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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
Summary
In this chapter, we examined how
the advertising message is implemented
and executed. Once the creative
strategy that will guide the ad
campaign has been determined,
attention turns to the specific type
of advertising appeal and execution
format to carry out the creative
plan. The appeal is the central message
used in the ad to elicit some
296
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
9. Creative Strategy:
Implementation and
Evaluation
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
awareness and sales had increased considerably, but some advertising people still
think the ads were so creative and entertaining that they overwhelmed the message. 40
With the increasing amount of clutter in most advertising media, it may be necessary
to use a novel creative approach to gain the viewer’s or reader’s attention. However,
the creative execution cannot overwhelm the message. Clients must walk a fine line:
Make sure the sales message is not lost, but be careful not to stifle the efforts of the
creative specialists and force them into producing dull, boring advertising.
• Is the creative approach appropriate for the media environment in which it is likely
to be seen? Each media vehicle has its own specific climate that results from the
nature of its editorial content, the type of reader or viewer it attracts, and the nature of
the ads it contains. Consideration should be given to how well the ad fits into the
media environment in which it will be shown. For example, the Super Bowl has
become a showcase for commercials. People who care very little about advertising
know how much a 30-second commercial costs and pay as much attention to the ads
as to the game itself, so many advertisers feel compelled to develop new ads for the
Super Bowl or to save new commercials for the game.
• Is the ad truthful and tasteful? Marketers also have to consider whether an ad is
truthful, as well as whether it might offend consumers. For example, the Just For Feet
athletic footwear chain ran a commercial on the 1999 Super Bowl that featured a
Kenyan runner who was tracked like an animal by white mercenaries, drugged unconscious,
and fit with a pair of running shoes—which goes against centuries of Kenyan
tradition. The spot led to charges of neocolonialism and racism from outraged
consumers and the media and created a major public relations problem for the
company. Just For Feet had to pull the spot after running it only one time and ended
up suing its ad agency. 41 The ultimate responsibility for determining whether an ad
deceives or offends the target audience lies with the client. It is the job of the advertising
or brand manager to evaluate the approach suggested by the creative specialists
against company standards. The firm’s legal department may be asked to review the
ad to determine whether the creative appeal, message content, or execution could
cause any problems for the company. It is much better to catch any potential legal
problems before the ad is shown to the public.
The advertising manager, brand manager, or other personnel on the client side can
use these basic guidelines in reviewing, evaluating, and approving the ideas offered by
the creative specialists. There may be other factors specific to the firm’s advertising
and marketing situation. Also, there may be situations where it is acceptable to deviate
from the standards the firm usually uses in judging creative output. As we shall see in
Chapter 19, the client may want to move beyond these subjective criteria and use more
sophisticated pretesting methods to determine the effectiveness of a particular
approach suggested by the creative specialist or team.
response from consumers or influence
their feelings. Appeals can be
broken into two broad categories,
rational and emotional. Rational
appeals focus on consumers’ practical,
functional, or utilitarian need
for the product or service; emotional
appeals relate to social
and/or psychological reasons for
purchasing a product or service.
Numerous types of appeals are
available to advertisers within each
category.
The creative execution style is
the way the advertising appeal is
presented in the message. A number
of common execution
techniques were examined in the
chapter, along with considerations
for their use. Attention was also