white paper Back to Basics Series: What Can Advertising Accomplish SUMMARY • Product advertising differentiates product
• Promotional
advertising communicates a compelling reason to buy now
All too often advertising is created without a clear understanding of what it is supposed to accomplish. As a result, the creative can be stifled and the campaign can lose its effectiveness. But the key to deciding what the role of the advertising should be lies in an understanding of the what the advertising can do. A review of these principles from time to time can be helpful even though we've all heard it a thousand times before.
• Brand
advertising communicates brand attributes
All too often advertising is created
portant to tell consumers about su-
without a clear understanding of
perior features or attributes of one
what it is supposed to accomplish. As
product versus another. As products
a result, the creative can be stifled
became more homogeneous it be-
and the campaign can lose its effec-
came harder to differentiate on the
tiveness. But the key to deciding
basis of features and attributes, and
what the role of the advertising
advertisers were forced to uncover
should be lies in an understanding of
subtle "benefit" differentiators.
the what the advertising can do. A review of these principles from time to time can be helpful - even though we've all heard it a thousand times before. It is useful to think of advertising in
tween a feature, an attribute and a benefit is important because they are hierarchical in terms of their ability to communicate. A feature is something about the product (e.g. twin
terms of three broad categories:
rear-view mirrors; a price of $100;
Product, Promotional and Brand.
Teflon coated). An attribute is the
Product Advertising Historically, this is why advertising
functional result of the feature
was invented - to inform consumers about a product. As competition 416.967.3337 www.proteanstrategies.com
Understanding the difference be-
grew, so it became increasingly im-
(unobstructed rear view, priced lower than the competition, easy to clean) and a benefit clarifies how this is important to the consumer (safer driv-
“The strategic premise behind promotional advertising give the consumer an ongoing set of exciting reasons to visit your location/buy your product is fundamental.”
ing means lower insurance rates;
ers mind, the only differentiating fac-
more money to spend on other
tor for the product or service; at
things; more time to spend with the
which point the consumer becomes
family). It is generally quicker for the
addicted to the discount or premium,
audience to understand a feature
and does not see any inherent value
than an attribute, and an attribute is
in the product. This is how discount
easier to explain and likely more uni-
brands often develop in spite of the
versal than a benefit. Determining
best efforts of the marketers (Hudson
which of these is likely to differenti-
Bay Company please step forward!)
ate the product most clearly does not impact the tone of the creative: features, attributes or benefits can all be framed in functional or emotional terms - it depends entirely on the consumer insight that informs the creative.
Brand Advertising Brand advertising single mindedly communicates information about the people who make or present the product, and what they stand for in terms that are judged to be important to consumers. This information
Promotional Advertising This is the realm developed by retail-
(often called brand attributes) can be
ers and service industries and
ity is a functional attribute; trustwor-
adopted by manufacturers to support
thy is an ethereal attribute. And
sales and distribution efforts. Promo-
again, any brand attribute can be
tional advertising must accomplish a
framed in either functional or emo-
single task - get consumers to buy
tional terms depending on the con-
something now. Generally, promo-
sumer insights that lead the creative
tional advertising communicates a
development.
distinct reason why buying now is a better idea than buying later.
functional or ethereal in nature: qual-
While brand advertising does not result in immediate sales, it is essential
Promotional advertising is always
to the long term survival of the com-
based on a limited time offer - if
pany for three reasons:
whatever it is that is being promoted is not time-restricted, it becomes a product feature and should be treated as such.
♦ A strong brand pre-empts compe-
tition (it may be possible to duplicate every aspect of the product, but it is never possible to duplicate
The strategic premise behind promo-
the attributes of a well established
tional advertising - give the con-
brand)
sumer an ongoing set of exciting reasons to visit your location/buy your
♦ It supports premium pricing: it is
product - is fundamental to. How-
well documented that consumers
ever, it often becomes a trap - if not
are willing to pay more for the
balanced by product or brand adver-
promise a brand brings to the pur-
tising, it will become, in the consum-
chase Page 2
♦ It builds value for shareholders
“...brands that focus on on-line advertising are gradually diminished, victimised by McLuhan's historical conclusion that the medium in the message
over and above immediate sales
brands would like people to have of
results - increasingly companies
the experience they deliver.
are including the value of their brands on the balance sheet as a significant component of the corporate asset base. This valuation is directly dependant on the effectiveness of the brand development exercise, a large component of which is the advertising investment. ♦ It sets up expectations which play
efficient. ”
influenced by negative social buzz. However, it is clear that they are influenced by positive buzz, formerly called recommendations by friends. Both of these unintended effects of the digital space can be mitigated by understanding that brand advertising messaging is processed and evalu-
(which, in this day and age, really
ated .
is the essence of most brands). By
Rules and dogma
managing expectations through brand advertising, marketers can manage the experience.
advertising, as we understand it, is
cheap and
not clear that people are dramatically
evaluate the overall experience
the internet is and furious,
justice to the brand. Fortunately it is
can set the context in which on-line
message of one of fast
Similarly, social media may not do
a critical role in the way people
The rule of unintended consequences It is tempting to believe that brand
— and the
aligned with the expectations many
Laurence Bernstein is the founder and managing partner of Protean Strategies/The Bay
no longer a necessary part of the ad-
Charles Consulting
vertising mix. After all, consumers
Group Limited. He has
are increasingly turning to the inter-
been a leading proponent of the “new order
net to inform themselves about prod-
of differentiation” and
ucts and services and via social me-
has written and lectured
dia are being strongly influenced in
on the subject of experiential branding and in-
terms of soft evaluation (emotional
trinsic/extrinsic research methodologies in Can-
links, etc.). This does not hold true in the real
ada, the US and China. Laurence has held senior positions in major global agencies Saatchi and Saatchi, TBWA,
world — brands that focus on on-line
Young and Rubicam. In addition he has worked
advertising are gradually diminished,
on the client side with Westin Hotels and was
victimised by McLuhan's historical conclusion that the medium in the message — and the message of the internet is one of fast and furious,
the EVP of the Canadian Restaurant Association. Laurence attended the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and Cornell University in Ithaca , New York
cheap and efficient. Not necessarily Page 3
While generally speaking "rules" don't make for great advertising, it is a good idea to develop a dogma relating to the role of the advertising
“With this foundation the advertising can be evaluated on its creative merits (likeability, intrusiveness, impact, etc.),
and what it can accomplish: product advertising differentiates product; promotional advertising communicates a compelling reason to buy now; and brand advertising communicates brand attributes. With this foundation the advertising can be evaluated on its creative merits (likeability, intrusiveness, impact, etc.), as opposed to arbitrary edicts about what should or should not be included in the copy.
as opposed to arbitrary edicts about what should or should not be included in the copy.�
Protean Strategies is a Toronto based management consulting firm specializing in developing brand strategies and providing a full range of consumer research services. Since its inception in 1997, the firm has provided breakthrough strategies for leading Canadian and US brands, including General Motors, Fairmont Hotels, Canadian Tourism Commission, American Express, Dell Canada, Energizer Batteries, Unilever , Procter and Gamble, Allstate Insurance and advertising agency partners in Toronto, Calgary, New York City, Chicago , London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Shanghai. www.proteanstrategies.com 416.967.3337 Page 4