Assignment: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
Examine the Web sites of three (3) of the ad agencies listed below. (You might want to look at all of them for comparison.)
Forbes identified these as the ten great ad agencies.
What differences in offerings do you observe? Tell me which agencies you examined and then tell me, if you were looking for an ad agency, which would you choose? Why would you choose that one over the others?( 2 paragraphs)
Wieden+Kennedy - https://www.wk.com
Butler, Shine, Stern - https://bssp.com/#/
Ogilvy - https://www.ogilvy.com
BBDO - https://www.bbdo.com/#!/the-work
CP + B - https://www.cpbgroup.com
Deutsch - https://www.deutschinc.com
Martin - https://www.martinagency.com/home
Droga5 - https://droga5.com
Mullen - https://www.mullen.com
TV Ratings: What Do They Mean?
You probably have seen or heard about the Nielsen ratings and how a TV show was dropped after a single season because of "poor ratings." What does that mean? As you probably know, it does not refer to how a mysterious panel of people "rated" a show, but rather refers to a count of the number of people watching a show. The company that does this "counting" of people watching various TV shows is called Nielsen Media Research https://www.nielsen.com/us/en.htmlHow the company actually measures the audience of any TV show is a story in itself. Start visiting the Nielsen Media web site by clicking on "ABOUT" at the top of this home page. As you click on other topics at the top of the page, you can learn all that Neilson Media Research does.
The research for which Nielson is most famous is the TV ratings system. With the growth in advertising by social media, Nielson has entered that research market as well, but regardless of the media, the basic research is the same. Read the article that I sent you, "What TV Ratings Really Mean."
Then go to:
https://www.nielsenacademics.com/member/course/naoc/ebooks/CI_an_intro_to_tv_ratings/ie5/index.html?dhtmlActivation=inplace and watch the Power Point, "What TV Ratings Really Mean."
All of this will give you an overview of the TV ratings concept. A TV Rating simply refers to a percentage of the TV households (households in the U.S. that own a television) that are watching a show. So, if a show has a rating of 5, it means that 5% of all the TV households in the U.S. watched that show. Another important concept is Share. The "Share" of a program refers to the percentage of households watching TV that are tuned to a show. So, a program with a share of 10 implies that of the people watching TV at the time, 10% were tuned to that program.
Visit https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/search.html?q=TV+RAnkings&sp_cs=UTF-8 and take a look at articles that tell the results of Nielson's research of consumer preferences in TV, social media, music, and more. These articles alone are a course in consumer behavior.
a. When you read the article, "What TV Ratings Really Mean," you read about "sampling." Explain to me what "sampling" is and why ratings are so important to people in the field of advertising and promotion.
b. What are the "Sweeps" periods and why do networks introduce their new shows then?
I had you do all of this reading on Nielson to highlight two aspects of consumer behavior research. First, and quite obviously, it introduced you to the terms "ratings" and "share." These are widely used terms that you may never have heard of, and very likely never fully understood. Second, it introduces the concept of sampling. While you may be familiar with the fact that the Nielsen ratings provide an estimate of the viewing audience for a show, you might have never given thought to the fact that these estimates are based on surprisingly small samples. I ask you to do all this reading to initiate thinking on the accuracy of sample-based estimates and how surprisingly accurate information can be based on surprisingly small samples.
1. Often brands are named after families that founded the companies. Think of Bush beans, Sears, and Kodak. Even Wendy's, the national fast food brand, borrowed its name from the founder's daughter. Consider your own family as a brand and write a brand identity statement to communicate your brand to people. What characteristics distinguish them from other families? What characteristics of your family make each member recognizable as a member of the brand?
2. What are "reference groups"? Why is it important for marketers to identify the reference group to which the their market target belongs?
3. I am sure you are familiar with the AFLAC Duck. The Duck is the mascot for AFLAC Insurance Company and the main protagonist of the company's commercials. AFLAC's chief executive, Daniel Amos credits the duck with AFLAC's branding success. In the 1990s just one in ten people in the U.S. were familiar with the company. All that changed in 2000 when AFLAC introduced the duck as its new mascot. Today more than nine of ten people know the AFLAC brand. This is a reminder of how important branding is in a crowded market like insurance where many companies offer similar products.
However, the brand was threatened when comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who was the U.S. voice for the AFLAC Duck, sent out a slate of offensive twitter jokes about the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011. You might not know that AFLAC is the largest life insurer in Japan in terms of individual insurance policies in force, and insures one out of every four Japanese households.
Amos dealt with the threat to AFLAC's brand decisively. Within 15 minutes of hearing about Gottfried's jokes, there was a news release that Gottfried was fired, and Amos pulled all the commercials in the U.S. that had the duck with Gottfried's voice. The quick action by Amos actually generated good publicity for the company, and both the brand and the duck lived on to quack again. More than 11,000 people applied for the job to become the duck's new voice.
Characters in ads are like products, in that they have a life cycle. In 2013, when the duck began to show signs of possible decline in viewer interest, AFLAC's advertisers decided to go with a plot twist to reawaken consumer interest in the brand. Go to https://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/spot-lame-duck-147210 and read the article, "AFLAC's Iconic Bird Gets Hurt, and Goes Silent."
a. Some viewers don't like the AFLAC ads. Can an ad still accomplish its intended purposes if people find it annoying? Even if the ad is annoying to some, why does it appeal to others? Does an annoying ad cause it to get noticed? Does this help with name recognition?
b. The AFLAC campaign with the duck is more than seven years old. In your opinion, will the campaign stay effective for the foreseeable future?
c. What makes AFLAC ads so effective? Is it something more than their entertainment value? If so, what else contributes to their success?
4. Visit the following Websites and describe the brand personality of each of the brands:
Pillsbury: https://www.pillsbury.com/Default.asp
Maytag: www.maytag.com
5. One well-known businessman, Bill Marriott, the founder of the Marriott hotel empire, is working at the cutting edge of Internet advertising. Last year he began a personal "blog" to communicate with his customers, investors, and suppliers. Check out his blog at https://www.blogs.marriott.com/
Read the things he has to say and tell me, in writing, your impression of this approach to advertising and its implications for future advertising using the Internet.( Answer should be In 2 paragraphs long )
6. Values and Lifestyle System (VALS II), an instrument to help predict consumer behavior.
In the United States, it is important that we see ourselves as individuals. Yet each of us also has interests, attitudes, or needs that are similar to those of other people. The VALS II system measures those attitudes and interests that many people in the U.S. adult population share and predicts each group's typical choices in products and services. Created by, SRI (Gallup Inc.) this instrument presents you with information about how a particular VALS group typically behaves.
In the study of advertising, we learn about psychographic and lifestyle segmentation as an approach to target marketing that goes beyond demographic segmentation. Many of today's successful companies are using Values and Lifestyle System (VALS II) as a key to understanding their target markets more fully.
Here's an example of one company's failure to recognize the value of lifestyle segmentation in their advertising campaign. Some time ago, an advertising campaign was developed to increase the sales of the soft drink Dr. Pepper. Research showed that the advertising campaign was very successful in generating very high recall and most people had a positive feeling about the television ads. However, the sales of Dr. Pepper dramatically decreased. Can you think of some reasons why this might occur?
In this case, the company failed to understand the psychographic profile of the Dr. Pepper consumer when developing the advertising strategy and campaign. The advertising company had developed a campaign that appealed to people with traditional values. They fit the VALS II profile of 'believers". The people that actually drank Dr. Pepper viewed themselves very differently. They thought of themselves as being different, innovative and they wanted excitement in their lives. They fit the VALS II profile of "experiences". Therefore, when they saw the advertisements that showed people with traditional values (believer's) drinking Dr. Pepper they stopped buying it and the sales of Dr. Pepper dropped dramatically.
The company pulled the television advertisements and recreated the complete campaign based on the VALS II segmentation scheme. The new campaign was created with a very different appeal, positioning the product as exciting and unusual product. The new advertisements contained visuals and copy that had appeal to "experiencer's", the people most likely to drink Dr. Pepper. Sales soared with the new campaign.
Visit the VALS Web site at https://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/presurvey.shtml
7. Complete the VALS survey at the web-site. To which VALS category do you belong?
8. Do you agree with the category that the VALS survey has given you (explain why or why not)?
9. How can VALS II be applied to marketing research projects? Be specific in your answer. Explore the site to give you insight into the answer.
10. Critical Thinking Exerciseassign 1
Look up each of the following organizations on the Internet. For each company, (1) discuss how effective their Web site is in communicating an overall message. Also, (2) discuss how well they integrated the material on the Web site. (3) How well are they doing at integrating their advertising and other marketing communications with their Web site? BE SURE TO RESPOND TO ALL THREE QUESTIONS FOR EACH OF THE FOUR WEB SITES.
a. Applebee's Restaurant https://www.applebees.com
(1) Discuss how effective their Web site is in communicating an overall message.
(2) Discuss how well they integrated the material on the Web site
(3) How well are they doing at integrating their advertising and other marketing communications with their Web site?
b. Nike https://www.nike.com/main.html
(1) Discuss how effective their Web site is in communicating an overall message.
(2) Discuss how well they integrated the material on the Web site
(3) How well are they doing at integrating their advertising and other marketing communications with their Web site?
c. Revlon https://revlon.com
(1) Discuss how effective their Web site is in communicating an overall message.
(2) Discuss how well they integrated the material on the Web site
(3) How well are they doing at integrating their advertising and other marketing communications with their Web site?
d. Toyota https://www.toyota.com
(1) Discuss how effective their Web site is in communicating an overall message.
(2) Discuss how well they integrated the material on the Web site
(3) How well are they doing at integrating their advertising and other marketing communications with their Web site?
11. Critics charge that advertising seeks to manipulate its audience, whereas advertising's supporters claim that it merely seeks to persuade. Which interpretation do you agree with? Why?
12. Read this article and then answer, in writing, the two questions at the end of the article:
Harrah's New Code to Restrict Marketing
The Wall Street Journal
Harrah's, the Las Vegas casino operator, is following the lead of tobacco companies and Hollywood Studios by banning advertising that appeals to children. Harrah's new code is the most conservative in the industry. The gaming giant promises, "not to advertise in college newspapers, in comic sections of newspapers, on toys, on children's clothing, or within 500 feet of schools." Harrah's advertising messages will not link gambling with a 'rite-of-passage' or that 'irresponsible gambling is amusing'. Further, the casino will not participate in paycheck promotions, such as "Double your Paycheck!" which encourage payday gambling as practiced by other casinos.
Harrah's target market is individuals 45-70 years of age, who spend $1,000-2,000/year gambling. Most agree that people ought to be 21 before they gamble. Harrah's defined target market clearly avoids age groups where the difference is marginally above the suggested age limit of 21. By targeting individuals that spend less than $2,000 per year gambling they also are not trying to attract compulsive gamblers.
Though Harrah's has instituted this new conservative policy towards advertising, it is not purely internally motivated. The American Gaming Associationannounced standards as a Code of Conduct for its members.
Though less conservative, clearly they are signaling members to take action. There is also increasing pressure from anti-casino activists and citizens' groups against casino operators who engage in advertising that is aimed at kids or that encourages risky gambling behaviors. Contrary to tightening restrictions on gambling, the U.S. Supreme Court removed some federal restrictions on gambling last year. Harrah's is hoping to set the standard that other casino operators will follow.
As with any adult oriented product or activity, there will be increased scrutiny by individuals, society, and the government. In recent years, the gaming industry has experienced increased growth to regions previously limited from their reach. Many states have allowed limited operation of casinos, primarily on boats, where it was previously prohibited. This has allowed casinos to reach more people with more frequency. Society has benefited as it has brought new jobs to communities and has increased state and local revenues, which has improved the economy and social services in many areas.
Critics of legalized gambling argue that casinos often prey on the naïve and poor. Gambling can become addictive which can lead to a demise of family values, an increase in social burdens, and a general break down of social values. Individuals most in need of money may risk all their paycheck in the hopes of a big pay off. The odds of winning are against the gambler. The loser may attempt to extend their credit in an effort to win back what they had to begin with. When the loss is more than a gambler can afford, they become a burden for those around them and for society.
SOURCE:
Binkley, Christina. "Harrah's New Code to Restrict Marketing", The Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2000, p. B16.
QUESTIONS:
a. As long as gambling is legal, why should casinos pay attention to the anti-casino activists who want to impose limits on where and what they place in their advertising message?
b. What advantage does Harrah's have over other casinos by following the most conservative advertising standards?
13. Read the article below, "Divine Intervention: 'God' Gets a Hip Voice in Campaign's Second Coming," fromADWEEK, March 13, 2000. After reading the article, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thDyi6sw8zE to see some of the billboards that were seen on the sides of highways all over the country.
Then answer, in writing, the five questions at the end of the article.
Divine Intervention: 'God' Gets a Hip Voice in Campaign's Second Coming
Never before has there been a campaign where the company (or individual) advertising wanted to remain anonymous. However, this is the case with the 'God Speaks' campaign. An agency known as SmithAgency.com produced the original spots for a client that has sworn them to secrecy. You may have seen some of these ads: most of them were billboards that were completely black, with stark white type. Here are a few examples of the first campaign:
* Let's meet at my house Sunday before the game. -God
* What part of "Thou Shalt Not..." didn't you understand? -God
This approach is aimed toward adults, and it worked. The creative concept did, anyhow. The campaign won numerous awards for its intelligent and straightforward approach. Also, it did not focus in on Christians only; the idea was to make the campaign as general and encompassing as possible.
The second wave of this campaign is directly targeted at the younger generations. It was tested, and it is a hit among 12- to 24-year-olds. Here are some examples of the new campaign:
* Chill...Don't Kill. -God
* Parents Split? I'll Keep You Together. -God
Instead of stark white lettering on the billboards, there is a bright, glowing effect-and it almost appears as if God has written the words. SmithAgency.com felt that this version of the campaign needed to speak to kids in their own lingo. Some adults are offended, but the concept has already hit home with the target audience-kids. Mission accomplished. Look for God coming to your town on a billboard soon.
THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE!
As religion becomes something that the younger generations have shied away from, a trendy campaign may do the trick in getting more adolescents to their place of worship. Whether that is the effect or not, campaigns such as 'God Speaks' have proven that almost anything can be advertised. We may even see more clients of advertising agencies who wish to remain anonymous, in an attempt to create a focus on what is being advertised.
SOURCE:
Siebert, T.W. "Divine Intervention: 'God' Gets a Hip Voice in Campaign's Second Coming", ADWEEK, March 13, 2000.
QUESTIONS:
a. Have you seen any of these billboards? If so, talk about what your reaction was when you first saw one of the 'God Speaks' billboards.
b. Explain what trouble this campaign might have trying to convey its message through TV commercials. Hint: It has to do with the purchase of the airtime.
c. What kind of trend might this campaign start in the advertising community?
d. Is it ethical for advertisers not to identify the sponsor as exemplified in this ad campaign?
e. Choose a product/service/individual that could use an advertising campaign, but would be extremely hard to advertise (such as the concept of 'God'). Try to come up with a theme that would show this product/service/individual in a different light.
14. Reflect on your own habits and purchases. Then write a couple of paragraphs about your habits and purchases in terms of how advertising influenced the development of the habit or the purchase decision. Did advertising lead them or did it follow a trend you had already adopted?
15. Read this true case and answer, in writing, the questions at the end of the case.
Ethics Exercise
After Swedish copywriter Michael Malmborg wrote his very first commercial, he didn't suffer the creative's chronic anxiety about whether or not his work was going to get noticed. The first night Malmborg's commercial ran on Sweden's TV3, it created what the Swedish call a "folkstorm." The TV station was flooded with calls from viewers, most of them outraged, some in tears. By the time the news media picked up the story, Malmborg had, more than once, heard himself called a murderer.
The source of the stir indeed appeared to be the equivalent of a "snuff" film, the victim being a goldfish (actually a carp) that suffers a dramatic death by detergent right before our eyes. The TV spot, opening with a stark, white-on-black written question - "Are you taking overdoses?" - starts our innocently enough as a man prepares to do his laundry.
As a voice-over explains how 10,000 tons of excess washing powder pollute Swedish waters, the man takes a heaping cup of detergent, pushes the excess on top of the cup into the goldfish bowl, and pours the rest into his washing machine.
The big, beautiful fish thrashes and seems to stare into the camera in horror as it gasps for air. Its demise dramatized by sound effects, the fish gives a final shudder and sinks to the bottom of the cloudy bowl with a thud. Then, ending with a flourish to show the potential polluter how his habits might come back to haunt him, the man in the commercial picks the fish out of the tainted bowl and throws it into a sizzling frying pan. "It's all going to end up on your plate," concludes the announcer.
Of course, there was no way for the TV viewers to know that the fish in question (four altogether) were killed relatively humanely during this shoot. Since detergent truly would have caused a slow, tortured death, marine biologists recommended shots of phenobarbital. Outraged reactions from mothers such as, "How can you do this?" caused TV3 to move the spot from its original prime-time airing to a later time slot.
On a more professional front, Morkman Film Company and director Ola Mork, who had donated their services to get the spot produced, got an unpleasant surprise when it sent out an updated reel that included the "Goldfish" spot to foreign clients. One Danish agency objected so strongly that it said it would never again hire the production house.
Yet the commercials most rewarding ramifications were manifested when Michael Malmborg's neighbors came up to him outside his home in a Stockholm suburb and told him that they thought of that goldfish every time they stood over their washing machines measuring out powder and resisting the urge to overdo it.
This was just the type of reaction Malmborg had dreamed of when this project began.
QUESTIONS :
1. Do you find this commercial objectionable? Why or why not?
2. If a similar ad were produced in the United States, should it be allowed to run during primetime viewing hours? Why or why not?
3. When the purpose of an advertisement is to create a better society for everyone, does the end justify the means? Why or why not?