Advertising Principles & Practice // Week 3

17.9.2016 // Week 3
Chia Yee Hsean (0322352)
Advertising Principles & Practice
Exercise: Idea Sketches, and 
Project 1: Insight. (PlaySafe Condoms)

Lecture: Creative & Effective Ads for Target Audiences

For this week's lecture, Mr Vinod discussed about creative and effective advertisements that cater to a target audience and how to create such ads. First, the parameters were set as he explained the definition of the term "creativity" both on its own and in the context of advertising. According to the slides, creativity means the use of imagination or original ideas to create something. I also agree with the statement that creativity is "..thinking, then producing. If you have ideas, but don't act on them, you are imaginative but not creative". That's certainly food for thought.

Robert E. Franken suggests the following reasons on why we create:

• need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation.
• need to communicate ideas and values.
• need to solve problems.

As for how do we become creative, we need to be able to have new/different perspectives and to form new, seemingly random connections between two subjects. Which brings us to creativity in the context of advertising:

1. make a relevant connection between brand and its target audience

2. present a selling idea (oftentimes, the best selling points are the emotional ones)

3. be unexpected (an unexpected ad can capture the attention of the audience, and deliver the message to them)

Next, we talked about market segmentation to create effective advertising messages that will resonate with the target audience. Market segmentations can be divided into a few categories:

• behaviouristic
• geographic
• demographic
• psychographic

And these categories will help identify the type of consumers who will react to the advertisement/product, and also help understand these consumers better in order to create meaningful ads or other forms of communication towards them. Market segmentation is vital in helping us create powerful advertisements that will communicate the right idea/message to the right audience/consumers.

From the lecture, I understood:

• the definition of creativity
• the reason we create
• that being creative means being able to form new connections between two subjects
• creativity in the context of advertising
• the relationship between the line and visual
• the importance of market segmentation in effectively reaching your target audience
• the four categories of market segments

In-Class Activity
The lecturer had us search for the definitions of each of the four market segments and share them with the class. 

Behaviouristic segmentation: Behaviouristic segmentation divides a population based on their behaviour, the way the population respond to, use or know of a product. There are several factors which affect the consumers’ decisions towards a product, such as brand loyalty, usage rate, and special occasions (e.g. Valentines Day).

Geographic segmentation: Geographic segmentation refers to the classification of market into various geographical areas. A marketer can’t have similar strategies for individuals living at different places. Urban cities and rural towns would each require a different marketing campaign. Countries with different cultures would also require a marketing strategy that does not go against those cultural beliefs.

Demographic segmentation: Demographic segmentation divides the market according to age, race, religion, gender, family size, ethnicity, income, and education. Demographics can be segmented into several markets to help an organisation target its consumers more accurately.

Psychographic segmentation: Psychographic segmentation is one which uses peoples lifestyle, their activities, interests as well as opinions to define a market segment. Psychographic segmentation is quite similar to behavioural segmentation. But psychographic segmentation also takes the psychological aspects of consumer buying behaviour into accounts. These psychological aspects may be consumers lifestyle, his social standing, or hobbies, even the brand personality.

INSTRUCTIONS
Exercise: Idea Sketches
Project 1: Insight (PlaySafe Condoms)

Project 1: Target Audience Research
Primary research

Earlier this week, I dropped by the 7 Eleven convenience store in campus and I noticed that they also stocked the PlaySafe brand condoms. However, they didn't have the exact product that we were researching on. The packaging design of the PlaySafe brand seems cluttered (and consequently more outdated) in comparison to the other brands. It's also important to note how they placed them at the lower part of the shelf, below the more well-known brands like Durex. 

Figure 1: Condoms sold at the 7 Eleven convenience store.

Secondary research
I focused on obtaining target audience insight this week. So, I referred to the links that Mr Vinod provided to guide my research besides searching online for more articles and infographics, plus I obtained more statistics from the Department of Statistics website. 

Figure 2: The article explaining in depth about market segmentation. This article also acted as my point of reference.

Figure 3: Guardian article discussing about Gen Y.

Figure 4: One of the websites about the characteristics of Gen Y linked by our lecturer.

Figure 5: Statistics of the state's population separated into multiple age groups.

Figure 6: Gender statistics of each state in Malaysia.

Figure 7: Department of Statistics official website.

Figure 8: Millenial infographic on Goldman Sachs website.

Figure 9: Population and housing census statistics of Malaysia.

Figure 10: Statistics show that average household sizes are steadily shrinking.

Figure 11: These stats indicate increased family planning within society, hence contraceptive methods will become commonplace among couples.

Figure 12: Jotted down stats from the Department of Statistics website.

Figure 13: Listed down details for each of the four categories of market segments.

Figure 14: Information is taken from personal observation and online sources. 

Exercise: Idea Sketches

This week, I made a quick mindmap about the general trends and interests of Gen Y males, and based my idea sketches of those trends. 

Drafts:

Figure 15: Drafts 1/2

Figure 16: Drafts 2/2

Sketches:

Figure 17: Sketches 1/3

Figure 18: Sketches 2/3

Figure 19: Sketches 3/3

Feedback

Specific feedback: Info on the top should be corrected to week 3 from week 2. Project 2 in your e-portfolio is project 1. You need to articulate what it is you have learned from visiting the websites that you have documented; one or two paras is sufficient depending on the number of sites researched. Its good to see you have been mind-mapping and note taking. The Hitler idea looks good.

General feedback: Mr Vinod advised us to gather the research data and synthesise that information. We should be jotting down personal observations and insight (in the form of 1-2 paragraphs) that can be applied to the marketing of the PlaySafe brand to our e-portfolios.

Reflection:
Experience

Although I couldn't physically make it to class, I could still access the presentation slides and notes on Times website and also ask my friends for updates. 

Observation

I observed that I needed to be more vigilant in making mindmaps when brainstorming for ideas, since I tend to skip that step and go straight into sketching ideas that come into my head. I also liked the creativity and humour in Merry's idea sketches, and the amount of thought and organisation put into David's sketches. 

Findings

I tend to head straight into sketching and keeping the sketches that I liked without critically analysing them (what do I like about it? why do I like it? am I overlooking any flaws?). On the other hand, the projects/assignments that I've been making so far (even during my Foundation studies) are too tame and aren't really pushing any boundaries.. It seems that once I've received the project brief, I stick to what I think the lecturer wants and never stray too much from that image in my head. And I end up inhibiting my own creativity. I've recently addressed this with my counsellor, so I'll try to be more aware of my own thoughts and not let them inhibit creativity/personality of the work.

Book of The Week:

Figure 20: Advertising: Concept and Copy

I'm currently reading Advertising: Concept and Copy by George Felton, particularly on the subject matter of understanding consumer behaviour based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. These needs are:

1. Physiological needs - hunger, thirst, warmth, pain avoidance, sexual release, etc.
2. Safety needs - housing, clothing, financial and physical security.
3. Love and belongingness needs - social acceptance and personal intimacy (the greatest number of consumer goods appeal to this level of need)
4. Esteem needs - feelings of inadequacy and achievement, approval, prestige, etc.
5. Self-actualisation needs - the need to understand, cognitively and aesthetically; the ultimate integration of the self and realisation of one's highest inner potential


As with advertising, most products intersect Maslow's ladder at more than one point. The author then asks us to think about climbing this ladder; to ask ourselves, what is the highest possible benefit of using this product? And I think that's a good way to put it. Because we aren't simply buying products to satisfy our lowest-level needs. Popular clothing brands don't just sell stylish, durable clothes, they are also selling us tools of extension of our personal identity as well as social acceptance. And consumers buy these clothes for the same reasons. 

The book quotes Steve Hadden, president of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, in which he says 

"..Deodorants aren't about keeping dry, they're about being loved. Computers aren't about getting more work done, they're about power. Cars aren't about transportation. Food isn't about hunger. Drink isn't about thirst. And so on."

The book also features many new examples of great advertisements that I've never come across before, with a breakdown of the different elements within the ad. 

Being sensitive to these higher needs will help us navigate the ideation process when creating effective advertisements, but also goes to show how dependent we are on products (or consumerism in general) to fulfil our emotional needs.

References:

Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy. China: W.W. Norton & Company

Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal. 

Available at: https://www.statistics.gov.my/index.php

GAIA Insights (no date) Generation Y Characteristics. Available at: http://www.generationy.com/about-generation-y-in-the-workforce/characteristics/ (Accessed: 16 September 2016).

Goldman Sachs (2012) Millennials Infographic. Available at: http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/pages/millennials/ (Accessed: 17 September 2016).

Lyons, K. (2016) Generation Y: A guide to a much-maligned demographic. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/07/millennials-generation-y-guide-to-much-maligned-demographic (Accessed: 16 September 2016).

NetMBA (2002) Market Segmentation. Available at: http://www.netmba.com/marketing/market/segmentation/ (Accessed: 16 September 2016).

WJSchroer Company (no date) Generations X, Y, Z and the others. Available at: http://socialmarketing.org/archives/generations-xy-z-and-the-others/ (Accessed: 15 September 2016).

Wikipedia (no date) ‘Millennials’, in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials (Accessed: 16 September 2016).

MSG (no date) Market segmentation - meaning, basis and types of segmentation. Available at: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/market-segmentation.htm (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

Gigli, M. (2003) What is demographic segmentation in marketing? - definition, advantages & disadvantages - video & lesson transcript. Available at: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-demographic-segmentation-in-marketing-definition-advantages-disadvantages.html (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

Bhasin, H. (2016) Psychographic segmentation. Available at: http://www.marketing91.com/psychographic-segmentation/ (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

Bhasin, H. (2016) Behavioral segmentation explained with examples. Available at: http://www.marketing91.com/behavioral-segmentation/ (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

Picture credits:

Figure 1 - Personal documentation
Figure 2 - Net MBA website
Figure 3 - The Guardian website
Figure 4 - Generation Y website
Figure 5-7 - Department of Statistics Malaysia official portal
Figure 8 - Goldman Sachs website
Figure 9-11 - Department of Statistics Malaysia
Figure 12-19 - Personal documentation
Figure 20 - Advertising: Concept and Copy