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Chapter 8 – Messaging and Media Strategies
TRUE/FALSE
1. Creativity is the same no matter what the domain: the ability to consider and hold together seemingly
inconsistent elements and forces.
2. Howard Gardner's selection of seven of the greatest creative minds of the twentieth century, as
discussed in the textbook, included individuals from a variety of fields, including science and art.
3. Although a total commitment to one's work would seem to be positive trait, on the downside, such
commitment can become highly narcissistic, according to Howard Gardner.
4. Creative thinkers appear never to have lost the ability to think like a child.
5. Because you have a "creative" job, does not mean that you are "creative".
6. We can learn to improve our level of creativity.
7. Lee Clow, “the dude who thought different,” thought his own greatest creativity was not individual,
but as a synthesizer for others’ creativity.
8. As an agency creative you will spend one-fourth of your work life with your feet up doing nothing at
all.
9. A fact of life in advertising agencies is that account services departments and creative departments
almost always agree on the ultimate goal for advertisements even though it may be a struggle to reach
that consensus.
10. The kinds of ads that win awards are usually the same kinds of ads that clients approve will little
hesitation.
11. One of John Sweeney’s rules for what to do if creativity is the goal is to establish a clear code of
behavior.
12. Preparing and executing breakthrough IMC campaigns is a people intensive business; it is
accomplished as a collective with each person executing a specific assignment.
13. The Creative Brief is just that: brief. It plays a minor role in the creative process of making great IMC
campaigns.
14. In brainstorming, fear of being demoted is a great incentive to come up with the most brilliant idea.
15. To make yourself more creative, decide now to recognize that it is impossible to be creative without
adequate knowledge.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. According to the text, creativity in advertising is most often stifled by "killers", who are:
a.
a firm's shareholders.
b.
client managers who don’t recognize their own role in the killing
c.
advertising agency account managers who resent wearing suits.
d.
media buyers.
a.
creative
c.
media planning
b.
account service
d.
production
9. It is common that members of an advertising agency's account management team perceive creatives as
experts in expression with words and visuals. However, they also believe that creatives often do not:
a.
give a hoot about media placement
c.
share management’s goals
b.
stick to schedules
d.
care about client opinions
10. All of the following were mentioned in the textbook as necessary to the career success of an account
manager EXCEPT:
a.
ability to negotiate
b.
ability to care for clients
c.
ability to serve as a willing ambassador between client and agency
d.
ability to rationalize agency expenditures
11. Poor creative executions are more a matter of structure than talent according to John Sweeney, a
former creative director. He offered all of the following pieces of advice as strategies to ensure good
creative work EXCEPT:
a.
insist promotional messages are varied
b.
expect creative staff to try new ideas
c.
reward ideas consistent with the advertising vision
d.
allow flexibility for creative ideas to unfold
12. Executing a successful IMC campaign requires
a.
A smart client
b.
Plenty of money in the budget
c.
A skilled creative team that works well together
d.
A leader who makes the right decisions
13. Which of the following is something we know about teams
a.
Teams have become the primary means for getting things done
b.
Blending diverse expertise in a disciplined team often produces the most innovative ideas
c.
Good teams promote personal growth
d.
All of these statements are characteristic of good teams
14. Who prepares the creative brief?
a.
The AE on the account
b.
The client marketing manager
c.
The client brand manager
d.
It is a joint activity of client leader and AE
15. Which of the following is NOT a question the creative brief must answer?
a.
Who/what is the competition?
b.
Who are we talking to?
c.
What consumer problem do we address?
d.
What is the right creative approach to take?
16. Which of the following IS of particular note to writing a good creative brief?
a.
Make it comprehensive
b.
Be logical so the creatives never forget the business goal
c.
Write in the consumer’s language not business speak
d.
List all the things that consumers should believe about the brand
17. Which of the following pairs is NOT an example of a dimension of cognitive style?
a.
Sensing vs. intuiting
c.
Thinking vs. feeling
b.
Rational vs. emotional
d.
Extraverted vs. introverted
18. Which of the guidelines for managing advertising agency teams listed below fosters creativity?
a.
Set challenges but give freedom to choose the path for solving them
b.
Communicate that new ideas are valued and prevent critics from destroying the
momentum around them
c.
Provide perks like tai chi classes designed to attract and retain interesting people
d.
All of these guidelines foster creativity
19. Which of the following is(are) true of teamwork?
a.
Teams can’t be teams without complete agreement on goals and ways to achieve them
b.
Creative abrasion, the clash of ideas, is essential for teams to have breakthrough solutions
c.
Interpersonal abrasion on teams is necessary for new ideas to emerge
d.
Teamwork means suppressing disagreement for the good of the team objective
20. Which of the following is NOT a suggestion for advancing your own creativity?
a.
Redefine problems to see them differently from other people
b.
Avoid analyzing your own ideas - that will inhibit your creative flow
c.
Challenge you own comfort zone
d.
Learn to cherish ambiguity
Scenario 8-1
The Blanding Agency is an agency that specializes in developing advertising campaigns for smaller
retailer clients. For example, Blanding was hired by Brown's Shoe Fit, a small regional chain of five
shoe stores, to develop a slogan and specific ads to be used in a three month newspaper advertising
campaign. Brown's marketing director, Rick Lindgren, was adamant with the Blanding account
representative that the campaign must be catchy and modern to appeal to a target audience that has an
active lifestyle and is between the ages of 16 and 29. More importantly, Rick wanted the slogan to be
memorable and unique.
Blanding developed a campaign and presented it to Rick, based upon the theme/slogan: "Do What You
Do in Brown Shoe Fit Shoes." Blanding felt that this campaign would help consumers recognize the
importance of having comfortable shoes but also raise awareness of the Brown Shoe Fit retail brand.
Subsequently to running the ad they won an EFFIE (advertising effectiveness award) for the ad. It
seemed that the surprising and appealing visuals gave the slogan unexpectedly positive social
meaning.
21. (Scenario 8-1) When Mr. Lindgren insists on a measuring stick of the creativity of the campaign or
slogan, what will a smart agency tell him?
a.
“The advertising agency awards garnered from this work prove creativity.”
b.
“ Great brands make emotional connections with consumers and the research shows that
consumers respond affectionately to these ads.”
c.
“We meet the technical standards for these types of advertising efforts.”
d.
“We like it and we are experts so you should like it too.”
22. (Scenario 8-1) The Blanding account manager told Mr. Lindgren that the reason the slogan was chosen
is that "Before you can be believed you have to be liked". Which of the following best describes the
creative role of the advertising slogan for Brown's Show Fit?
a.
sell the products
b.
sell the store
c.
build an emotional bond to the store
d.
build an altruistic bond to certain brands of shoes
23. (Scenario 8-1) Which of the following departments in the Blanding agency is most likely to be the
source of conflicts that may occur between the agency and the client?
a.
creative
c.
media planning
b.
account service
d.
production
24. (Scenario 8-1) Which of the following departments in the Blanding agency is responsible for
maintaining a good relationship with this client?
a.
creative.
c.
media planning
b.
account service
d.
production
25. (Scenario 8-1) Which of the following make the Account Executive role one of the most difficult of all
management roles in business?
a.
AE’s have to provide a positive interface between clients ruled by reason and creatives
who clients perceive to be “having fun and screwing around”
b.
AE’s alone have to calculate complicated ad production costs and timetables
c.
AE’s have to come up with strategies for inherently non-strategic products - the art and
music of ads
d.
Clients don’t respect them because they defend creativity
Scenario 8-2
The Easy-Ride Bicycle Company manufactures three wheeled and broad tire two-wheeled bicycles
primarily for the retirement market. Seniors who want to exercise regularly and live in retirement
communities where there are clearly designated and safe bike paths are their primary target market.
Seniors - especially Baby Boomers - like these recreational vehicles because they are easy and safe to
ride. They have had some success in locales like Naples, Florida and Palm Springs, California where
such communities abound. Easy-Ride now wants to expand from this initial positive consumer
reception to other retirement enclaves. They have learned from two well-conducted consumer research
studies that the main way male retirees buy the Easy-Ride products is through the urging of wives who
want to exercise in some additional way than playing golf.
Easy-Ride decides to engage an ad agency to capitalize on this consumer insight and promote their
bikes to newer golf-course communities that abound in both states. They ask two agencies to pitch for
their business and give each a meeting in which they convey the information above.
Agency A is based in Fort Myers, Florida and insists that their creative team is best suited for
promoting Easy-Ride. They tell the prospective client that this team is well versed in advanced
animation techniques and can dramatize the features of Easy-Ride’s two and three wheeled bikes in a
dynamic way that focuses on how fast they can go and how they can “transform the ride” into an
adventure - to appeal to the male consumers who need to be persuaded away from the golf course.
They suggest following this initial display of product prowess to the men with a campaign that
demonstrates how the bikes can be customized to be more “comfortable and attractive for the ladies,”
including pink seat options. They ask whether the brand name can be changed to “something more
exciting.”
30. (Scenario 8-2) As is often common in new client-agency relationships, Agency B and Easy-Ride
conduct a joint brainstorming session prior to finalizing the IMC campaign strategy. Mr. Wizard, the
bicycle designer from Easy-Ride interrupts the session frequently to pooh-pooh agency personnel
suggestions as uninformed about how likely these bikes are “to sell themselves.” Mr. Wizard’s
behavior is
a.
Good for winnowing out the bad campaign ideas from the good ones.
b.
Diminishing the utility of the brainstorm by inhibiting others’ ideas from being offered
freely
c.
Important for the purpose of the brainstorm because they are based on product design
expertise
d.
Irrelevant and immaterial to the session
OBJ: 8-3
ESSAY
1. List several of the core characteristics of great creative minds described by Howard Gardner and
discuss their upsides and downsides.
2. Characterize the tensions between the creatives and the account executives (AEs) in an advertising
agency.
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