Category: Brand

The role and functions of advertising within the context of the marketing mix

Apple with its recent advert for iPad dubbed we’ll always clearly shows potential viewers some of the various application of the gadget. The advert takes it is very clear that how we are going to carry out our day to day tasks has completely hanged. For instance, through photos, sharing memories will be a continuous thing, we can be able to get an opportunity to read our favorite book, cook dinner from guidance from the gadget, watch and cheer for our favorite teams in cricket, football, and other games, attend the meeting, make home movies among many more things. The advert is complemented with the visual demonstration this leaves no one with doubt of what the iPad can do for them (Aaker, 1997). It is also useful for children as they can use it to write and study. The effectiveness of the gadget can not be easily argued against. The advert also is crafted in a manner that pushes people or the target audience to see it as a very important gadget that enhances human life.

It is worth noting that advertising is a collection of various activities in which both visual as well as oral messages are utilized in making sure that certain information reaches a target group so that they are informed and influenced to purchase the product or service being advertised. Similarly, such efforts might be to make such individuals act in favor of the advertised ideas, persons, or trademark being featured. There is no doubt that advertisement is closely linked to the marketing mix (Beasley, 2002). The purpose of the marketing mix or promotion mix is to create demand for a given product or service and even ideas so that sales are achieved. Three main techniques used for promotion mix include advertising, promotion as well as personal selling. Based on the concept of the marketing mix, the four P’s which as price, promotion, product, and placement are central to advertisement. A well thought out advertisement will indeed constitute all of the four P’s. For instance, any advertisement should indeed have a product or services before such an effort is made (Aaker, 1996). A product is a tangible good or intangible services manufactured on a large scale or services such as tourism, hospitality services among others.

In line with the product, advertisement is aimed at ensuring that the target audience is well informed of what the product or service is, what it can do, how efficient as well as what it cannot do. This concept will thus attract the target audience to desire to know more about the item being advertised. In the case of iPad, recent ad parents who have children in preschool will be attracted to the bit where the iPad can be used as a learning tool by children (Wernick, 1991). This will prompt them to know more about the product and probably buy one for the family used based on the subsequent three aspects. In most cases, advertisement usually tales the target audience how much they are expected to pay for the product or service being advertised. This will help them decide whether they will buy the same or not. Based on the response from the target audience, the organization or firm will adjust the price accordingly. For instance, when the buying response is too low, a firm may resort to a slight cut down on the price. More importantly, advertisement usually ends up letting the target audience how they can get the service or product if they so wish. This bit is termed as placement and an advertisement that fails to do this is deemed ineffective (Aaker, Fournier & Brasel, 2004).

In the real sense, advertisement is aimed at bringing attention as well as tension to potential as well as present consumers of a given product or service. This is important in the situation where the company is new or the product or service at hand is a new one. Additionally, advertising is used to help increase sales, especially during slow periods. On the same note, the concept is used so that the public image of a firm is improved. This is particularly true in case a firm had a rough time at one point in time and it is only through an advertisement that they can gain public confidence. Last and more importantly advertisement is used to induce the current consumers to buy more (Petley & Julian, 2002). This is the case with Apple, they have developed very sophisticated gadgets already in the market and still entice the target population to buy more so that the consumers can feel what the new gadget brings to their lives. These aforementioned roles of advertisement clearly explain how advertisement fits into the communication mix. Advertising knowledge and application

Advertising is the most important contributor to brand and personality

It has been argued that advertisement not only creates awareness of a certain good, product, or service but goes further in impacting brand image as well as brand personality. Brand personality has been thought of as the set of human characteristics that are exhibited linked to a given brand. Literature has it that customers usually find it natural to be associated with personality traits, for instance, honest, cheerful, charming and the likes all this tend to be distinct. Traditionally, brand personality traits are believed to be associated with the target audience through those people who represent it for instance typical user of a product, employees of a company among others (direct brand personality). On the other hand, indirect brand personality where a brand personality is conceptualized based on the processes by which individuals attribute personality characteristics to others (Lears, 1995).

Advertisement through whatever means, radio, print, and television has the capability of positively impacting on the same. On the other hand, brand image has been defined as a unique differentiated set of associations within the mind of a target audience. Ideally, it usually shows what the brand is currently meant to the mindset of potential as well as current consumers (Berger & Mitchell,1989) Additionally brand image all about how a given brand is positioned in the market, the character of an organization. Ideally, brand image has certain elements which include a unique logo, reflecting the organization’s image, statements that describe the firm belief in the business. Brand image is indeed the overall impression in the mind of the customer usually formed from all sources advertising being one of them. Through advertisement, consumers tend to develop certain associations with a given brand (Schultx, William & Lisa, 1998). It is based on the linked association between what is in the customer’s mind that a brand image is formed. On the same line of reasoning, the subjective perceptions of specific association bundles help in forming the brand image. It is a fact that motor vehicles such as Volvo and Toyota are linked or associated with safety and reliability respectively.

Having in mind that consumers usually buy not only the service or product but also the image which is linked to the same, there is a need to create a positive, unique, and instant brand image. Through advertisement, it is possible if the whole idea is well thought out to help convey as well as develop the character of the product in a differentiated manner from its competitors. Advertisement usually brings with it the idea of the brand attribute to consumers. Here all those functions as well as a mental connection with the brand that the consumers have is created via the messages portrayed during the advertisement. Additionally, the concepts associated with all types of benefits which have been generally thought of as the rationale for buying a certain product or service are usually created through advertisement. During the advertisement, what an organization or its product does better is brought out. For instance, in the case of the iPad recent advert, he showcasing all those activities that are supported by the gadget makes one feel the urge to buy it.

Going back and talking about building brand personality, advertisement works well in doing so. Because brands usually carry in them a true persona, beliefs as well as experiences similar to a personality, a brand can be thus seen at a different and a higher level. Advertising as well as branding experts concur that it is indeed very difficult for one not to like someone who has a strong personality. Through advertisement, an organization can use personality development to help humanize a service or product that is inanimate this in the long run aid in making a prospect’s defense go down.

After publicizing an individual who has some good personalities, using such individuals to advertise the product at hand helps an organization to experience the advantage of the personality pre-selling their products or services before the actual purchase. In the long run, this ends up forging an emotional link between potential buyers and the brand. It is worth noting that through advertisement, the various sources of brand personality dimension are in one way or the other brought out very clearly. These dimensions include the following; company’s employees, directors, endorsers, typical brand users, product attributes, word of mouth, online consumer community, company’s moral values, country of origin, retail stores, price, brand logo, brand name, own experience as well as a product category.

Advantages and disadvantages of print media, broadcasting, and interactive advertising

Print media

Advantages

Among the advantages of print media include the following; Different types of print media (newspapers and magazines) have a loyal readership. This can be very useful for advertisers as compared to advertising on the Internet. Additionally, if you are targeting a particular geographical area, you can do so with ease through print media. For example, a local newspaper would be the best medium to advertise a new shopping complex. Similarly one can choose the size of the advertisement space. This will help to plan the budget of the expenses to be incurred while advertising. Also, certain forms of print media have a very loyal fan following in terms of readers. This would guarantee a firm advertising added readership. Magazines and newspapers are always in the eye of the public. Magazines are read for a month, which brings more attention to an advertisement. Lastly and more importantly one can even advertise through brochures or leaflets depending upon the target audience. If the information is in detail, a brochure can prove to be an apt option. A leaflet, in that case, would be useful for a brief message.

Disadvantages

Despite the advantages mentioned above, print media is linked to several demerits. The cost incurred can sometimes be expensive considering the medium you choose. The shelf life of any particular print medium is limited. Newspapers, for example, are in the public eye only for a day this means that individuals who cannot access the paper will have missed the chance to get the desired information. This medium may not always give you a wide reach. Internet, on the other hand, can target a global audience. There is a limitation in terms of the kind of people who may read your message. The particular newspaper may not be accessible every time to your target group, which means, your message may be missed! The Internet, on the other hand, can be accessed from anywhere. You may have to plan months to advertise in print media. It does not offer you flexibility when you are faced with a tight deadline. Advertisements may get lost in all the clutter of editorial and ads by competitors.

Interactive advertising media

Advantages

Among the advantages of interactive advertising, media include the following; it allows one to reach a huge number of people in a given geographic area, an organization intending to advertise has the flexibility in deciding the ad size and placement within the newspaper. Additionally, the ad can be as large as necessary to communicate as much of a story as you care to tell (Clow & Baack, 2007). More importantly, exposure to your ad is not limited; readers can go back to your message again and again if so desired. Free help in creating and producing ad copy is usually available hence making it more desirable. There is the ability of a Quick turn-around which will help the ad to reflect the changing market conditions. The ad one decides to run today can be in your customers’ hands in one to two days.

Disadvantages

On the other hand, this medium has some demerits or drawbacks. Among them include; advertising space can be expensive. Your ad has to compete against the clutter of other advertisers, including the giant’s ads run by supermarkets and department stores as well as the ads of your competitors (Trivedi & Minakshi, 1998). Poor photo reproduction limits creativity. Newspapers are a price-oriented medium; most ads are for sales expect your ad to have a short shelf life, as newspapers are usually read once and then discarded. Unfortunately, it may happen that one may be paying to send advertising messages to a lot of people who will probably never be in the market to buy from you. Additionally, newspapers are a highly visible medium, so your competitors can quickly react to your prices. Lastly and more importantly, with the increasing popularity of the internet, newspapers face declining readership and market penetration. A growing number of readers now skip the print version of the newspaper (and hence the print ads) and instead read the online version of the publication. This makes the print ad not to reach the target audience.

Broadcast media – TV, cinema, radio

Advantages

All kinds of programs are easily known thus bringing the advantage of viewers to be successfully targeted. One can enjoy the films while sitting at one’s own house, among the members of the family. It also helps in removing the social and political evils from society. Broadcasting helps in educating the people regarding the corruption, prevailing in the social and political spheres

Disadvantages

People become lazy and shirk work because they spend too much time listening to the radio or watching TV. Television affects the eye-sight hence people will only take time to see the programs they are interested in and take off when some ‘unnecessary things’ are being aired. Their repair is very costly and a man with ordinary means may not be able to afford it making it a biased way of advertising since the intended message will only be absorbed by a certain group of individuals, those with television sets.

Advantages and disadvantages of public relation, sales promotion, and direct marketing

Direct marketing

Direct marketing is where manufactures carry business directly to top consumers, this is with no middle men in between the two. It is worth noting that it is accomplished through mailing the consumer or contacting him directly, this is aimed at making sure that he or she knows about the products as well as services available (Graydon, 2003).

Advantages

This approach brings with it the advantage of covering a wider geographic area. An organization can segment the target audience in terms of region. Both local and international audiences can be approached easily and with specific messages. This in itself brings another advantage where target messages can be tailored to a specific group. With the availability of digital printing equipment, it is possible to display different images, design, and offer the same in direct mail based on the recipient.

Additionally, this method has been hailed to be the best when building a warm and long lasting relationship between manufacturers and consumers. This can be used to create dialogue as well as create a push-pull plan. Through this approach, it is also possible for an organization to continuously test what will work as a combination of best marketing tools. Last but not least, direct mailing allows for rapid delivery. On the same note, the method is indeed cost-effective because once a customer is met; the firm can still use him or her to take advantage of multiple sales.

Disadvantages

The drawbacks associated with direct mailing include the following; the target audience may time feel that their privacy is being infringed and may not endorse such messages. Although it is a rapid way of delivering information, it is usually challenging to get the immediate impact of the same. On the same note, some specific laws and regulations prohibit the use of fliers and street advertisements this will limit its application.

Sales promotion

Ideally, sales promotion is a marketing method that is intended to attract a buyer to take a specific action such as make a purchase or request more information. It takes place for a small period so that it can help create urgency amongst the target audience.

Advantages

The promotion has the capability of ensuring that the target audience is provided with more information with regards to a product or service. Such information can be very beneficial in helping potential buyers to decide to buy such products although they initially thought of them as being complex and unfamiliar to them. Additionally, it is one way to lure new customers with prices (Magne & Natalia, 2004). Sales promotion is usually characterized by lowered prices on certain products. This helps in luring customers away from competitors. Additionally, through sales promotion, it is possible to gain community favor. This is usually attained when the promotion is staged to support a worthy cause. On the same note, sales promotion can be used to encourage consumers to adopt the culture of repeat purchases (Kirmani & Zeithaml, 1993).

Disadvantages

One setback of sales promotion is that the ideas even though are new can be easily cloned by competitors. With more creativity and innovation, they can spice up the concept hence rendering the one who initiated it to be in trouble. Similarly, sales promotion is a concept that is carried out for a short period giving a boost to sales on a short-term basis. However, it has been established that such an event may negatively impact the firm in the future such as dilution of the quality of a brand image. On the same line of reasoning, consumers have mastered the way to milk this idea of sales promotion. For instance, consumers may wait till the day of the promotion so that they buy some products.

Public relation

Advantages

Public relation as a mode of communication has several advantages. Among them include; it offers the target audience more information. When a firm takes time to think about how to come up with a successful public relation, there are chances that the audience will be provided with more detailed information about the firm as well as the product. This will indeed help shape their thought about the firm and its brand (Blattberg & Scott, 1995).

Additionally, there are chances that the information can get to reach millions of people within a short period. Usually depending on the medium used, to share the information intended, the same may be picked by a large portion of the audience who may act as ambassadors and continue sharing the same messages. Lastly and more importantly, public relation makes it possible for a firm to successfully target a specific market segment based on certain market segmentation attributes such as age, gender, and occupation (Cook, 2001).

Disadvantages

It is worth noting that public relations can result in loss of control. Even though an employee of a firm is interviewed with a media house or a newspaper the experience is indeed wonderful but the one being interviewed has no control over what will be printed hence it may be possible for the intended information not to be conveyed to the target audience. On the same note, there is the possibility of the message to be changed; this is true particularly where a firm press release is re-crafted so that it can fit the media house editorial requirements. More importantly, there are chances that a story from a firm might be met with a more interesting story. This will lead the target audience to shift their focus to a more interesting story (Batra, Lehmann & Singh, 1993).

References

Aaker, D. 1996. Building strong brands. New York: The Free Press.

Aaker, J., Fournier, S. & Brasel, A. 2004. When good brands do bad. Journal of Consumer Research, 1-16.

Aaker, J.1997. Dimensions of Brand Personality. Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 34no.. 3, 347-356.

Batra, R., Lehmann, D & Singh, D. 1993. “The brand personality component of brand goodwill: Some antecedents and consequences”. In Aaker D.A. & Biel A.L. (Eds.), Brand Equity and Advertising (pp. 83-96). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Beasley, R. 2002. Persuasive Signs: The Semiotics of Advertising. Berlin, Germany: Walter deGruyter GmbH & KG.

Berger, I. & A. Mitchell, A.1989. The effect of advertising on attitude accessibility, attitude confidence, and the attitude-behavior relationship. Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 16 no.3, pp.269-279.

Blattberg, R. & Scott N. 1995. Sales Promotion: Concepts, Methods, Strategies. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Clow, E & Baack, D. 2007. Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications 3rd edition. London: Pearson Education.

Cook, G. 2001. The Discourse of Advertising. London: Routledge.

Graydon, S. 2003. Made You Look – How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know, Toronto: Annick Press.

Kirmani, A. & Zeithaml, V. 1993. Advertising, perceived quality, and brand image. In Aaker D.A. & Biel A.L. (Eds.), Brand Equity and Advertising (pp. 143-162). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Lears, J. 1995. Fables of Abundance: A Cultural History of Advertising in America, Basic Books.

Magne S. & Natalia M. 2004. “In search of the sources of brand personality. International Journal of Market Research, vol. 53 no. 1, Pp. 95-113.

McFall, Liz, Advertising: A Cultural Economy, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Meenaghan, T. 1995. The role of advertising in brand image development. Journal of Product and Brand Management, vol.4 no. 4, Pp. 23-34.

Petley, Julian (2002) “Advertising”. North Mankato, Minnesota: Smart Apple Media.

Schultx, E., William A., & Lisa A. 1998. Petrison. Sales Promotion Essentials. 3rd ed. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books.

Trivedi, E. & Minakshi, G. 1998. “A Communications Framework to Evaluate Sales Promotion Strategies.” Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 3 no2 pp. 35-47.

Wernick, A., 1991. “Promotional Culture: Advertising, Ideology and Symbolic Expression (Theory, Culture & Society S.)”, London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Messages

The key message to send to the target audience is “Buy our products as they are healthy and made with great care and love.” To deliver this message, I will use two different creative techniques. For Grand Opening, I will use the participation ad, and later, I will employ the dramatization of a benefit. Participation ad may be conducted in the form of filling in the blanks on the Grand Opening day. It will be effective because it will involve the visitors to express their opinions on the Kakao brand and its products. Also, customers will be able to talk about their expectations and give suggestions. A dramatization of a benefit is another effective technique that allows the brand to promote the best advantages of its products: being hand-made and being natural.

Schedule

Since the location of a new Kakao store is Four Seasons Resort, it is a good idea to plan its opening in summer. New visitors will come, and they will be able to taste and buy the products suggested by the Kakao brand. I think that June is the best option since vacations begin as early as this month, and I do not want to lose a single customer. Thus, the store should be opened in the first summer month.

The advertising activities should start a few months earlier. Such tactics will make it possible to let potential customers know about the future opening and encourage them to visit the store once it is opened and they come for their vacation. Local people will also have more time and opportunity to visit the store in summer. Therefore, June is the best choice for the Grand Opening.

The biggest part of the budget will be spent in the pre-opening months, and it will be invested in advertising. Adverts on TV, in magazines, and on Facebook will be the first signals of a new store opening. It is essential to organize promotional activities in the most effective way. The money spent on ads should not be wasted. Advertisements should play an excellent informative role and persuade people to buy Kakao chocolate and come to the Grand Opening of the new store in June.

Evaluation

To assess the project’s success, a variety of activities can be employed. First of all, it is necessary to check customers’ interest in the advertisement material. While it is difficult to trace how many people watched a TV advert or saw a magazine ad, it is quite easy to analyze how many people got interested in online promotional activities advertised via Facebook. Viewers either “like” a post or repost it to their page, and such reaction can be seen by the company. The more people react to promotional activities, the more successful a project will be considered. In this way, the incorporated tactics (adverts and Facebook activities) will be assessed, and the probability of their use in the future will be evaluated.

The best way to obtain feedback from the customers is via the internet. The company may ask people to leave their comments on the Facebook page or Kakao brand’s website. Also, customers may send emails telling what they like or dislike about the products. Finally, a special box can be put in the store where people would drop notes with their feedback.

The major aims of the project were creating awareness of the new store, increasing people’s knowledge about the Kakao brand, and motivating customers to attend the promotional events and buy Kakao chocolate. I daresay that the objectives were fully accomplished.

Introduction

In many advertisements, the use of images has been found to be more powerful in persuasion and information provision than mere words. This is due to their ability to reach a wider audience base, including those who are unable to read or write.

Since images produce clear mental images than mere words, their massive use in various advertisements impact more to the target groups than just mere words (Brown 2010, p 355). This paper presents a critique of the “All Colors”, an advertisement produced for “htc phone” brand.

Synopsis of “All Colours”

As it can be observed in the above advertisement for ‘htc’ phone, a variety of wildlife animals are seen coming out of the phone. More specifically, very powerful animals like tiger and snake are explosively coming out of the phone’s screen.

It has also been evidenced in this advertisement that, very beautiful birds are flying around the phone, whose origin definitely seems to be in the phone. The outlay of the phone presented seems sparkling, as reflected by light rays coming out of the phone’s body (Brave Designs 2007, p 1).

The background of the phone’s display is purple in color, blended with spots of green color. Close observation of this advertisement reveals a very attractive color blend of various objects within the phone. In fact, the overall presentation of this advertisement seems natural in the way various animals seem to interact with natural environment within the phone.

As it can be observed at the bottom of the advertisement, these writings are clearly seen: “All colors that nature can give”. One of the most significant features of this advertisement is that, the phone is displayed in a very attractive grey color. Generally, this advertisement is quite attractive in the way various wildlife animals are interacting with each other in natural environment (Brave Designs 2007, p 1).

Analysis of ‘All Colours’ Advertisement

According to Arikan (2008, p 39), the strategy of many advertisers of using visuals largely, with jus few word explanations is an effective strategy to enhance deeper understanding of the message being conveyed. It has been evidenced that, the use of eye appeal is more convincing than just mere words, since pictures contain a wider variety of cultural aspects.

Considering the use of colors and humor in many advertisements, efficiency and accuracy has been greatly achieved in conveying the information being relayed (Brown 2010, p 357). This reveals how image communication is one of the most popular among organizations and their clients or target groups to a greater extent.

As it is observed in this advertisement, the advertiser seems to make good use of color mix. By having a purplish background, the author depicts how sophisticated the phone is, in its underlying features. It should be noted that, purple color implies royal presentation, implying the magnificent nature of the in-built features of the phone being presented.

As a result, this advertisement is persuasive enough in the eyes of the consumer to entice him/her to buy the particular product. According to Lenscold (2003, p 71), the ability of an advertisement to portray meaningful colors in the eyes of the targeted consumer facilitates successful thriving of the product in the market, both in the long-run and the short-run.

As it can be noted in this advertisement, the mixing of colors throughout the advertisement is quite attractive and enticing. By painting the wild animals presented with their natural colors, reality is clearly brought out in this assignment. This is an implication that, the phone being presented is capable of bring imaginations into reality.

As depicted in the writings under the image, the advertiser reveals how powerful the phone is in few words, “all colors that nature can give”. In fact this advertisement is quite persuasive in the sense that, the phone is brought out as being naturally designed to meet all the needs of the user.

Considering the appealing nature of the color mix used, it’s definite that consumers are largely enticed to purchase the product (Brown 2010, p 359).

More so, humor appeal is largely achieved in this advertisement. Having a picture of a tiger explosively emerge through the display screen of the phone, the advertiser reveals how powerful the phone is to display natural objects as they were real in their natural settings.

By presenting other animals like the snake to be habiting in the display screen of this phone, the advertiser reveals how images and presentations in the phone would always look natural and attractive.

As evidenced by Brown (2010, p 353), the ability of presenting nature in advertisement is one of the most powerful techniques in advertising, since consumers are far much enticed in naturally presented products. On this basis, the presenter of this advertisement succeeds in arousing the urge of consumers to use the phone and experience the ultimate natural power of the phone.

From this advertisement, it is clear that the advertiser is aiming all age-groups since all aspects of this advertisement are conformable large target market. Since the objects in this advertisement reveal nature, funs of nature are largely targeted regardless of their age.

Having most of the aspects of this ad revolve around wildlife and natural colors, the advertisement seems persuasive enough to trigger buyers into buying the product due to alikeness to nature, rather than only being artificial product. Basically animation technique in this advertisement is largely employed, which has largely presented the product as being unique and special.

With reference to Arikan (2008, p 34), according the semiotic theory, this presentation enables the audience to rationalize the understanding and communication under the comprehension of the implications of the universe. Having natural presentation of wildlife in this advertisement, the advertiser has particularly,

However, it is important to consider the implication of certain images in this advertisement. Though the marketer seems to present nature through wildlife animals, some of the outlay of the animals arouses shock appeal in the eyes of the target group. For instance, the explosion of the display screen to emerge tiger is largely presenting shock appeal in the overall outlay of the advertisement.

Having snakes emerge from the display screen of the mobile phone may also arouse emotions of fear among the target group members. In fact the rhythm of the advertisement seems rough but not soothing since the animals brought out are really dangerous. On this basis this advertisement is not as effective as it may appear, since some people may be intimidated by the images presented in the outlay.

As held by Lenscold (2003, p 73), successful advertisements should be able to cultivate the feeling of being safe among the target group members. On this consideration, the advertisement shown has no likelihood of enticing large number of target audience as it may be anticipated.

As it can be observed in this advertisement, the mobile phone being advertisement seems scintillating, as reflected by some light rays emerging from its body. Definitely, this product is aiming the current generation which yearns for great and powerful electronic gadgets. Particularly, the advertisers’ message in this advertisement is to reveal how sophisticated and stylish the mobile phone is to the consumer.

In fact, the advertiser wants the audience to remember that, this phone will give them the opportunity to have majestic experience with the phone since it is specially designed to meet all the needs of the consumer.

On rational basis, sparkling of an object reflects how its underlying features are sophisticated beyond mere imagination. As depicted by Arikan (2008, p 37), the ability of an advertisement to arouse rational judgment of a certain commodity being advertised facilitates the success of such a commodity to the target group.

Importantly, this advertisement incorporates various objects and words to convey the ultimate message about the superiority of the mobile phone being advertised. With flying beautiful birds coming out of the phone, reinforced with use of appealing words, the ad seems quite persuasive to the consumers to purchase the particular product.

Particularly, integrated communication mix is ultimately depicted in this advertisement since a wide variety of communication non-verbal communication aspects are presented.

Basically, the medium in which the advertisement appears is quite critical in the eyes of the target audience since the integrated system enhances the presentation of the phone being advertised as having wide variety of features (Brown 2010, p 357). As a result, the product is perceived as an outstanding one in the eyes of the target audience, facilitating its success in the market.

Conclusion and Recommendations

As it has been revealed, the use of pictures in conveying information is a more accurate and efficient way of reaching the target group, rather than using only mere words. Through animating various objects, the attention of the consumers is created, facilitating their urge and desire to acquire the product.

As it has been observed in the advertisement shown, color mix is uniquely presented in the entire outlay of the advertisement to entice the target audience to purchase the product. Ultimately, the power of pictures to create accurate mental pictures among the target groups in various advertisements makes it more effective and efficient to over-rely on picture reinforced by few words, other than only using words alone.

It is quite important to note the way various images in the advertisement have been used to portray the underlying superiority of the mobile phone being advertised. As a result, the advertiser succeeds in arousing enthusiasm among the target audience to experience the unique features offered on the phone.

More so, emotional and rational appeals are both presented in this advertisement. By having terrible animals emerge out of the display screen of the mobile phone being advertised, fear is largely aroused among target audience. As a result, the advertiser seems inaccurate in his/her motives of persuading the audience to purchase the product being advertised.

It can therefore be recommended that, the advertisement uses more friendly animals like cats, dogs and other domesticated animals to avoid the arousal of fear among the target audience. Through using calm animals, the advertisement would be more accurate in enticing wider audience base.

List of References

Arikan, A. (2008). Multi-channel Marketing: The Power of Images in Advertising. New Jersey: Sybex Publishers. 35-49.

Brave Designs. (2007). All Colors: Designs and Interfaces/Advertising. Web.

Brown, J. (2010). The Power of Eye Appeal. Advertisements of the World, 34(2): 350- 379.

Lenscold, J. (2003). Marketing Strategies: The Path to Campaign, and Customer Persuasion Ways. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishers. 63-81.

Introduction

Advertising refers to the art of creating awareness about existence of a product to the target populace in a persuasive manner that will generate the desire for the consumption of the product. This can be done in a number of ways. The advertiser must first determine the desired message that should reach that should reach the customer, and the meanings that will possibly be encoded.

The advertiser must also know the product positioning desired of the brand in the market. The product can be positioned as health conscious, affordable, efficient, classy, and long lasting or a combination of two or more of such factors. Having determined the desired product positioning, the advertiser should then identify the preferred channels of communication to pass this message.

The channel will be determined by the target market, the target populace should be easily accessible through the selected targets. Chandler suggests that the encoding of the message should be done in a manner that avoids ambiguity or meaning distortion as much as possible.

Role of Advertising

“Advertising’s central function is to create desires that previously did not exist.” This statement gives the primary role of advertising. The main aim of the advertiser is to convince those who have not been using the product to try it. It means trying to achieve the maximum market share that the product can realize. Other than the need to inform customers about existence of a new product in the market or just the desire to remind them of market availability of such products, the main aim is to increase sales. The advertiser objective is to convince, not just to inform, the customers to try the products.

When Pepsi positions its Mountain Dew drink as affordable and full of flavor, the intention was to bring more individuals to consume the drink. Coca cola’s advert dubbed ‘stop drinking, enjoy’ brings this view closer home. It clearly urges customers “not to take one bottle of coke, but two”.

The intentions are very clear; buy more coke. These adverts are always structured in a manner that leaves the customers yearning for the experience brought about by consumption of such products. Such desires are the driving factors that would lead to demand creation of the product. The statement that “our desires are aroused and shaped by the demands of the system of production, not by the needs of society or the individuals” has two fronts. An individual’s desire is shaped by the current demands of the society. The society has a strong influence on individual’s demand.

Fashion is a factor that individual buyers like to take into consideration while purchasing a product. They do not want to appear outdated. This therefore means that the society has a great influence on customers’ desires. This is so especially among the youths. Their dress code or hairdo will always be in line with what the society currently consider classy.

Having determined that the society dictates the desire of the individuals, the next step will be to determine the drivers of the society’s demands. It is a common phenomenon to see individuals having one deign of dress, but after a short while, they assume another, which they accept once again overwhelmingly. Who shapes the societal desires then?

The designer, the production units, and the demands of the system of production shape the desires of the society. It therefore means that our desires are aroused and shaped by the demands of the system of production. The advertiser’s task will now be to persuade rather than to inform the society. The advertiser must understand the fact that individual buyers that make up the entire market depend on the society’s demand to generate their desire.

This society relies on the system of production to guide its desires. For this reason, an advertiser for ‘blue jeans’ must persuade the society that the garment is the most classical in the market. The bottom line is that the society must be convinced that this is the best product in the market. For an advertiser to achieve this, s/he must be in a position to persuade, not just to inform the society.

The society may already be informed about the products’ presence, but the most important thing will be to convince them that the product best serves their needs. The society will in turn influence the individuals. A negatively perceived product by the society will receive the same perception by the individuals.

Coca-Cola Summer Commercial 2011, Open Happiness

The advertisement, found at YouTube is very artistic. It starts with a young couple lying on a beach. This couple is joined by other youths the same age. This is meant to attract youths the same age. The rock music on the background is another attraction to the consumers of this age. The message is constructed in such a way that it brings out the idea that a bottle of this drinks bring out real happiness to those who are bored.

The advertiser intent was to reach to the youths, convince them that coca cola is full of happiness and that it brings out the love in your partner in the best way possible. The consumers’ interpretation of this is the same as what the advertiser intended for it. The consumers’ see the happy individuals, each with a bottle of coca cola and s/he is convinced that happiness is in this drink.

The youths, in the beach, at summer time having fun and cheering each other is a sign that this drink is suitable for parties and that it brings out the best in a person. However, complete avoidance of the middle aged and the aging group is a little discriminatory. It makes this group of individuals feel that this product is not meant for them.

This can reduce sales among this target market. The group below 16 years of age may not also identify with this ad, and this lowers the sale in this group. This not withstanding, this advert coherently brings into focus, the idea that the brand Coca-Cola is sensitive to consumers’ demands. It is able to convince customers that this brand has all the happiness that one may need.

I consider this advert to be a success. It is not only entertaining but also highly persuasive. The music, the background, the happy healthy youths, the cool blue waters the wonderful colors and the atmosphere created by all this leaves the viewer yearning to be party to it. Even the target segment that would have felt clearly ignored by this ad would admire it and this can make them be pool members. The brand image is perfectly brought out in this advert.

However, the overemphasis on the youths gives the idea that it is specifically for individuals that age. This may work against the brand in the other segment that is left out. The brand positioning therefore, should try to be as all-inclusive as it may be possible.

If given chance, I would have made a little change to the advert. This drink finds a big market in form of families. The advert does not bring out the idea that the product is suitable for a family set up. I would therefore try to bring this idea. This would bring into focus, the children who were left out by the original advert, the middle-aged and the aging. This broadens the scope of the brand.

Bibliography

Andrzej, A & A Buchaman, Organizational behavior, Prentice Hall international, London, 2007.

Bainbridge, J, Sector insight: Bottled water-Health drowns out green concerns Marketing, 2007, pp. 99.

Balmond, S, Bottled water sales are booming in the UK market, Design Week Journal, vol. 20, no. 30, 2005, pp. 11.

Chandler, D, Semiotics: The basics, Routledge, New York, 2004.

Del, I, J Best & K Coney, Consumer behavior, Tata McGraw Hill, New York, 2005.

Kimmel, R, Fill with care’ promotes lifestyle, well being, Evian’s Caswell Brand Week, vol. 48, no. 30, 2007, pp. 42

Wayne, D & M Hoyer, Consumer behavior, Cangage Learning, South Western, 2008.

Building a strong customer relation with a product requires competent personnel to enable it thrive in the present dynamic and competitive business settings. For continuous and sustainable brand success, specialists should carefully select and position the products to the target market.

The Champagne house has many skilled brand managers; they took different approaches and attempted several alternatives to position different brands of Champagne to their present status (Hirche 2012). Proper management of Champagne brands has increased the level at which customers identify themselves with the products.

The strong brands have added significant values to Champagne products, as it is in the minds of consumers, thus most customers associate themselves with the brand. Dom Perignon brand makes Moet & Chandon Wineries Company to generate more value than other Champagnes that lacks such strong brands.

Conducting a well-organized advertisement for a product or service alters market perceptions. Advertisement of Champagne brands helped in formation of mental images in the minds of consumers. This has made it easy for the company to sell its common brands, such as Krug and Dom Perignon with ease, as there is little competition. Competition has been minimal in the sense that customers have developed strong taste and preference for the Champagne brands (Hirche 2012).

In keeping with market dynamism, Champagne brands find there way into key functions like parties, football celebrations, and other significant functions. With such strong connections, consumers believe that Champagne brands are superior to generic wines. Dom Perigon, for instance, is an expensive brand that continues to dominate the wine market given the strong emotional association that it has with consumers.

Therefore, consumers can pay premium rates to purchase this brand, instead of acquiring cheap sparkling wines. This strong brand connection has enabled Moet & Chandon Wineries Company to develop positive brand equity with consumers. Notably, the brand loyalty has taken a sustainable approach; it is reflected on the financial growth of the company.

The strong brand connection that the firm enjoys from some of its brands indicates the difference that emanates from advertising different brands. It is nearly impossible for all brands to receive same market response. However, a single brand can influence the sales of other brands of the same company, as consumers do not only form strong connections with the brand, but also with the company (Brand Equity n.d.).

Product equity helps companies in value generation from three fronts. It is the emotional and intellectual attachments or associations that consumers have with a given product or service. For instance, customers can willingly pay more for a bottle of Krug or Bollinger to a bottle of generic Champagne, such as Mumm or Perrier Jouet (Brand Equity n.d.). This occurs in spite the lack justifiable difference in the tastes of the two brands to support the reason for the high premium.

Advertisements build strong images in the minds of customers, such that they move from the awareness stage to sustainable loyalty with the brand. Adverts persuade consumers to prefer a given product to that of the competitors. It also reminds and reassures consumers of the acceptability of the product offering.

After influencing consumers to choose a certain product over others, it becomes a brand name. Dom Perignon, Krug, and Bollinger are key brands that control the market share and sales of the manufacturing company; they influence the overall business outcomes. The road to brand loyalty begins with the Advert committees creating brand awareness among consumers. Then, there is the brand trial stage; here, consumers try to use the brand, and then develop preferences.

At brand preference stage, emotional and intellectual associations arise, as consumers make repetitious purchases. Lastly, brand loyalty occurs. At this stage, consumers demand the brand and can pay premium rates to acquire it. With high loyalty comes strong attachment with the brand, such that consumers cannot substitute the brand for any other wine (Sutherland & Sylvester 2000).

According to Goode (2012), Champagne occupies an elevated space in the wine industry, and this has been due to massive advertisements that Grand Marques has carried out. The hard work has built brand equity for Champagne products, such that there is a guarantee in price elevation for any bottle of wine having the Champagne name. Even though there are expensive Champagne brands, the presence of inexpensive brands erode the brand equity.

Product advertisement differs from one brand to another. For example, Dom Perignon brand has higher prestige level than Veuve Clicquot judging from the way consumers seek them. Bollinger brand trends more than the Taittinger brand. In a competitive and dynamic market, a product’s image is everything.

Multiple campaigns by Moet & Chandon Wineries Company have seen Krug and Dom Perignon top the most consumed list of brands. Advertisements also aim at changing consumers’ beliefs or mindsets on certain products or services. This increases the market segment resulting in development of a larger market.

Champagne brands are distributed to specific locations, associated with right personalities, and events. In addition, Moet & Chandon Wineries Company has been using brand adverts to distinguish their products from those of the competitors (Chamberlin 1918). This has made it easy for consumers to differentiate their products from others. Massive investment is required in order to build a prestige brand, and for Champagne, such investment is not a significant problem.

For sustainable loyalty among consumers, the investment has to remove the pressure to sell that could lead to negative decisions from consumers in future. Advertisement is a major tool that alters consumers’ negative perceptions, and instils the brand image in their minds.

With the image of Champagne brands in the minds of consumers, there is a barrier to entry of new products and reduction in competition from similar products. The move blocks new competitors from establishing their presence in the wine market, as consumers can forego buying wine if the brand is not available.

Advertising has been a great weapon for the development of strong images of the Champagne brands. Champagne products remain unrivalled in the market even with other brands trending at high prices. Consumers put more value on Champagne than other beverages. A comparison of the sales of Roederer, Laurent-Perrier, and Veuve Clcquot reveal different market perceptions (Goode 2012).

The knowledge consumers have about the named brands are different resulting in different brand equity measurements. Product equity is also comprehended from the point of tangible financial assets that a firm owns.

This entails the strategic positioning and planning that a company has put in place to ensure successful transfer of products to consumers. The move to distinguish different brands of Champagne made the Wine firm to register positive market response, but at different levels. The images below show some of the major Champagne brands that are trending in the wine market.

References

Brand Equity n.d., UK Essays: Marketing. Web.

Chamberlin, H. H 1918, Champagne Song: or The Wine of Victory, Taylor & Francis, Paris.

Goode, J 2012, How to Manage a Champagne Brand, Some Thoughts, The Wine Anorack. Web.

Hirche, M 2012, Brand Equity – the Case of Champ… What?, Martins Winelust. Web.

Sutherland, M., & Sylvester, A. K 2000, Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer: What works, What Doesn’t, and Why (2nd ed.), Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards, NSW.

Advertisement plays an important role in the preservation and strengthening of the company’s position on the market. Performed right, it becomes very effective and contributes to the smooth implementation of the manufactured production, in particular, Camel cigarettes. However, in order to create a successful advertising, it seems necessary to take into account plenty of aspects, namely, the target audience, the form of the advertising message, the content of the ad text, and other means of expression. Cigarette advertising is a complex process as law restricts it to some extent. Nevertheless, it does not prevent advertisers to come up with new and creative ways of attracting customers. This paper examines the influence of the Camel cigarettes on customers and different aspects of the print advertisement of one of the oldest and the most prestigious brands of the tobacco in the world – Camel cigarettes advertisement dated by 1979.

In the advertisement, one can note a handsome man smoking the cigarette on his motorbike. The man dressed in jeans and a light jacket. He looks satisfied and successful. Perhaps, it is a traveler. It should be noted that he attracts the attention of the beautiful young girl who stands behind him. The photo was taken in nature as in the background the reader can observe rocks and the sea. At the same time, in the foreground, the ajar pack of Camel cigarettes is presented. A camel along with “filters” word is depicted on the pack. In addition, one can read the text of the advertisement that provides the reader with the information of a good taste of cigarettes and claims that Camel is always made of the mixture of Turkish and domestic tobacco. It goes without saying that the company abides the rules concerning the tobacco advertising information indicating that smoking is injurious to the health. The whole picture gives the impression of a successful life.

During the culture of consumption, advertising is modified into a means of creating the image and forming the lifestyle, thus, significantly affecting the nature of the cultural ideas of society. However, “the use of subconscious appeals is a comment not only on conditions among sellers” (Fowles par. 7). The main purpose of advertising is the impact on consumers. Precisely speaking, the Camel advertisement influences customers by means of its form, language, product slogan, and other features.

It should be noted that the content of concepts of Camel tobacco products is stable and expressed in the elegance, grace, and charm that are considered as a given gift of nature. However, the consumer of that time had an extensive selection of products: he had learned to choose the brand according to his taste and preferences. Nevertheless, “advertisers want to circumvent this shell of consciousness if they can, and latch on to one of the lurching, subconscious drives” (Fowles par. 9). Therefore, advertisers had to create something new and beautiful but at the same time traditional to attract the attention of consumers. Consequently, this advertisement successfully manipulated the public consciousness influencing the style of consumption. For example, the concept of a woman that is an integral part of the advertisement is rather significant. A special place in the conceptual space is given to description of the positive features of smokers for customers, in particular, the advertising reveals feelings of fun, inspiration, femininity (for women), etc. In their turn, these units are involved in the transfer of more abstract concepts such as brightness, luxurious, style, revolutionary innovation, the fascination that have the social position for the image.

The other tool of influence on consumers is the language of the advertising that includes the slogan, the brand name, and the logo of the product. The Camel cigarettes slogan of the advertisement of 1979 states: “Satisfaction, Camel filters style”. The advertising message of the slogan conveys the main difference and advantage of this product over the others and creates a certain emotional attitude. In particular, it calls to be original, expressive, and satisfied. Moreover, there is the explanation of the slogan full of bright epithets such as “rich”, “solid”, and “smooth”. They emphasize the temperate and stable atmosphere of the advertisement. The information about the topnotch composition of cigarettes contributes to the positive attitude of customers, too. Speaking of the Camel pack’s color, one should mention that bright color in combination with other colors means that cigarettes are “clean” and “harmless”.

The advertisement under analysis is printed in the magazine. It is the most commonly used way of the presentation of new brands or types of cigarettes. In this case, the reader has some time to take a closer look on packaging, remember it, and read the text telling about the features of the brand as well.

In spite the fact that the main story does not concern the woman as she just plays the role of the fan of a smoking man. Due to its advertising style, Camel cigarettes can be considered as a kind of attribute of beautiful and successful life. Therefore, the target audience is consisted of young men and woman. Fowles states that “according to Henry Murray, the need for affiliation consist of desires to draw near and enjoyably cooperate or reciprocate with another; to please and win affection of another” (par. 17). The Camel is not only a catchy bright picture but also an excellent opportunity to try a new taste and enjoy the life, in other words, it is so-called “need for affiliation” (Fowles par. 22). It was not surprising that plenty of Americans tried to smoke these cigarettes.

Some symbols also play a significant part in the advertisement perception. For example, Camel tobacco brand effectively exploits the wandering spirit and a sense of adventure of a he-man. Speaking of the brand symbol – camel, one might suggest that it is connected with Turkey as the choice of visual brand image was defined by Americans’ common passion by the Middle East of those years. The ad undoubtedly affects the reader’s subconscious forcing him to affiliate buying a pack of cigarettes and enjoying his or her life.

In addition, it seems appropriate to note that certain law regulates the promotion of tobacco products on the market. No doubt that Camel follows those restrictions as there are no teenagers or children in the advertisement.

Thus, the advertising effectiveness of the Camel cigarettes comprises the following provisions:

• it includes successful advertising idea – the original and at the same time easy to grasp;
• it is original and, therefore, not boring; it does not repeat the well-known solutions;
• it draws attention due to the successful artistic and textual decisions.

In conclusion, it should be stressed that the Camel advertisement dated by 1979 is the advertisement of cigarettes. It attracts the reader by means of the image of the successful man and directed to the corresponding target audience. Creating the image of the successful man the brand influences people’s subconscious mind making them believe that smoking might be a sign of success. The language, symbols, and the form of the advertising capture customers’ attention as well.

Works Cited

Fowles, Jib. n.d. Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals. n.d. Web.

Introduction

The Fixer Upper television program expanded the Magnolia brand to the outside population away from Waco, Texas. Its founders, Joanna and Chip, had started it from scratch after venturing into the house flipping. After making profits from the first home, they invested in several other businesses leading to the brand growth. The brands are constantly exposed to external and internal factors affecting how the vision is fulfilled. With it offering a range of services, it has a broad reach of consumers. Magnolia brands face competition from other companies and internal and external challenges that affect its growth, including the termination of the television program; the brand has its strengths and weaknesses.

Internal and External Environment of Magnolia Brands

Impact of the External Environment and the Competitors

Magnolia Brands’ mission targets doing efficient work that the clients will appreciate. The components of the environment likely to impact the brands’ ability to realize its vision include competitors, customers, the economy, and the government. Customers are the most critical component of any organization’s success hence the need to attain customer satisfaction. The business will fail when the government increases taxes, but introducing incentives and subsidies will boost company growth. The economy can affect the company in that when it is stable, the brand thrives, but upon fluctuations, losses are possibly attained, thus affecting its stability in the market (Duan et al., 2020). The company will improve its service provision with competition by maintaining high standards. It will enable the brand to realize its vision by providing excellent service to its clients. Magnolia brands face competition from other companies offering similar products and services. The major competitors to the brand include Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, and Pavillion. They provide similar services and products that Magnolia brands offer.

Factors Affecting Growth and the Internal Causes to Consider

The growth of the brands is affected by the external and internal factors that emerge. Its success heavily relied on the fixer-upper television program. After its end, the founders need to look for alternative ways to market the brand, which is not an easy task. There were several instances where the magnolia market lacked ample parking space, which affected customers leading to disloyalty. Internal factors are those that exist within and are controlled by the business. Essential elements the brand needs to consider include workers, shareholders, structure, and organizational culture (Bashir & Verma, 2019). Workers possess different qualities and skills and play an essential role in realizing a goal. Shareholders will provide additional funds when they buy shares and have some patent ownership. A good organizational structure and culture will result in proper planning toward attaining the primary goal.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The brand’s strengths include its Fixer-Upper marketing advantage. It has strong financial results; the five-aired season of Fixer Upper produced more than 2 million dollars in revenue (Brunson & Reed, 2018). The local town receives close to thirty thousand visitors weekly due to the brand’s exposure (Brunson & Reed, 2018). It has other businesses under the umbrella brand providing additional revenue. Magnolia Brands’ experienced some drawbacks, including its revenue loss due to the cancellation of the Fixer-Upper program. There is an over-reliance on a single location to conduct business. Managerial expertise is also challenging; the owners lack a neutral manager to oversee the industry.

Impact of the New Show and Potential Challenges Likely to be Faced

The canceled Fixer Upper television program allowed viewers to witness the transformation and remodeling of houses. The new show exposes viewers to unique remodeling techniques that make better-looking homes far more affordable than a newly built one. As the Gaines will take us through the steps of a house makeover and the design, it opens up a new platform for real estate and interior design ideas. The potential challenge the brand will likely encounter is a lack of viewers. Currently, people prefer accessing films at the time of their choosing and not the ones timetabled by television channels. The rising competition could also limit the number of those viewing the program; low viewers result in low revenue.

Measurements of Success and Ability to Remain Productive

Identifying if the new show is successful requires the use of research techniques. The brand needs to evaluate the number of viewers, subscribers, and followers. A higher subscriber and follower number increases the chances of having more views. The individuals who follow the channel and those who have subscribed are likely to interact with the program. If the numbers are low, then the success rate is low. It is easy for Magnolia brands to continue to be successful in Waco, Texas. The company has already established market domination by providing several services and products. With the introduction of the new show, the exposure will continue, and the brand will receive revenue from the aired shows. The funds acquired can be used for additional investments increasing its growth, thus being more productive.

Conclusion

Magnolia Brands are dominant in Waco, Texas; it started as a remodeling company where old houses were bought, renovated, and sold at a higher price. It targets to provide quality service to its clients despite facing competition and other internal and external challenges. The brand needs to consider factors including competition, business structure, and workers, as they can influence growth. The impact of the new show is likely to be massive, as the loyal viewers of the previous program are likely to continue watching. The company can adopt followers and viewer counting strategies to determine the new show’s success.

References

Bashir, M., & Verma, R. (2019). Internal factors and consequences of business model innovation. Management Decision, 57(1), 262-290.

Brunson, R., & Reed, M. (2018). Fixer upper: Expanding the Magnolia Brand [pdf] (pp. 51-55). Web.

Duan, Y., Cao, G., & Edwards, J. (2020). Understanding the impact of business analytics on innovation. European Journal of Operational Research, 281(3), 673-686.

Introduction

This paper is a case study of transmedia storytelling through the reality brand, Big Brother Africa. Created by Underdog productions (a subsidiary of Transmedia entertainment – a large South African media group), the brand (mainly) appeals to young people (Routledge 1). In South Africa, the creators of the Big Brother brand did so using a ground-up approach. Indeed, as opposed to designing the product to fit in only one media platform, the creators enabled the brand to work on multiple platforms.

This approach is part of a larger philosophy pursued by Underdog, which assumes the holistic advantages of creating the product, as opposed to different components of the same brand (Routledge 1). This way, Big Brother Africa does not depend on the available media platforms; instead, the media platforms depend on the brand. This transmedia approach led Routledge to say, Big Brother Africa “… is a property that has been created specifically to be exploited across several media in a cohesive and integrated manner” (1).

This paper shows the transmedia elements associated with the brand – Big Brother Africa. In line with this strategy, this paper underscores how different audiences engage with one another using transmedia storytelling options. Similarly, this paper explains how expanding the narrative over a variety of platforms would extend the brand. This analysis is important not only in comprehending how Big Brother has become popular among young people in Africa, but also around the world.

Transmedia Elements used to tell the Story of the Brand

By replicating the format of other Big Brother brands, in other parts of the world, Big Brother Africa drew a lot of attention in Africa. The larger Big Brother franchise works by putting different contestants in one house and watching their interactions through strategically placed cameras. Using this technology, viewers can stream (live) what is going on in the Big Brother house. Endemol is the official company that manages different interactive platforms in Big Brother Africa because it closely monitors SMSs, online chats and all incoming and outgoing emails (Routledge 2).

The purpose of managing these interactive platforms, in real time, is to give the show a new twist that would keep the audience engaged (Routledge 2). These interactive platforms are essential for the proper functioning of the Big Brother Africa brand because without them, it would be difficult to maintain the brand’s popularity. In line with this advantage, Routledge says, “There is a strategy that aims to create an audience loop that pushes people from TV to telephony, to iTV to the Internet, and back to TV” (3).

Big Brother Africa has several transmedia elements, including “websites, webcams, interactive television, telephony (through interactive voice response), and short message services (SMS)” (Routledge 2). Different media platforms serve different purposes. For example, the SMS platform allows fans to vote for their favorite contestants during eviction shows. Viewers can also use the same platform to send their views about live television shows.

Usually, their messages scroll at the bottom of the television screen when live television shows happen. Websites and webcams are useful for viewing what is going on in the big brother house. Usually, these messages are about events that happen in the house (Routledge 3). For example, when one issue dominates the interactive platform, other viewers comment on it. This interaction creates an interactive dialogue as the television show airs.

How the Transmedia Elements Create Engagement

Unlike other types of media engagement, transmedia communication is inclusive (Miller 150). The engagement could happen in different ways. For example, by redirecting the show’s performance, according to the audience’s feedback, viewers would believe that the content developers respect their views. They also develop an attachment in this regard. Using this logic, Rutledge says, “The audience becomes actively involved, elevated social and creative collaborators.

They become stakeholders in the transmedia experience alongside the brand or cause” (2). The unfolding story design allows viewers to engage with one another within the interactive platform. This way, the brand incorporates the views of all interested parties. Their contributions add to the content development processes. By breaking down traditional barriers to communication, transmedia communication also breaks down the barrier between storytelling and reality (Miller 150-153). It does so by bringing out the Big Brother Africa narrative in the real world by screening live events on online portals (Rutledge 4). Through this expansive engagement strategy, the audience develops an attachment with the brand and becomes a stakeholder in its development.

Based on the above dynamics, transmedia communication supports collective intelligence gathering. Similarly, it enhances viewers’ involvement. These advantages emerge because traditional media platforms often create inherent communication gaps between content developers and their intended audience (Philips 7). Transmedia communications help to fill this gap. This is why the structure of Big Brother Africa differs from traditional television shows. Moreover, it is difficult to contextualize the brand as a television show, because it uses other media platforms to reach its audience, besides television. These advantages are real because the brand merges different aesthetic and logistical elements of entertainment production.

How Expanding Narrative over different Platforms extends the Brand

Traditionally, mainstream media monopolized the market and made it difficult for new content providers to gain access to the market. However, transmedia communications has made it possible for content providers and brand developers to maintain a crossover market (Philips 7). For example, this multivariate platform has made it easy to sell the Big Brother franchise in not only South Africa, but the rest of the world as well. Media consolidation and synergy are at the heart of this transformation because new media brands, such as Big Brother Africa thrive on them (Routledge 3).

Indeed, the brand has expanded its outreach because it attracts different audience segments through different entry points, such as web broadcasts, television shows, emails, and SMSs. The brand is also able to barrage its contents through other media platforms, such as magazines. However, instead of using its content for promotional purposes, the brand’s developers use a “hunting and gathering” strategy where they prefer to use different media platforms to distribute their contents (Routledge 3).

This way, the ancillary content has not only expanded its outreach, but also enriched its contents. Recent market research, which shows that many viewers have trouble dismissing contents that would improve their entertainment experience, supports this strategy (Philips 7). Using the information gathered in this section of the paper, the Big Brother Brand could easily expand its outreach through the horizontal integration strategy that thrives on transmedia stories. Nonetheless, based on the fragmented nature of the audience, content developers are not the only competing parties because media outlets also compete in similar fashion. For example, mainstream media houses, such as NBC and ABC would have to compete with YouTube and similar online platforms.

In the context of the Big Brother Africa brand, different audiences may be willing to experiment with different media platforms because of unique reasons (say, they get to interact with their favorite contestants through this platform). For example, in the gaming world, a lost fan would most likely shy away from participating in an alternate reality game. However, they would be willing to participate in playing a game that promises to solve some of the problems they have experienced when playing a previous game. This strategy means that transmedia communication uses a cross platform franchise to draw out the different audiences from their accustomed viewing habits (ASMEDIA 7). Comprehensively, if each media platform offers a fresh experience to its viewers, there would be increased satisfaction for the viewers within each platform.

The only challenge experienced by the brand creators of Big Brother Africa is coordination problems across different sectors (ASMEDIA 7). Concisely, instead of different transmedia segments working together to create one story, they often limit the extent that each sector could add to the brand’s portfolio (ASMEDIA 7). These constraints make it difficult to explore the market potential for all transmedia segments. This problem is endemic because research shows that, in many transmedia storytelling platforms, different media usually compete aggressively, as opposed to collaborating. To enjoy the benefits of transmedia communication, content developers should avoid these challenges.

Conclusion

This paper shows that expanding the Big Brother narrative across different platforms would increase the brand’s outreach. Nonetheless, Transmedia storytelling has helped to fragment different audiences and allowed the brand to penetrate further than it would have done if it relied on mainstream media platforms only. This paper shows that the Big Brother Africa brand uses different media platforms, including “websites, webcams, interactive television, telephony (through interactive voice response), and short message services (SMS) to interact with its audience” (Routledge 2). These platforms help to shape and enrich the brand. In fact, it would be difficult for the brand to survive without them. The same is true for the larger Big Brother Franchise.

By catering to fragmented audiences, it is also possible for transmedia stories to expand their outreach and appeal to people who have different viewing preferences. For example, those who have an internet access and prefer to watch episodes of Big Brother could easily do so using the online platform. Alternatively, those who prefer to watch the show’s highlights could prefer to do so by watching it on television. Some of the show’s loyalists would be willing to use multiple media platforms to watch the show.

Advertisers are the main beneficiaries here because through the multifaceted strategy, they could reach multiple audiences. Other transmedia examples, such as the superhero merchandise, also benefit from this multifaceted strategy because content developers could advertise their materials through the Incredible Hulk Online (among other platforms). Content developers in the sports industry could also benefit from the same multifaceted strategy by advertising on Friday Night Lights and similar platforms. Therefore, instead of paying huge sums of money to gain access to mainstream media, advertisers could use transmedia streams to gain access to small interest communities. These contributions of transmedia storytelling show that it was central to the brand development process of Big Brother Africa.

Works Cited

ASMEDIA. Advantages and Challenges in the Business of Transmedia Storytelling. 2015. Web.

Miller, Carolyn. Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment, London, UK: Elsevier Inc., 2008. Print.

Philips, Andrea. A Creator’s Guide to Transmedia Storytelling: How to Captivate and Engage Audiences across Multiple Platforms, London, UK: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 2012. Print.

Routledge. An actor’s perspective of transmedia storytelling. December. 2014. Web.

Rutledge, Pamela. Transmedia Storytelling. 2015. Web.

Introduction

Celebrities are individuals who are globally regarded as people who have achieved something in their area of expertise. The areas in which people can become celebrities are vast, ranging from politics to sports to different forms of entertainment. Because of their popularity, stars can be used in advertisements and marketing campaigns to promote certain products or services, and are referred to as endorsers. Celebrity endorsements date back to the middle of the nineteenth century as famous people began being heavily present in advertisements with the widespread popularity of television. TV ads have become one of the primary resources of contemporary marketing, while the current trend is rapidly shifting toward the Internet and social media. Despite the changes in the marketing channels, celebrities remain to be relevant tools for advertisements that reach global audiences that could not be reached before.

Endorsements

The success of endorsements that include celebrities is attributed to the fact that consumers can associate a person with the brand that he or she is promoting. The association between a person and a brand creates a link between a celebrity and a company, which helps potential consumers to relate to the brand and be more inclined to purchase the products or services that it offers. The face of the brand that celebrities provide is expected to bring attention to the company. For instance, George Clooney became a face for Nespresso Company back in 2006. The appeal of Clooney as an actor brought popularity to Nespresso, which greatly benefited the sales and the overall reputation of the product advertised by the actor.

While brands acquire significant advantages thanks to celebrity enforcements, the latter also benefit from partnerships with companies. Not only do celebrities get great exposure in advertisements, but they also get paid high amounts of money for their appearances. An example of a fruitful collaboration between a brand and a celebrity is the partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike. Since 1984, when the initial line of Air Jordans came to the market, Nike used Jordan as the face of the campaign, with the shoe gaining wide popularity with thirty-three editions and re-releases of various designs. According to the report from Forbes, since the first collaboration with Nike, Michael Jordan earned around $1.3 billion, which is a substantial amount of money. Moreover, the collaboration with Nike led the basketball player to create his brand under Nike’s umbrella, Jordan Brand, which has long had the reputation of the second best-selling company specializing in sneakers in the United States.

Endorsements have shown to be popular tools for marketers to promote their companies, services, and products. The overall positive image and characteristics that celebrities have are appealing to customers, which is offers a benefit for marketers who gain success in triggering consumers to purchase the services or products being promoted. Previously, companies have been focusing on celebrities in such areas as entertainment and sports, while today, the trend includes social media influencers. This category of celebrities is relatively new because social media influencers have only become relevant recently as companies have begun investing in online advertising. Compared to conventional celebrities who have acquired popularity because of their talent and work, social media celebrities have become successful by working on personal branding and gaining a large following on such platforms as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and others. Social media influencers have a unique way of promoting themselves – they develop personal content on a variety of themes ranging from fashion to food. The influencers who are predominantly used for company advertising are female and created their professions based on their reputations as fashion, food, fitness, or beauty bloggers.

It is reasonable for companies to use both traditional and social media celebrities in their advertisements because of the high competition and the need to attract audiences to particular products or services. The positive reputations of influencers can have a positive impact on how consumers perceive the credibility of the brand that their favorite stars are promoting. Both expertise and trustworthiness are important in this case – trust is needed to embed the notions of integrity and honesty that would be transferred to the audience of potential purchasers. In advertisements that employ endorsements, the trustworthiness of a person is imperative because of its overall positive influence on purchasing intentions. The better is the reputation of a celebrity or influencer, the more likely will customers opt for the product or service that they promote.

In general, celebrities are usually likable and believable individuals whom ‘regular people’ can trust, which is a significant benefit for advertisements. Although, it is important to account for limitations of using celebrities in marketing, such as liability associated with scandals in which a person may be involved. The unfavorable publicity that presents a celebrity in a negative light is highly likely to hurt the success of a marketing campaign as well as the products themselves. Importantly, the severity of the impact will depend on the extent to which a celebrity and the product are connected. Thus, based on how a celebrity is perceived, either positively or negatively, the effect on the brand will be proportionate.

Celebrity scandals and the negative publicity associated with them are usually associated with their personal life and or the choices that they had made, especially in terms of socially-unacceptable behaviors such as violence or drug consumption. The example of Tiger Woods illustrates this problem brilliantly. As a well-liked personality, he was signed to endorse products from Gillette, Nike, Electronic Arts, and others. In 2009, when the golf player was involved in reckless driving and infidelity scandals, his popularity declined. Nike’s profits for Woods campaigns fell alongside the overall drop in the customer base. Although some companies may consider any publicity to be good, which means more attention and the impact of ads that include celebrities. Besides, it was found that negative information is stored in one’s memory for longer compared to neutral information.

Conclusion

To conclude, celebrity endorsements offer great opportunities for brands to advertise their products or services to large audiences. The recognition and the impact of such people’s presence in marketing campaigns are expected to increase purchasing and overall company income. The current trend to include social media influencers and not only traditional celebrities is interesting as the web sphere remains expanding. The more influence and trustworthiness a personality has, the more likely it is for the audience to buy what is being promoted to them by that person. While there are some pitfalls to celebrity endorsements, such a method of advertising is not expected to grow out of popularity any time soon.

Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

The PPP theory is very practical. It emerged with the abolition of the gold standard when an acute need for a new “right” correlations among the currencies of different states had occurred. In an early version of the theory, it was suggested that the value of the exchange rate between currencies under free trade conditions (i.e., with minimum trade restrictions) is determined by the relationship between their purchasing forces (James, Marsh, & Sarno, 2012). It means that following the primary function of money (i.e., a medium of exchange), the desire of economic agents to exchange one currency for another could be directly related to how many goods and services one can buy with it in the relevant country (James et al., 2012).

A more recent version of ​​the PPP theory suggests that the exchange rate value depends directly on the domestic purchasing power of the currency. In the given context, if the level of prices due to inflation in the United States changes, then the dollar exchange rate should change following the final result of those changes in prices (James et al., 2012). It means that if the price level in the country will grow by 50 percent, while the price level in other countries will remain the same, then the value of the dollar, expressed in the currency of other states, should decrease by 50 percent. Overall, as a result of inflation caused by excess money emission, the purchasing power of the national currency for all goods and services, including those involved in international trade, will decrease.

The implementation of the PPP indicator makes sense in comparison with other countries. It represents their economical size, potentials, and power (World Bank, 2015). The decrease in the dollar’s PPP may thus imply the deterioration of the United States’ position in the global economy.

Brand and Pricing

Brand-related pricing differs from other traditional approaches to establishing prices for products. When implementing the given strategy, it is necessary to take into account intangible assets: potential impacts of the trademark on the consumer, the realization of the brand value, i.e., an increase in its profitability. Besides, it is necessary to determine the brand’s position, investment policy, and distribution channels, i.e., take into account all the components of the brand asset management process.

By their nature, intangible elements represent a qualitative characteristic of the brand. They are difficult to quantify, as they represent potential revenues generated due to the introduction of the brand into the commodity circulation (Bakker, 2015). Since the brand is in a certain relation to the price strategy, it is possible to realize the brand value as an asset in the form of capital, i.e., increase profits based on the difference between the exchange price of goods and the buyers’ price (Bakker, 2015). It is possible to say that both brand equity and brand image represent the potential for the formation of a higher (premium) price compared to the nearest competing brand. Studies on brand management also show that the value of the brand can be mediated through such variables as consumer loyalty (Guzmán & Iglesias, 2012).

Overall, when determining pricing and strategic priorities, the company should determine what additional benefits it will receive at the expense of the brand values (its attributes, quality, image, convenience, loyalty, etc.). With proper use of these benefits, the value of the brand as an asset will bring additional profit to the organization through the increase in product prices or profit margins, as well as the reduction of costs associated with the brand.

References

Bakker, D. (2015). Vertical brand portfolio management: Strategies for integrated brand management between manufacturers and retailers. Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer.

Guzmán, F., & Iglesias, O. (2012). The challenges facing brand managers today. Bradford, UK: Emerald Insight.

James, J., Marsh, I. W., & Sarno, L. (2012). Handbook of exchange rates. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

World Bank. (2015). Purchasing power parities and the real size of world economies: A comprehensive report of the 2011 international comparison program. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.