COPYWRITING PART 1

Burhani College – T.Y.B.M.M. – Sem V (2011 – 12)

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WHAT IS ADVERTISING?

In the good old days, much before the advent of radio, television or internet, ‘Advertising’ was defined as ‘salesmanship in print’. Advertising has evolved since then … and how!

Today, print is just one of the various mediums used to advertise a brand. While the above definition may seem too archaic, part of it, which emphasizes the ‘salesmanship’ aspect, still holds true. After all, the main objective – and it would be no exaggeration to state that the sole objective – of advertising can still be summed up in two words – ‘to sell’. Now, it may be to sell a product (like car, soap, shampoo, noodles, etc.) or a service (like couriers, airlines, classes, etc) or an idea (like Lead India Movement, Donate Blood, Family Planning, Vote for XYZ, etc.)

So, whether it is through print, television, radio, outdoors, direct mailers, e-mailers or ambient media, the main objective of advertising or promoting a brand is ‘to sell’.

Hence, advertising can now be defined as ‘a form of mass communication used to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to buy a particular product, service or idea. If ‘persuasion’ or ‘sale’ doesn’t happen, then copywriting has not done its job.

************************************************************************************“Advertising is salesmanship mass produced. No one would bother to use advertising if he could talk to all his prospects face-to-face. But he can't.”

– Morris Hite.************************************************************************************

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THE STRUCTURE OF AN AD AGENCY:

Broadly there are 6 specialised departments in any advertising agency, apart from the HR, and Finance Departments

1. Client Servicing2. Account Planning3. Media Planning4. Creative Department5. Studio6. Production

CLIENT SERVICINGThe Client Servicing department is essentially the link between the clients and the rest of the ad agency. The job of a client servicing executive (also known as ‘account executive’) requires high degree of diplomacy and tact as misunderstanding may lead to loss of an account. The main task of the account executive is to get a brief from the client and then ensure that the creative team produces the advertising to the client’s satisfaction. The account executive then gets the ad campaign, the media schedules, budgets, etc approved from the client.

ACCOUNT PLANNINGThe Account Planning Department is responsible for doing a realistic SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis of the given brand and its competitors. For this, they also conduct research among consumers and prospects with a view to get important consumer insights* which may help in the creation of the campaign.

*also read ‘Importance of Consumer Insights’ and ‘How to develop an ear for consumer’.

MEDIA DEPARTMENTThe responsibility of the agency’s media department is to develop a media plan to reach the target audience effectively in a cost effective manner. This is one of the most important decisions since a significantly large part of the client’s money is spent on the media time and/or space.

CREATIVE DEPARTMENT

To a large extent, the success of an ad agency depends upon the Creative Department, which is responsible for the creation and execution of ad campaigns. The Creative Department is headed by the Creative Director and is bifurcated into two departments – Copy and Art.

The Copy Department is headed by the Copy Supervisor with a team of senior and junior copywriters and proof readers reporting to him. The Art Department is headed by the Art Director with a team of junior art directors and junior and senior visualisers & graphic designers, reporting to him.

The Copy Supervisor and Art Director in turn report to the Creative Director.

STUDIOAfter an ad campaign is approved, the files are sent to the Studio where a team of graphic designers and touch-up artists make the final artwork.

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENTThe Production Department is responsible for hiring printers, photographers, translators, stall designers and fabricators and others required to execute the finished campaign idea.

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WHAT IS COPYWRITING?

Copywriting is a form of creative writing, wherein the writer weaves words to express the benefits of a product, service or idea in such a way as to entice the reader, viewer or listener ‘to buy’ it.

However, it should be noted that while ‘copywriting’ is about ‘creative writing’, more than just writing, it is about ‘ideating’. Because an ad is more about the ‘idea’ than the ‘words’ used to express the same.

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“Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief.” – Leo Burnett.

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Copywriters are a completely different breed compared to other writers, because the ‘copy’ they write is not an end in itself. Unlike writing a novel, film, poem, lyrics, article or a blog, copy written for a brand is not meant to entertain, tell a story or report news. Though advertising copy also starts out with the same goals as the other forms of writing i.e. to grab and hold people’s attention; the main difference lies in the final goal of advertising copy – i.e. to ‘persuade’ and finally, ‘to sell’ a product (like car, soap, shampoo, noodles, etc.), a service (couriers, airline, classes, etc) or an idea (Lead India Movement, Donate blood, Family planning, vote for XYZ party, etc.) to the target audience. If ‘persuasion’ or ‘sale’ doesn’t happen, then copywriting has not done its job.

In short, copywriting is all about combining the power of imagination with the power of words to produce communication that is powerful enough to convince the reader, viewer or listener to buy a product, service or idea.

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“Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief.” – Leo Burnett.

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WHO IS A COPYWRITER? EXPLAIN HIS ROLE / RESPONSIBILITY.

A copywriter is a creative writer who weaves words to express the benefits of a product, service or idea in such a way as to entice and persuade the reader, viewer or listener to buy it.

The copywriter arguably plays the most important role in the creative department of an ad agency. It is the copywriter who writes the tagline that not only captures the essence of a brand, but also acts as the plank on which the entire ad campaign for the brand is based.

Creative slogans and jingles on which entire campaign ideas have been based like ‘Youngistan ka wow!’ (PEPSI), ‘Darr ke aagey jeet hain!’ (MOUNTAIN DEW), ‘Hum mein hain hero!’ (Hero Motocorp Ltd.) and ‘Har ek friend zaroori hota hain!’ (Airtel) have been written by copywriters. The copywriter is responsible not just for writing slogans or taglines, but to ideate and write for a host of things including:

Scripts & jingles for radio spots & TVCs (Television commercials) Short, creative copy, including Headline, sub-headline, body copy and

captions for Print Ads, Hoardings, posters, etc. Long, detailed copy for brochures, leaflets, etc. Copy for BTL promotions including emailers, direct mailers, etc. Content for websites, etc.

************************************************************************************“A copywriter, like a lawyer, builds cases for clients by selecting truths (about the brand) that are positive and omitting the ones that are negative.” – Paul

Silverman.************************************************************************************

Copywriters are a completely different breed than most writers because the copy they write is not an end in itself. Unlike writing a novel, film, lyrics, article or a blog, copy written for an ad is not meant to entertain, tell a story or report news. Though advertising copy also starts out with the same goals as other forms of writing i.e. to grab and hold people’s attention; the main difference lies in the final goal of copy – i.e. to ‘persuade’ and finally, ‘to sell’ a product (like car, soap, shampoo, noodles, etc.), a service (couriers, airline, classes, etc) or an idea (Lead India Movement,

Donate blood, Family planning, vote for XYZ party, etc.). If ‘persuasion’ or ‘sale’ doesn’t happen, then copywriting has not done its job.

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ATTRIBUTES / TRAITS OF A GOOD COPYWRITER

Copywriting is all about combining the ‘power of imagination’ and the ‘power of words’ to produce communication that is ‘powerful’ enough to convince the reader, viewer or listener to buy a product, service or idea.

Since copywriting is essentially about ‘creative writing’, the two essential qualities of a good copywriter are:

1. CREATIVITY: A copywriter has to be creative enough to able to see things from different perspectives and come up with fresh, original ideas that no other brand has done before, especially rival brands in the same category.

2. FLAIR FOR WRITING: A copywriter should have a flair for writing. He should be comfortable writing both long and short copy.

3. GOOD COMMAND OVER LANGUAGE(S): A copywriter has to have a good command over the language, especially English and Hindi with a vast vocabulary, impeccable grammar and spellings. Knowledge of regional languages, dialects and lingos may be an added advantage.

4. GOOD LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING: A copywriter must be able to comprehend things – especially new subjects quickly and thoroughly. The quality of ads depends much on the understanding of the product and the ‘brief’.

5. VERSATILITY: A copywriter has to be versatile. He should be equally comfortable writing creative scripts and jingles for TVCs & radio spots; pithy, smart copy for print ads, hoardings, posters and long, informative copy for brochures, leaflets, website, etc.

6. EYE FOR DETAIL: A copywriter should be sharp enough to spot copy errors. There should be no spelling or grammatical errors in the copy.

7. GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR: The role of humour in advertising can never be overstated. But, to be able to write humorous ads or TVCs, the copywriter himself should have a good sense of humour.

8. A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS: Ideas come from one’s own reservoir of knowledge, experiences and observations. Eg. for Vodafone, the idea of associating the line “Wherever you go our network follows” with a child and a pug-dog, came from the observation that a pet dog always follows his master, wherever he goes.

The more additions a copywriter makes to his wealth of knowledge, experiences and observations about different situations, people, places, things and relationships, the easier it gets for him to come up with that big idea. Hence, a good copywriter should be a voracious reader, an avid traveler, a film buff, a music lover, a sports freak and should have many hobbies and interests.

9. Inquisitiveness and curiosity: A copywriter should be inquisitive about the brands he is asked to work on. He should ask many questions to be in a position to know the whats, hows, whys and wheres of the product or service. As Einstein once said, “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination.”

10. Team man: They say, a writer’s job is a lonely man’s job, but a copywriter’s job isn’t. At some point of time, the copywriter has to share his ideas with his art partner who will after all give shape to the idea in terms of a layout. Then, he has to share the idea with the Creative Director, then the Client Servicing Team and finally with the client.

11. Time management: Advertising is all about coming up with good ideas in good time. Along with his art partner, he should be able to come up with great ads or campaigns within the given deadline.

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PRINCIPLES OF COPYWRITING

1. Say something different OR say the same thing differently.Today, every space a brand occupies is cluttered – whether it is ‘shelf space’, ‘media space’ or the ‘consumer’s mind’. There are 2 ways to make a brand stand out in the clutter. (i) Say something different: Highlight the USP of the brand. Example: Tata Docomo’s campaign highlighted a unique offering – per second billing, something no other brand was offering at that time. (ii) Say the same thing differently: For a brand with no functional difference, say the same thing differently. Example: Vodafone highlighted its powerful network by showing a pug that followed its master – a boy – wherever he went.

2. Use interesting, attention-getting headlinesIf the headline isn’t interesting, it doesn’t matter what the body copy says. It is only when a reader finds the headline of an ad interesting that he goes on to read the subheadline, followed by the body copy.

3. Use the KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly!) formula:Keep your copy short, simple and clear. Use simple, lucid language your target audience can easily understand. Don't leave your reader second-guessing your copy.

4. Focus on the reader, not the productAnswer the consumer’s question ‘What’s In It For Me?’ not by boasting about the product, but by highlighting how it could make the consumer’s life better. Pepper your copy with facts about the brand, but let the focus be on the reader, not on the product or service. Use personal pronouns like ‘you’, ‘we’ and ‘us’ to add a sense of warmth to your copy.

5. Target only your ‘Target Group’, not everyoneThe more focused your target group, the better your chance of meeting their needs and convincing them. Don't try to sell to everyone!

6. Use the "That's Right!" PrincipleGet your target audience to agree with you. Tell them something they know already. Get them to say to themselves, "That's Right!" Example: A print ad for Tropicana Juice says – “Your daily schedule leaves you exhausted. Well, “that’s right!”

7. Move Quickly from Intro to the Pitch: Don't waste your reader's time trying to "warm them up". People are busy creatures. If they lose interest, you lose a prospective customer.

8. Be Sincere: The more sincere you are, the better your chance of building a ‘selling’ relationship. Example: The sincerity and genuineness of Air Sahara comes across in the ad that says – As hard as we may try at this time of the year, there are chances of flight delays due to weather conditions. Every step is taken to help passengers get to their destinations on time. To make this process easier, we need your help too.

9. Don't Contradict Yourself: Double-check your copy. You might unknowingly contradict yourself, leaving the reader suspicious, thereby destroying the credibility of the message.

10. Make Your Product IrresistibleDress it up. Make it sound like the cream of the crop. Make it impossible for the reader to even consider any other brand.

13. Flattery will get you everywhereYes, everyone likes to hear a little flattery. The keyword here is ‘little’. Don't overdo it! Example: The tagline for Loreal says, “Because you’re worth it.”

14. Be Personable Let them know that there is a kind, honest and real person behind the page. People would rather deal with people, not companies, corporations or conglomerates. Add the ‘Human Touch’ to your copy.

15. Give a guarantee or challenge!A guarantee or challenge says a lot about your own conviction about your brand. Example: In the Vim Bar TVC, the anchor says, “if you find a detergent better than Vim Bar, we’ll give you a year’s supply of your detergent free!” This guarantee lends credibility to the offering and induces the viewer to act.

17. Check Your Grammar and SpellingsAlways proof-check your copy. Grammatical errors and misspelled words create a bad impression about the brand.

18. Use Photos to Demonstrate:

If used correctly a picture really is worth a thousand words. Example: Ads for cosmetics generally use photographs to demonstrate the benefits of using the product – smooth skin, fairness, etc.

19. Offer Testimonials Offer short, reputable testimonials. People want to hear what other consumers or celebrities have to say about a product or service. Example: Aishwarya Rai offers testimonial for Loreal Hair color.

20. Create an Unforgettable SloganUse a short, easy to remember slogan that a reader will walk away with on his or her lips.

Tata Sky – Isko laga daalaa toh life jinga-la-la.Pepsi – Youngistan Ka Wow!, Change the gameMountain Dew – Darr ke aagey jeet hain!

21. Get a responseGive your readers an incentive – a bonus or freebie – to respond to the ad immediately.Example: Special 10% discount for the first 100 customers only. Hurry!

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CREATIVE BRIEF

Creative Brief is a document that contains all the information about the company and the brand, required by the advertising agency (mainly by the creative team designated to work on the brand) to create effective advertising for the company / brand.

Broadly, the following information is required: The Company The Product The Competition The Consumer The Marketing & Advertising Objectives

THE COMPANY: The company’s history, background, culture philosophy and vision. The company’s infrastructure – offices, factories, sales team, its sales network, etc Whether it is a sole proprietorship concern, a partnership firm, a private limited company or a public limited company, a public sector company or an MNC. The company’s product range (brands) Collaborations, diversification, if any The company’s technology used, R& D

THE PRODUCT: The features (The 5 senses):

what it looks like (size, shape, colour, etc) what it smells like (deos, shampoos, soaps, etc.) what it tastes like (pickle, papad, jam, etc) what it sounds like (home theatre, car audio system) what it feels like (lycra, stretchable jeans, etc)

The ingredients (What it is made of... and how?) The packaging (bottles, packs, sachets, etc.) The cost The USPs (Unique Selling Proposition)

THE COMPETITION: Primary (Direct) Competition Secondary (Indirect) Competition Unbranded Competition Substitutes Their respective market shares, strengths & weaknesses, positions in the consumers’ minds What are they saying?

THE CONSUMER: Demographics (age, sex, income, territory) Psychographics (culture, mindset, attitudes) Perceptions / attitude towards the brand vis-à-vis rival brands

THE MARKETING & ADVERTISING OBJECTIVES: Launch a new brand / Launch a new packaging Re-launch an existing brand Penetrate new markets Change consumer attitudes/perceptions (eg. Cadbury’s ad campaign clearing the air around the worm controversy) Promote brand / service awareness (eg. Polio vaccination) Increase sales

************************************************************************************ The client tells the ad agency WHAT to say.

The ad agency, in turn, tells the client HOW to say it… differently and memorably!************************************************************************************

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SAMPLE CREATIVE BRIEF

Client : Tata MotorsBrand : Tata Indica (Diesel)Briefed by : _________________________________ (Name of the Client Servicing Executive)Briefed to : _________________________________ (Name of the Copywriters on the account)

_________________________________ (Name of the Art Director on the account)

Date : _________________________________

Background : Tata Indica Xeta is one of the most successful brands of hatchback cars from Tata Motors. It is India’s first indigenously built car that has seen many improvements in the last 10 years of its existence. Today, it is one of the sturdiest hatchbacks and the diesel variant is the most fuel-efficient hatchback in the Indian car market.

Why are we communicating?To spread awareness of the fact that Tata Indica’s diesel variant is India’s most fuel efficient car that gives a mileage of 25 kms/litre.

To whom are we communicating? What is our insight about the customer?Mr. Rajeev Prabhu, staying in Thane takes the ‘train and bus’ route on weekdays to commute to his office at Bandra Kurla Complex. He wants to buy a car and can easily afford to buy one with a down payment up to Rs. 50,000 and can also pay an EMI for the car up to Rs. 6,000 every month, but his main deterrent is the ever-rising petrol prices, given the long distance he has to travel.

Who are we competing against?Maruti Alto, Maruti Wagon R, Maruti Zen Estilo, Chevrolet Spark, Hyundai 1-10, Nissan Micra and other entry level hatchbacks.

What is ‘the one thing’ we want people to take away? At 25 kms/litre, Tata Indica Diesel is India’s most fuel efficient car.

What are the deliverables?

3 ad- print campaign, outdoors, bus shelters, 30-seconder radio spots and 30-seconder TVCsCampaign Launch Date: ________________________

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THE JOURNEY OF A BRIEF / THE APPROVAL PROCESS OF AN AD

Stage 1: The brand manager or a representative of the client calls an ad agency or multiple agencies for a ‘pitch’.

Stage 2: The brand manager or the client’s representative gives the ‘brief’ to the Client Servicing Team of the agency.

Stage 3: The Client Servicing Team shares the brief with the Account Planning Department that does a realistic SWOT analysis of the brand and its competitors and also conducts a preliminary research to find out the consumer’s perspective about the product category in general and the brand in particular. The research may throw up key consumer insights around which the campaign can be based.

Stage 4: This brief is then broken down into creative and media briefs.

Stage 5: The creative brief is given to the creative team, comprising the Creative Director, the Copywriter and the Art Director working on the account. The Copywriter and Art Director work in conjunction to create an ad campaign and present it to the Creative Director for his views and suggestions.

Stage 6: After the Creative Director’s nod, the (rough) ad is shown to the the Client Servicing and Account Planning teams. They look into the legalities that might affect the ad and whether the ad meets the client’s brief and budget. Changes, if any, are communicated to the Creative Department

Stage 7: After the changes suggested by the Account Planning and Client Servicing teams are incorporated, the ad is finally shown to the client for his approval.

Stage 8: Once the ‘concept approval’ is received, the creative department effects any changes suggested by the client and the ad is again sent to the client for his final approval. After the final approval, the ad goes to the Studio/Production Department for the final artwork.

Stage 9: The final artwork is handed over or mailed to the Media Department, which forwards it to the publication, radio station or television channel for release.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘AGENCY BRIEF’ AND ‘CREATIVE BRIEF’

When the client briefs the Client Servicing Team of the agency, he shares all possible information about the company, its vision and mission, its offices in India and abroad, its distribution network, its staff strength, its product range, its manufacturing units, the technology they use, its marketing objectives, etc. Based on the inputs by the client, the Client Servicing Team makes the ‘Agency Brief’ that contains all the information shared by the client.

Now, all this information may not be relevant to the Creative Team working on the account to devise an ad campaign. So, the client servicing team, after taking vital inputs (like SWOT analysis of the brand and the competitors, consumer’s perspective about the brand, etc) from the Account Planning team, converts the ‘Agency Brief’ into the ‘Creative Brief’, which is a more concise, to-the-point version of the ‘Agency Brief’.

The ‘Creative Brief’ contains only as much information as would be required by the Creative Team to create a campaign for the client like information about the product, the competition, the consumers and the marketing & advertising objectives.

The ‘Creative Brief’ also spells out the list of deliverables as required by the client example – 3 print Ads, 3 Outdoors, 1 TVC, 3 radio spots, etc. it also mentions the serves as the blueprint for the Creative Team to base their campaign on.

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ATL, BTL and TTL

‘Above The Line’ (ATL), ‘Below The line’ (BTL), and ‘Through The Line’ (TTL), are three different approaches of marketing communication that companies adopt to promote their brands.

‘Above The Line’ (ATL) communication uses mass media that is broadcast and published to mass audiences such as print (newspapers & magazines), television, radio, cinema, and Outdoors (also called OOH – Out Of Home)

‘Below The Line’ (BTL ) promotion refers to forms of non-media communication and typically focuses on direct means of communication like DMs (Direct mail), e-mails, road shows, promotions, in- shop and shop-front activities, etc. BTL helps marketers establish one-to-one relationship with consumers.

ATL promotions are difficult to measure, while BTL promotions are highly measurable, giving marketers valuable insights into their returns-on-investment. Besides, BTL communication gives marketers the ability to tailor their messaging in a more personal manner to the audience.

"Through the line" (TTL) refers to an ‘Integrated Communication Approach’ involving both ATL (‘Above The Line) as well as BTL (Below The Line) communications. The TTL approach allows brands to engage with a customer at multiple points (for example, the customer will see the television commercial, hear the radio advert and be handed a flyer at a mall or outside a railway station). This enables an integrated communications approach where consistent messaging across multiple media create a customer perception.

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TYPES OF ADVERTISING

Advertising can be broadly classified into 2 categories viz. B2B Advertising & B2C Advertising.

B2B ADVERTISING:When the advertising of one ‘B’usiness is targeted at other ‘B’usinesses, rather than to the end consumers, it is referred to as B2B (i.e. Business to business) Advertising.

B2B Ads may be further classified into:

Industrial Advertising: Industrial Advertising involves advertising ‘industrial’ or ‘intermediate’ goods /services (like gears, batteries, microprocessors, etc) that are used in the production of ‘finished goods’ (like cars, watches, laptops, etc.)Example: When a gear manufacturing company like Elecon Engineering advertises its range of gears in industrial magazines catering to particular industries like , it is called B2B advertising.

Trade Advertising: Trade Advertising is targeted at members of trade like distributors, wholesalers, retailers, franchisees, brokers who buy the advertised product, service or idea for resale to consumers.Example: When Maruti Suzuki advertises its business model to enterprising individuals, inviting them to become franchisees / dealers of Maruti Suzuki cars, it is called Trade Advertising.

Professional Advertising: Professional Advertising is advertising which is directed at members of a particular profession who might use or recommend the advertised product. Example: Advertising by regulatory bodies like ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India), Bar Council of India, ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountant of India) addressing professionals of the respective industries is called ‘Professional Advertising’.

Agricultural Advertising:Agricultural Advertising is any advertising directed at farmers as customers of various products like fertilizers, insecticides, irrigation services or water

treatment plant, etc.Example: When ‘Excel Crop Care’ advertises its range of insecticides and fertilizers to farmers, it is called ‘Agricultural Advertising’.

B2C ADVERTISING:When the advertising of a ‘B’usiness is targeted at the end ‘C’onsumers, it is referred to as a B2C (‘B’usiness to ‘C’onsumer) Advertising. B2C Ads may be for any end product –Consumer durables (eg. car, washing machine, LCD, etc) or Consumer Perishables – also called FMCG i.e. fast-moving-consumer-goods (eg. noodles, soaps, soft drinks, etc.)

Example:When advertisers like LG, Sony, Maruti, Maggi, Britannia, Tata Sky, Vodafone, etc advertise their end products or services to the end consumers, it is referred to as ‘B2C Advertising’.

CORPORATE / INSTITUTIONAL ADVERTISING:Advertising by a corporation not with the aim of selling its products or services, but to create a favourable image for itself in the minds of its consumers, shareholders, business associates and the public at large, is referred to as ‘Corporate Advertising’, also called as‘Institutional Advertising’.

Here, the focus is on the mother brand – eg. Maruti Suzuki – and the entire bouquet of products under its umbrella and not on the individual sub brands – eg. Alto, Wagon-R, Estilo, etc).

A corporate campaign highlights what the mother brand stands for – the values, beliefs, core benefits and /or strengths of the company that runs across the organization and/or its product range.

Example: A corporate ad for Maruti would seek to highlight the fact that that no matter which particular car (sub brand) of Maruti you buy, you would get;• A wide range of cars to choose from – one for every strata of the society, one for every member of your family (‘India comes home in a Maruti’)• High fuel-efficiency (‘Papa, kee kara? … Petrol khatam hi nahi honda!’ OR the more recent ‘Kitna deti hain? Campaign’ that ends with the line, ‘For a country obsessed with mileage, Maruti Suzuki makes India’s most fuel-efficient cars’)

• A widespread pan-India service network (‘Jaayengey aap jahaan, paayengey Maruti Suzuki Service Station wahaan!’)

Example 2: Another good example is that of Amway, where the broader message (i.e. what the mother brand ‘AMWAY’ stands for) is highlighted, not the individual sub brands of AMWAY – under the tagline ‘We’re listening’. Amway wants to say that ‘we understand you and your needs and design our products to suit your needs.

A company may also release a Corporate Ad with the sole motive of building goodwill by highlighting one or more of the in-house or CSR activities it has undertaken. Examples: Tata Steel – Values stronger than steel. Mahindra - Rise.

FINANCIAL ADVERTISINGAdvertising done by financial institutions like banks or non-banking financial institutions (like insurance companies, mutual fund houses, share broking firms, gold finance companies, etc) – to promote its array of financial products or services like fixed deposit schemes, savings or current account, home loan, car loan, personal loan, life and non-life insurance policies, mutual fund schemes, gold loan, etc either to customers or investors is called ‘Financial Advertising’.

The RBI (Reserve Bank of India), IRDA (Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority) or the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) have enforced strict legal regulations with regard to promotional advertising of public offerings of financial instruments. Hence, financial ads are required to carry disclaimers which are mandatory.

Examples:

‘Mutual Fund Investments are subject to market risks. Please read the Scheme Information Document carefully before investing.’

Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation.’

PUBLIC SERVICE ADS:Advertising done with a central focus on public welfare is termed as ‘Public-service advertising’. Its objective is to raise awareness about a particular cause, issue,

service or institution and persuade the audience to take a specific action or adopt a favourable action or view towards the same.

Examples: Do boondh zindagi ke – Polio vaccination drive. Don’t drink and drive. Hum do, hamaarey do – Family Planning

It is generally sponsored by government agencies, non-profit organizations, religious organizations, trade associations, political groups or even commercial organizations trying to build or enhance its goodwill with a line ‘Issued in public interest by XYZ Ltd’.

PUBLIC ISSUE ADVERTISINGWhen a company releases an ad campaign, informing financial institutions and retail investors in particular, and people at large, about its plans to raise capital via a ‘Public issue’ of shares, debentures or Fixed Deposits, such campaigns are called ‘Public Issue’ Campaigns…

POLITICAL ADVERTISING:Political advertising is a form of advertising used by political candidates to reach and influence voters. It can include several different mediums – like newspapers, radio commercials, television commercials, etc – and may span several months over the course of a political campaign. For example, the theme for Barack Obama’s campaign was, “Yes, We Can!” Closer home, the Congress released an ad campaign based on the tagline, “Vote for progress. Vote for Congress.”

PROMOTIONAL ADSAdvertising by a brand to promote its special offers designed to boost short-term sales…Example: Buy 1, Get 1 Free! 50% Flat discount Book a Ticket, Win a Trip to Goa!

DIRECT RESPONSE ADS

Ads that are designed to measure response from the reader or viewer… Eg. Fill this coupon and mail it to … for a free booklet on diabetes health care. Eg. To avail inaugural discount of Rs. 1000 per sq ft., SMS ‘HOME’ to 57575

ADVERTORIAL

An advertorial is an advertisement written and designed in the form of an editorial i.e. like a news story or an article. The term ‘adver’-‘torial’ is a portmanteau of ‘adver’tisement and edi‘torial’. Advertorials are generally used to launch new products or techniques – for example, a new form of laser surgery.

An advertorial has to mandatorily have the word "ADVERTISEMENT" or its abbreviation ‘ADVT’ somewhere in the layout. This is to safeguard the interest of the publication. By insisting on this, the publication makes sure that readers don’t assume that the publication supports or endorses the brand being advertised via the advertorial.

Advertorials are seen in many women’s magazines like Femina and lifestyle magazines (like Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest) and supplements like Bombay Times. Advertorials may also feature in a separate supplement or space within a newspaper or magazine released as a "special promotional feature". Some publications may not accept advertisements that look exactly like stories from the newspaper or magazine they are appearing in.

Does the advertiser (client) have to pay for placing an advertorial in a publication?Of course, the advertiser has to pay for placing an advertorial, because at the end of the day, it is still an ‘ad’ and not pure ‘editorial’.

INFOMERCIALThe word ‘infomercial’ is a combination of the words ‘info-rmation’ and ‘commercial’. Infomercials, as the name suggests, are long-format informative TVCs (television commercials) that run as long as a typical television program (15 to 30 minutes). Infomercials, also known as teleshopping (or paid programming), are normally shown outside of peak hours, such as late at night or early in the morning. Infomercials are often made to closely resemble actual television programming, usually talk shows, with minimalacknowledgement that the program is actually an advertisement. Infomercials are designed to solicit a direct response, which is specific and quantifiable, and are, therefore, a form of direct response marketing (not to be confused with direct marketing). The ad response is delivered directly to television viewers by infomercial advertisers through the television ad. In normal commercials, advertisers do not

solicit a direct response from viewers, but, instead, brand their product in the market place amongst potential buyers.Infomercial advertisers may employ scientist-like characters or celebrities as guests or hosts in their ad. Because of the sometimes sensational nature of the ad form, consumer advocates recommend careful investigation of the claims made within any infomercial ad and investigation of the company sponsoring the subject product of the infomercial before purchasing the featured product or products. Infomercials are for the largest part shown late night to early morning between 2:00am and 6:00am.

CLASSIFIED ADS:

Classified ads are print ads that appear in a separate ‘Classifieds’ section in newspapers & magazines. These ads are grouped under separate headings ‘classifying’ the product or service being offered. For instance: Job opportunities – Situations Vacant/Wanted, Property – for Sale/Purchase/Rent, Secondhand cars, etc.

Classified ads are usually text-only ads with only a brief description of the item advertised followed by the contact information of the advertiser. There are black & white ads with no pictures or graphics.

Example: Hyundai Santro Xing, 2005 model, white colour, 25,000 kms, Price: Rs. 2 lacs. Not

negotiable. Call Subodh: 9820229955). 1 BHK fully-furnished terrace flat in Yari Road, Andheri West. 625 Sq. ft. 90 lacs.

Genuine buyers may call Mrs. Sanjana Kapoor on 9850555577. Brokers, please excuse.

Classified ads are the cheapest form of Print Ads and are hence mostly used by individuals or small or medium sized organizations to buy/sell/rent one item or a limited number of items.

Printed classified ads are typically just a few column lines in length, and they are often filled with abbreviations to save space and money.

DISPLAY ADS:

Display Ads are regular print ads with absolutely no restrictions on the size, content, design or placement. The only thing that may restrict the above factors is the budget. They may be in colour or black-&-white formats and may contain anything – text, visuals, logos, background colours, etc. Unlike Classified Ads which appear under a separate ‘Classifieds’ section, Display Ads may appear anywhere in a newspaper or magazine, depending on the budget. Needless to add, Display ads are more expensive than Classified Ads and are hence meant for big budget clients for promotion of their goods, services or ideas.

Unlike ‘Classified Ads’, Display Ads can span across multiple columns - and can even cover full page, half page, quarter page or other customised sizes – like 80cc (column centimeters), 100 cc or 400 sqc (square centimeters). Again, unlike ‘Classified Ads’, Display ads are not limited by the number of characters.

CLASSIFIED DISPLAY ADS

Classified Display Ad

Classified Ads

Classified Display Ad is a hybrid of the two other forms of ads viz. ‘Classified Ads’ and ‘Display Ads’, that are placed in the ‘Classified Sections’ of newspapers or magazines, but are designed like regular Display Ads with colours, graphics and detail.

Of course, the cost and effectiveness of ‘Classified Display Ads’ are higher than that of pure ‘Classified Ads’, but lower than pure ‘Display Ads’

TEASER ADSA series of ads that are designed to ‘tease’ the minds of the target audience by arousing the curiosity of people, without giving away the main message or even the brand behind the message. The message is revealed in stages…

Example: Teaser: ‘Kahi aap bhi K.I.L.B. ke shikar toh nahi?’Revealer: K.I.L.B. (Kum Insurance lene ki bimari.) For more details, call Aegon Religare.

Example 2:Teaser: “Chotu kya banega?” Revealer: Ab Chotu jo chahega voh banega. Presenting Systematic Investment Plans from Kotak Mahindra Bank.

What are the drawbacks of a teaser campaign?1. To start with, a teaser campaign costs a lot more than a regular campaign.

For one, the client has to buy media to place ‘teaser’ messages for a week or so, without as much as having their logo on it.

2. A teaser campaign may get hijacked by a rival brand. For example, Pantene Shampoo had released a teaser campaign with a headline… “A mystery shampoo!! 80% women say is better than anything else.” Now, before they could release the second phase of the campaign, associating ‘Pantene’ with the teaser message, ‘Dove’ literally hijacked their campaign by releasing a campaign in which the headline said, “There is no mystery. Dove is the No.1 Shampoo.”

If the teaser phase is stretched too far, the campaign could well become a case of ‘marketing overkill’. Like the ‘Digen Verma’ campaign by ‘Frooti’. Yes, it was successful in arousing the curiosity of people in the teaser phase. People actually started wondering ‘Who is Digen Verma?’ – a new VJ to be launched on some music channel? An actor about to be launched? Unfortunately, they stretched the teaser phase so much that people started losing interest in it, brushing it off as an ad gimmick. Finally, when it was actually revealed that it was a campaign by Frooti, many failed to see any relevance between the character and the brand.

DEMO (DEMONSTRATION) AD:Demonstration advertising is designed to illustrate the key advantages of the product/ service by showing it in actual use or in some staged situation. Demonstration executions can be very effective in convincing consumers of a product’s utility or quality and of the benefits of owning or using the brand. TV is particularly well suited for demonstration executions, since the benefits a little less dramatic than TV demonstration ads can also work in print.

Examples:Brands like Harpic, Fewikwik and M-Seal not only demonstrate the application of the product, but also highlight the effects of the product using a before and after approach.

TESTIMONIAL AD:Advertising copy approach that shows an individual who has tried a product and has been satisfied with it enough to favorably endorse the product is termed as ‘Testimonial Advertising’.

The endorsement may be in the form of a statement or a letter, and the individual may be a well-known personality, like an actor or sportsman (eg. Tendulkar says “Boost is the secret of my energy”) , or a satisfied customer appearing as an impartial ‘person in the street’. The idea behind testimonial advertising is that a prospective customer may be favorably influenced to try a product when it has been praised by another impartial consumer, or by a known personality whom the consumer may wish to emulate.

Ads presented by way of testimonials (wherein a person praises the product or service on the basis of his ‘personal experience’ with it), are called Testimonial Ads. Testimonial executions can either have celebrities or ordinary ‘satisfied customers’ discuss their own experiences with the brand and the benefits of using it.

“I keep my home clean with Harpic. Do you?” “I lost 10 kgs in just 30 days, thanks to VLCC.”

FEEL GOOD ADS:

"Feel good" ads are those ads which do not have a specific call for a response: to buy something, to do something, to take action, or to vote. As this term is used here, "feel good ads" can describe the many different ads and sponsorships which generate good will, or create a feeling of warmth and pleasantness, so that we know and like the product or the company.

Example: Vodafone Ads wherein the pug followed the boy wherever he went, with the beautiful jingle, “You and I in this beautiful world”… followed by the tagline, “Wherever you go, our network follows”.

AMBIENT ADVERTISING:‘Ambient Advertising’ refers to the placement of ads in unusual and unexpected places such as floors of malls, door handles of stores, toilet doors, trial rooms, seats in buses, cinema halls, bus or train tickets, shopping trolleys, hot air balloons, etc.,

often with unconventional methods (execution) and being the first or only ad execution to do so.

Example: Ads for a lingerie brand inside ‘ladies’ washrooms at malls. Message on a park bench by Kitkat – Have a break, have a Kitkat! Message painted on Municipality garbage bins – “Please throw all old jokes

here. New Season of Comedy Circus is here!”

The concept of ambient media evolved in the late 90s with the increasing requests from clients for ‘doing something different’ in their advertising.

Unusual locations are considered a defining characteristic for Ambient advertising. However, ‘unusual locations’ cease to be ‘unusual’ with repetition and time. So, if ‘unusual locations’ is a part of the definition of Ambient advertising then, what might be considered Ambient one day, may not be considered so, the next day. For instance, while taxis, painted buses, rail tickets, shopping trolleys, hot air balloons, etc. may be theoretically considered as ‘Ambient media’, technically they are not, as they are no more unusual places in the real sense.

SURROGATE ADVERTISING – (Advertising Indirectly) : Surrogate advertising is prominently seen in cases where advertising a particular product is banned by law. Advertisement for products like cigarettes or alcohol which are injurious to heath are prohibited by law in several countries and hence these companies have to come up with several other products that might have the same brand name and indirectly remind people of the cigarettes or beer of the same brand.

Example: Kingfisher, Bacardi and Bagpiper are promoted with the help of surrogate advertising under the guide of Kingfisher Mineral Water, Bacardi Blast Music CDs and Bagpiper Soda respectively.

IN-STORE ADVERTISINGIn-store advertising is any advertisement placed in a retail store. It includes placement of a product in visible locations in a store, such as at eye level, at the ends of aisles and near checkout counters (aka POP—Point Of Purchase display), eye-catching displays promoting a specific product, and advertisements in such places as shopping carts and in-store video displays.

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