Download What is advertising?

INTRODUCTION
ADVERTISING IS ANY MARKETED COMMUNICATION THAT HAS THE INTENT OF EITHER INFLUENCING A
PERSONS VIEWS OR INFORMING THEM OF A CERTAIN PRODUCT OR IDEAL. THIS INVOLVES MARKETING
WHICH IS THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GROW THE MARKET SHARE OF A BUSINESS. THIS IS DONE BY EITHER
AN OUTSIDE OR IN-COMPANY ADVERTISING TEAM OR AGENCY WHICH ARE THERE TO DEVELOP THE BRAND
IMAGE, TARGET CUSTOMERS, GATHER DATA ON THEIR CLIENTELE AND HELP THE OVERALL GROWTH OF THE
BUSINESS ITSELF. BRANDING IS OFTEN USED IN ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS, AS THE
RECOGNISABLE NAME OR LOGO HELPS CUSTOMERS TO RELATE IT TO THE PRODUCT OR SERIES OF
PRODUCTS THE COMPANY MAKES. USP’S (UNIQUE SELLING POINTS) ALSO HELP WITH THIS AS IT HELPS THE
BUSINESS STAND APART FROM ITS COMPETITORS AND MAKE IT UNIQUELY IDENTIFIABLE.
Part 1
HOW THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY WORKS
COMMERCIAL TV CHANNELS ARE DIFFERENT TO PUBLIC ONES AS THEY GET THEIR REVENUE FROM ADVERTISING OPPOSED TO
STATE FUNDS. IN-BETWEEN PROGRAMS AND SHOWS ON THE CHANNEL THERE IS ADVERTISING SPACE WHERE COMPANIES CAN
ADVERTISE THEIR PRODUCTS WITH THE AIM FOR CONSUMERS WATCHING THE SHOW TO THEN SEE THEIR ADVERTS AND THEN
HOPEFULLY PURCHASE THEM. THIS MEANS THAT ‘PRIME TIME’ (A SPECIFIC TIME EACH DAY WHERE THE NUMBER OF VIEWERS
WATCHING PEAKS. THE SHOWS WITH THE BEST RATINGS AND MOST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WATCHING ARE THE BEST POSSIBLE
SPACE TO ADVERTISING. COMPANIES FIND OUT WHICH THESE PARTICULAR SHOWS ARE BY PAYING THE COMPANY ‘BARB’ TO
FIND OUT FOR THEM. THIS ADVERTISING REVENUE WILL THEN BE USED TO MAKE THE SHOWS BETTER TO GAIN LARGER
VIEWERSHIP, ENLARGE THE BUSINESS AND IN TURN BRING IN MORE REVENUE.
AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THAT BEER ADVERTS ARE OFTEN DISPLAYED WHEN FOOTBALL GAMES ARE BEING PLAYED ON TV AS IT IS
QUITE COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO SIT AND HAVE A DRINK WHILE WATCHING SPORT.
TYPES OF TV ADVERTISING
CODES AND CONVENTIONS: USUALLY ADVERTS WILL USE MOVING OR AT LEAST MOTIVATING IMAGES TO TRY AND PERSUADE CUSTOMERS TO PURCHASE THEIR PRODUCT. COLOUR VARIATION IS
ALSO OFTEN USED AS IT CAN BE USED TO SHOW A SCENE IN THE ADVERT WITHOUT THE PRODUCT FOR EXAMPLE (USUALLY GREY DRAB COLOURS) AND THEN THE PRODUCT CAN BE INTRODUCED
WITH A WASH OF BRIGHT COLOURS TO GIVE IT A POSITIVE INTONATION. THE SOUNDTRACK OR MUSIC BEHIND AN AD CAN ALSO BE USED TO PROVOKE EMOTION IN THE VIEWER AND HELP THEM
WITH ASSOCIATING THE PRODUCT WITH POSITIVE FEELINGS. THOUGH DURATION OF AN AD CAN BE LIMITED BY ITS BUDGET, IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO TELL LONGER NARRATIVES OR MAKE THE AD
SHORT AND SNAPPY AND MEMORABLE. MAJORITY OF ADS WILL END WITH A PACK SHOT OF THE PRODUCT ITSELF SO THAT IT CAN BE RELATED TO ALL THAT CAME BEFORE IT IN THE ADVERT.
USUALLY COMBINING A PACK SHOT WITH A SLOGAN CAN HELP ‘ANCHOR’ THE BRAND THEREFORE MAKING IT MORE RECOGNISABLE AND RELATABLE AND ADDING A SENSE OF PERSUASION TO THE
MESSAGE.
FORMS AND STYLES:
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MINI DRAMAS ARE ADVERTS WHICH USUALLY TELL SOME SORT OF NARRATIVE. THE NARRATIVE WILL USUALLY INCLUDE A PROBLEM WHICH IS THEN QUICKLY SOLVED WITH THE
INTRODUCTION OF THE PRODUCT ITSELF. THE POINT OF THIS IS THE MAKE THE AD RELATABLE TO THE VIEWERS AT HAND THEREFORE MEANING THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE
COMFORTABLE WITH GOING OUT AND PURCHASING THE PRODUCT.
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SPOKESPERSON PRESENTATION ADVERTS ARE MEANT TO BE MORE DIRECT AND COMMANDING, USUALLY USING A CELEBRITY OR OTHER AUTHORITY FIGURE TO TALK ABOUT THE PRODUCT
AND PERSUADE THEM TO PURCHASE IT. THE USE OF THE CELEBRITY IS TO IMPRESS THE AUDIENCE AND ASSOCIATE THE GOOD QUALITY'S OF THE INDIVIDUAL WITH THAT OF THE PRODUCT. FOR
EXAMPLE IF A MODEL IS HELPING ADVERTISING BEAUTY CREAM THEN SOME PEOPLE MAY BELIEVE THEY CAN HAVE SKIN AS GOOD AS THE MODELS WITH THE PRODUCT.
•
PITCH PRESENTATIONS ARE USUALLY 100% SHOTS OF THE PRODUCT OR ITS EFFECT ON INDIVIDUALS OR OBJECTS. IT IS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY A VOICEOVER WHICH DESCRIBES IT OR
ITS ASSETS TO THE VIEWER. IT IS MORE LIKELY TO INCLUDE FACTS OR STATISTICS OF THE PRODUCT IN THE ADVERT (FOR EXAMPLE A SATISFACTION SURVEY) IN AN ATTEMPT TO WIN OVER
THE AUDIENCE.
PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
THERE ARE THREE MAIN PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTISING: PATHOS, LOGOS AND ETHOS.
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PATHOS: ADVERTS THAT USE THIS AS THEIR STRATEGY ARE TRYING TO EVOKE AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE IN THE VIEWER. THIS TYPE OF EMOTIONAL
MOTIVATION AND MANIPULATION (BE IT SAD OR HAPPY) WILL HAVE THE INTENTION, AS WITH ALL ADVERTS, OF MAKING THE DESIRED DEMOGRAPHIC
BUY THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE. THE BUYERS DO THIS DUE TO EMOTION EVOKED IN THEM THROUGH THE ADVERT MAKING THEM THINK THAT THEY
NEED TO DO IT RATHER THAN WANT.
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LOGOS: ADVERTS RELY HEAVILY ON THE BRAND IMAGE BUILT BY THE COMPANY BY DISPLAYING THE BRAND NAME OR LOGO REPEATEDLY TO GIVE THE
PRODUCT OR SERVICE IN HAND POSITIVE BRAND ASSOCIATION. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE SHOES SOLD BY NIKE. IN THIS AD THE NIKE TICK
LOGO WOULD BE SHOWN BOTH BY ITSELF AND ON THE ACTUAL SHOES THEMSELVES, GIVING THEM BRAND RECOGNITION AND POSITIVE PRODUCT
REINFORCEMENT.
•
ETHOS: THESE TYPES OF ADS APPEAL TO THE VIEWERS ETHICS AND CONVINCE THEM THE PRODUCT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED. IT PLAYS UPON
WHAT POTENTIAL BUYERS THINK AND BELIEVE AND MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THE PRODUCT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED OR REQUIRE, PERHAPS TO
MAINTAIN THEIR SELF BELIEF IN HOW MUCH THEY ARE WORTH AND SHOWING THAT TO OTHERS.
ADVERTISING DEMOGRAPHICS
WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTISING, PRODUCTS NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE APPEALING TO THE RIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS, BE IT AGE, GENDER, SOCIAL
CLASS, ETHNICITY OR REGION. AND EXAMPLE OF THIS IS A AN ADD APPEARING DURING A CERTAIN TIME, PERHAPS AFTER THE WATERSHED ON TV TO
APPEAL TO AN OLDER AUDIENCE FOR EXAMPLE. ALSO THE PLACE IT APPEARS CAN ALSO BE FACTOR, FOR AN EXAMPLE YOUNGER PEOPLE SPEND LESS TIME
WATCHING TV AND MORE TIME ON THE INTERNET MEANING WHEN ADVERTISERS ARE TRYING TO TARGET THAT PARTICULAR GENERATION THEY WILL USE
THAT AS THEIR PLATFORM TO REACH THEM.
PSYCHOGRAPHICS ARE ALSO USED IN ADVERT TARGETING AS THOUGH PEOPLE MAY BE DIFFERENT GENDERS, AGE ETC, THEN CAN HAVE COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT OR SIMILAR PERSONALITY TRAITS THAT SPAN OVER ALL DEMOGRAPHICS. ADVERTS MAY TRY AND TARGET THE ADVENTUROUS KIND BY
MAKING THEIR PRODUCT SOUND LIKE IT IS AN EXPLORATION IN ITS OWN RIGHT OR AT LEAST HELP YOU EXPLORE MORE IN LIFE BY BEING AN ENABLING
PRODUCT. ANOTHER PSYCHOGRAPHIC EXAMPLE ARE THOSE WHO STRUGGLE IN LIFE, WITH PERHAPS ALCOHOL BEING ADVERTISED TO HELP WITH THE DAY
TO DAY STRESS OF LIFE AND THEREFORE MAKING IT VERY APPEALING.
TARGETING THESE DEMOGRAPHICS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT HELPS DIRECT THE ADS AND MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE AND THEREFORE WORTH
THE MONEY OR INCREASING PROFIT.
HOW IS TV ADVERTISING REGULATED?
TV ADVERTS HAVE VERY TIGHT RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY BEFORE THEY CAN BE CONSUMED BY VIEWERS
OR LISTENERS. THIS COULD INCLUDE HOW APPROPRIATE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BE AT A CERTAIN TIME OF DAY, WHAT THEY ARE
ADVERTISING, HOW THEY ARE ADVERTISING IT, LENGTH OR MANY OTHER REASONS. IF ADVERTISERS TO DO NOT ABIDE BY THESE
RULES THEN AT THE VERY LEAST THEY WILL HAVE THEIR ADS REMOVED. THESE REGULATIONS ARE ENFORCED BY AGENCIES DEDICATED
TO THIS TASK, INCLUDING INDEPENDENT ONES SUCH AS THE ASA (ADVERTISING STANDARDS AUTHORITY).
A RECENT EXAMPLE OF AN ADVERT NOT STICKING TO GUIDELINES WAS AN AD BY GINGER POP LTD. WHICH FEATURED A ‘GOLLIWOG’ AS
THEIR MASCOT FOR SELLING THEIR PRODUCT. THE ASA RECEIVED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS SAYING THAT THE ‘GOLLY’ CHARACTER IS ONE
BASED IN RACIAL STEREOTYPING AND PREJUDICE. THE ASA AGREED THAT IT BROKE THEIR GUIDELINES ABOUT CAUSING OFFENCE SO
THE ADVERT WAS REMOVED AND NO FURTHER ADS IN THE SIMILAR VEIN WERE ALLOWED TO BE MADE.
THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF MANY. ANOTHER REASON AN AD MAY BE REMOVED AND EVEN IN EXTREME CASES THE HOST CHANNEL BE
REMOVED ITSELF IF THE CHANNEL DOES NOT ABIDE BY THE RULE OF A MAXIMUM OF 12 MINUETS OF ADVERTS PER ONE HOUR PROGRAM
ONLY.
Part 2
EXAMPLES OF ADVERTS 1:
JOHN LEWIS CHRISTMAS ADVERT 2015 - #MANONTHEMOON
THE JOHN LEWIS CHRISTMAS 2015 ‘MAN ON THE MOON’ ADVERT IS IN THE STYLE OF A MINI DRAMA. IT TELLS A
SHORT STORY OF THE GIRL WHO SPOTS THE LONELY OLD MAN ON THE MOON AND TRYING TO REACH HIM WITH A
VARIETY OF MESSAGES BEFORE FINALLY MANAGING TO DELIVER THE PRESENT OF A TELESCOPE SO THAT THE OLD
MAN DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AS ALONE THIS CHRISTMAS. THE STYLE OF THE ADVERT IS ‘PATHOS’, ATTEMPTING TO
CAPTURE THE AUDIENCE AND HAVE THEM INVESTED EMOTIONALLY INTO THE STORY. THE ADVERT (AFTER THE
SHORT STORY IS CONCLUDED) THEN FADES IN THE WORDS “SHOW SOMEONE THEY ARE LOVED THIS
CHRISTMAS”, WITH THE INTENTION OF PERSUADING THE AUDIENCE TO PURCHASE GIFTS FOR THEIR LOVED ONES.
THAT TEXT IS THEN FADED OUT AND REPLACED BY THE JOHN LEWIS LOGO, SHOWING THE VIEWERS WHERE TO BUY
THOSE PARTICULAR GIFTS FOR THEIR LOVED ONES. THIS EMOTIONAL TARGETING OF THE AUDIENCE IS VERY
EFFECTIVE, AND THE SUBTLE INTRODUCTION OF THE BRAND NAME PLUS ALL THE PUBLICITY OVER THE FAMOUS
JOHN LEWIS ADVERTS WILL BE VERY PERSUASIVE WHEN VIEWERS GO TO BUY.
EXAMPLES OF ADVERTS 2:
HARIBO STARMIX ADVERT 2014
THE HARIBO STARMIX ADVERT (RELEASED 2014) IS SUPPOSED TO BE A COMEDIC AD, WITH LIGHT COLOURS BUT
ALSO THE CONTRAST OF PEOPLE WEARING BUSINESS SUITS. THE IDEA IS MEANT TO BE THAT EVEN GROWNUPS
CAN ENJOY HARIBOS WITH THE ADULTS IN QUESTION TALKING WITH BABY VOICES ABOUT THE HARIBOS
STARMIX PRODUCT. THE HUMOUR IS SUPPOSED TO HELP ASSCOCIATE GOOD FEELINGS WITH THE PRODUCT AS
WELL AS THE ENDORSEMENT BY THE ‘BUSINESS CLASS’. THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR WIDENING THE APPEAL OF THE
PRODUCT TO A WIDER AUDIENCE. ALSO THE COMEDY OF IT MAKES VIEWERS WANT TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS
MEANING IT WILL BE VIEWED BY MORE PEOPLE MORE QUICKLY AND THEREFORE POTENTIALLY HAVE A LARGER
SALES INFLUENCE. THIS TYPE OF AD IS CLASSED AS ‘LOGOS’ AS THAT IS THE MAIN THEME IN IT, MEANING ITS
MAIN FOCUS AND ENDORSEMENT IS ON AND BY THE PRODUCT ITSELF, HARIBOS. IT IS SHOWN THROUGHOUT THE
AD WITH PEOPLE ENJOYING THE PRODUCT AND SAYING ALLOWED HOW MUCH THEY LOVE IT, GIVING IT POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT. ENDS WITH A PACK SHOT OF THE PRODUCT .
EXAMPLES OF ADVERTS 3:
COMPARE THE MEERKAT - ADVERT 52
THIS ADVERT CONTAINS TWO OF THE MEERKATS FROM THE ‘COMPARE THE MEERKAT’ FAMILY IN AN SUV BEING DRIVEN BY
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND HAVING A CHAT WITH HIM ABOUT THE INSURANCE THAT THE COMPANY PROVIDES. THE TONE
IS LIGHT AND COMEDIC. THIS AD PULLS ON TWO DIFFERENT TYPE OF PERSUASION WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTS. THE FIRST IS
THE CELEBRITY INDORSEMENT/ASSOCIATION WITH ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AS THE CELEBRITY GUEST. THIS PROVIDES
THOSE WHO KNOW HIM WITH COMFORT AND ASSURANCE THAT IT IS A GOOD PRODUCT. THE SECOND TYPE OF PERSUASION IS
THAT OF THE MEERKAT MASCOTS. THIS MAKES EVEN AN INSURANCE COMPANY INTERESTING TO ADULTS AND CHILDREN ALIKE
WILDLY INCREASING THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE, THIS WORKS BECAUSE THE CHILDREN WILL WATCH THE ADVERTS, TELL THEIR
PARENTS AND THEN POTENTIALLY THE ADULT WILL USE OR CONSIDER USING THEIR SERVICE NEXT TIME THEY CHANGE
INSURANCE COMPANIES AS IT WILL HAVE BECOME A FAMILIAR AND POTENTIALLY A NAME ASSOCIATED WITH SECURITY.
THE ADVERT ALSO ADDS THE INCENTIVE OF QUALIFYING TWO FOR ONE ON MOVIE TICKET PRICES IN SPONSOR OF THE RELEASE
OF A NEW MOVIE AT THE TIME, ‘TERMINATOR GENESIS’.
REFERENCES
• WHATIS.TECHTARGET.COM/DEFINITION/UNIQUE-SELLING-POINT-USP
• WWW.ENTREPRENEUR.COM/ENCYCLOPEDIA/BRANDING
• HTTP://WWW.BARB.CO.UK/