THE DESIGNING OF ADVERTISING

The message designing

Hard and soft sell

Ads are designed to touch either the head or the heart. These two approaches are also called HARD SELL and SOFT SELL. A hard sell is a rational, informational message that designed to touch the mind and create a response based on logic.

But soft sell uses an emotional message and is designed around an image intended to touch the heart and create a response based on feelings and attitudes.

FORMATS AND FORMULAS

1.      STRAIGHT FORWARD FACTUAL

These ads usually convey information without using any gimmicks. They are rational rather than emotional. Business-to-business advertising also is generally factual tone.

2. DEMONSTRATIONS AND COMPARISONS            

The demonstrations focus on how to use the product or what it can do to you. The product's strengths take center stage. The objective of demonstration's conviction is 'seeing is believing.' It can be a very persuasive technique.

A comparison contrasts two or more products and usually finds the advertising brand to be superior. The comparison can be direct, his which the competitor is mentioned, or indirect, with just a reference to 'other leading brands.'

   

3. HUMOR

The copy strategy behind making people laugh is the hope they will transfer the warm feelings they have as they have being entertained to the product. Humor is hard to handle, however. Although, everyone appreciates a good joke, not everyone finds the same joke funny. The danger of humor is people will remember the punch line and forget the product name. But some humor, if deftly (skillfully, cleverly) handled, is acceptable. (David Ogilvy)

4. Problem Solution

It is also known as the product-as- hero technique. The message begins with problem, and the product is precluded as the solution. This is a common technique used with cleansers and additives that make things run smoother.

A variation on this technique is the problem-avoidance message where the problem is avoided because of product use.

 

5. SLICE OF LIFE

It is really just as an elaborate version of a problem-solution message presented in the form of a play let. It uses common place situation with 'typical people' talking about the problem. It puts the audience in the position of overhearing a discussion wherein the problem is stated and resolved.

 

6. SPOKESPERSON

Using a person to speak on behalf of the product is another popular message technique. Spokespersons and endorsers are thought to build credibility. They are either celebrities we admire or the experts we respect or someone 'just like us' whose advice we might seek out one of the problems of spokesperson strategy is that the person may be so glamorous or so a attractive that the message gets lasts. AMITHAV BACHCHAN

1. Testimonial

It is a variation of the spokesperson message format. The difference is that people who give testimonials are talking about their own personal experiences with the product.

Message designing and positioning

1. Nature of the product
2. The target group
3. Special characteristics of the product
4. The competitors
5. Promises
6. The different one
7. Brand position

Objectives

1. With consumer
1. Passing on information
2. Create brand awareness
3. Incite them to act i. e. purchase
4. Confirm the legitimacy of their choice after purchase

2. With trade
1. To induce them to stock the product
2. To push the product on the counter
3. To provide strategic shelf-space

3. With manufacturers
1. To make them raw materials
2. To convince them about rational product benefits
3. To convince them about cost aspects

THE EIGHT LAWS OF DESIGNING

1. Law of UNITY

2. Law of VARIETY

3. Law of BALANCE

4. Law of RHYTHM

5. Law of HARMONY

6. Law of PROPORTION

7. Law of SCALE

8. Law of EMPHASIS

1. LAW OF UNITY-

UNITY can be disturbed by

·         an irritating border

·         too many different and conflicting type faces

·         badly distributed color

·         disproportionate elements

·         'busy' layouts containing a confusion of parts

2. LAW OF VARIETY

There should be change and contrast as with bold and medium weight of type, or good use of white space.

·         The ad should not be monotonous

·         Variety can also be introduced by the use of pictures

3. LAW OF BALANCE

OPTICAL BALANCE- It is one third down a space, not half way.

A picture or headline may occupy one-third and the text copy two-third.

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE falls midway so that a design can be divided in to equal halves, quarters and so on, but should not divide into two halves so that it looks like separate ads.

4. LAW OF RHYTHM

Though print ad is static, but it is still possible to obtain a sense of movement so that the eye is carried down and through the ad. The eye should lead from Para to Para.

The general from of overall design should be pleasantly rhythmic.

5. LAW OF HARMONY            

 There should be no sharp, annoying and jerky contrast.

All the elements should harmonize, helping to create unity

6. LAW OF PROPORTION

This applies particularly to the type sizes used for different widths of the copy, the wider the column the larger the type size, and vice versa.

7. LAW OF SCALE

It is the use of the color, black looks closer to the eye than grey and red is the most dominant color. Black on either yellow or orange is very bold where as white on yellow is weak.

8. LAW OF EMPHASIS

All emphasis is no emphasis. Do not use

·         all capital letters

·         Too many bold letters

Anatomy of a Typeface

Serif    Ascender

Cap height Expel x -HEIGHT

                                                Descender

Copy writing

1. Appeal

q       Create a bridge to the target audience by being persuasion

q       Arouse the audience, why to read/listen

q       Use familiar words and build up points of interest

q       Use specific and concrete word

q       Repeat key points

q       Convince the audience by sticking the fact

q       Use rhyme and rhythm

q       Make use of ......... effects i. e. leave the message incomplete

q       Ask the audience to draw the conclusion

2. Message presentation

A. Central

a.      The central message

b.      Compare advantage and disadvantages

c.      Provoke active information

B. Peripheral

a.      Pleasant association

b.      Scenic background

c.      Favorable conclusion

3. Ad message structure

a.      Drawing conclusion

b.      Repetition

c.      One vs. two sided communication

d.      Comparative advantage

e.      Order of presentation

4. Message format

a.      Organization

b.      Plan

c.      Style

d.      Type of ad message

AIDCA model of Ad

A-          Attracting attention

I-              Rousing interest

D-   Building desire

C-      Conviction

A- Obtain action

Seven elements of Copy Writing

1. Headline

·         Association of ideas- Deuba like it!

·         Alliterative- Rhythm

·         Bargain- Now only Rs. 99.

·         Commanding- buy it now!

·         Challenging- Why put up with higher price?

·         Curiosity- Even Robert plays football.

·         Declaration- No. 1

·         Emotional- Sexy juice

·         Interrogative- Do you have more interest?

·         Identification- The German beer

·         Humorous- Open seven days a week

·         Gimmick- sss.......sss.....sss

2. Sub head

·         Sense of movement so that the eye is carried progressively through the copy

·         Typographical contrast

·         Emphasis selling points

·         Different ideas

·         Absorb the interest at a glances

·         Make more interesting

3. Body copy

·         Emotive

·         Factual- hard selling/educational

·         Narrative- description, story

·         Picture and captions

·         Monologue or dialogue

·         Gimmick

·         Quotation

4. Price
5. Name and address
6. Coupon- if any
7. Signature slogan- Where ever you are.

Copy device

1. Clichés - Buzzwords like Now! New! At last! Today!
2. Action words- Buy! Try! Watch! Enjoy! Call! Look! Taste! Ask!
3. Emotive or exciting words- Wonderful! Beautiful! Amazing! Economical!

Layout

            It is a drawing that shows all the elements in the ad where are to be positioned. The most common layout format is one with a single dominant visual that occupies about 60 – 70 % of the area. Underneath it is a headline and a copy block. The logo or signature signs of the message are at the bottom.

Developing layouts

Thumbnail sketches – These are quick miniature version of the ad, preliminary sketch that are used for developing the concept and finding the positioning of the elements. These are small preliminary sketches of various layout ideas. The second step is a rough layout. Rough are done to size but not with any great attention to how they look.

Semi Comp (Comprehensive):

            A semi comp is done to the exact size of the ad and all the elements are exactly signed and positioned. Color is added where appropriate. Shading for black and white is done with various gray markers to indicate tonal variation.

Comprehensive:

            A layout that looks as much like the final printed ad as possible. On special occasions, a full-blow comprehensive may be developed. This is an impression presentation piece.

Mechanical or Key lines:

            A finished paste up, with every element perfectly positioned that is photographed to make printing plates for offset printing.

Design Principles

            The functional side of layouts makes the message easy to perceive. The aesthetic side makes it attractive and pleasing to the eye.

Organization

            Organized visual images are easier to recognize, perceive and remember than are visual images without any order.

-          Gerald Murch

Direction

            The path determined by the ordering of the elements is direction.

Guttenberg Diagonal is the motion from upper left to lower right. Graphics expert Edmund Arnold coins it. Most layouts try to work with natural eye movements.

Dominance

            It is focal point; the first element is a layout that the eyes see. Normally the dominant element is a visual, but it can be a headline the big and bold face.

Visual Path

            The direction is which the reader’s eyes moves while scanning a layout, Guttenberg diagonal is one model.

Utility

            Keep things together that go together.

Consistency

            It is important to unity. Using one typeface rather than several is a good technique for unity.

Continuity

            Neighboring elements that touch and align are another important aspect of unity. Captions need to adjoin the pictures to which they refer. Headline lead into the text.

White space

            White space is not simply an area where nothing happens. It works in one of two ways: it either frames and element in the sea of white, which gives the importance, or it separates elements that do not belong together.

Margins

            It is simply a white space designed to frame the ad and separate it from everything surrounding it. Ina a magazine, you can use bleed, an ad in which the printed area runs to the trim edge of the page.

Contrast

            Contrast indicates the importance of various elements. Contrast makes one element stand out because it is different. Contrast also used to separate an ad from its surroundings.

Balance

            Optical 1/3 headline  + 2/3 body, symmetrical ½ + ½

Simplicity

            Less is more, so when in doubt leave it out (delete)

Color

            Color is used in advertising to

-          Attract attention

-          Provide Real son – exactly what it is.

-          Establish moods – red, yellow, orange, are bright and happy.

-          Build brand identity – Pepsi (Red + Blue)

Three phases

The pre marketing era:

Buyers and sellers communicated each other. In 300 BC Babylonian clay tablet is the earliest form of advertisement.

Mass communication era: (After the mid 1700s till the early 1900s)

Newspaper ad started with the printing press i. e. 1438 when Johann Guttenberg invented movable printing press. First ad in English newspaper was printed about 40 years after the printing press.

The research era:

Since 1950s ad entered in the sophisticated era. Advertisers have developed new techniques to understand and segment audiences, and target them with specific messages.

Newspaper advertisement

1477- British advertisement (But not known, where it was published)

1665- Oxford gazette (Later renamed London gazette)

In England, there were 25 newspapers in 1700s and 258 in 1800s.

Ad in Nepalese context

1919 BS- Ad in Mokshasiddhi, for the first time in Nepal. The ad was about the notice of next publication of the Nepal Manoranjan press.

LAW AND ETHICS OF ADVERTISING

Ethical Criteria (3A)

Advocacy: Advertising by its very nature, tries to persuade the audience to do something. Thus it is not objective or neutral. This fact disturbs critics who think that advertising should be objective information and neutral.

Accuracy: YOU MUST NOT LIE. WHAT YOU PROMISE, YOU MUST PROVIDE.

Acquisitiveness: Advertising gives us choices and incentives for which we continue to strive (great efforts).

British Code of Ad.

            The codes require that advertisements and sales promotions should be

-          Legal, decent, honest, and truthful.

-          Prepared with the sense of responsibility to consumers and society.

-          In line with the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business.

The CAP – Committee of Advertiser Practice devises the codes.

LEGAL VS VOLUNTARY CONTROLS

Characteristics of Legislation

i)                    Advertiser should obey in the public interest, under penalty of fine or punishment.

ii)                  The law can be preventive in make known what is illegal.

iii)                Some laws depend on interpretations by the courts and may not be effective until the test case has occurred to set precedents.

iv)                The law has to be invoked (power of the law) either by the plaintiff (a person who brings an action at law), swing (make a legal claim against)) according to whether it is common or statute law.

Characteristics of Voluntary Controls

i)                    Advertiser should obey in the public interest. An offending advertising agent risks losing his/her recognition status and right to commission, while the client risks damaging his/her reputation if a complaint are made.

ii)                  There are no penalties other than above and necessity to amend or withdraw an offending ad.

iii)                Voluntary controls are self-regulating and are likely to prevent unethical advertising from appearing.

iv)                Advertising is competitive but there are limits. No ‘knocking copy’ is allowed. You cannot say your rival product is bad.

v)                  Voluntary self-regulatory control can be more effective than legislation.

Law of Contract

            To be legally binding a contract must have four elements, namely, an offer, an unconditional acceptance of the offer and consideration in the form of some exchange or sacrifice while consent must be genuine and not wrongfully obtained.

Simple Contract: it is one that is not under seal and it can be made orally.

Expressed Contract: This is one in which the terms are set out in words, either orally or in writing, by the partners.

Implied Contract: It is the contract depends on the circumstances.

Executed contract: one or both parties perform the contract. Usually dates are agreed for the performance of the work and payment for it.

Contract of Advertising

1.      The purchase of ad space/airtime.

2.      The hiring of out door ad sites and exhibition stand space

3.      Service agreements with advertising agents, public relation consultants and other professional consultants

4.      The purchase of print, display on arterial, photography and artwork.

Sanctions

1. Adverse publicity – Reports printed and published in media
2. Refusal of further advertising space
3. Removal of Trade Incentives – Council of Membership
4. Legal Proceedings – Refer to Office of Fair Trading (OFT)

Criticism

            Advertising is an immoral and parasitical force, which exalts (make higher in rank) false values and induces people to buy things they either do not need or cannot afford. It is said to create expectations that cannot be satisfied.

In Indonesia TV commercials were banned because they were thought to increase the expectation of poorer people.

            Critics of advertising have made one fundamental mistake: they blame the TOOL and not the USER. There is mother wrong with advertising, but there are advertisers who abuses or misuse advertising deliberately or unintentionally.