36 plan adv campaign

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Number 036www.curriculum-press.co.uk

How to Plan an Advertising Campaign

M tudiesSedia

The aims of this Factsheet are to:

Focus on the conceptual planning required for a practical production in advertising and marketing

Consider formulating ideas for production based on an understanding of how media concepts can inform practical productions

Discuss some basic advertising and marketing theory with a view to constructing practical coursework

Advertising and Media Language/GenreNot all advertising is the same. Different types of products are

promoted in different ways but distinct genre codes can be identified

in products that are similar.

For example, film posters.

Film posters share a number of codes and conventions.

Institutional information at the bottom including certification The name of the film needs to be clearly visible

Often the star and/or directors name will be easily identifiable

especially when they are well known and have an existing fan-

base

Information such as the release date of the film, the web address

for the films internet site etc. are often included

The graphic design of film posters, however, may be very different

and this often depends on the genre of the film itself.

AQA/WJEC/OCR

All awarding bodies require that AS and A2 students complete

practical production work. The specific requirements can vary

between the different awarding bodies but the following

information is applicable to any student undertaking an

advertising and/or marketing coursework project.

IntroductionAdvertising is arguably the most prolific of all media

practices and it is difficult for an audience to avoid

being subjected to what are increasingly sophisticated

campaigns. From ad breaks on TV to trailers on DVDs,

pop-ups on the internet and less obvious forms of

advertising found in magazines, in newspapers, on

the internet and on television, advertising is a crucial

aspect of modern media. Advertising funds the media

content we access on all platforms. Advertising promotes the media

products themselves and even provides content. This makes it a

popular choice for coursework production.

ActivityComplete the following by identifying the genre codes and conventions used in the posters:

Genre

Horror

Action

Comedy

Sci Fi

Genre Code and Conventions

As the aim of horror is to scare an audience the poster

needs to offer this gratification. Different types of

horror may have different codes but all attempt to

communicate the tone of the film being promoted.

Action films must offer high energy entertainment.

Posters need to show that there will be excitementand an adrenaline rush in store for the audience.

Often a star gives an action film a specific tone and

may be an important selling point.

Comedy is not based on the specific setting or

character types but is based on the tone and the fact

the film will try to entertain through humour.

Important in a comedy poster is an indication of the

fact that situations wont be taken seriously and that

the audience can expect to laugh!

Sci Fi has a number of specific codes that are quicklyrecognisable by the audience and so posters should

contain some of these. Sci Fi is also often a hybrid

genre so the type of sci fi needs to be indicated

clearly. Is the film a thoughtful sci fi drama? An action

sci fi? A comedy sci fi perhaps?

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36. How to Plan an Advertising Campaign Media Studieswww.curriculum-press.co.uk

Planning for ProductionThere are several things you need to consider when planning any

media production and you will need to undertake research into

existing advertising practices if your product is to be successful.

The main areas that need to be considered are:

1. producto What are you advertising and what codes are expected for

this type of product?

2. placement

o Where will your advertisement be located? What locations

are most likely to reach your target audience?

3. people (target audience)

o Who do you want to appeal to with your advertisement?

4. persuasion

o What techniques are likely to be most successful in

persuading your target audience to act?

Product

You may have your product selected for you in the instructions foryour coursework. If you select your own product you should

consider a number of things:

Is the product an essential item or is it a luxury (something we

could easily live without)?

What would the product cost? Would this limit the target

audience?

Is the product gender specific?

Are many other marketers trying to sell the same or similar

products? How do they go about this?

PlacementAdvertising Persil in Glamour would not be inappropriate. The

audience may still need to wash their clothes but their reasons for

reading this magazine are not the same as the reasons some people

read Prima. Glamouris about luxury and fantasy, fashion and style

whilst the Prima audience expect a focus on home, family and

domestic issues. Similarly, there would be little point in advertising

a feminine interest product in FHMas the target audience are males.

Activity

List the advertising products in one edition of a general lifestyle

magazine (e.g.FHM, Glamouretc.) Are there several versions of similar products on offer?

Are any of the products essential items or are they all

luxuries?

Are these products different to the ones advertised in

magazines such as Heat, Prima etc.

What similarities and differences do you see in the media

language choices made when constructing the adverts?

The outcomes of your research above should indicate that

different target audiences are assumed to be in the market for

different types of products. Advertisers try very hard to provide

the right product and sell it in an appropriate way to the right

audience. It is important that advertisers place theiradvertisements in places that will be accessed by their target

audience.

People - Target AudienceThere are many ways to consider target audience.

Age

Some products may appear to be specifically for certain age groups.

Advertisers do not consider age simply as a number but as anattitude.

Consider the following age groups

children have no spending power of their own and so in some

way you need to appeal to both them and parents. Pester power

is a recognised technique and this is most successful when you

manage to make the product a must-have for the child. Consider

what will be most successful in making the child want your

product and encourage the parent to buy it.

youth the widest group of all - pre-teen onwards with no clear

upper limit. The main thing to consider here is that their interests

are seen to lie in fashion, leisure pursuits and products which

create an idea of personal identity and this is not based on an

actual age as these interests are held by increasingly oldergroups. Youth can be divided further:

o young youth the pre-teen and teen market. Still dependant

on their parents but with some personal spending power.

They are often best appealed to by offering them a product

that will confirm how mature they are. They are attracted to

fashion in the sense that it enables them to fit in with their

peers and they receive social position through being up to

date.

o mid youth the more traditionally based youth age group

teens and twenties. They have some financial independence

and limited financial responsibilities. Sex, fun, fashion, style,

technology etc. are all important to this group

o older youth twenties onwards who can be appealed to byan idea of an extended youth culture. The leisure priorities

remain but they are wealthier and, even though they have

financial responsibilities may still wish to spend money on

the more fun side of life. Clearly though, where a young

youth market needs to feel a product will give them maturity,

an older youth audience does not need to be reminded of

their age and products often focus on the way they can

maintain youth for this audience

adults not so much an age group, more a frame of mind. Adult

products will focus on functionality, economy, responsibility

etc.

older adults a tricky and often overlooked group. Some have

large disposable incomes and more marketing is realising theyare a largely untapped group. (For example, LOreals use of

Jane Fonda in a recent campaign specifically targets older adult

women.)

Exam/Production Hint

When discussing the age of your target audience: avoid relative terms like older or younger. Older or younger

than what? avoid specifying ages group (e.g. 16-25) as they are too

restrictive- consider using a general age group that reflectsthe interests and attitudes most applicable to the target

audience


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GenderClearly, some adverts are aimed at a specific gender. They are

identifiable by the fact that they play on the stereotypical

expectations of gender in terms of interests and priorities.

Exam Hint:-You need to consider what stereotypes you willapply in your advertising but make it clear youve identified

that they are stereotypes.

For example, consider the difference in these two statements.

The product is aimed at males because they are interested in

gadgets and high tech toys

The advert plays on the stereotype that males are interested in

gadgets and high tech toys

The first statement is simply repeating a stereotype whereas the

second is identifying it.

ActivityLook at the on-line advertising for face cream and assess thedifferent ways it is trying to persuade men and women to buy the

product.

Social/Economic GroupsTarget audiences used to be divided by social class but this is

not truly appropriate in todays society. The audiences financialsituation may be relevant for example, high cost luxury items are

less likely to be bought by people in lower socio-economic

positions. If cost is an issue with your product, you will need to

bear this in mind.

If your product is a luxury item, how will you attempt to

persuade your audience to spend money on it?

o Are you going to make your product appear exclusive

and so attempt to persuade higher income groups to buy

your product to enable them to reward themselves and

feel special?

o Will your product offer a form of fashion, technological or

peer group status which makes it worth purchasing?

If your product is more basic, can you tempt your audienceby convincing them it is essential or perhaps offering a bargain

or value for money?

Do not make assumptions about what people will like simply

based on their spending power. Many luxury products are

perceived as essential and are desired despite their price.

Psychometric CategoriesMore useful may be the idea of Values and Lifestyle Marketing.

Instead of dividing audience into age/gender/class categories, VALs

groups people by personality types and advertisers would try to

appeal to these types in different ways.

Some VALs Categories of Consumers

Innovators - Successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with

high self-esteem, Innovators like upscale, niche products and

services.

Thinkers - Motivated by ideals, Thinkers are mature, satisfied,

comfortable and reflective people who value order, knowledge

and responsibility. Thinkers are conservative, practical

consumers; they look for durability, functionality, and value in

the products they buy.

Achievers - Achievers have goal-oriented lifestyles and a deep

commitment to career and family. They favour established,

prestige products and services that demonstrate success to their

peers. Experiencers - Motivated by self-expression. Experiencers are

avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of

their income on fashion, entertainment and socializing. Their

purchases reflect the emphasis they place on looking good and

having cool stuff.

Believers - Motivated by ideals. They are conservative,

conventional people with concrete beliefs based on traditional

ideas. Believers are predictable consumers as they choose familiar

products and established brands and are generally loyal

customers.

Strivers - Trendy and fun-loving. They are motivated by

achievement and are concerned about the opinions and approval

of others. They favour stylish products that emulate thepurchases of people with greater material wealth. Strivers are

active consumers because shopping is both a social activity

and an opportunity to demonstrate to peers their ability to buy.

As consumers, they are as impulsive as their financial

circumstance will allow.

Makers - Practical people who have constructive skills and value

self-sufficiency. They live within a traditional context of family,

practical work, and physical recreation and have little interest in

what lies outside that context. Makers are unimpressed by

material possessions other than those with a practical or

functional purpose. Because they prefer value to luxury, they

buy basic products.

PersuasionThere are many persuasive methods used by advertisers. The choice

of persuasive techniques are usually focussed on attempting to

create brand/product recognition, help the product/advertising to

be memorable, stimulate a desire for the product and cause the

audience to want to act. Advertising tends to offer the consumer

something more than just the product itself. All shampoos offer the

same basic function - they are all products that will clean hair.

Different brands offer something slightly different from their

competitors and so provide a Unique Selling Point something

that makes one product different to another and so is acting to try

to persuade the audience to desire and ultimately purchase theirproduct rather than another similar one. USPs can be as simple as

price but are often based around other benefits to the consumer.


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Some USPs in shampoo advertising

Tresemme Professional quality with hairdresser approval

Herbal Essences Sensuous pleasure

LOreal - Quality and Luxury

Head and Shoulders Anti dandruff formula

Pantene Extra conditioning/smoothing qualities

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Consumers will choose the product that gives them the unique quality that they desire the most.

ActivityComplete the following table providing examples of products which use these techniques and/or consider the effect of the technique

itself. Finally, identify which VALs groups may respond better to the technique identified.

Persuasive Technique

Humour

Fear

Shock

Guilt

Science

Nature

Economy/Value

Efficiency

Luxury/Glamour

Socialising/Social Success

Sexual success

Celebrity endorsement

Happy Families

Health

Ecological Issues

Tradition

Individuality

Community/Group belonging

Examples of product advertising

Lynx

Herbal Essences

Asda

Dyson

LOreal

BT

Effect

To show the product as being able to solve

problems which cause fear or concern

To create trust and a sense of reliability

Audiences will associate the product with the

celebrity celebrities are chosen carefully

to project the right image

Offers customers a product which will help

protect the environment in some way

Implies buying the product will give thecustomer a way to express their individuality

VALs groups?

Clearly, different types of people will respond better to some techniques rather than others. This is why it is important for advertisers to

ensure their persuasive technique matches their target audience.


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Acknowledgements: This Media Studies Factsheet was researched and written by Steph Hendry

Curriculum Press. Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, TF1 1NU. Media Factsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students, provided that their school is a registered

subscriber. No part of these Factsheets may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any other form or by any other means, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISSN 1351-5136

Turning Ideas into Practical WorkOnce you have considered these ideas you are ready to turn your understanding of product, people, placement, and persuasion into plans

for practical production. The answers to these questions will help you decide which media language choices are best suited to the work

you are about to undertake.

What product are you advertising?

Is it a luxury product or an essential item?

If you are not advertising a specific product, what ideas are you trying to get across to your

audience?

Are you trying to get them to think a certain way?

Are you trying to get them to do a certain thing?

What is the purpose of your advertising campaign?

What are the codes and conventions expected for this type of advertising?

Which codes and conventions will you follow?

Which codes and conventions will you alter (and why)?

Who are your target audience? Are they a particular age/gender?

Is their economic situation an issue?

What type of people are most likely to be interested in your product or idea?

What values and attitudes can you target?

What needs does your product aim to fulfil?

What would be the best way to attract your audience to your product message? What will your

product offer the audience?

What USP will you use to try to encourage your audience to act?

What techniques will be the best ones to attempt to persuade them to act in the way you want?

What will be your products USP?

Where will your advertising be placed?

Which magazines/newspapers will your adverts appear in?

Which TV slots will you use?

Which type of films will your trailer accompany?

Which web sites will your ads appear on?

Where will your posters be located?

What are the codes and conventions of the format(s) of advertising you are creating? Does the

location of your advertising have any specific audience expectations attached to it?

Product

People

Persuasion

Placement

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Production Hint

All of the areas for consideration identified in this Factsheet will lead you towards logical media language choices when you come

to make your products (see above). The best practical productions are carefully researched and planned. Not only will this save time

and effort during the production process but it will also give you more scope to demonstrate your understanding in accompanying

evaluations.

36 plan adv campaign

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