Creative Strategy Planning and Development Youngs Creative Process

Creative Strategy: Planning and Development

Young's Creative Process Immersion Getting raw material, data, immersing one's self in the problem to get the background. Digestion Ruminating on the data acquired, turning it this way and that in the mind. Incubation Ceasing analysis and putting the problem out of conscious mind for a time. Illumination A sudden inspiration or intuitive revelation about a potential solution. Verification Studying the idea, evaluating it, and developing it for practical usefulness. © 2007 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. , Mc. Graw-Hill/Irwin

Wallas’ View of the Creative Process Verification Refining the Idea Preparation Gathering Information The Creative Process Verification Illumination Refining Seeing the Idea Solution Incubation Setting Problem Aside © 2007 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. , Mc. Graw-Hill/Irwin

Sources of Idea l Employees l 3 M l l 15% rule Goal: 30% of each year’s sales from products introduced within the previous 4 years. Golden Step Awards: $2 million in U. S. sales or $4 million in worldwide sales within 3 years of introduction. Top management l Akio Morita (Sony) – Walkman; Soichiro Honda (Honda) – coin trays in cars.

Sources of Idea l Customers l l Competitors l l Heinz’s EZ Squirt, 599印相 坊. Samsung & LG study Sharp’s pioneer LCD, 逆向 程(reverse engineering). Sales representatives and intermediaries

Creativity Techniques l Forced relationship l l Morphological analysis l l E. g. 珍珠奶茶, 海尼根綠茶, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. E. g. i. Phone. Attribute listing l E. g. Nokia’s VERTU, 薇閣.

Creativity Techniques l Reverse assumption analysis l l New contexts l l E. g. 無菜單餐廳, Wii, Sony’s Aibo. E. g. Softbank, IKEA, Optoma微型投影機 Mind-mapping

Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

Types of Research l l Secondary research vs. Primary research Qualitative research vs. Quantitative research

Secondary Research l l Background research that uses available published information about a topic Secondary information sources l l Government organization Trade association Secondary research suppliers Secondary information on the Internet

Primary Research l l Information that is collected for the first time from original sources Primary research suppliers, e. g. A. C. Nielsen, SMRB, MRI, and 東方線上.

Qualitative Research l l Qualitative research provides insight into the underlying reasons for how consumers behave and why. It is used early in the process of developing an advertising plan or message strategy for generating insights, as well as questions and hypotheses for additional research. Pros: (1) confirming hunches; (2) ruling out bad approaches and questionable or confusing ideas; (3) giving direction to the message strategy. Cons: not able to draw conclusion

Quantitative Research l l l Quantitative research delivers numerical data such as number of users and purchases, their attitudes and knowledge, their exposure to ads, and other market-related information. Two characteristics: (1) large sample sizes; (2) random sampling. It is usually designed to either accurately count something, such as sales levels, or to predict something, such as attitudes.

The Uses of Research l l l Market information Consumer insight research Media research Message development Evaluation research

Market Information l l Market research is used to gather information about a particular market – consumers, as well as competitive brands. Market information includes everything a planner can uncover about consumer perceptions of the brand, product category, and competitors’ brands. Brand information includes an assessment of the brand’s role and performance in the marketplace. This research also investigates how people perceived brand personalities and images.

Consumer Insight l l l Know about the people they are trying to reach as much, deep and detailed as possible Demographic and psychographic information is used to describe the target audience. Objective: puzzle out a key consumer insight that will help move the target audience to respond to the message. Identifying the consumer insight is the responsibility of the account planner. Phil Dusenberry：消費者抱怨時的感覺最誠實與正確。如果你想 要從消費者嘴巴裡得到事實，就讓他們暢談對商品的不滿，e. g. 康寶料多濃湯。 Examples: 多力多滋的超濃起司口味.

Media Research l l Gather information about all the possible media and marketing communication tools that might be used in a campaign to deliver a message. Media researchers then match that information to what is known about the target audience.

The Use of Research in Message Development The three stages in message development l 1. 2. 3. Preparation research (background research) Consumer research Development research

Background Research l l l Background research is used to familiarize advertising planners with the market situation. Secondary & primary research Types of background research l l l The brand experience Competitive analysis An advertising audit Content analysis Semiotic analysis

The Brand Experience l l l Learn about the brand – going through all the experiences that a typical consumers has buying and using the product. It is the first thing the agency team has to do. It’s also a form of commitment. David Ogilvy 宣稱，他從來不接自己不會使用 的產品或服務的公司案子。 孫大偉製作捷安特廣告

An Advertising Audit l l Collect every possible piece of advertising and other forms of marketing communication by the brand, as well as its competitors’, and other relevant categories that may have lessons for the brand. It includes a historical collection, as well.

Content Analysis l l l More formal and systematic tabulation of competitors’ approaches and strategies It provides clues to how competitors are thinking, and suggests ways to develop new and more effective campaigns. It helps planners to determine what mental territories or positions are claimed by competitors.

Semiotic Analysis l l Semiotic analysis is a way to take apart the signs and symbols in a message to uncover layers and types of meanings. The objective is to find deeper meanings in the symbolism and meanings, particularly as they relate to different groups of consumers. Its focus is on determining the meanings, even if they are not obvious or highly symbolic, that might relate to consumer motivations. Example: GM’ On. Star GPS used a Batman theme, e. g. Alfred, Leap, and Vicky Vale.

What is the symbolic meaning of this Levi ad? The Model The Clothes The Setting The Statement The Tag Line

Consumer Research l l l l Ways of contact Survey research In-depth interviews Focus group Observation research Ethnographic research Diaries Other qualitative methods

Ways of Contact l l Mail: not biased or distorted by interviewers, simple and clearly worded question, low response rate. Telephone: quick, interactive, higher response rate than mail. Personal interview: most versatile, expensive and require more administrative planning and supervision. Online interview: convenient.

Survey Research l l Learn about people’s knowledge, beliefs, preferences, and satisfaction, and to measure these magnitudes in the general population. Best suited for descriptive research Major advantage – flexibility, e. g. Bissell’s Steam’n Clean. Limitations – subject’s language, privacy, incapability, boasting, or cooperation.

In-Depth Interviews l l An in-depth interview is a qualitative method conducted one-on-one using open-ended questions that require the respondents to generate their own answers. The primary difference between an interview and a survey is the interview’s use of an unstructured questionnaire.

Focus Group Research l l l A focus group is a gathering of 6 to 10 people who are invited to spend a few hours with a skilled moderator to discuss a product, service, organization, or other marketing entity. Useful exploratory step Avoid generalizing the reported feelings of the focus-group participants to the whole market.

Focus group research in progress

Outline of Focus Group Interview

Friendship Focus Group l l l Friendship focus group is used in a comfortable setting, usually people’s homes, where the participants have been recruited by the host. This approach is designed to break down barriers and save time in getting to more indepth responses. A self-constructed friendship group was easier to assemble and yielded more honest and candid response.

Observation Research l l Observation research takes researchers into natural settings where they note the behavior of consumers using video, audio, and disposable cameras to record consumers’ behavior at home (with consumer consent), in stores, or wherever people buy and use their products. A market will often use observation in the aisles of grocery, drug, and discount stores to watch people making their product selection.

Examples of Observation Research l l Shoppers often zip through the snack aisle, spending only 42. 7 seconds there, whereas they spend more than twice that in the coffee aisle. Only 34% of shoppers who don’t have baskets actually purchase something, while 75% of shoppers with baskets buy some items. A woman who shops with another woman spends twice as much time in the store than if she shops with a man. Basha’s Market’s greeting cards – 18% → 62% and sales↑ 40%.

Observational Research Fisher-Price set up an observation lab in which it could observe the reactions of little tots to new toys.

Ethnographic Research l l l Ethnographic research involves the researcher in living the lives of the people being studied. Observe consumers in their “natural environments. ” Examples: Sunbeam’s Coleman Grill; Once. Famous.

Once. Famous l l A unique ethnographic laboratory for studying consumer behavior in a natural setting. Some interesting results: man (e. g. Brookstone, Sharper Image) vs. woman (e. g. Pottery Barn); cool colors vs. warm colors; turn left vs. turn right.

Diaries l l Consumers are asked to record their activities through the use of diaries. Pros: (1) catch the consumer in a more realistic, normal life pattern; (2) lead to re-creation of a day in the life of a consumer. It is valuable in media research because they tell media planners exactly what programs and ads the consumers watch. Beeper diaries are used as a way to randomize the recording of activities.

Other Qualitative Methods l l l Cognitive psychologist have learned that human beings think more in images than words. Researchers try through pictures to uncover mental processes that guide consumer behavior. Some scholars believe that the conventional wisdom about consumer research, such as using interviews and focus groups that rely on talking to people and grilling them about their tastes and buying habits, is only good for getting back predictable answers.

Other Qualitative Methods l Methods: l l l l Fill-in-the-Blanks (填空) Purpose-driven Games (目的導向的遊戲) Story elicitation (說故事) Artifact creation (居家事物的描繪), e. g. life collages (生活拼 湊), day mapping (一天生活描述), and construction of instruction books (指導手冊的建構). Photo elicitation (看圖說故事) Photo sorts (照片分類) Metaphors (隱喻)

Validity & Reliability l l Validity means that the research actually measures what it says it measures. Reliability means that you can run the same test again and get the same answer.

Creative Strategy Development l l l Advertising campaigns Copy platform (文案大綱、文案規範) The search for the major selling idea l l Unique selling proposition Creating a brand image Finding the inherent drama Positioning

Advertising Campaigns Integrated Interrelated Coordinated Marketing Communication Activities Centered on a Theme or Idea In Different Media Over a Time Period

Advertising Campaigns The central message that will be communicated in all of the various IMC activities Miller Philip Morris Lite “Marlboro country” BMW “The ultimate driving machine” General Mills, Wheaties “The breakfast of champions”

Top 10 Advertising Slogans of the Century Company or Brand Campaign Theme 1. De Beers Diamonds are forever 2. Nike Just do it! 3. Coca Cola The pause that refreshes 4. Miller Lite Tastes great, less filling 5. Avis We try harder 6. Maxwell House Good to the last drop 7. Wheaties Breakfast of champions 8. Clairol Does she. . . or doesn’t she? 9. Morton Salt When it rains it pours 10. Wendy’s Where’s the beef? © 2007 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. , Mc. Graw-Hill/Irwin

Copy Platform l l The written copy platform specifies the basic elements of the creative strategy. Different agencies may call this document a creative platform, work plan, creative brief, creative blueprint, or creative contract.

Copy Platform 6. Supporting information and requirements 5. Creativestrategy statement 4. Selling idea or key benefits to communicate 3. Specifytarget audience 2. and communications objectives 2. Advertising and communications objectives 1. Basic advertising must address Basicproblem advertising must address

Major Selling Ideas Use a Unique Positioning the Selling. Brand Proposition Create Use a Unique a Brand Selling Image Position Seeking the Major Idea Positioning Create Brand Find thethe Inherent Image Drama

Perspectives of Great Ad Men on the Major Selling Idea David Ogilvy Leo Burnett Brand image or personality is particularly important when brands are similar Find the inherent drama or characteristic of the product that makes consumers buy it “Every ad must contribute to the complex symbol that is the brand image. ” “(Inherent drama) is often hard to find but it is always there, and once found it is the most interesting and believable of all advertising appeals. ”

Creating a Brand Image Used when competing brands are so similar it is difficult to find or create a unique attribute The creativity sales strategy is based on a strong, memorable brand identity through image advertising Often used for products such as soft drinks, perfume, liquor, clothing, airlines

Reebok Uses Image Advertising

Finding Inherent Drama Messages generally presented in a warm, emotional way Hallmark, Maytag, Mc. Donald’s, Maytag, Kellogg Focus on consumer benefits with an emphasis on the dramatic element in expressing them, e. g. Order, Samsonite, Christmas.

Unique Selling Proposition Benefit Unique Potent Buy this product or service and you will benefit this way or enjoy this reward Must be unique to this brand or claim; something rivals can't or don't offer The promise must be strong enough or attractive enough to move people

Case: Holiday Inn Express l l Target: about 40 million men, ages 25 -45, who travel a lot – three or more nights per month on business. They don’t care about chocolate mints or their pillow. They do want: (1) clean rooms, (2) a good breakfast, and (3) a decent shower. “Stay Smart” campaign: You Do Your Best Thinking in the Shower.

Positioning Establish a particular place in the customer’s mind for the product or service Based on product attributes/ benefits, price/quality, use or application, type of user, problem solved, e. g. Pennzoil – 1, 2.

Case: Sonic Vox vs. I Am TPain Sonic Vox I Am T-Pain