ADVERTISING: Week 03
12th April 2016 (Week 3)
Gabriella Godeliva Adytanthio (0324170)
Advertising Principles & Practice
Creativity and Target Audience/Digitizing Sketch
Gabriella Godeliva Adytanthio (0324170)
Advertising Principles & Practice
Creativity and Target Audience/Digitizing Sketch
Lecture
Creative & Effective Advertising Message for a Specific Target Audience
Basically: creativity and target audience. Mr. Vinod started the class by asking us this question: for how many seconds do you pay attention to a print ad? People in general have an attention span of 2 to 3 seconds while looking at a print ad that is visually attractive, which is a really short amount of time. Designers only have a fraction of a second to get their audience's attention. In order to know what your audience is attracted to, you have to know your audience first.
Next, we talked about creativity and how it is needed in every field, no exceptions. Creativity is also an inherent quality, and every person exhibits their creativity differently. Designers showcase their creativity through their work: photography, illustration, etc. If other people cannot do any of those, it doesn't mean they are not creative. Other people from other professions display creativity in a different way, but the bottom line is we all make solutions. Creativity is not all about drawing and designing, it is about solving problems. As graphic designers, we solve problems with solutions that are visual in nature—problems of communication.
We then discussed the definition of creativity. There are quite a few of them provided:
- The use of imagination or original idea to create something
- A great artist is but a conduit for an expression that resonates with something that is greater than him or himself
- Conduit = filter, medium. Here, we are introduced to the sponge analogy, in which people are like sponges that absorb and exude liquid—we absorb knowledge from all the sources around us and interpret and express them in our own way.
- “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”—Mark Twain1
- Creativity is madness
Some more bullet points to describe what creativity is:
- It is an art of turning new ideas into reality
- It is the ability to perceive the world in new ways,
- find hidden patterns,
- make connections with unrelated phenomena,
- and generate solutions
- It involves two processes: thinking, then producing
- It is not enough only to think about ideas, you also have to act on them
- If a person has ideas that are not acted out, it means that the person is imaginative, not creative
After talking about the definition of creativity, we watched a video of IDEOS that discusses about what creativity is to people of different professions. Then, we talked about why people create, according to Robert E. Franken, and how to be creative. Mr. Vinod also advised us to understand business practices so that we aren't easily manipulated.
We then talked about creativity in context of advertising and advertising message. We also discussed about how ideas can connect to a person rationally and emotionally, and how an emotional idea lasts longer in the memory of an audience. We then watched videos of Old Spice advertisements.
To sum it up, the outcomes of the lecture that I understood are:
- The importance of knowing your audience
- What creativity is
- How people in general exhibit creativity
- There is no original idea
- Creativity at work
- Why people create
- How to be creative
- Putting creativity in advertising
- Market segmentation
Instructions
Project 1 brief here
Project 2 brief here
(In class exercise)
Market Segmentation
We were instructed to define and explain, through our resources, the four segments in market segmentation.
Results of the whole class combined:
(In class exercise)
Digitizing Sketch
We were asked to pick one sketch among the others that we've made and turn it into a black and white mock-up of an advertisement. After the mock-up is done, show it to someone who doesn't know what the ad is about and gauge their reaction and understanding.
The picture is a digitized version of one of my sketches that shows an invisible balloon held by a string.
Project 2 brief here
(In class exercise)
Market Segmentation
We were instructed to define and explain, through our resources, the four segments in market segmentation.
Results of the whole class combined:
- Demographic segmentation — division of the market based on age/race/religion/gender/ethnicity/income/education/lifestyle. It provides a more precise division of the target audience.
- Geographic segmentation — division of the market based on a particular area. Audiences have different preferences based on their locations. Examples might be climate/weather, where areas experiencing different weather conditions have different needs (e.g. winter requires warm clothing).
- Behavioristic segmentation — division of the market based on customer usage patterns, for example loyalty, usage patterns, how many do you buy, what flavor do you buy, etc. Considered as the most important segmentation.
- Psychographic segmentation — division of the market based on the insight of customer's mental construct: attitude, personality, values, interests, sentiments, etc.
(In class exercise)
Digitizing Sketch
We were asked to pick one sketch among the others that we've made and turn it into a black and white mock-up of an advertisement. After the mock-up is done, show it to someone who doesn't know what the ad is about and gauge their reaction and understanding.
The picture is a digitized version of one of my sketches that shows an invisible balloon held by a string.
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| Figure 1 — Digitized sketch |
Research
Primary Research
The whole class finally agreed to buy a pack of Playsafe Air Ultra Thin condoms online, since this particular type is not found in convenient stores and pharmacies. It costs RM24.40 on Lazada.com.my, a decent price, I should say. One pack contains 10 pieces of condoms. We distributed them among ourselves, so each person gets one condom.
As you can see, the packaging is very different compared to the usual condom box.
I then went home and opened the pack of condom:
Surprisingly it's orange! Upon inspection, it is apparent that the condom is extremely thin. I was initially afraid that stretching it too much might break it. However, I tried to put the condom on a bottle that is about 8 cm wide and I succeeded doing so without tearing the condom. (Don't worry, I washed the bottle afterwards)
Another thing that I realized is that it smells exactly like balloons.
Primary Research
The whole class finally agreed to buy a pack of Playsafe Air Ultra Thin condoms online, since this particular type is not found in convenient stores and pharmacies. It costs RM24.40 on Lazada.com.my, a decent price, I should say. One pack contains 10 pieces of condoms. We distributed them among ourselves, so each person gets one condom.
As you can see, the packaging is very different compared to the usual condom box.
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| Figure 2 — Front |
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| Figure 3 — Back |
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| Figure 4 — Important |
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| Figure 5 — Instructions of use |
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| Figure 6 — Condom |
Another thing that I realized is that it smells exactly like balloons.
Secondary Research
Competitors
I began by reading up the SWOT analysis of Durex, which is the most popular brand of condoms sold in Malaysia (or even the whole world, for that matter).
After that, I browsed the internet for more information. According to an online shopping website Lazada.com.my in its Condoms section:
Best brands gives satisfying personal pleasure are Contempo, Trojan, LifeStyles, Durex, Kimono, Feel, and Line One Laboratories.
Thinking that price plays a big role on what customers pick, I decided to look up the prices of different condom brands with the same SMP/USP (thinness). The information below is obtained through online shopping websites, namely Lazada.com.my and Condom003.com:
- Playsafe Air Ultra Thin: RM2.44/piece (before offer), RM1.60/piece (after offer)
- Durex Fetherlite: RM3.10/piece
- Playboy Ultra Thin Condoms: RM2.20/piece (before offer), RM1.97/piece (after offer)
- Carex Super Thin Condoms: RM1.27/piece
- Okamoto Crown Condom Super Thin & Soft: RM 2.06/piece
Some of my thoughts/analysis in bullet points:
- None of the best brands mentioned by Lazada above are Malaysian brand.
- I asked my friends if they know the condom brand Playsafe; they said they have never heard of it.
- On the contrary, everyone knows Durex.
- Durex is almost sold out at Syopz's 7E
- Playsafe is considered as cheap as you can see in the list of price I have made, beaten only by Carex, which is also a Malaysian brand.
- Brand recognition is important in the condom industry (?) and it most likely relies on word of mouth.
To put things generally and somewhat orderly:
Industry: Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
Competitors: Durex, Playboy, Okamoto (Crown, 0.03, 0.02), etc.
Target market (for condoms in general): Heterosexual, sexually-active people largely aged 18-44 years old2
Key success factor: Consumer's perception of the condom brand's effectiveness
Progress
This week I try to think of a more copy-oriented advertisement. It appears that I have several ideas for things related to word-play. Here's some notes that I've taken in my free time while thinking about the ad headline:
Then, I transferred the headlines I've come up with from the notes to my sketchbook. Accompanying these twisted headlines is a straight visual of the brand name and image of the condom pack with the product name written below it.
On the other hand, we have quite the progress for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf competition. Below are some more sketches that I generated:
This week I try to think of a more copy-oriented advertisement. It appears that I have several ideas for things related to word-play. Here's some notes that I've taken in my free time while thinking about the ad headline:
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| Figure 7 — Notes |
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| Figure 8 — New batch of sketches |
On the other hand, we have quite the progress for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf competition. Below are some more sketches that I generated:
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| Figure 9 — More ideas |
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| Figure 10 — Composition/layout sketches |
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| Figure 11 — Sketch: Explained |
Feedback
Specific Feedback:
Specific Feedback:
(Written feedback given by Mr. Vinod)
Great. I like some of the competition sketches, esp the glass collage... good work. keep it going, for the week (ideating) and then execute.
Some correction with regards to the idea of the headphones ad; the idea was to bring to life the author's story. Excellent work in documenting the work so far—keep it up. Some potentially good ideas with regards to the competition. Good luck.
Reflection
Experience
I feel quite excited about collaborating for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf contest with my friend, and it makes me realize how working as a team allows you to broaden your perspective by understanding your teammate's way of thinking.
Writing the e-Portfolio has become a fun thing, and I now wish to document my work for other subjects as well.
The lecture on Tuesday was okay, but as it went on I felt out of focus, since I was so hungry at that time. I take it as a lesson to have breakfast or buy something light to eat, preferably before class starts.
It was also a very funny and exciting experience to play around with the condom, especially since it's my first time—and everyone's, I assume. (This sentence is so full of innuendos, I'm sorry) Having the product in my hand helped in one way or another with idea generation.
Experience
I feel quite excited about collaborating for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf contest with my friend, and it makes me realize how working as a team allows you to broaden your perspective by understanding your teammate's way of thinking.
Writing the e-Portfolio has become a fun thing, and I now wish to document my work for other subjects as well.
The lecture on Tuesday was okay, but as it went on I felt out of focus, since I was so hungry at that time. I take it as a lesson to have breakfast or buy something light to eat, preferably before class starts.
It was also a very funny and exciting experience to play around with the condom, especially since it's my first time—and everyone's, I assume. (This sentence is so full of innuendos, I'm sorry) Having the product in my hand helped in one way or another with idea generation.
Observation
I realize that I am already hitting a wall with the weekly sketches. I realize that the amount of research I have done this week is not as insightful as the previous weeks. I also noticed that I get distracted a lot (outside of class) with other activities that have nothing to do with any of my subjects, e.g. YouTube. On the other hand, I find it easier now to categorize my reflections in its appropriate section.
I realize that I am already hitting a wall with the weekly sketches. I realize that the amount of research I have done this week is not as insightful as the previous weeks. I also noticed that I get distracted a lot (outside of class) with other activities that have nothing to do with any of my subjects, e.g. YouTube. On the other hand, I find it easier now to categorize my reflections in its appropriate section.
Findings
The reason why I am already stuck with my sketches is probably the research that I'm doing is not in-depth enough, or I might be approaching everything the wrong way, as I have only been doing sketches that compare condoms to other plastic/thin objects. As for the distractions, I figure it's probably because of my increasing amount of workload—it's that feeling when you have so much to do, but you don't know where to start, so you just do nothing. That should be fixed by setting priorities and scheduling myself.
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| Figure 12 — How to Advertise by Kenneth Roman and Jane Maas |
I know Mr. Vinod suggested that it is better if we read a new book every week, but I feel like this book is too good to let go so fast, so I read some more of it. I promise to return it and borrow another book for next week.
One part of the book, "Why Brands Fail", talk about the don'ts in advertising. Most of them are common: don't lose sight of your customer, don't rely only on research, etc. Surprisingly, one of the don'ts that I found in the list is "don't use price as a strategy". From what I've seen in newspapers and magazines and websites, most ads are the complete opposite of this point. Let me give you an example:
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| Figure 13 — Galaxy Nexus advertisement |
The ad above showcases a phone produced by Samsung along with its price, $199.99, written in red and large font size. It is trying to emphasize strongly the cheap price of the phone—any other information provided by the advertisement doesn't seem as important as the price, judging by the typography.
Now, according to the book, here's why you don't use price as a strategy:
Like convenience, low price is easy to understand. ... There's always someone who will sell cheaper. Sooner or later, people buy quality.
Products must provide consumer value—a combination of price and quality. A cheap car that falls apart in a few years and is hard to resell is a poor value. A luxury automobile that doesn't require much maintenance and commands a good resale price is a good value. Value is a combination of quality and price.3
The book makes a good point that I agree with. However, from what I have experienced in my time growing up in a small city in Indonesia, I find that a lot of times showing off your product's super cheap price actually works. Countless times I've heard people exclaiming their interest in the product upon looking at a billboard with the product price plastered onto it. And because of this common reaction of the public, companies do not see what is wrong with using cheap price as a strategy. I also noticed that most of the billboards that have prices plastered on them are gadget/electronic products.
Why are things that way back in my hometown? Take the example provided by the book, the one with the luxury automobile. As I have stated, most of the products that use their price as a strategy (at least in my hometown) are gadgets, like smartphones and laptops. Cars and gadgets are two very different things: cars are used in a long term and gadgets are, for the majority of people, short term. A car is expected to have a lifespan of 10 years, while a smartphone 3 years.
Once you feel like your car is going to break down, you try to sell it, or do any other method to get some cash back to you. Once you feel your phone is outdated, you have less tendency to sell it because you know it won't be worth a lot (since it is outdated), so you most likely keep it to collect dust at home or give it to your family member who has an older smartphone. That is what people do in my hometown.
What I'm trying to say/prove is, using price as a strategy might work, but it largely depends on the nature of the product you're selling.
References
Durex SWOT Analysis
http://www.mbaskool.com/brandguide/fmcg/2372-durex.html
1Anon, (2016). [online] Available at: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/843880-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-new-idea-it [Accessed 15 Apr. 2016].
2Cathcart, N. (2013). Durex Condoms: An Integrated Marketing Communications Analysis Accor…. [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/nicoleezc/imc-paper [Accessed 16 Apr. 2016].
Picture credits
Figure 1 — Digitized sketch
Personal documentation
Figure 2 ~ Figure 5
Taken by Norma Hasya
Figure 6 ~ Figure 11
Personal documentation
Figure 6 ~ Figure 11
Personal documentation
Figure 12 — How to Advertise by Kenneth Roman and Jane Maas
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41aqdtkm14L._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
Figure 13 — Galaxy Nexus advertisement
http://theandroidsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vzw-galaxy-nexus-price.jpg