Research That Sells

One of the largest income-producing realms in the United States is advertising and it follows that those who are considered at the top of their game know how to determine the optimal manner in which to present a new product and launch a campaign. These elite marketing specialists know that many important components must be considered when preparing said campaign. In focusing upon Television as the medium of choice, the most important elements to consider are deciding upon who the target audience is and how to make the correct decisions accordingly; what kind of approach to use, for instance a logical presentation of the benefits of purchasing the product; and, finally, the style of the approach, including the visual, musical and possibly humorous qualities to be used. How these creative people make their choices proves to be involved and rather fascinating, but above all, key to their success.

In considering which approach to use, our ad executive must consider a range of variables. Is this truly a strong product which will deliver on its promises, or is it just another poseur with nothing much to offer but its caché? What is the target audience, and how will it best be addressed? This is where the executive’s research begins. He should attempt to obtain objective data concerning the selling points of the product, not relying upon the client’s possibly biased input. He must objectively scrutinize his product to discover its true strengths and weaknesses. As selling is a more specified form of persuasion, the results of this research will help determine the best persuasion theory to adopt in the forming and sending of the message.

If the product does, in fact, have a lot to offer, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) might be a good approach. TRA states that receivers are genuinely inclined to interpret a persuasive message and analyze it for its truths and relevance. By adopting this approach, the advertiser wants the receiver (the target audience) to see the logical benefit to adopting this message (and its concurrent behavior, such as purchasing the product) based on their attitudes and beliefs, as well as the soundness of the message’s points. This is, again, where the advertiser’s research continues, for he must determine if his target audience is indeed one that would process persuasive messages logically. If he determines that his audience does not consist of thirty to forty-five year-old women, but rather sixteen to twenty year-old “girls,” he must reconsider using the TRA approach as this audience is less likely to put in the effort to logically dissect a persuasive message.

Once the line of attack has been decided upon, the style of the persuasive message, or advertisement, must be selected. Will the message be presented in a straightforward, no-nonsense fashion; or will there be an element of entertainment as well? What choices will there be regarding mood? Visual and musical elements come into play at this juncture.

Here, again, knowing one’s audience can assist in choosing the direction for the style of the ad. Demographics and buying trends are forms of cold data that can be used to pinpoint to whom the message is to be directed. There are several sources for this kind of information, such as Prizm, P$ycle, ConneXions (all under the umbrella of Nielsen), Business.com and MarketResearch.com. One such website providing data on buying trends, G4 Analytics, describes its services by maintaining, “G4 Analytics helps the companies that make the stuff we buy know when, where, and how we're buying it” (Shafer, 2010).

From this point, knowing more specific cultural information about the audience, the executive can determine whether a sophisticated mood with corresponding art direction and music would be the most appropriate tack. There is no doubt that music choice has had a tremendous impact upon the success or failure of advertisements. “It is a symbiotic relationship that has provided brands with creative shortcuts to connect with their target audiences” (Derrick, 2009, ¶ 3). If the creative minds decide to “dumb down” the style of the ad for a less sophisticated audience, they could incorporate a memorable jingle. As British Arts journalist and writer, Al Senter, points out, “Jingles can be used to very good effect as a way of infusing your brand with positive associations and then embedding it in people's longterm memory. They can help make the consumer like your ad and, given that likeability is the most accurate predictor of ad effectiveness, it should not be underestimated" (2009, p. 30).

Another important element to be considered, regardless of the audience, is the use of humor, which has also proven to be an immensely potent tool in advertising. One effect it has is to put the audience more at ease and open to listening to the message. The receiver feels a let up that he will not be hard pressed to “work” at interpreting it; he can let his guard down. In essence, it can put him in a good mood; and as Jim Lyttle (2001,
¶ 5) points out, “According to persuasion theory, people who are in a good mood are less likely to disagree with a persuasive message (Freedman, Sears, & Carlsmith, 1978).”

Again, however, our ad man must consider his audience in determining what form the humor should take. If a more educated and economically flourishing one, then a more subtle form of playful humor would be suitable. If targeting college fraternity members, he would take a much more blatant humorous approach. Domestic beer advertising is a prime example of this style. The marketing agents appear to be targeting the most puerile, sophomoric audience by producing television ads that truly generate no information of substance, but instead present carnival-like situations of the broadest comedy – almost burlesque. There is no message here, just a hope that by providing entertainment with which the audience can strongly relate, a bonding will occur which will stimulate the purchase of their product. These agents of influence will often try to create a strong “branding” by incorporating memorable catchphrases. Who does not remember that brilliant motto, “Whassuuuuuup?!”?

This line of attack falls under another major persuasion theory, Elaboration Likelihood Method (ELM). ELM recognizes that, like the TRA, individual audience members often prefer to analyze the strength and validity of the message; however if the audience member has little involvement with or motivation to truly explore the message, or if it is a weak message with little substance, he might choose to interpret the message peripherally, utilizing more superficial methods for decision-making. As Charles S. Areni (2003, p. 349) reports, “Here, message recipients rely on simple cues (e.g., a physically attractive speaker) and/ or mental heuristics (e.g., ‘she's the expert, so I guess she's right’) to determine their attitudes toward the focal topic.”

Therefore, regardless of the target audience’s makeup, the advertiser could choose a peripheral approach to reach that audience at a more basic level. He would choose to entertain the audience rather than present a case for the benefits of purchasing the product. The goal here would be to create a positive feeling for the product and so a bonding of sorts. This can be accomplished by creating a truly entertaining presentation and/or focusing narrowly on the target’s cultural profile. An appeal for the purchase of basketball shoes might consist of a background of rap music with footage of a “street game” at an inner-city public basketball court. An even more effective supplement would be to have the well-known rapper appear on-camera at the end of the spot delivering the tag line.

A celebrity spokesperson is, after all, one of the most effective peripheral tools. This has the advantage of adding immediate source credibility, which goes a long way to accomplishing the advertiser’s goal, which is to create that likability for the product. Promoting just another facial cream with no special qualities other than superior packaging, the marketing agent would do well to have a Nicole Kidman, for instance, as a spokesperson. This would send the message that this gorgeous woman owes much of her exceptional beauty to the use of the product. “One factor that research has identified as a critical determinant of consumers’ willingness to buy a new item is the perceived risk associated with the purchase” (Grewal, Gotlieb & Marmorstein, 1994, p.145). Having a trusted source such as a celebrity spokesperson or a believable and trustworthy expert removes some of that perceived risk.

Consider the advertising campaign for Geico™ Insurance. What is the relevance of using a cute, little Cockney-accented, animated lizard as a “spokesperson” for insurance? Is there a logical tie-in with this character and the attributes of superior insurance? Of course there is not. The purpose of the likable little gecko is just that, an attempt to promote a feeling of likability and comradeship with the product.

To be at the top of their game, therefore, these advertisers must do their homework. They must know their product and consider its finest selling points (or lack thereof). They must know to whom they want to ideally direct their persuasive message and how to present it.

We can see, then, that constructing a successful marketing strategy for a new product entails combining various elements. One must establish a mood and style appropriate for the product itself, as well as for the individuals to whom the persuasive message is directed. This last is probably the most crucial piece of the puzzle – knowing whom you want listening to your message. The esteemed Greek philosopher, Socrates, is attributed with that discerning saying, “Know thyself.” If Socrates lived among us today and chose instead to be a top marketing executive, wishing to create the perfect advertisement, he would probably change that phrase to “Know thy audience.”


References
Areni, C. S. (2003). The effects of structural and grammatical variables on persuasion: An elaboration likelihood model perspective. Psychology & Marketing. Vol. 20,Iss. 4. Retrieved June 3, 2010, from Proquest Database.

Derrick, S. (2009). The brief, the ad, the music and the money. Campaign. p. 4. Retrieved May 29, 2010, from Proquest Database.

Grewal, D., Gotlieb, J. & Marmorstein, H. (1994, June). The moderating effects of message framing and source credibility on the price-perceived risk relationship. The Journal of Consumer Research. Vol. 21, No. 1. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from JSTOR Database.

Lyttle, J. (2001). The effectiveness of humor in persuasion: The case of business ethics training. The Journal of General Psychology, 128 (2), 206-217. Retrieved May 28, 2010, from Proquest Database.

Senter, A. (2009). Jingles all the way. Campaign. p. 30. Retrieved May 27, from, Proquest Database.

Shafer, S. (2010). Fact sheet. G4 Analytics.com. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from Proquest Database.