Creative Strategy and the Creative Process

Lecture 9

Authors and Encoding

• In Marketing Communication, the process of “encoding” was discussed. That is, the conversion of concepts into symbols.

• This is the responsibility of the “Creative Team”.

• The team’s copywriter develops the VERBAL message.

• The copywriter works with the Art Director who is responsible for the NON-VERBAL message.

• Together they work under the supervision of the Creative Director who is responsible entirely for the ad.

• As a group, they are referred to as “CREATIVES”.

What makes these ads “great?”

What makes these ads “great?”

What makes these ads “great?”

What makes these ads “great?”

Dimensions relating to “greatness”

TWO main dimensions:

1. The Resonance Dimension: Echo, reverberate or vibrate. It may echo in the audience’s ears or it my reverberate and give them good vibes. This is owed to the BOOM factor. The BOOM factor is meant to grab your attention in the first glance.

Dimensions relating to “greatness”

2. The Relevance Dimension: this relates to strategic relevance. E.g., ads for Vaseline are intended for softer skin. Therefore, the ad must be relevant to the core strategy or what may be the competitive advantage for that product.

Consists of the following elements:

• The problem that must be addressed.• The objective for advertising. • Define target audience.• The key benefits to communicate.• Support for those benefits.• The brand’s personality.• Any special requirements.

Writing the Creative Strategy

Elements of Message Strategy

Consists of THREE major components:

1. Verbal: guidelines for what the advertisement should say; considerations that affect the choice of words.

2. Nonverbal: overall nature of the ad’s graphics or any visuals that are used.

3. Technical: preferred execution approach and mechanical outcome, including budget an scheduling limitations.

Role of Creativity in Advertising

• Creativity helps to inform. E.g., “Fly the friendly skies”.

• Creativity helps in persuading. E.g., the Energizer bunny— “keeps going and going and going”.

• Creativity helps advertising remind. E.g., Nike logo sometimes used in place of the name itself.

• Creativity puts the “boom” in advertising.

The Creative ProcessFOUR distinct roles:

1. The Explorer: searches for new information, paying attention to unusual patterns. The explorer also brainstorms: in which two or more people get together to generate new ideas.

2. The Artist: must accomplish two roles:• Develop the BIG idea: needs to conceptualize and bring

the idea to life.• Implement the BIG idea: by graphically enhancing the idea

and creating a “mood”.

3. The Judge: this is when the creatives evaluate the practicality of their big ideas and whether to implement, modify or discard them.

The Creative Process

4. The Warrior: carries the concept into action. This means getting the idea approved, produced and placed in the media. Part of the Warrior’s strategy may be to help account managers present the campaign. Five key components to SELL idea:

– Strategic Precision: selling idea is strategy based.

– Savvy psychology: should be receiver driven and meet needs.

– Slick Presentation: must use visuals and emotional appeals.

– Structural Persuasion: the presentation should be well structured since most clients relate well to organized thinking.

– Solve the problem: solve the client’s key problem and you will sell with style.

The Creative Process