Advertisers have a wide choice of objectives and methods when creating an ad for a
product, no matter what the product category is. For example, both Taylor and Yamaha
sell guitars. Both have created ads that have been recognized by the advertising industry
as outstanding creative efforts. However, they have chosen different ways to use
magazine advertising to sell guitars.A representative advertisement for Taylor features a
photograph of a beautiful, lush, fog-shrouded green forest. The headline reads, “If a tree
falls in the forest and you’re not there to hear it, does it make a sound? Yes, it just might
take 7 or 8 years.” The copy is three sentences long and talks about the time and
attention that Taylor takes in making quality guitars. Only the top couple inches of a
guitar featuring the Taylor logo is shown. While the ad could be classified as
exemplifying a number of approaches to meeting message objectives, it most closely
fits the description of the USP method by linking a key attribute (quality) to the brand
name (Taylor).The main visual in an ad for the Yamaha Pacifica is a bold shot of the
guitar. The headline reads, “To survive, you need four things: Food. Sex. Shelter.
Guitars. Make that two things.” This ad also features characteristics of several
approaches to meeting message objectives. However, the headline seems to define it as
using the humor method to persuade consumers to prefer the brand.Which of the
following is an accurate description of the objective that the Taylor ad was trying to
achieve?
a. As a feel-good ad, it was trying to increase brand recall.
b. As a USP ad, it was trying to connect a specific characteristic with the brand.
c. As a feel-good ad, it was trying to transform a consumption experience.
d. As a USP ad, it was trying to increase brand recall.
A shoe retailer uses its marketing database to run an RFM analysis on its customers.
The F in RFM stands for frequency and refers to the number of times a customer
a. was reached with any kind of advertising message.
b. was reached through a direct marketing medium.
c. bought a product from the company.
d. bought a product from a certain product category.
Which of the four primary consumer protection organizations was the first to be
established, and is best known for its publication of Consumer Reports?
a. Consumer Federation of America
b. Consumers Union
c. Consumer Alert
d. Commercial Alert
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants to launch a message to inform
citizens about dangerous crib structures and recalled products. It hires a firm called
American Message, which has expertise in working with nonprofit organizations, to
create a series of television commercials around this primary theme. There is no charge
for airtime on the many syndicated networks on which the ad will be broadcast. In this
instance,
a. the AAP is considered the client because it hired an agency.
b. the syndicated networks are considered the trade channel.
c. American Message is considered the sponsor because the AAP is a nonprofit
organization.
d. the AAP is running a public service announcement.
During tough economic times, many companies rely on memories of “the good old
days” to help advertise their products. Looking for a bit of a jump-start itself, PepsiCo
turned to nostalgia-heavy advertisements late in 2009, which were then carried into
2010. The company introduced “throwback” versions of a number of its soft drinks, and
created an ad campaign that included new logos and a series of commercials intended to
generate feelings of happiness from prior decades. The company had hoped that any
warm, fuzzy feelings about the past would make people feel better about the company’s
present and future.For companies using feel-good ads, one of the difficulties is creating
an ad that truly elicits fond memories. Another difficulty associated with feel-good ads
is that they can
a. create competing thoughts and emotions.
b. cause consumers to recall great memories from their childhood.
c. cause the consumer to favor the brand over another.
d. cause the consumer not to think about bad memories.
A national radio broadcasters association hosts an annual convention that attracts station
owners and program managers as well as ad agencies and media planners. As a media
planner, you take part in forums on the current status of traditional radio, the
competition between AM and FM formats, the growth of satellite and Internet radio,
and the rise of new technologies. During one forum, a professor of broadcasting sparks
discussion by posing a number of questions based on real-life situations that he has
encountered over the years.
A young man takes over his grandfather’s barbershop in a Midwest city. He is new to
radio wants to know his local station’s true reach before he places spots for the
barbershop. What is the best estimate of his local radio station’s reach?
a. cumulative audience
b. average quarter-hour share
c. average quarter-hour rating
d. share of audience
In the “Chicago Shopping” section of the Chicago Tribune website, the following ads
were listed:1) An ad for the last day to save 10 percent on all purchases at Target.com.
Readers are urged to act quickly because the deadline for the deal, which is boldly listed
in red ink, is today. The ad also features a picture of a 40″ LCD television showing the
company’s name and “bullseye” logo on the screen.2) An ad for a pair of basketball
shoes accompanied by a positive endorsement from a satisfied customer. The customer
stated, “I have never had a shoe like this one. I jump higher and run faster, and I am
able to play longer than I ever have in the past.” The ad offers a $15 coupon for use at
participating FootLocker stores.3) An ad encouraging consumers to shop at Adidas
because of its low sale prices. The ad reads, “Adidas brand apparel will increase your
athletic performance. Give yourself the competitive advantage you’ve always wanted
and shop our selection of running, soccer, basketball and golf apparel.”4) An ad listing a
limited time offer for a pair of expensive brand-name jeans. The ad shows a fictional
character being laughed at by an attractive female because of his old, raggedy jeans.
The man being laughed at appears incredibly embarrassed. Marketers want consumers
to feel more accepted in society when they wear this particular pair of jeans.
(ChicagoTribune.com, October 26, 2010)
In ad #4, marketers are trying to appeal to consumers using which type of ad?
a. anxiety ads
b. humor ads
c. fear ads
d. sex-appeal ads
Keds has been trying to turn around a long-term slide in its shoe business. For years, it
had depended on its image as the women’s no-frills summer shoe to keep sales moving.
But over time, competition from Sam & Libby and Easy Spirit brands have been
nipping at the heels of Keds. As part of its effort to revitalize the brand several years
ago, Keds’s advertising agency developed a campaign that focuses on the warm, close
relationships between mothers and daughters. According to an issue of Brandweek
magazine at the time, “The new ads really go for the heart.” Copy on the first ad
included the mother saying, “She was my first, I could never tell her how to dress,” with
the daughter saying, “She made me feel pretty even when I had braces.”Which of these
segmentation techniques would provide the most insight for Keds’s advertising agency
in the creation of its advertisements?
a. emergent
b. lifestyle
c. geographic
d. usage pattern
Which of the following claims demonstrates puffery in advertising?
a. “Only Crest Earns the Dental Seal of Approval Among All Major Brands!”
b. “Ford Trucks Have Lower MPG than Chevy Trucks!”
c. “Tide Beats Cheer in Sales 8th Year in a Row!”
d. “World’s Best Cup of Coffee Served with a Smile Here!”
American Express is dissatisfied with the degree of penetration of its Gold Rewards
Plus card in the U.S. market. Marketing managers at American Express feel that the
firm needs to increase advertising to small entrepreneurial businesses to encourage
more acceptance of the card for use in purchasing office supplies and durable goods like
computers and office furniture. American Express feels that to accomplish the goal of
increased penetration in this sector, the budget should be based on communications
objectives aimed at certain target markets.American Express has decided to do a
specific type of analysis that focuses on reach, frequency, time frame, production costs,
media expenditures, and other specific elements. These factors are always included in
a(n) _____ analysis.
a. market
b. situation
c. build-up
d. industry
Joe Rowan walked into Pederson Toyota one day and began looking at price stickers on
Toyota Camrys. He was interested in that model because he had seen a number of
television and magazine ads describing the car’s features and reputation for reliability.
After closely examining the stickers, Joe noticed a line that said “Dealer Promotion
Allowance-$125.00.” Joe asked a salesperson what that meant. The salesman replied
that it was a charge that helped the dealership pay for local advertising to encourage
consumers to shop at that particular dealer. After further discussion, Joe learned that
almost 5 percent of the cost of the vehicle comes from expense for national and local
advertising.Which government agency might eventually be reviewing the case if Joe
felt he should file a complaint about advertising in the automotive industry?
a. the Consumer Finance Protection Agency
b. the Federal Communications Commission
c. the Federal Trade Commission
d. the Consumer Federation of America
Billboards offer several strong advantages, but they are most effective as a promotional
medium when they are in a location that
a. sends a message to a national market.
b. incorporates specialized lighting.
c. relates to an immediate need or desire.
d. offers around-the-clock exposure.
At present, which form of direct marketing is considered the most controversial?
a. direct mail
b. telemarketing
c. bulk email
d. infomercial
Advertising has never been able to point out or activate a need state, but it has been able
to provide information on how to alleviate the discomfort of an existing unfulfilled
need.
The world of advertising “discovered” African Americans in the 1950s, Hispanics in the
1960s, gays and lesbians in the 1970s, and working women in the 1980s.
What is meant by the term direct marketing? What elements have contributed to its
growth and popularity in recent years? What are the three principal purposes that a
direct marketing program could serve for a company?
What is the definition of a brand? Why is so much emphasis put on “brands” and
“branding” in today’s marketing?
If you are ever going to understand advertising, you have to understand that objects
have social meanings.
Creativity is very different depending on the domain in which it exists.
Companies can do well by spending advertising dollars to target nonusers over other
user groups, since they offer the highest level of opportunity.
Rituals can take the form of ordinary things that are done in a certain way – not
randomly – and are performed in the same way by people of all cultures.
An advertising plan is designed to create sales strategies for the client in a process that
is totally separate from the overall marketing plan.
It may seem strange to think of our own email or a website we visit as “media,” but they
are ways to reach us as consumers, so that’s how advertisers view them.