Advertising and Promotion - Essay Example

Task A An advertising campaign contains several interrelated steps. For example, two (2) companies in the Czech Region, one a small regional company and the other an established multinational company will utilize two (2) different advertisement campaigns to stimulate consumer response. To create a successful advertising campaign to stimulate consumer interest, target groups, objectives, campaign communication and expectations, along with communication strategy must be considered for both companies. The target group for the first, smaller company is sportsmen who use food supplements as part of their regimen. The objective of the campaign is to increase sales to such sportsmen through the specialized selling shop, sales representatives, and over the internet. The advertisement should communicate to sportsmen that the food supplements sold by the small company are necessary for increased sports performance. The expectation of this advertising campaign is that sales will increase through the positive message about food supplements from this particular company. The company is small, therefore, the communication strategy is limited only by the company’s advertising budget. Internet “ad banners’ and small magazine advertisements in sportsmen magazines is a strategic and cost effective way to successfully market this small company’s food supplements. The target group for the second company, a large, multinational organisation is a wide variety of consumers, as this company’s main staple is detergent. The objective of the campaign is to increase sales by keeping the company’s detergent on the minds of consumers. The advertisement should communicate to all consumers that the detergent sold is superior to other detergents on the market. The expectation of this advertising campaign is that sales and demand will increase for the company’s detergent. The company is large, and therefore, has a large advertising budget, so a mass media campaign will be continued, over the internet, broadcast media, and print media. Certain techniques are used by advertising agencies and/or advertisement producers to promote creative ideas, which include “formulating advertisement objectives; designing an advertising budget; making creative decisions; choosing a media strategy and evaluating the advertisement” (Shank, 2001, p. 325). Advertisement objectives are usually categorized as either direct or indirect. Direct ad objectives, such as advertising to end user consumers and sales promotion advertising, are designed to stimulate action among consumers of a certain type of product. On the other hand, indirect objectives create consumer awareness and provide information to consumers. After each objective has been determined, budgets are considered for the ad campaign. “Budget techniques such as competitive parity, objective and task, arbitrary allocation, and percentage of sales are commonly used by advertisers” (Shank, p. 325). The next step is to make the creative decisions that will identify the ideas and the concepts that will be used in the advertisement. In order to develop the concept for the ad, benefits of the product must be identified, ad appeals are designed, and ad execution decisions are made. Next, a media strategy is formed, including decisions about what medium for advertisement will be most effective and target the market consumer. Finally, the ad is evaluated to determine whether it will fulfill its purpose of increased awareness and sales. Task B Another method of understanding target groups, the core message of the advertisement, communication, and art elements of the advertisement is to observe two (2) examples of advertising campaigns. The first ad is for Calgon, a water softener that is touted to protect washing machines from sediment build up. The second is for Aquila, a mineral water that releases harmful chemicals from the body with every sip. The target group for the first product, Calgon, is middle-aged women who primarily do the laundry in most households. The essence of the message of the advertisement is that Calgon will reduce repairs and lengthen the life of all washing machines. The unique product feature communicated is that Calgon, when compared to other fabric softeners, actually protects washing machines from sediments. The elements used to express the advertisement are audio, including music, and a video spot with a storyline. The target group for the second product, Aquila, is young women and young families. The essence of the message of the advertisement is that Aquila releases harmful agents from the human body when it is drank. The unique product feature communicated is that Aquila contains only the best minerals from Carlsbad. The elements used to express the advertisement are audio, along with a video spot, and a promotion through Disney. This promotion emphasizes that when Aquila is purchased, the consumer will receive stars that can be used to obtain Disney presents. Task C Several different types of advertising organisations can produce advertising campaigns: advertising agencies; full service agencies; and public relations agencies. A conventional advertising agency is dedicated to creating, planning, and promoting an advertisement campaign for its client (Malefyt, 2003). A full service agency not only performs the tasks that the conventional agency does, but also “offers its clients a complete range of services beyond the placement and preparation of their advertising” (Malefyt, p. 3). Finally, a public relations agency’s role is to create and maintain a positive image of an organisation or a business (Fearn-Banks, 2002). The mission of the Association of Czech Advertising Agencies and Marketing Communication (ACRA) and other advertising associations is to increase professional standard of the advertising and other activities within the marketing communication, and to enforce the positive image of advertising (ACRA). Task D Each advertising agency has its own organisational structure with the following positions: Account Executive; Account Manager; Advertising Manager; Art Director; Copywriter; Media planner; and Creative Director. The functions of each vary within the agency. The Account Executive meets with clients to determine sales goals and creative strategies including coordination of the production and media staff behind the campaign. The Account Executive keeps in touch with the client and ensures the advertisement is completed through production and placement (Koslow, 2003). The function of the Account Manager is to be involved in some of the creative process and determine the functionality of the advertisement as it relates to the client’s business. The Account Manager also may report to the executives at the advertising agency (Malefyt). The Advertising Manager has the responsibility of marketing the advertisement through the actual sales objective. This may include media strategy, planning, and buying (Zufryden). The Art Director functions as the supervisor of the art department in the advertising agency, and is responsible for the artistic development of the advertising campaign (Koslow). The Copywriter develops the written copy the advertisement agency uses for client campaigns, and works with the Art Director in the “creative production of an advertisement” (Koslow, p. 98). The Media Planner in the advertising agency must understand the target market of the client and make contact through media planning and buying (Katz). The function of the Creative Director is to oversee product branding and advertising that fits the client’s requirements for their product. The Creative Director is responsible for the final creative aspect of the advertisement, and normally oversees the Copywriters and Art Directors within the agency (Koslow). References Association of Czech Advertising Agencies and Marketing Communication. ACRA – Brief Introduction. Retrieved 21 June 2007, http://www.acra-mk.cz/article.asp? nArticleID=147&nLanguageID=2. Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2002). Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Katz, Helen (2003). The Media Handbook: A Complete Guide to Advertising Media Selection, Planning, Research, and Buying. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Koslow, Scott (2003). What Is Creative to Whom and Why? Perceptions in Advertising Agencies. Journal of Advertising Research, 43, 96+. Malefyt, Timothy Dewaal (2003). Advertising Cultures. New York: Berg. Shank, Matthew D. (2001). Sports Marketing: A Strategic Perspective. New York: Prentice Hall. Zufryden, Fred S. (2000). Predicting Trial, Repeat and Sales Response from Alternative Media Plans. Journal of Advertising Research, 40.6, 65. Read More