The document discusses developing integrated marketing communication message strategies. It states that all brand messages should create awareness, change or reinforce attitudes, stimulate a response or action, and build brand relationships. It also discusses developing creative briefs to guide message creation, including restating marketing objectives and the intended message impact. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of consistency across all communication channels to build a clear brand image.
What is the communication mix, and how should it be set?
IMC Message Strategy Development
1. IMC Message Strategy
All planned brand messages should:
1) Create brand awareness
2) Change or reinforce customers’ attitudes
3) Stimulate some kind of response or action
4) Stimulate the interactivity that helps build brand
relationships
The IMC Creative Brief is based on these mandates
and how they relate to the brand decision-making
process.
1
3. Brand Message Strategy
Development
The fourth step in the IMC planning process is
developing message strategies.
Companies and their marketing communication
agencies employ strategic thinking at a
variety of levels in the marketing
communication process.
3
4. The Creative Message Brief
A creative brief is a document that provides
the guidelines for creating brand
messages.
4
5. The Creative Message Brief
Creative briefs typically include items
such as:
Restatement of the marketing strategy
Restatement of the marketing objectives in terms of
the intended message impact
The message format or approach
The psychological appeal
The selling premise
The big idea or creative concept
The message execution details
5
7. Purpose or Key Problem
Identifying the company’s main opportunity or
key problem is the first step in developing a
selling strategy.
This key problem should summarize the most
important finding from the SWOT analysis.
7
8. Functional-Area Message
Objectives
For each MC area used in the MC plan, message objectives
need to be developed.
MC efforts are measured against their objectives, so stating
appropriate objectives is an important part of determining the
desired impact.
Creative message objectives are often based on some notion
of hierarchy of effects such as the AIDA model.
A less hierarchical approach includes awareness, attitude,
action and relationship building.
Brand message objectives and strategies need to dovetail
with the marketing plan.
8
9. Appeals and Execution Style
Advertising Appeals
The approach used to attract the attention of
consumers
and/or
To influence consumer feelings toward the
product, service or cause
Execution Style
The way a particular appeal is turned into an
advertising message
The way the message is presented to the
consumer
9
10. INFORMATIONAL APPEALS
INFORMATIONAL/RATIONAL APPEALS
FOCUS ON THE CONSUMER’S PRACTICAL,
FUNCTIONAL, OR UTILITARIAN NEED FOR
THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EMPHASIZE
FEATURES
BENEFITS
REASONS FOR OWNING
MESSAGE CONTENT
FACTS, LEARNING, LOGIC
RATIONAL MOTIVES OR PURCHASE CRITERIA
CONVENIENCE, ECONOMY, FIVE SENSES,
DEPENDABILITY, DURABILITY, EFFICIENCY,
PERFORMANCE, ECT
10
11. Rational Appeals
Feature appeals
Focus on the dominant traits of the product
Competitive appeals
Makes comparisons to other brands
Favorable price appeals
Makes price offer the dominant point
News appeals
News or announcement about the product
Product/service popularity appeals
Stresses the brand’s popularity
11
12. EMOTIONAL APPEALS
EMOTIONAL APPEALS
THE CONSUMERS’ SOCIAL AND/OR PSYCHOLOGICA
NEEDS FOR PURCHASING A PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EMOTIONS WORK BETTER AT SELLING BRANDS
THAT DO NOT DIFFER MARKEDLY FROM
COMPETING BRANDS
EMOTIONAL INTEGRATION
CHARACTERS IN THE AD EXPERIENCE AN
EMOTIONAL BENEFIT OR OUTCOME FROM USING
A PRODUCT OR SERVICE
12
13. Emotional Appeals
Personal States or Feelings
Achievement / Joy
Accomplishment Love
Actualization Nostalgia
Affection Pleasure
Ambition Pride
Arousal / Safety
stimulation Security
Comfort Self-esteem
Excitement Sentiment
Fear Sorrow / grief
Happiness 13
15. ADDITIONAL TYPES OF APPEALS
REMINDER ADVERTISING
KEEP BRAND NAME IN USERS’ MINDS
TEASER ADVERTISING
BUILD CURIOSITY, INTEREST,
EXCITEMENT
15
16. Transformational Ads
The ads create feelings, images, meanings, and beliefs about
the product or service that may be activated when consumers
use it
These transform the consumer’s interpretations of use of the
product
The ad must make the experience of using the product
richer, warmer, more exciting and / or enjoyable than that
obtained solely from an objective description of the
advertised brand
It must connect the experience of the ad so tightly with the
experience of using the brand that the consumer can’t
remember the brand without recalling the experience
generated by the ad
16
17. Ad Execution Techniques
Straight-sell or
Testimonial
factual message Animation
Science / technical Personality
evidence Fantasy
Demonstration Dramatizatio
Comparison n
Slice of life Humor
Combination
17
18. Consistency
IMC planners focus their attention on two types
of consistency:
One-voice, one-look
Strategic consistency
18
21. Consistency Gaps
The consistency triangle is used to
identify gaps in brand communication.
The “say” messages must be consistent
with the “do” and “confirm” messages.
Gaps between any of these points
threaten brand relationships.
21
22. A Mess of Messages
Many companies deal with a mess of message
due to a wide array of messages and
communication complexity.
Consistency leads to a positive, well-defined,
clear brand image recognized by all of a
brand’s stakeholders.
22