of marketing. Marketing promotes services products and ideas
through specific channels.
Broadcast advertising persuades consumers of the benefits of advertisers’ brands Broadcast advertisements
feature sounds and images that are active and dynamic. They move and make sounds, thus challenging the
advertising copywriter to make effective use of the communication potential of radio, TV, and digital media
Most of the guidelines for broadcast news-writing also apply to commercials.
Strategies for Preparing Broadcast Advertising
The most basic broadcast ad is a straight-out sales pitch, voiced by an announcer But one can do better than that
Add some sound effects, some music Have the announcer introduce a testimonial from a typical consumer, or an
endorsement from a celebrity spokesperson Here are some creative strategies for preparing broadcast advertising
copy.
1) Testimonials:
These are advertising pitches by people who use the product or service Ethically and legally, these should be
actual consumers and not paid actors pretending to be consumers.
2) Celebrity Endorsements:
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It uses famous people to pitch the product, service or cause. The premise is that, because audiences like the
celebrities, they therefore will be inclined to trust them when they endorse a product or organization.
3) Demonstrations:
It puts the product or service to the test. Particularly useful in television, audiences can see the product in use.
Advertisers should clearly indicate if the presentation is actual footage or a re-enactment.
4) Drama:
It is perhaps one of the most effective approaches to advertising. In just 30 seconds, creative writers, and
producers can create memorable and persuasive vignettes to sell products and services or to promote causes: This
format has several categories:
i) Problem-Solution: These ads confront the audience with a problem and quickly resolve it, often by a hero
figure.
ii) Fantasy: These ads rely on make-believe characters or real persons (perhaps historical figures) in unreal
situations.
iii) Animation: It can be used for children and adults.
iv) Humor: It is another effective type of advertising, though it has a shorter run time than other types of
advertising because humor quickly becomes old humor, which tends to be ineffective.
5) Reflective or Mood Pieces:
It provides another approach to advertising. These can be similar to the dramatic approach, but they rely less on
action and more on an emotional mood setter, music, visuals, and imagery.
6) Symbolization:
It has shown to be a powerful approach to advertising. In the hands of creative writers and producers, highimpact verbal or non-verbal symbols can carry a concept.
7) Sound:
It can also enhance advertising. Jingles and snippets of songs can be powerful ways to connect a product with a
brand.
3.5.5 Writing Copy for Radio
Ads that are broadcast on either radio or television are usually 15, 30, or 60 seconds in length, although 10- and
15-second spots may be used for brand reminders or station identification. This short length means the
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commercials must be simple enough for consumers to grasp, yet intriguing enough to prevent viewers from
switching the station. That is why creativity is important to create clutter-busting ads that break through the
surrounding noise and catch the listener’s attention.
Because radio is a transitory medium, the ability of the listener to remember facts (such as the name of the
advertiser, addresses, and phone numbers) is difficult. That is why copywriters repeat the key points of brand
name and identification information, such as a phone\ number or web address. Radio is pervasive in that it
surrounds many of the activities but it is seldom the listener’s center of attention and usually in the background.
Radio urges the copywriter to reach into the depths of imagination to create a clutter- busting idea that grabs the
listener’s attention.
Radio’s special advantage, referred to as theater of the mind, is that the story is visualized in the listener’s
imagination. Radio copywriters imagine they are writing a musical play that will be performed before an
audience whose eyes are closed. The copywriter has all the theatrical tools of voices, sound effects, and music,
but no visuals. How the characters look and where the scene is set come from their listener’s imagination.
Radio Advertisement Format
There are four basic formats for radio advertisements, and these formats provide the structure within which copy
is prepared. These are as follows:
1) Music: Since radio provides audio opportunities, music is often used in radio ads. One use of music is to write
a song or jingle in an attempt to communicate in an attention-getting and memorable fashion. Songs and jingles
are generally written specifically to accommodate unique brand copy. On occasion, an existing tune can be used,
and the copy is fit to its meter and rhythm. This is especially true if the music is being used to capture the
attention of a particular target segment. Tunes popular with certain target segments can be licensed for use by
advertisers. Advertisements using popular tunes by Garbage and Barry Manilow would presumably attract two
very different audiences.
Another use of music in radio commercials is to open the ad with a musical score and/or have music playing in
the background while the copy is being read. The role of music here is generally to attract attention. This
application of music, as well as music used in a song or jingle, is subject to an ongoing debate.
2) Dialogue: The dialogue technique, is commonly used in radio. There are difficulties in making narrative copy
work in the short periods of time afforded by the radio medium (typically 15 to 60 seconds). The threat is that
dialogue will result in a dull drone of two or more people having a conversation.
3) Announcement: Radio copy delivered by an announcer is similar to narrative copy in print advertising. The
announcer reads important product information as it has been prepared by the copywriter. Announcement is the
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prevalent technique for live radio spots delivered by disc jockeys or news commentators. The live setting leaves
little opportunity for much else. If the ad is pre-recorded, sound effects or music may be added to enhance the
transmission.
4) Celebrity Announcer: Having a famous person deliver the copy is alleged to increase the attention paid to a
radio ad. Most radio ads that use celebrities do not fall into the testimonial category. The celebrity is not
expressing his or her satisfaction with the product, but merely acting as an announcer. Some celebrities have
distinctive voice qualities or are expert at the emphatic delivery of copy. It is argued that these qualities, as well
as listener recognition of the celebrity, increase attention to the ad.
Tools of Radio Copywriting
Print copywriters use a variety of tools — headlines, body copy, slogans, and so forth — to write their copy. In
radio advertising, the tools are the audio elements that the copywriter uses to craft a commercial are as follows:
1) Voice: The most important element in radio advertising are voices, which are heard in jingles, spoken
dialogue, and announcements. Most commercials have an announcer, if not as the central voice, atleast at the
closing to wrap-up the producer identification. The copywriter understands that we imagine people and what they
are like based on their voices. Copywriters specify voices for commercials based on the evocative qualities they
contribute to the message. Radio announcer Ken Nordine’s voice was once described as sounding like warm
chocolate; Ray Charles was described as having a charcoal voice.
Radio advertising relies on conversational style and vernacular language. A good radio copywriter also has an
ear for the distinctive patterns of speech for the target audience. Spoken language is different from written
language. People talk in short sentences, often in sentence fragments and run-ons People seldom use complex
sentences in speech. People use contractions that would drive an English teacher crazy. Slang can be hard to
handle and sound phony, but copy that picks-up the nuances of people’s speech sounds natural.
2) Music: Similar to movie scriptwriters, radio copywriters have a sense of the imagery of music and the role it
plays in creating dramatic effects. Music can be used behind the dialogue to create mood and establish the
setting. Any mood, from that of a circus to that of a candle-lit dinner, can be conveyed through music.
Advertisers can have a piece of music composed for a commercial or can borrow it from a previously recorded
song. Numerous music libraries sell stock music that is not copyrighted.
The primary use of music is in support of jingles, which are commercials in song. Radio copywriters understand
the interplay of catchy phrases and “hummable” music that creates little songs that stick in our minds.
Jingle houses are companies that specialize in writing and producing commercial music, catchy songs about a
product that carry the theme and product identification. A custom-made jingle — one that is created for a single
advertiser — can cost $10,000 or more. In contrast, many jingle houses create “syndicated” jingles made-up of a
piece of music that can be applied to different lyrics and sold to several different advertisers in different markets
around the country for s little as $1,000 or $2,000.
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3)Sound Effects: The sound of seagulls, automobile horns honking, and the cheers of fans at a stadium all create
images in our minds and cue the setting, as well as the action. Sound effects are described in a radio script, and
are important in making a commercial attention-getting and memorable. Sound effects can be original, but more
often they are purchased from sound effect libraries.
3.5.6 Writing Copy for Television
T.V. is a unique and powerful advertising media. It includes the elements of sight, sound and motion
which are combined to create an advertising copy. This ad-copy includes movements, facial expressions,
demonstration of product, sound, etc. Thus, it has both audio and visual effects. Music is also included in such
ad-copy to make it attractive, entertaining, and easy to remember. Nowadays, importance of T.V. ad-copy has
increased because of rapid growth in viewership of television. There are various T.V. channels which run round
the clock. T.V. is now the most popular media of advertising. With the increase in level of competition among
T.V. channels, the charges for giving advertisement through T.V. have come down; it has promoted T.V.
advertising. Further, with the growth in cable network, T.V. advertisements are now within the reach of small
advertisers. Preparing T.V.-ad-copy is a very technical job and it requires the services of professionals like scriptwriters, directors, musicians, singers, models, choreographers, cameramen, graphic designers, dress designers,
etc. Shooting of T.V. ad-copy is very similar to shooting of film. Usually, the task of preparing T.V. ad-copy is
assigned to advertising agency.
Television Advertisement Format
Because of the broad creative capability of the television medium, there are several alternative formats for a
television ad: demonstration, problem and solution, music and song, spokesperson, dialogue, vignette, and
narrative. The formats provide the structure within which television copy is prepared. Which is as follows:
1) Problem and Solution:
In this format, a brand is introduced as the savior in a difficult situation. This format often takes shape as a sliceof-life message, in which a consumer solves a problem with the advertised brand. Dishwashing liquids, drain
openers, and numerous other household products are commonly promoted with this technique. A variation on the
basic format is to promote a brand on the basis of problem prevention. A variety of auto maintenance items and
even insurance products have used this approach.
2) Music and Song:
Many television commercials use music and singing as a creative technique. The various beverage industries
(soft drinks, beer, and wine) frequently use this format to create the desired mood for their brands. Additionally,
the growth of image advertising has resulted in many ads that show a product in action accompanied by music
and only visual overlays of the copy. This format for television advertising tends to restrict the amount of copy
and presents the same difficulties for copywriting as the use of music and song in radio copywriting.
3) Spokesperson:
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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 formatting alternative. An example of the effective use of an expert
spokesperson is Tiger Woods for Titleist.
4) 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 sliceof-life ads, in which a husband and wife or friends are depicted using a brand employ a dialogue format.
5) Narrative:
A narrative is similar to a vignette but is not part of a series of related ads. Narrative is a distinct format in that it
tells a story, 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 McDonald’s,
Kodak, and Hallmark use the narrative technique to great effect.
3.5.7 Characteristics of Television Copy
1) Action:
When people watch television they are watching a walking, talking, moving world that gives the illusion of being
three-dimensional. Good television advertising uses the effect of action and motion to attract attention and
sustain interest. Torture tests, steps, and procedures are all actions that are easier to present on T.V. than in print.
2) Demonstration:
Seeing believes – Believability and credibility the essence of persuasion – are high because people believe what
they see with out own eyes. If people have a strong sales message that lends itself to demonstration, such as
“how-to” messages, then television is the ideal medium for that message.
3) Storytelling:
Most of the programming on television is narrative so commercials use storytelling to take advantage of the
medium’s strengths. T.V. is the society’s master storyteller because of its ability to present a plot and the action
that leads to a conclusion in which the product plays a major role. T.V. can dramatize the situation in which a
product is used and the type of people using it. Stories can be riveting if they are well told, but they must be
imaginative to hold their own against the programming that surrounds them.
4) Emotion:
The ability to touch the feelings of the viewer makes television commercials entertaining, diverting, amusing,
and absorbing. Real-life situation with all their humor, anger, fear, pride, jealousy, and love come alive on the
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screen. Humor, in particular, works well on television. Emotional appeals are found in natural situations that
everyone can identify with. Hallmark has produced some tear-jerking commercials about the times of our lives
that people remember by the cards they receive and save. Kodak and Polaroid have used a similar strategy for
precious moments that are remembered in photographs.
3.6.1 DESIGN & LAYOUT OF ADVERTISEMENT
Design of advertisements
The word design means arrangement of the parts in one sense. The other meaning is the plan behind the
arrangement providing a desired structure. It also means a human activity concerned with organizing or
arranging.
Design is “the structure itself and the plan behind that structure” for the aesthetic and stylistic aspects of an
advertisement. Design represents the effort on the part of creative to physically arrange all the components of an
advertisement in such a way that order and beauty are achieved – order in the sense that the illustration, headline,
body copy, and special features of the ad are easy to read, view and listen, beauty in the sense that the ad is
pleasing.
Layout of advertisements
A complete and finalized advertisement is the combination of a number of units such as headline, sub-headlines,
text-matter, slogan, identification mark, the white space, decorations and the border including the illustration.
Each element is so arranged or blended that the desired result is brought about. The layout, then, is a visual
expression of the ideas of the creator of an advertisement. The visual composition of an advertisement is the
layout. It is the working drawing or the blue-print for an advertisement. It is pencil sketched plan showing the
sizes, positions and color weight values of the different units that make up a complete advertisement. A layout is
the format in which the various elements of the advertisement are combined.
Layout is a plan, arrangement, overall structure, blue print of advertising copy It arranges headlines sub headlines
slogans illustrations, identification marks, boxes text body blurbs closing idea etc in a systematic manner Its
main purpose is to secure higher attention by presentation of headlines, slogans, illustrations in most effective
manner Attractive layout can help the advertisement to come out from media clutter (increased number of ads in
media) and gain attention of readers/viewers.
According to Otto Kleeper, ‘Layout means two things in one sense it means the total appearance of the
advertisement — its design and the composition of its elements, in another sense it means physical rendering of
the design for the advertisement — its blueprint for production purposes.
According to Sandage and Fryburger, The plan of an advertisement detailing the arrangement of various parts
and relative spatial importance of each is referred to as layout”.
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The visual layout should have immediate impact on a potential applicant. The size and form of the advertisement
may influence the extent of the reaction which it evokes. The layout serves several purposes
1) It helps both the agency and the client to develop and evaluate, in advance, how the ad will look and feel It
gives the client (usually not an artist) a tangible item to correct change comment on and approve.
2) The layout helps the creative team to develop the ad’s psychological elements the non-verbal and symbolic
components.
Principles of Layout
The principles of layout can be represented in form of 5C’s which are as follows:
1) Concentration:
Attention getting ability is proportional to the size of the largest single element not to the total size of the ad A
small space unit with a single large element — a word, a headline, an illustration — will get more attention than
a unit the same size or even larger with smaller elements Reducing the number of elements by simplifying
combining, or eliminating some of them will always result in a layout that is more inviting to view and usually
more readable and more successful.
2) Convention:
Pre existing associations with design elements will influence attitudes towards new creative efforts The principle
in fine art called convention refers to the perceiver’s past experience and associations as an influence on how
new perceptions are evaluated.
For example, imagine for a moment that an artist has taken a canvas and painted the bottom half green and the
top half blue. Most viewers, when asked to guess what is being portrayed would call it a landscape, with the
green bottom representing grass and the blue top the sky. Add some white blobs in the top area and, depending
on their size, they will be perceived as clouds or stars. A yellow blob might be seen as a sun or moon, depending
on the total coloring. What the abstractions represent is influenced by what the colors or shapes conventionally
represent in this context. Perceptions of quality, cheapness, bargain price, and elegance are all influenced by past
experiences.
3) Convection:
Once it is managed to attract the right readers to the message through the concept, copy and layout treatment, the
job that remains is to keep them there long enough to get enough copy read to make the sale. This is a matter of
flow or convection, the art of designing the message in a manner that carries the reader along in a logical fashion
from one element to the other, right to the coupon.
Other Principles
1) Principle of Balance:
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Balance in advertisement is related with weight distribution. It involves the location of sizes, shapes and tones in
relation to the optic centre Balance is the relationship that exists between the right and the left hand sides of an ad
It is the artistic combination of various sizes and shapes that make up the advertisement. Balance m layout is
achieved by combining the elements in terms of size and weight.
2) Principle of Rhythm:
The principle of rhythm governs the movement of eyes from one part of the design to another Movement
provides dynamism Some people call it as the principle of ‘movement’ or ‘gaze motion’ or ‘sequence’. Here, the
movement is the principle of design that carries the reader’s eyes from element to element in the sequence
desired for effective communication of the advertising message. Eye direction is achieved by mechanical devices
like pointing fingers, dangling leg, lines,arrows, dotted line or special shading to push the attention from one unit
to another.
3) Principle of Emphasis:
The principle of emphasis is also known as the principle of contrast. This principle believes in emphasizing the
important element of an advertisement to make it outstanding and enchanting. In an advertisement, all the
elements are important but all are not of equal importance It is not a question of over or under emphasizing, but
emphasizing as per its position and the contribution.
4) Principle of Proportion:
They speak of the relationship of the elements of the advertisement to each other and to the background in which
they appear Proportion implies the ratio of length to width. It has bearing on size and shape of the masses given
in an ad.
5) Principle of Unity:
Unity means union of all elements in the layout to produce the effects of homogeneous whole where each part
supports and reinforces another. Unity is oneness providing cohesiveness to the advertisement The principle of
unity or harmony speaks of making the advertisement to appear as a unified single whole rather than a series of
disconnected parts. A united advertisement creates an impression of completeness or totality or the entirety.
6) Principle of Simplicity:
Simplicity is indispensable in layout to achieve clarity. Design simplicity makes possible easier comprehension.
Lack of simplicity in design would complicate and confuse the reader as it hinders the flow of the message.
Complicated layout may be misunderstood or not at all understood by the reader.
Simplicity and logical sequence promote clarity in comprehending the layout
Functions of Layout:
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The Main functions of layout are:
1) Assembling Different Parts:
The main function of layout is to assemble and arrange the different parts or elements of an advertisement
illustrations, headline, sub-headlines, slogans, body text and the identification mark, etc., and boarder and other
graphic materials – into unified presentation of the sales message.
2) Opportunity of Modification:
The layout offers an opportunity to the creative teams, agency management and the advertiser to suggest
modification before its final approval and actual construction and production begins.
3) Specification for Costs:
The layout provides specification for estimating costs, and it is a guide for engravers, typographers, and other
craft workers to follow in producing the advertisement.
4) Brings Together Copy Writer and Art Director:
Every advertisement is the outcome of the contributions of specialists. The services of creative persons are
required like visualizers or idea-men, copy writers, art directors artists photographers, type-setters, block-makers
and the printer.
5) Guide to the Copy Specialists:
Layout serves as a reliable guide to the specialists such as type-setters, engravers, printers and other craftsmen.
These are the persons who actually prepare the advertisement for use in print.
3.6.2 Components of Advertisement Layout
1) Background:
This term is self-explanatory and does not require a detailed definition, its application being apparent in figure
3.3. In this example, the background has provided the theme of the layout, the other layout components or units
being accommodated in a type mortice. In this example, too, the background has been broken; and here it should
be pointed out that this simple method of employing a background is usually the most economical from an
engraving point of view. The alternative method of leaving the background intact and of superimposing the other
units upon it calls for more detailed art supervision, and often for more than one block from the engraver, before
the layout can be completed.
Border:
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For separating the ad from the surrounding type a border is used. Borders should complement the look that are
being developing with the ad and should never be the most prominent part of the ad. Straightforward and simple
is best.
Caption:
This word is often used to describe the sub-tide. Both the editorial and advertisement columns of any daily
newspaper carry captions much more freely, by the newspaper’s make-up man than by the advertiser’s layout
man. One reason for this that the advertisement illustration must, where possible, tell its story quickly, dearly,
and decisively, another is that the caption is often difficult to locate if it is to be read
Coupon:
The coupon is that portion of the advertisement which is intended for the convenience of the prospective
customer m communicating with the advertiser The coupon is such a valuable unit that it deserves closest
attention It must first contain the name and full postal address of the firm to which it is to be sent, unless this
information is clearly given in the body of the advertisement The offer or the request must then follow, briefly
and concisely, the prospective customer’s obligation by his signature being clearly set out Faint or dotted Iines
for the prospective customer’s name and address are the next logical steps — these being spaced to allow easy
use without cramping
Body Copy:
Body copy develops and expands on the benefits offered in the headline. The power of well written advertising
copy is proven by the billions of dollars of sales directly resulting from great newspaper advertising
Creativity
If the ad is developed with simplicity, focal Point and sequence m mind, then it will be appealing to the eye.
However, some ads are more visually appealing than others. The difference is m creativity Remember, creativity
rarely occurs as a stroke of genius, it usually comes through persistent attempts and hard work.
Decoration:
The earliest conception of an advertisement decoration appears to have found its most popular expression in the
type founder’s “ornament”. But type ornaments are not the most important or the most useful decorations at the
layout man’s disposal. Of greater interest are those decorations drawn especially to emphasize or supplement the
message of the advertisement as a whole.
Heading:
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The heading, or headline, may be defined as the tide of the advertisement. “Title” would, in fact, be a more
appropriate term, for it is not a hard and fast rule that the heading should appear at the “head” of the
advertisement. This position of eminence is often given to all illustration or some other component of the layout.
In dealing with the technique of the heading, there is a considerable difference of opinion. In contradiction of the
rule that the heading should be short, one comes across almost daily evidence pointing to the undoubted success
of the four, five and even six-deck heading; and it soon becomes apparent that the size of the heading must
depend upon the importance of what it, has to say, and on the support afforded to it by the other units of the
layout.
Illustration:
Broadly speaking, any unit of a pictorial nature may be classified as an illustration; but in a study of the layout, it
is easier to regard the dominating picture as the illustration and, should other pictures be used, to think of them as
supports.
The illustration, therefore, should be regarded as that unit of the layout which pictures the basic theme of the
advertisement, either directly or by analogy.
Mascot:
The mascot is variously known as the Trade Character, or Trade Figure. It may be defined as art illustration of
either a real or an imaginary figure or personality introduced into the advertisement to personalize the sales
message or the name of the product or service.
Signature:
The signature is often a logotype. Though often used synonymously with logo, signature means the name of the
advertiser in any form, and unlike the logo, may change form from one ad to the next. Remember not to let the
signature overpower other important aspects.
Name Plate or Company Logo:
The name plate, or name block, is the “signature” of the advertisement. The term name plate is preferred because
it does not restrict to the study of the advertising “signatures” on the blocks, in the engraver’s sense of that term.
The logo adds strength to the entire business portfolio/products under the company’s umbrella Logo
communicates for Corporate Policy and Brand Image, as illustrated by taking a few examples of successful
logos.
Price:
When the price of the commodity is featured in a face larger or heavier than the body type, it is advisable to
consider it as a separate and distinct unit of the layout. With the exception of bargain sale announcements, price
is seldom the dominating feature in the layout. When the price is displayed boldly, the selling message of the
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display is usually identified with the cheapness of the commodity.
Product:
Product, in the layout sense, refers to the representation of the product offered for sale. The product may be
featured in startling isolation; it may be thrown up by a heavy or futuristic background, or by decorations; while
a number of the products may be arranged and photographed so as to form an artistic or even a beautiful
composite. A very popular practice is to show the product in use.
Slogan:
A slogan may be defined as a “tabloid” sales argument. In outdoor advertising, it is, of course, of immense value,
for the wording on a poster must be brief and direct. In press advertisements, too, it enjoys a popular vogue
because it establishes some sort of continuity between the two forms of advertising. The position of the slogan in
the layout must be determined by the importance of its relation to the advertiser’s message.
One Second Test:
The one second test is a way of determining whether a reader can tell at a glance what the advertiser is selling. It
simply means that reader should be able to look at a layout for a second, then close his eyes and recall its sales
message. If he did not-get the message, we need to improve the layout. Another factor that affects eye appeal is
concentration. This means grouping the selling points into display headings and text masses.
Space:
Space may be used to describe the entire space in a publication bought by the advertiser or the white space
remaining when the layout has been completed. In the latter sense — as a unit of layout — it comes in for
detailed attention in the page which follows.
Sub-Heading:
A sub-heading is a secondary heading. It may be employed either to supplement and support the heading or to
“pick out” the various selling points contained in the text. For the use of sub-headings, two guiding rules may be
laid down: Use them sparingly, and Use them to pick out the selling points in the text only when the text is too
“heavy” to invite attention otherwise.
Text:
The “text” or the body of the advertisement is a term loosely applied to the general reading matter or copy. We
may be permitted to think of the text as the panel or panels of type matter the advertisement may contain. The
text should be set in panels neither too wide nor too narrow. Again, lower case letters are easier to read than
capital letters; Leads (or space between lines) may also be employed for legibility. A type panel, leaded with
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discrimination, is more inviting than the same
panel “set solid.”
Trade Mark:
The trade mark is the word or design by which the commodity is defined. When the trade mark has been
registered, there are very good reasons for its inclusion in the layout. Its position is entirely fluid. It may form the
background or be embodied in the border; it may dominate the heading or the name plate.
Color:
Try to achieve contrast in layout by effective use of different size type, bold type and color. Try to fit color into
the advertising budget. Introducing color increases impact.
3.7.1 ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION
Introduction to Art Direction and Production
Art direction refers to the decision taken about visuals because words alone are not enough to communicate well.
Visual refers to any kind of art. In print advertising, the art usually consists of a photograph, a computergenerated image, or a hand-drawn illustration. In video, the art element may be live-action film, still photos, or
animation. Production refers to the process of developing the advertisement in the desired art direction so that it
could appeal to the target market. The terms art direction and production go side by side simultaneously.
Various artists may create or develop specific parts of an art piece or scene; but a sole art director unifies the
vision. In particular, the art director is in charge of the overall visual appearance and how it communicates
visually, stimulates moods, contrasts features, and psychologically appeals to a target audience. The art director
makes decisions about visual elements used, what artistic style to use, and when to use motion.
One of the most difficult problems that art directors face is to translate desired moods, messages, concepts, and
underdeveloped ideas into imagery. During the brainstorming process, art directors, coworkers, and clients are
engaged in imagining what the finished piece or scene might look like. At times, an art director is ultimately
responsible for solidifying the vision of the collective imagination while resolving conflicting agendas and
inconsistencies between the various individual inputs.
Despite the title, an advertising art director is not. necessarily the head of an art department. In modem
advertising practice, an art director typically works in tandem with a copywriter. The team usually works
together to devise an overall concept (also known as the “creative” or “big idea”) for the ad, commercial, mailer,
brochure, or other advertisement. The copywriter is responsible for the textual content, the art director for the
visual aspects. But the art director may come up with the headline or other copy, and the copywriter may suggest
a visual or the aesthetic approach. Each person usually welcomes suggestions and constructive criticism from the
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other. ideally, the words and visual should not parrot each other; each should enhance or enlarge the other’s
meaning and effect.
Art direction and production is learning all about creating effective print advertising (destined for magazines,
newspaper, and direct- marketing promotions. The nature of the illustration, design and layout components of
print advertising are considered in this) and creating exciting broadcast advertising (it includes people and
techniques involved in creating television and radio ads).
Art Direction and Production in Print Advertising
Art direction in. print advertising is primarily concerned with the three main elements of print advertisement
which are illustration, design and layout.
When confronted with a print ad, most prospects spot the picture first, then read the headline, and then peruse
the body copy, in that order. Since the visual carries so much responsibility for an ad’s success, it should be
designed with several goals in mind. Some are as follows:
1. Capture the reader’s attention,
2. Clarify claims made by the copy,
3. Identify the subject of the ad,
4. Show the product actually being used,
5. Qualify readers by stopping those who are legitimate prospects,
6. Help to convince the reader of the truth of copy claims,
7. Arouse the reader’s interest in the headline,
8. Emphasize the product’s unique features,
9. Create a favorable impression of the product or advertiser, and
10. Provide continuity for the campaign by using a unified visual technique in each ad.
All three elements together make a print advertisement as a big eye catcher stimulus An advertiser must
appreciate the technical aspect of coordinating the above visual elements in an ad with the mechanics of the
layout and ultimately with the procedure of print production.
The production process in print advertising represents the technical and mechanical activities that transform a
creative concept and rough layout into a finished print advertisement. The agency’s print production group
performs the transformation process from the original creative concept to the client’s printed communication.
This may include magazines, newspapers, outdoor and transit, point-of-purchase, collateral brochures and direct
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response This group must have a working knowledge of all these production processes, as well as publication
mechanical specifications, budgetary considerations, and quality requirements.
Print production people and not merely technical people who are knowledgeable. They are also graphic arts
consultants production planners, and production liaison people. They function both internally, with the creative,
traffic, media, and account management areas, and externally, with graphic arts vendors and the print media.
The size of a print production group is related to the billing size of the agency A very small agency may employ
a single print production expert In a very large agency, the print production staff, headed by a print production
manager, may consist of a considerable number of people with very specialized expertise.
Print Production Process
In most cases, the printing process used depends on the medium in which the ad is running, not on the advertiser
or the agency However, m some areas, such as sales promotion ad inserts, direct mail, and point-of sale, the
advertiser must make the final decision regarding print production To deal effectively with printers, the
advertiser must have some knowledge of the basic production techniques and which one is the most appropriate
for the job at hand.
If the printing process is not predetermined, the first step in production is to decide which process is most
suitable.
There are three major printing processes, which are as follows:
1) Letterpress printing (from a raised surface),
Offset lithography (from a flat surface),
Rotogravure (from an etched surface).
Each of these printing processes has certain advantages and disadvantages, and one process may be more
efficient than another for a particular job. Once the printing process has been established, the production process
has been dictated, for all production work depends on the type of printing used.
As it is indicated, the pre-press operation is in transition from traditional to digital operations. Once the ad,
collateral advertising, or promotion has been created and converted to a printing plate, the printing process is
very similar to what it has been for many decades. The presses are more efficient now than ever before, but the
printing concept is not new:
1) Letterpress Printing:
It is not as popular as it once was in printing publications; however, advertisers have many uses for this printing
process, and one should know the basics. In its simplest form, think of the concept of letterpress as follows — If
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people have ever used a rubber ink stamp (with name, address, etc.), have applied the principle of letterpress
printing. People press the rubber stamp against an ink pad. Then, as the stamp is pressed against paper, the ink is
transferred from the stamp to the paper, and the message is reproduced.
In letterpress printing, the area to be printed is raised and inked. The inked plate is pressed against the paper and
the result is a printed impression. The artwork, photographs, type, and so forth must be converted to a
photoengraving (a process of making the plate a raised surface) before printing can occur. The advertiser or
agency must supply the photoengraving or duplicates of such plates to the newspaper, magazine, or letterpress
printer. In general, this process does not reproduce photos as well as offset or gravure. Each of the printing
processes has advantages and disadvantages that the advertising person needs to learn over time. There are
several types of letterpress presses. The “job press” platen can print many forms, but it can also die cut (cut
shapes in paper), emboss (raise images on paper), perforate, and score (which creases so thicker paper can be
folded).
2) Offset Lithography:
In its basic description, offset lithography is a photochemical process based on the principle that grease and
water will not mix. In theory, offset can print anything that can be photographed. in reality, although there are,
some things that will not print very well by offset, it is the preferred process for most jobs, accounting for 80 to
90 per cent of all printing jobs.
Offset lithography is a planographic (flat-surface) process using a thin, flat aluminum plate that is wrapped
around a cylinder on a rotary press. The plate is coated with a continuous flow of liquid solution from dampening
rollers that repel ink. The inked plate comes in contact with a rubber blanket on another cylinder. The inked
impression goes from the plate to the rubber blanket. The inked blanket then transfers or offsets the inked image
to the paper, which is on a delivery cylinder. The plate does not come in direct contact with the paper
Because offset is a photographic process, it is very efficient and is the most popular printing process in this
country. It is used to reproduce books, catalogs, periodicals, direct-mail pieces, outdoor and transit posters, pointof-sale, and most newspapers.
Advertisers or their agencies must supply the artwork and electronic mechanicals or films from which offset
plates can be made.
3) Rotogravure:
The image in rotogravure printing is etched below the surface of the copper printing plate — the direct opposite
from letterpress printing — creating tiny ink wells (tiny depressed printing areas made by means of a screen).
The gravure plate is inked on the press and wiped so that only the tiny ink wells contain ink. The plate is then
pressed against the paper, causing suction that pulls the ink out of the wells and onto the paper
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Gravure is used to print all or parts of many publications, including national and local Sunday newspaper
supplements, mail-order catalogs, packaging, newspaper inserts, and large run magazines, e.g., National
Geographic. The gravure plate is capable of printing millions of copies very efficiently; however, it is not
economical for short- run printing. Rotogravure becomes competitive with offset when printing exceeds 1,00,000
copies. When printing exceeds a million copies, gravure tends to be more efficient than offset. Rotogravure prints
excellent color quality on relatively inexpensive paper, but the preparatory costs is comparatively high, and it is
expensive to make major corrections on the press.
Screen Printing:
Another printing process, screen printing, which is based on a different principle than letterpress, offset, and
rotogravure, is especially good for short-runs. This simple process uses a stencil. The stencil of a design (art,
type, photograph) can be manually or photographically produced and then placed over a textile (usually silk) or
metallic-mesh screen (it actually looks like a window screen). Ink or paint is spread over the stencil and, by
means of a squeegee, is pushed through the stencil and screen onto the paper (or other surface)
Screen printing is economical, especially for work in broad, flat colors, as in car cards, posters, and point-of-sale
displays. It can be done n almost any surface — wallpaper, bricks, bottles, T-shirts, and so on. Basically, screen
printing is a slow, short-run process (from one copy to 100 or 1,000 or so copies) although sophisticated presses
can print about 6,000 impressions per hour and in some cases accommodate billboard-sized applications. This
expanding printing process is becoming more useful to advertisers.
Typography in Print Production
Type has always been an important part of ad design. It creates moods, enhances or retards readability, and gives
the communication an image. Type inspires passion. Hermann Zapt’s favorite typeface is Optima. George
Bernard Shaw insisted all his works be set in Caslon. Type is powerful. It is one of the most important design
tools. Type creates communication that is friendly and inviting. It keenly focuses attention. It organizes the
complex and creates a mood
It is now more important than ever before for advertising people to understand how to use type because so much
of it is being created in house on the agency or client computer Before the computer explosion, art directors
would use specialists — typesetters or typographers — for type Most agree that few art directors or designers
have as good an understanding of type use as typesetters or typographers Getting type up on the screen does not
mean that it is typeset effectively.
The art of using type effectively is called typography It entails a number of issues — choosing the typeface and
size of type, deciding on the amount of space between letters, words, and lines; determining hyphenation use;
and preparing type specifications for all the ad copy. The Howard Merrell & Partners’ ad for the Museum of the
Mountain Man uses type that reflects the mood of the product. The treatment of the body copy also reflects the
mood of the design.
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Not only do Art Directors carefully choose colors, they also design the ad’s typography — the appearance of the
ad’s printed matter in terms of the style and size of type-faces. In most cases, good use of type does not call
attention to itself because its primary role is functional — to convey the words of the message Type, however,
also has an aesthetic role and the type selection can, in a subtle or not so subtle way contribute to the impact and
mood of the message.
Print ad designers choose from among thousands of typefaces to find the right one for the ad’s message
Designers are very familiar with type classifications, but it is also important for managers and other people on the
creative team to have some working knowledge of typography in order to understand talking what designers are
taking about and to critique the printed material and make suggestions.
Categories of Type
Typefaces have distinct personalities, and each can communicate a different mood and image. These are as
follows:
1) Families and Fonts:
The basic set of letters in a particular typeface is known as the font. A font contains the alphabet for one
typeface, such as Times Roman, plus the numerals and punctuation that go with that typeface. Each font
represents one size of that alphabet style. There are two major typeface families — serif and sans serif. Serif
means that the end of each stroke of a letter has a little flourish. A sans serif typeface is one that is missing this
detail and the ends of the stroke tend to be more block like. Serif letters are most often used for formal effects —
invitations, e.g., — and when there is a lot of copy to be read; most books, e.g., are basically set in serif faces (as
is this one). Sans serif faces are used for copy that is consulted, rather than read — think about a phone book, or
type in a diagram, because the look is “clean” — or as purposeful contrast to the serif type.
Designers must work with the following aspects of typeface selection:
i) Uppercase: It refers to the use of a capital letter, as in the capital U in the word, Uppercase.
ii) Lowercase: It means small letters used without capitals.
iii) All Caps: It is a design in which every letter in a word is a capital letter.
iv) U&lc (upper- and lowercase): It is a design in which the first letter of every important word is capitalized
and the others are lowercase (prepositions and conjunctions are usually lowercase).
v) Weight, Posture, and Width: Weight, posture, and width of a typeface can vary using such elements such as
light, bold (weight), italic (posture), expanded, and condensed (width).
2) Justification:
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How the lines align at the end is another design choice. With justified type, the ends align on both the right and
left sides of the column of type (they are flush right and flush left). With unjustified type, also called ragged
right, the line endings on the right side of the column fall where they will. The opposite, which is rarely used, is
ragged left (more often known as flush right where the lines are aligned on the right but the beginnings of the
lines vary. A final option is to center the type.
3) Type Measurement:
There is several measurement systems used in graphic design. The smallest system of measurement units is
called points, which designers use to indicate the size of typefaces. There are 72 points in an inch. Display copy
is usually 14 points or larger. Body copy in newspaper and magazine ads is usually 12 points or smaller. (The
body copy of this text is 12 point Times.) Designers also measure the width and length of columns in picas. The
pica is a bigger unit of measurement with 6 picas in an inch and 12 points in a pica. So 12-point type is exactly 1
pica high, or one-sixth of an inch. The column width used for the captions is 10 picas. The text of the book is set
on a 30-pica line length.
4) Legibility:
The legibility of type refers to how easy it is to perceive the letters. Research has discovered a number of
typographic practices that can hinder the reading process. For example, reverse type, white letters reversed out of
a dark surrounding area, is hard to read because people are accustomed to reading type as black or dark shapes on
a white or light background. Reverse works best for headlines and is more problematic for body copy. The same
thing is true for all capitals People identify words by their distinctive shapes, and when they are set in all caps,
and then the word’s distinctive shape is obscured It is less of a problem for headlines but slows-down the reading
of body copy Surprinting, which means running the type over another image, is difficult to read because the
letters can be confused with the background pattern.
Art Direction and Production in Radio Advertising
Although there are certain broad similarities producing radio commercials is far simpler and less costly than
producing T V commercials First, the agency or advertiser appoints a radio producer, who converts the script into
a recording ready to go on the air After preparing the cost estimate and getting budget approval, the producer
selects a recording studio and a casting director, if necessary If music is called for, the producer calls a music
“house” that usually composes, arranges, and takes all steps necessary to get the finished music If the music is
not a big-budget item, the producer may call for “stock” music (pre-recorded and used on a rental basis).
After the cast has been selected, it rehearses in a recording studio which can be hired by the hour However,
because most commercials are made in short “takes” that are later joined in the editing a formal rehearsal is
usually unnecessary When the producer feels the cast is ready, the commercial is acted out and recorded on tape
Music and sound are taped separately and then mixed with the vocal tape by the sound-recording studio In fact,
by double and triple-tracking music and singers’ voices modem recording equipment can build small sounds into
big ones However, union rules require that musicians and singers be paid extra fees when their music is
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mechanically added to their original recording After the last mix the master tape of the commercial is prepared
When final approval has been obtained, duplicates are made for release to the list of stations.
Things to Remember during Production
Often the account executive or client will be at the recording session, however, Phil Cuttino has a bias against
having either of them at a recording session. He feels their presence creates too many problems, which can
inhibit great production Among these are the talent and engineer tighten up and everyone is concerned about time
instead of producing an effective spot He suggests that you use a phone patch from the studio to play the spot for
the account executive first Then, with his or her blessing, call the client for the final approval The engineer and
talent should remain in the studio until the final approval is achieved Some other production thoughts:
1) Call Ahead: Have the studio pull the music and sound effects selections
2) Studio: Find a studio that has several talented engineers who will quickly learn your style Make sure the
studio has a good SFX and music library and the latest technology.
3) Brain Power: During production, use everyone’s brain to make the spot better Ask for input from your
engineer and voice talent Remember they probably have been involved in more spots in a week than you have in
months.
4) Take your Time: Do not push the talent or engineer Lead them to what you want.
5) Keep-Up with the Technology: New technology will always broaden your creative envelope.
6) Casting: Acting professionals usually have the best and most believable voices because they are visualizing
the scene. This is particularly true with dialogue or group scenes.
Go to plays often to find new talent Do not look at the people who are auditioning for a part in the spot They will
try to sell you with facial expression, body language, and hand motions —all worthless on radio. At first, allow
talent to give you their own interpretation of the scene. You may be inspired by their rendition.
Steps in Radio Production
We may summarize the steps in producing a commercial as follows:
1) An agency or advertiser appoints a producer
2) The producer prepares Cost estimates
3) The producer selects a recording studio.
4) With the aid of the casting director, if one is needed, the producer casts the commercial.
Art Direction and Production in Television Advertising
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Like other media, television first struggled to find its best form, but soon did. In many ways, television was
simply made for advertising. It is. everywhere, serving as background to much of daily life Television is about
moving visuals Sometimes, it s just about leaving impressions, or setting moods, or telling stories. Many believe
that the best television ads work just as well with sound turns off, that the best television tells its story visually
Of course what film critics say about good art directors The complexity of art direction and production for
television is unrivaled and thus demands the inputs of a variety of functional specialists From the ad agency
come familiar players such as the art director, copywriter, and account executive. During the brainstorming
process, both copywriters and Art Directors are engaged in visualization, which means they are imagining what
the finished ad might look like.
Then there are a host of individuals who have special skills in various aspects of production for this medium.
These include directors, producers, production managers, and camera crews. Editors will also be needed to bring
all the raw material together into a finished commercial. Organizational and team-management skills are
essential to make all these people and pieces work together.
Art Direction in Television Advertising
The primary creative directive for TV is the same as for other media Television presents some unique
challenges, however Due to complexity, television production involves a lot of people These people have
different but often overlapping expertise, responsibility, and authority The person most responsible for creating
visual impact is the Art director The Art director is in charge of the visual look of the message, in both print and
T V and how it communicates mood, product qualities, and psychological appeals. Specifically, art directors
make decisions about whether to use art or photography in print — or film or animation in television — and what
type of artistic style to use. They are highly trained in graphic design, including art, photography, typography, the
use of color, and computer design software Although Art directors generally design the ad, they rarely create the
finished art If they need an illustration they hire an artist Newspaper and Web advertising visuals are often clip
art, images from collections of copyright-free art that anyone can use who buys the clip-art service.
In addition to advertising, Art directors may also be involved in designing a brand or corporate logo, as well as
merchandising materials, store or corporate office interiors, and other aspects of a brand’s visual presentation,
such as shopping bags, delivery trucks, and uniforms A logo, which is the imprint used for immediate
identification of a brand or company, is an interesting design project because it uses typography, illustration, and
layout to create a distinctive and memorable image, as the Falling Rock logo demonstrates. Think of the cursive
type used for Coca-Cola, the block letters used for IBM, and the rainbow-striped apple for Apple computers.
Creative Team in Television Advertising
The vast and ever-increasing capability of the broadcast media introduces new challenges and complexities to
the production process. One aspect of these complexities is that aside from the creative directors, copywriters,
and art directors who assume the burden of responsibility in the production of print advertising. In general, the
responsibility for the visual, layout, and graphics is that of the art director. The copywriter has the job of creating
the words for the ad and maybe the ad concept. The copywriter needs to understand art direction and the art
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director needs to appreciate the impact of words Together as a creative team they need to have a rapport to be
successful. This relationship between copywriter and art director is almost like a marriage. Both are concept
thinkers. Both think in terms of words and pictures, after the team arms themselves with all the information they
need. When they have settled on a target audience and a creative strategy, these left- and right-brain people begin
to create. Some art directors and copywriters like to work by themselves first. The proper and effective
production of broadcast advertising depends on a team of highly capable creative people — agency personnel,
production experts, editorial specialists, and music companies. An advertiser and its agency must consider and
evaluate, the role of each of these participants. The Global Issues box on this page describes how Charlotte
Beers, probably the most powerful woman in advertising, faces the challenge of assembling a creative team to
enhance the global image of the United States.
Production in Television Advertising
For the bigger national commercials, there are a number of steps in the production process that fall into four
categories — message design, pre-production, the shoot, and post- production.
I) Message Design and Development:
Message design is concerned with the clarity, accuracy, and conciseness of messages and their design as a visual
perception. The message needs to get attention and build awareness. It also needs to get consumer interest, which
it tries to do by being relevant. If the message recipient expects the message m a particular format the producer
should obtain an interface document from the recipient. This document should specie the type and format of the
messages the recipient will accept. After getting the approval from the recipient the producer should prepare the
script and then final approval of the script by the recipient is required.
2) Pre-Production:
The producer and staff first develop a set of production notes, describing in detail every aspect of the production
These notes are important for finding talent and locations, building sets and getting bids, and estimates from
specialists In the “Cat Herders” commercial, finding the talent was critical Some 50 felines and their trainers
were involved in the filming Surprisingly, different cats have different skills; some were able to appear to be
asleep or motionless on cue, others excel as runners or specialize in water scenes.
Once the bids for production have been approved, the creative team and the Producer, Director, and other key
players hold a pre-production meeting to outline every step of the production process and anticipate every
problem that may arise.
Then the work begins. The talent agency begins casting the roles; the production team finds a location and
arranges site use with owners, police and other officials If sets are needed, they have to be built Finding the props
is a test of ingenuity, and the prop person may wind-up visiting hardware stores, secondhand stores, and may be
even the local dump Costumes may also have to be made, located, or bought.
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3)Production (The Shoot):
The film crew includes a number of technicians all of whom report to the director. For both film and video
recording, the camera operators are the key technicians. Other technicians include the gaffer, who is the chief
electrician, and the grip, who moves props and sets and lays tracks for the dolly on which the camera is mounted
The script clerk checks the dialogue and other script details and times the scenes A set is a busy, crowded place.
The Audio Director records the audio either at the time of the shoot, or, m the case of the more high end
productions, separately in a sound studio If the sound is being recorded at the tithe of shooting, a mixer, who
operates the recording equipment, and a boom person, who sets-up the microphones, handle the recording on the
set. In the studio it is usually recorded after the film is shot — so the audio is synchronized with the footage.
Directors often wait to see exactly how the action appears before they write and record the audio track. However,
if the Art Director has decided to set the commercial to music, then the music on the audio track may be recorded
before the shoot as m the “Do re-mi” audio track, and the filming done to the music.
The Director shoots the commercial scene-by-scene, but not necessarily in the order set-down in the script. Each
scene is shot, called a take, and all the scenes in the storyboard are shot and then assembled through editing. If
the Director films the commercial on video tape, it is played back immediately to determine what needs
correcting. Film has to be processed before the Director can review it.
These processed scenes are called dailies. Rushes are rough versions of the commercial assembled from cuts of
the raw film footage. The Director and the agency creative team view them immediately after the shoot to make
sure everything’s been filmed as planned. In some rare cases, an entire commercial is shot as one continuous
action and there are no individual shots that are edited together in post-production. Probably the most interesting
use of this approach is an award-winning commercial for Honda, named “Cog” The principle in filming this kind
of commercial is get it right, even if one have to do it over and over.
4) Post-Production:
For film and video, much of the work happens after the shoot in post-production — when the commercial begins
to emerge from the hands and mind of the editor. The objective of editing is to assemble the various pieces of
film into a sequence that follows the storyboard Editors manipulate the audio and video images creating realistic
3D images and combining real-life and computer-generated images. The post production process is hugely
important in video because so many digital effects are being added to the raw film In the ‘Cat Herders’
commercial, Fallon could not film the cats and horses at the same time because of National Humane Society
regulations The Director had to film the horses background, and kitties separately An editor fused the scenes
together during post production editing seamlessly to create the illusion of an elaborate cat drive
Another goal of video editing is to manipulate time, which is a common technique used in commercial
storytelling Condensing time might show a man leaving work, then a cut of the man showering, then a cut of the
man at a bar The editor may extend time Say a train is approaching a stalled car on the tracks By cutting to
various angles it may seem that the train is taking forever to reach the car — a suspense tactic To jumble time, an
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editor might cut from the present to a flashback of a remembered past event or flash forward to an imagined
scene in the future All of these effects are specified by the Art Director in the storyboard.
The result of the editor’s initial work is a rough cut a preliminary edited version of the story that is created when
the editor chooses the best shots and assembles them to create a scene. The editor then joins the scenes together.
After the revision and re-editing are completed, the editor makes an interlock, which means the audio and film
are assembled together. The final version with the sound and film mixed together is called an answer print. The
answer print is the final version printed onto a piece of film. For the commercial to air on hundreds of stations
around the country, the agency has to make duplicate copies — a process called dubbing The dubbed copies are
called release prints and are usually in video form.
Production Options in Television Advertising
There are a number of ways to produce a message for a television commercial. It can be filmed live or prerecorded using film or videotape It can also be shot frame-by-frame using animation techniques. Let us look at
these production choices. Typically the film is shot on 35-mm film or videotape and then digitized, after which
the editor transfers the image videotape for dissemination a process called film to tape transfer Film consists of a
series of frames on celluloid; actually, each frame is a still shot. Film is shot at 24 frames per second. To edit on
film, editors cut between two frames and either eliminate a segment or attach a new segment of film. The term
cut, which comes from this editing procedure, indicates an abrupt transition from one view of a scene to another.
Art directors work closely with editors, who assemble the shots and cut the film to create the right pacing
sequence of images as outlined in the storyboard.
There is lot of production options for advertisement production which can be carried out by advertising agency:
1) Videotape:
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to movie film or random access
digital media Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data such as the data produced by an
electrocardiogram In most cases a helical scan video head rotates against the moving tape to record the data in
two dimensions because video signals have a very high bandwidth, and static heads would require extremely
high tape speeds Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) or, more commonly and more recently,
video cassette recorders (VCRs) and video cameras Tape is a linear method of storing information and, since
nearly all video recordings made nowadays are digital, it is expected to gradually lose importance as nonlinear/random-access methods of storing digital video data become more common.
2) Digital Video:
Digital video is a type of video recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog video signal
The terms digital camera, video camera and camcorder are used interchangeably in this article Digital video
comprises a series of orthogonal bitmap digital images displayed m rapid succession at a constant rate In the
context of video these images are called frames We measure the rate at which frames are displayed in frames per
second (FPS).
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Since every frame is an orthogonal bitmap digital image it comprises a raster of pixels. If it has a width of W
pixels and a height of H pixels we say that the frame size is W x H. Pixels have only one property, their color
The color of a pixel is represented by a fixed number of bits The more bits the more subtle variations of colors
can be reproduced This is called the color depth (CD) of the video For example, a digital video can have a
duration (T) of 1 hour (3600sec), a frame size of 640 x 480 (WxH) at a color depth of 24bits and a frame rate of
25fps.
3) Animation
The technique of animation traditionally meant drawing images on film and then recording the images one frame
at a time For example, Cartoon figures were sketched and then re-sketched for the next frame with a slight
change to indicate a small progression in the movement of an arm or a leg or a facial expression. Animation is
traditionally shot at 16 drawings per second. Low-budget animation uses fewer drawings, so the motion looks
jerky. The introduction of computers has accelerated the process and eliminated a lot of the tedious hand work.
4) Stop Motion
A particular type of animation is stop motion, a technique used to film inanimate objects like the Pillsbury
Doughboy, which is a puppet. The little character is moved a bit at a time and filmed frame-by-frame. The same
technique is used in claymation, which involves creating characters from clay and then photographing them one
frame at a time. Both have been popular with art directors who create advertising where fantasy effects are
desired, although new computer effects also are simplifying these techniques.
5) Live Production:
There is always the choice of live television commercial production. Live production can result in realism and
the capturing of spontaneous reactions and events that could not possibly be recreated in a rehearsed scene. It is
clear however that the loss of control in live settings threatens the carefully worked-out objectives for a
commercial. On occasion, local retailers (such as auto dealers) use live commercials to execute direct response
message strategies. Such a technique can capture the urgency of an appeal
6)Music and Action:
Specifying the music is usually done as part of the copywriting. But matching the music to the action is an art
director’s or producer’s responsibility. In some cases, as in high-production song-and-dance numbers, the music
is the commercial.
7)Still Production:
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Still production is a technique whereby a series of photographs or slides is filmed and edited so that the resulting
ad appears to have movement and action. Through the use of pans, zooms and dissolves with the camera, still
photographs can be used to produce an interesting yet low-cost finished advertisement.
Art Direction & Production in Web Advertising / Cyberspace
Cyber space has its own space. Cyber production does not differ significantly form radio or television
production, but it does differ from these traditional media in how aspects of production are combined with
programming language, such as HTML, and with other. Web design includes creating ads that run on the web as
well as the website itself. Banner ads are designed more like outdoor boards than conventional print ads because
their small space puts intense requirements on the designer to make the ad communicate quickly and succinctly,
and yet attract attention and curiosity in order to elicit a click-through response. One can check-out banner ads
online at www.banneradmuseum.com.
Designers know that web pages, particularly the first screen, should follow the same layout rules as posters: The
graphics should be eye-catching without demanding too much downloading time; type should be simple, using
one or two typefaces and avoiding all capitals and letter spacing that distorts the words. Because there is often a
lot to read, organizing the information is critical. In terms of legibility, black type on a high-contrast background
usually is best; all the design elements — type and graphics — should be big enough to see on the smallest
screen.
Sometimes the illustrations, as well as the photos, are obtained from clip-art services, or rather click art, such as
that provided by www.eyewire.com. Actually, any image can be scanned and manipulated to create a web image,
which is causing a copyright problem for artists. Because of the magic of digitizing, web pages can combine
elements and design styles from many different media — print, still photography, film, animation, sound, and
games. The combination of interactive navigation, live streaming video, online radio, and 360-degree camera
angles creates web pages that may be more complex than anything you see on TV, which is why ease-of-use is a
factor in website design. The Inside Story describes research on the best and worst site design practices
conducted by Forrester Research, a company that specializes in monitoring the effectiveness of internet
advertising.
Web designers use a completely different toolbox than other types of art directors. Animation effects, as well assophisticated navigation paths, are designed using software programs such as Flash, Director, Blender, Squeak,
and non-linear editing tools such as Premier, FinalCut, and AfterEffects, among others. It is such a rapidly
changing design world that it is difficult to keep track of the most recent Innovations in web design software. An
example of a good website design is crewcuts.com, which was designated as the Best Website by the Internet
Professional Publisher’s Association. It is hard to convey here why the site is effective because of the animation,
so check out www.crewcuts.com. One source for tips on website design is www.eMarketers.com.
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3.8.1 Testing validity and reliability of advertisements
Introduction
A very wide range of copy-testing alternatives has been developed and is available to the advertiser. Beyond the
question of whether to test copy at all lies the question of what particular test or tests should be used. The
question has occupied the attention of professional and academic researchers since copy testing first began, and a
great deal has been written on the subject. Much of the interest lies in assessing the validity and reliability of
various types of tests. The subject is also important because considerable stakes are involved by research supplier
companies who tend to offer a particular kind of testing service or rely on one testing method. The Advertising
Research Foundation maintains a standing committee to monitor and encourage the development of new and
better testing methods, and its annual conferences generally relate to questions of the strengths and limitations of
particular methods or techniques.
The basic question in test selection is whether or not a test is valid and reliable. Does it really measure the
effectiveness of advertising? More specifically, are the particular measures used in any one test true measures of
the constructs involved? Is the test reliable and will it measures the same thing each time it is used?
For these questions to be answered we must go through validity and reliability first:
1) Validity:
In simple terms, validity questions whether the research really studied what it proposed to study. Did it really
find out what it was trying to find out, about the subjects that it intended to study? It is of two types:
i) Internal Validity:
It applies to the study itself. Did this particular research project or study really find out what it said it was going
to find out? If it did not, there is a problem of internal validity — within the study itself.
There are many possible common problems of internal research validity — Suppose, e.g., that part of the study
involves getting information about respondents’ ages and incomes. These are questions to which people often
provide misleading answers — in fact, outright lies. Many respondents will lie about their ages, indicating a
younger age than their true age. Similarly, respondents often lie about their incomes, indicating larger incomes
than their real incomes.
ii) External Validity:
Another type of validity concern is external validity. Even if the study has internal validity, there may be external
validity difficulties.
External validity is the validity of generalized statements based on limited research studies, or implying that one
variable caused another to vary when such conclusions are unwarranted. These problems often arise when studies
in a controlled research laboratory situation cannot be replicated outside the lab.
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2) Reliability:
In research, reliability occurs when a study is repeated and arrives at the same results as the original study. If
repeating the research results in different findings, then there is a problem of lack of reliability.
Let us say you want to find out how much airline companies spend on their public relations operations. In winter,
you send out a survey to the public relations departments at several major airlines. Just to verify the results, you
send out the same survey in summer, and to a different list of airlines, and you find that the results are widely
varied from the original survey’s findings The discrepancy may be caused by a number of problems, different
times of year will affect the airlines’ passenger traffic; different airlines likely have differing opinions on how
important public relations may be, which could affect their budgets, different airlines may define certain
functions differently, so not all functions are counted as public relations by all the airlines In any case, you have
a problem of reliability, because replicating the original study came up with different results.
Methods of Testing Validity and Reliability of Advertisements
Various methods are available for testing/evaluating components of an advertising program. At the most general
level, two broad categories of evaluation tools can be used to evaluate advertising program:
1) Message Evaluations
2) Evaluating Respondent Behaviors
In today’s marketplace, many advertising companies are being asked to deliver compelling proof that the ads
they design actually work Respondent behaviors provide such evidence. Changes in sales coupons redeemed,
increases in store traffic and other numbers-based outcomes appeal to many managers Consequently, both forms
of evaluation help the marketing manager try to build short-term results and long-range success.
Ad testing deals with the measurement advertisement effectiveness. What constitutes effectiveness? Which
variables (s) should be tested, or, measured to know the degree of advertising effectiveness?
In practice, the following four categories of variables, are, generally, tested viz. (1) message variables, (2) media
variables,
(3) scheduling variables and (4) budgeting variables.
Message Variables : In the case of an advertising message in an advertising message in a typical print
advertisement the variable to be tested would be the headline, the illustration, the body test, the layout, and the
typography, individually as well as severally. In the case of television commercials, the variables to be tested
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would be appeals, themes, propositions, rhetorical style, audio-visual devices, format illustration technique,
staging casting music, sound effects, etc.
Media Variables : The media testing opportunities are considered at the following four levels, viz.,
The advertiser must decide the type of media, such as, newspapers, magazines, television, radio or direct-mail,
etc., he intends to use.
The advertiser then, must decide the sub-class of media, he is to use. For example, what king of newspapers :
Daily Sunday,
Evening or Morning Newspapers. Likewise, what kind of television and / or radio : sport, Network, or, Regional
channels, in the same way, what kind of magazines : General, Women, Sports, Healthcare, etc.
The advertiser, then must selected specific media vehicles, what newspapers in Mumbai, which television
channels in Delhi, and what media mix is to be used?
Finally, he must determine space units i.e. full page, or, half pages, or, quarter pages broadcast time units, such as
60 seconds,
seconds, and the position of the ad in print media as well as in television.
Scheduling Variables : Consumer behaviour is generally influenced by the time factor, such as season of the
year, occasions like Diwali, Christmas, Id day of month or week, etc. timing of television commercials frequency
continuity are also important factors.
Budgeting Variables : Budget affects, and is affected by all other advertising variable. How much money
should be spent on advertising? How should be the total amount of money be allocated to markets, to media to
sales territories and to specific items in the product line? The advertiser must measure the relationship between
budgeting variables and profit yields.
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3.8.2 Need of Evaluating Advertising Effectiveness :
Achieve Awareness : Testing of advertisement will show whether there is an increased influence of the
advertising message, product or service advertised. Testing enables, the advertiser to be aware of all the reasons
why an advertisement has been effective or otherwise.
Affects Attitudes : Testing enables the advertiser to know whether the attitude of the prospects towards the
advertised product or service has been changed or not, it also enables him to understand whether any message of
the advertisement is recollected by the customer.
Actuate Action : Advertisement testing enables the advertiser to analyse the response by the prospects to an
advertisements. It gives him an idea of when, how, why a customers accepts a particular products or rejects it.
This will help him to present the product in such manner that he (prospects) takes a favourable or positive action.
4. Judge Overall Effectiveness : Testing of advertisement-helps the advertiser injudging the total effectiveness
of a particular advertisement in respect of their headlines, layout, copy, illustrations, layout or any other quality
that is important within the advertisement.
Thus, advertising evaluation can be done before the campaign is over. The main object of evaluating the
campaign is “to get all the bugs out” before sending precious money. When advertisements are tested after the
campaign it is called “postmortem” of an advertisement effectiveness.
The advertising can be evaluate or tested before or after its application. Both have got various advantages.
Pre-Testing Methods :
An advertisement can be tested at two stages namely: (a) prior to the commencement, and (b) after the
commencement of the advertising campaign. The former stage is called „pre-testing‟ and the latter „posttesting‟.
The following are the pre-testing methods :
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1. Proposition Tests : Tests of creative strategies are called proposition tests. Strategy refers to the alternative
course which can be tried to know most suitable course of action. For example, the advertising campaign of a
watch manufacturing company might follow such strategies as: (i) It is stylish watch for fashion conscious man.
(ii) It is a dependable watch. (iii) It is an inexpensive watch and looks like a watch that costs twice the price.
Each proposition reflects a different advertising strategy for watches. Fashionable appearance, expensive
appearance and reliable. To choose which is the best representative sample of prospective watch buyers would be
shown all three on individual cards as if they were different watches. The sample respondents would then be
asked to choose between the watches, and to give their choices. The most widely acceptable proposition would
be established as an advertising strategy.
2. Concept Testing : Under this method, testing is carried out in the same way as Proposition Testing, except
that roughly drawn advertisement concepts are used instead of placing alternative strategies on the cards. As the
public is not used to look at rough advertisement concept, the respondents must be explained in advance that
what they are about to be shown are rough layout of the artist. Headlines should be shown clearly and such
irrelevant details must be excluded as: Cufflinks on a shirt because this may
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give a chance to worry the respondents about why they are there, whether they are fashionable and so on.
Concept tests are used to measure the interest and credibility of different advertising approaches.
Sales Area Testing : The most reliable method of testing the effectiveness of any advertising is initially to run it
in one or two selected areas. This testing is used to facilitate launching advertising campaign on a large scale,
because effectiveness is first tested in a smaller area.
Folio Tests : Folio tests are used for press advertisements that are finished or near finished form. Test
advertisement along with a couple of advertisements is placed into a folder. The „Folio‟ composed in this way is
then placed before the selected few consumers who are expected to give their reactions. The rest advertisement is
singled out later in the interview and the consumer is asked to discuss its appeal and motivational power in
creating interest, arousing desire and attracting attention. This method of pre-testing spots out the most
responsive advertisement.
Project Tests : Television commercials are sometimes tested in consumers‟ home by means of portable movie
projectors. Often the commercial is inserted in a short sequence from an entertainment film. After showing the
film to the consumers, the interviewer asks their opinion about the commercial.
Trailer Tests : In trailer testing, a trailer or van is parked in a parking zone of a shopping centre and people are
invited to come in for interviews. Everyone who enters the trailer is shown a television commercial on a rear
screen projector and questioned about it. This method is very economical for it costs less to bring people into, the
trailer for interview.
Consumer Jury Tests : Consumer jury tests are based on the rating given on advertisement by a typical group of
consumers. Rating implies comparison of one advertisement with several others. A consumer jury test is made in
a variety of ways. The usual procedure is to ask a relatively small group of consumers, who represent potential
buyers of the product to rate alternative pieces of copy. Different data collection methods may be used in
implementing a consumer jury test. For example, personal interviews may be used or a group may be assembled
and the members may be asked to rate on the alternative copy.
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Rating Scales : This method of copy testing requires the establishment of standards for effective copy and
numerical weights for each standard. The weights or values indicate the
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relative worth of a standard in the overall success of copy. Advertisements are then rated according to scale value
and a numerical score is obtained.
Portfolio Tests : These tests are named after the manner in which advertisements to be tested are packaged. A
group of advertisements usually a mixture of advertisements to be tested is placed in portfolio. Sometimes,
advertisements are actually placed in dummy copies of newspapers and magazines. Respondents are given the
folio and asked to go through it, reading whatever interests them and taking as much time as they want. After
completing this task, the respondents are asked to recall the advertisements what they can remember.
Simulated Tests : Simulated tests are tests in which consumers are exposed to alternative pieces of copies
through point of purchase displays of direct mail. These tests are simple and less expensive to implement than
actual sales tests. However, they are artificial.
Benefits of Pre-Testing :
To check clerical, grammatical, printing or technical errors.
To make communication more effective from readers points of view.
Minimise waste in advertising.
To make it m ore meaningful and effective.
It is simple, less time consuming, and less costly.
Methods of Post-testing :
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Tests that are applied after the commencement of the advertising campaign are called post-tests. Post-testing
enables to study the impact of advertising on the effective sales promotion.The following are the methods of
Post-testing :
Recognition Tests : Under this method the respondents are asked to point out the contents of those
advertisements which they might have seen. The objective of this test is to know the degree of effective impact
of advertisement.
Recall Tests : Under recall tests the entire advertising campaign is considered as against recognition tests. Where
only specific advertisements are considered Recall tests are applied to measure the attention, interest and
memory value of advertisements after they have been launched.
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Inquiry and Coupon Response : Under inquiry testing, the advertiser sends a free sample to the reader, on
request. The reader is expected to mail the coupon to take advantage of the offer. It is quite likely that such
advertisements are given simultaneously in different publications of the newspaper or magazine. The
advertisements are keyed in order to know which of the several advertisements resulted into more response. It is
assumed that the advertisement which brings largest number of inquiries is superior to others.
Split-Run Test : It is a modification of inquiry test. An advertiser takes two advertisements in magazine offering
split-run facilities. The two advertisements differ in one respect only e.g., one advertisement presents the cold
drink in a transparent bottle and the other advertisement presents the cold drink in a non-transparent bottle. The
advertisement is keyed. Now, in two different markets i.e., cold drink marketed in transparent bottle is more, it is
taken for granted that this advertisement has been more successful compared to the second one.
Psychological Tests : A variety of psychological tests are used which include story telling, word association,
sentence completion, depth interviewing etc. This test attempts to find out what the respondent has been in
different advertisements and what they mean to him. These tests can be conducted only by trained interviewers.
Focus Interviews : In this method some selected consumers are called and are asked to deliberate discussion on
the advertisements presented to them. The attention of the members of the panel is focused on certain aspect of
the advertisement. The opinion expressed by the participants becomes the basis to study the effectiveness of
advertising.
Readership Test : This method attempts to study the impact of advertising in increasing the product awareness
by the consumers. Readership test facilitates the relative importance and effectiveness of advertisement
published in national press. The readers are asked to tell where have they read the advertisement and how it has
increased their awareness about the product.
The various methods used to study the effectiveness of an advertisement provide information about the impact of
an advertisement on the product awareness and bringing about a change in the attitude of the consumers.
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Benefits of Post-Testing :
To find out the extent to which the ad has been noticed, seen or read.
To find the extent to which the message is understood by the readers.
To measure the memory value of advertising.
To find the impact of advertising on consumer buying behaviour.
To see whether ad is accomplishing its objectives.
To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of different ads in terms of appeals, layout illustration etc.
To improve future advertising efforts.
3.8.3 Approaches of Evaluating Advertising Effectiveness
According to Philip Kotler, there are two main approaches for measuring advertising effectiveness
Sales Effect Approach/Sales Research Method:
The main objective of any advertisement is to increase the sales According to this approach, if ad results in
increased sales then ad is treated as effective. On the other hand, if advertisement does not result us much
increase in sales then this ad is not much effective. Under this method, the sales in pre-advertisement period and
post advertisement period are measured and compared. There are some methods which measure the effectiveness
of advertisement on the basis of sales effect approach. These methods are sales result test, trial area test, trailer
test, split run test, direct mail test, etc.
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This approach is based on the assumption that advertisement is the only factor affecting sales. But in reality
many other variables of marketing mix also affect sales, viz quality of product, price of product, sales
promotional efforts, level of competition, packaging of product, etc Moreover, effect of advertisement on sales
may be us the long run In the short run, advertisement may not generate immediate sales.
Communication Effect Approach/Communication Research Method:
Another main objective of advertising is to communicate the desired message to target audience. The
effectiveness of advertising depend an effective communication The communication effect can be measured in
terms of effect of ad on memory, knowledge, or attitude of consumer. The limitations of sales effect approach
encourage the use of communication effect approach to evaluate the effectiveness of advertisement. Moreover,
this approach can be used even us short-run According to this approach, if ad is able to communicate the
message to the target audience effectively, then ad is evaluated as effective If more viewers/readers are able to
recall / recognize / identify the ad message, then it indicates that ad is able to communicate the message
effectively Methods like Recognition Test, Association Test, Gallup and Robinson Recall Test Inquiry Test,
Mock Magazine Test are based on this approach.
Factors to be Considered in Measuring Advertising Effectiveness
1) Establish Communications Objective:
Except for a few instances (most specifically direct response advertising), it is nearly impossible to show the
direct impact of advertising on sales So the marketing objectives established for the promotional program are not
good measures of communication effectiveness For exam pie, it is very difficult (or too expensive) to
demonstrate the effect of an ad on brand share or on sales On the other hand, attainment of communications
objectives can be measured and leads to the accomplishment of marketing objectives
2) Use a Consumer Response Model:
Hierarchy of effects models and cognitive response models, which provide an understanding of the effects of
communications and lend themselves to achieving communications goals.
3) Use Both Pretests and Posttests:
From a cost standpoint both actual cost outlays and opportunity costs pre-testing makes sense. It may mean the
difference between success and failure of the campaign or the product. But it should work in conjunction with
posttests, which avoid the limitations of pretests, use much larger samples, and take place in more natural
settings. Post testing may be required to determine the true effectiveness of the ad or campaign.
4) Use Multiple Measures:
Many attempts to measure the effectiveness of advertising focus on one major dependent variable perhaps sales,
recall, or recognition. Advertising may have a variety of effects on the consumer, some of which can be
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measured through traditional methods; others that require updated thinking. For a true assessment of advertising
effectiveness, a number of measures may be required.
5) Understand and Implement Proper Research:
It is critical to understand research methodology. What constitutes a good design? Is it valid and reliable? Does it
measure what is needed? There is no shortcut to this criterion, and there is no way to avoid it if one truly wants to
measure the effects of advertising.
Difficulties in Measuring Advertising Effectiveness
Measuring ad-effectiveness is very beneficial for the business unit, but it is not an easy task. Doubts have often
been raised about its reliability and validity. Different persons give varying opinions in the regard. Moreover,
advertising is not an exact science; therefore its effectiveness cannot be measured in exact/mathematical terms.
The main difficulties and hindrances in the evaluation of advertising effectiveness are discussed below:
1) Advertising is not the only Factor Affecting Sales:
Most of the methods used for evaluating effectiveness of advertisement assume that advertisement is the only
factor affecting sales. But there are many other factors which may be responsible for increase in sale, viz., change
in price, improvement in product features, sales promotion schemes, etc. So assuming that, increase in sale is the
result of advertisement only, is wrong.
2) Effect of Past Advertisement:
Methods of evaluating advertisement effectiveness assume that response of customers in test area is the outcome
of advertisement done in test period. But actually, the response of customers may be because of past
advertisement. For example, if a person had seen an advertisement long ago, but at that time either because of
financial constraints or because of no need, he did not buy that product. But it is possible that he is carrying deep
favorable impressions of that past advertisement till now. If at present, he is financially sound or he realizes the
need of product now then he may purchase that product now. So in this case, sale has occurred on account of past
advertisement and not present advertisement.
3) Difficult to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Goodwill Advertisement:
Goodwill ads are issued to improve the image of the organization in the lone-run. The purpose of these ads is to
improve the image of the organization by meeting some social responsibilities like creating awareness for
growing more trees, eye donation, pollution-control, etc. Effect of these advertisements on sale, image or
goodwill cannot be measured.
4) Ad-effectiveness using a Communication Objective is not sufficient in itself:
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Some advertisement may achieve communication objectives, but may not promote sales. Some advertisement
may be very attractive, well remembered, entertaining and liked by many viewers/audience, but still it may be
ineffective in generating additional sales. These advertisements may be well recalled because of attractive
models, easy to remember phrases, humorous appeal, etc., but viewers still may not be buying the product;
because they have no liking for that product. For example, advertisement of Bagpiper-Soda with Sunny Deol as
model is remembered by many viewers, because its model is attractive, but still all such viewers don’t buy
Bagpiper- Soda. So measuring ad-effectiveness only on the basis of communication objectives is not sufficient in
itself.
5) Subjective Method for Measuring Advertising Effectiveness:
There are various methods given by different experts for measuring ad-effectiveness. But most of the methods
are subjective in nature, as they do not give any universal criterion for measuring ad-effectiveness. There are
various criteria for measuring ad-effectiveness like increase in sales, attention getting ability, easy to remember,
entertaining, humorous, persuasive, etc So there is no precise and universally accepted criterion It is possible that
an advertisement is effective on one criterion, but ineffective on the basis of other criterion.
6) Not Suggestive in Nature:
Most of the methods for evaluating effectiveness of advertisement classify the ad as effective or ineffective. But
these methods do not suggest what extra points should be added, what modifications be made to make the
advertisement more effective.
7) Difficult to Evaluate Percentage Response:
For evaluating effectiveness, some response is desired from the customers But because total number of
readers/viewers of media is not exactly known, so percentage of response generated because of advertisement
cannot be measured If ad is given only through mail then this percentage can be calculated easily, as total
number of persons who are contacted through mail are known, but if ad is given by any other sources like radio,
magazine then the percentage of viewers cannot be precisely obtained, as total number of readers/viewers is
unknown to us.
8) Difficult to Use Laboratory Tests:
Use of laboratory or mechanical tests requires expert knowledge The instrument used in laboratory tests like
galvanometer, pupilometer, techistoscope is technical in nature The use of these instruments is a
complex job and it can only be handled by experts.
9) Difficulties of Sampling Method:
Almost methods of evaluating advertising effectiveness are based on sampling. Some respondents and market
areas are selected for measuring effectiveness. It may involve following difficulties:
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i) Selected sample units may not be representative of whole group or area.
ii) Sample size may be very small in comparison to total number of actual buyers.
iii) The area selected as control area or test area may differ in terms of economic or demographic features.
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