Lecture 9-10: Creative strategy and execution

Creativity in marcoms
overview

Creative strategy
development

Creative strategy
execution
 Major decisions in marketing communications
Business & brand Competitors, target audience, Job to be
issues media landscape done
Research

Objectives
Decisions
& Strategy

Creative strategy Media planning

development & execution

Implementation, monitoring

Evaluation
Divergence Relevance
• Unexpected • Meaningful
• Inconsistent • Valuable Creativity is the ability to bring
• Original • Credible
together inconsistent elements &
make connections.

Smith &Yang, 2004

Fill & Turnbull, 2023, Chapter 14, p.482

 Greater attention

Greater divergence
Better message
(originality) &
processing
relevance
Heightened
motivation to
process the
message

Higher recall and recognition

 MacKenzie, S. B., Lutz. R. J., & Belch, G. E. (1986).
Behavior
intention
Effective creative message in marcoms

• Original
Divergent • Novel
• Unexpecting

• Connected,
Relevant • Meaningful

• Change of
Impactful TA’s attitude &
behavior
 The creative process

James Webb Young

Reality or
Immersion Digestion Incubation Illumination
Illumination
verification
Creative process
4

Graham Wallas Verification

2 3
1

Preparation Incubation Illumination

 Creative messages can fail
• Brand remains unknown • Imprecise brand positioning in message
development
• Incompatibility with support media
• Irrelevant to target audience insight
• Too much creativity leading to customer’s
• Inability to stand out of the “crowd”
distraction
Challenges in developing effective creative strategy

Impact, KPI, ROI Strategic

Business
consistency

Society Art

Values & norms Emotional &

standard aesthetic touch
Creative strategy development & execution process

Creative
Task
Creative brief agency
analysis
selection
Marketing Marketing + Consultant Marketing + Consultant

Copy Concept Concept

development validation development
Agency Marketing Agency

Approval by Final
Copy testing
managers production
Marketing Marketing + Consultant Agency
 Creative personnel in agency
Responsible for the
graphic image of the
Responsible for the creative work
management and completion Art director
of the creative work
Creative
manager
Copywriters
Responsible for the
content writing of the
Responsible for the fit creative work
between the creative work &
media schedules

Media manager Account

/executives planner
Responsible for the
Responsible for the Production connection between
concept/idea execution of manager client’s brief and the
the creative work creative work
/executives
Creativity in marcoms
overview

Creative strategy
development

Creative strategy
execution
Communication Audience
engagement
goals

Creative strategy
& execution
Big Idea …
The overarching message that underpins all elements of a
campaign in order to resonate with the target audience
Sources for concept (big Idea) development

• In-depth qualitative research to uncover

target audience’s insight leading them to
brand engagement

BIG IDEA • Target audience insight is an inspirational

source for big idea development
 Brand role in big idea development

What relates best

Product
benefits to brand identity?
1 Environment Brand values
& competitive and personality
context
3
Brand
Target
essence
audience
2 insight Reasons to
Business believe
objectives Big Idea
Discriminators (Concept)

Source: adapted from Fitzgerald et al. (2000); www.unilever.com

Input for developing effective creative strategy

• Target audience
• Demographic profile
• Product usage information

• Client/brand
• Marketing strategy
• Main selling points
• Client’s product performance
• Competitor’s product performance
 Source of information

Extensive search Product use / Listening to what

about product and consumption to get others talk and
market familiarity share

Ask anyone who

Interview target Infiltrate client can provide
audience business activity information

Brand manager Account manager Creative teams

(Client) (Agency) (Agency)
 Creative brief
• Business problem or issue: WHAT are the communication tasks?
• Target audience and key insight: WHO to address and HOW is the best way?
• Branding strategy: WHAT is the brand identity?
• Communication objectives: WHAT is the desired response?
• Big Idea: WHAT key message should target audience gets?
• Media consideration: WHEN, WHERE, HOW MUCH (HOW LONG)
• Creative direction: WHAT remarks for message execution (tone, mood…) ?
Creative brief: Part 1
CONTEXT
Current situation and issues Business and marketing performance, communication
tasks

Business and marketing Growth in sales, shares of market, shares of voice,

objectives brand notoriety and image,...
Brand strategy Brand essence and value, brand personality, reasons
to belief, …

Other information about the If available

market and competition, Ex. Coca Cola comes always with happiness, TH
instructions to follow Truemilk has “true” in every copy
Creative brief: Part 2
CREATIVE STRATEGY
Communication objectives Specific tasks for the messages to address (sometimes
translated in terms of changes in customer’s perception,
attitudes toward the product and brand
Target audience Information in target audience profile, psychography,
motivation, consumption behavior, media habit …

Insight Highlight focus in specific customer’s pain point or unsolved

need to address
Big idea Most fundamental thing to say, sometimes pronounced as a
strong statement
Creative brief: Part 3
DETAILS FOR EXECUTION
Timing Campaign agenda
Key dates to agencies for proposal submission
and pitching
Budget Production cost included or not
Feedback and revision Facultative
Criteria for approval Facultative
Other requirement or conditions Specific notices (examples support media, in-
field constraints)

Approval Signature of clients and agencies

 Example: The Grant
Business problem

➢Reasonably priced apartments in Washington D.C.

➢Well-made (granite, hardwood, appliances)

➢Near restaurants, bars & mass transportation

➢The problem? The units are small, sales have declined recently.
Price is the lure.
 Target audience
• Primary target audience:
➢Young, first-time buyers
➢Earn $40,000+
➢Currently live with roommates
• Secondary target audience:
➢ Businesses providing housing for extended-stay visitors,
➢ Long-distance commuters, etc
 Creative direction
• Remind target of problems associated with renting and roommates
• Message: simple, unexpected and relevant
• Entice target to go to the Grant’s website for more information and to schedule a visit.
• All urls pointed to same landing page
• Advertise in alternative and gay newspapers, bar coasters and bus shelters
• Beer coasters in local bars
Creativity in marcoms
overview

Creative strategy
development

Creative strategy
execution