Session 2

Integrated Marketing Communications: Session 2

Session 2: The Creative Brief

Andrew Paddison, Teaching Associate

Room SWD 602, x3196

Session Aim & Objectives

Aim: providing an overview of how to create clear/compelling brief for marketing communications;

Objectives:

Outlining nature of, and content of, a creative brief;Understanding the marketing communications planning framework: identifying

target audiences/markets/segmentation; consumer responsesSelecting valid communication objectives;Contextualise creative briefs/communication objectives through a case study

of John Lewis;

The Creative Brief

Definition: document that provides outline of creative task and basis for creatives to develop solutions;

Process: strategy development, creative briefing, creative output;

Contents of brief: why are we promoting at all?; who are we attempting to influence?; what do we wish to communicate?; why do you think those aimed at will believe it?; how do we wish to say it?; what do you think they will say having received this communication?;

Qualities of successful briefs: trigger words, appropriate amount of facts, relevance, clarity;

The Creative Brief

Preparing a creative brief: a practitioners perspective:

Find out what everybody else is doing in your marketplace, and then do something different: breaking the ‘rules’;

Forget the logical proposition – find the brand’s personality: something that progresses beyond the value proposition;

Defining the ‘target market’: avoiding stereotypes;

Inserting creative starters: suggesting suitable ideas;

The Creative Brief

Identifying the Core Four Cs:

Concise;Clarity:Consistency:Creativity:

Evaluating the formatting options:

Single-minded proposition: consumers have a clear view of offering;Stimulus and response: recognises consumer is not passive, rational receiver, may be

complex variables;Critical realism framework: recognises that decision-making is affected by emotion;

The Creative Brief

Components of Creative Brief:

Business background and commercial context:Definitions of, and insights on, target audience:Outline of key message/proposition/stimulus/idea that will engage audience:Recommended media to complement strategy;Relevant brand values/suggested tone of voice – how message should be delivered:Measurement criteria/methods for evaluating communications performance;

Creative Briefs: Thinkpoints

For an organisation with which you are familiar summarise what you think are the most significant points you would put into its creative brief

From the video, what would be the key learning points that you would take from it?

Marketing Communications Framework

Identifying Audiences and Profiling Target Markets

Rationale: decline of Mass Marketing

• Consumer markets more fragmented

• Media channels narrowed/increased in number, e.g. highly targeted radio stations, websites and magazines

• Shift from mass marketing to targeting of smaller audiences effectively/efficiently; try to minimise messages at wrong targets

• Who are most likely consumers of our product/service?

• Where are they located?

• With which marketing communications mix elements and through which media channels can they be reached?

• When can they be reached?

Segment Sizes

Information LevelLow High

‘A Market of One’


Market Segmentation

“The process of dividing a market into homogeneous segments using one or a range of possible alternative segmentation methods, each segment being composed of customers or consumers sharing similar characteristics.”

• Segment: Define market and find segments within it

• Target: Select most profitable segments

• Position: Appeal to the segments’ specific wants and needs through marketing communications

Segmentation dependent on Marketing Approach


Mass marketing(undifferentiated marketing)

Target the whole market with one marketing mix

Target marketing

Niche and concentrated marketing

Differentiated marketing

Target one or more segments within a market with different marketing mixes

Target one segment within a market with one marketing mix

Target multiple segments with different marketing mixes

Mass customisation marketing Target all segments in the market with different marketing mixes

(Pickton and Broderick, 2005)

Types of Market Segmentation


Demographic Geographic Geo- demographic

Psychographic behavioural

• Age• Sex• lifestage•Type of residence• Income• Occupation etc.

• Postcode• City• County• Region• Countryetc.

Segmentation of consumers where they live- using demographic data to classify them

e.g. CACI, Acorn

• values, attitudes, motivations• interests, opinions, hobbiesetc.

e.g. VALS, Prizm

• benefits sought• purchase occasion• purchase behaviour• usage

(Pickton and Broderick, 2005)


• Who are my customers?

• What are they like?

• What do they buy?

• Where can I find them?

• How can I reach them?


Applying segmentation to marketing communication tactics:

Ensuring a fit between target segment locations and media catchment areas;Developing relevant marketing communications to receptive consumers;Identifying how creative briefings can add substance and differentiation;Scoping out where cross-selling opportunities exist;Planning and optimising media planning/buying;

Consumer Response Theories

Rationale: helping consumers decide their response and to shape communication objectives

Consumer response model (H-models)

Consumer processing model (CPM)

Hedonic, experiential approach (HEM)

Models of Consumer Response

Awareness Awareness

Knowledge

Interest Liking

PreferenceDesire

Conviction

Action Purchase

Cognitive

Affective

Behavioural (connotative)

Assumes Consumers Will Respond

Selective Attentionselectively exposed to a limited range of MCs.

Selective Perception only interpret an even smaller no of MCs.

Selective Retentiononly remember a very small number of MCs.

Consumer Processing Model

Characteristics:

Consumer behaviour based on reason & logic;

Consumers process information and then make logical decisions.

Stages:

Exposure to informationSelective AttentionComprehension of attended informationAgreement with this informationRetention in MemoryDecide from amongst alternativesAction based on decision

HEM

Hedonic needs: satisfied by feeling good.

Consumer behaviour based on passion: spontaneous, irrational;

Emotions dictate purchase decisions.

Implications for MCs?

Explains impulse buys.

MCs: non verbal; music; symbolic projections.

Selecting marketing communication (marcom) objectives

Understanding objectives through SMARRTT:

Specific: clear, precise and with a sense of purpose;Measurable: evidence-based through being measured quantitatively;Achievable: scope/ambition of objectives has degree of realism;Realistic: ability to meet goals;Relevant: objectives should be appropriate for task;Targeted: degree of synergy Timed: objectives framed within defined time period

Selecting marcom objectives: consumer hierarchy of communications

Structuring communications through hierarchical process:

Awareness: generating/sustaining sufficient awareness;

Comprehension: conveying sufficient information to audiences on product and its attributes;

Conviction: successfully communicating the superiority of product;

Action: facilitating the process of consumers converting positive thoughts/intentions into actual purchase;

Selecting marcom objectives: marketing objectives

Sales

Cross selling

Share price

New product launch

Distribution penetration

Market share

Selecting marcom objectives: communication objectives

Brand recall

Persuasion

Brand identity

Involvement

Communication of message

Image

Likability

Impact

Selecting marcom objectives: organisational hierarchy

Corporate stream of objectives:

Performance, image, reputation, preferences;

Communication stream of objectives:

Awareness, comprehension, perception, attitudes;

Sales stream of objectives:

Sales volume, sales value, ROI, market share, profitability;

Selecting marcom objectives: seeking customer insights

The Facts

The Why’s

Defined issue, opportunity or consumer / customer segment for exploitation

Factual information on trends attitudes and behaviours

An analysis of these facts in light of the issues

A consumer or customer truth with has the potential to motivate behaviour

Marcom Objectives: Thinkpoints

Using a purchasing situation of your choice, what examples fit into the model of the consumer hierarchy of communication?

At an organisational level, how would you best understand marketing objectives?

As a consumer, how would these communication objectives relate to your experience?

Contextualising creative briefs/communication objectives: John Lewis

Communications overview: tapping into consumers emotions, ‘stand-out’ creative campaign;

Organisational overview: chain of UK department stores; employees are ‘partners’ and share in profits; 36 stores;

Economic context: recessionary conditions in 2008-09: UK retail sales +0.4%; JL gross sales -0.1%, JL operating profit -26.8%;


Organisational response:

Marketing Objectives: Rationale1. Increase spend by existing customers: infrequent customer visits and for small

necessary item – task is to encourage shopping more widely/often;2. Recruit new customers: many people who hadn’t shopped at JL – attracting new

customers vital;

Campaign Objectives: greatest barrier to shopping at JL is lack of emotional connection – trusted, but not loved – rationale ‘I need’ not emotional ‘I want’


Strategy: the communication objective

Drivers of department store loyalty (ranked order): emotional affinity (best), popularity, rational affinity (middling), price, leadership, difference (worst);

JL performance: rational affinity (best), difference, emotional affinity (middling), leadership, price, popularity (worst);

Communication objectives: increase emotional affinity;


Strategy: the communication objective

Linkage between communications and core marketing strategy;

1. Christmas sales period: 20% of sales and 40% of profits;Industry focus: showcasing gifts with emphasis on ‘fun’JL approach: thoughtful gifting;

2. Never Knowingly Undersold (NKU): JL timeless promise;Three dimensions of ‘value’: a fair price, product offers real benefits, do I get additional

service;

Emotional promise: ‘the reassurance of permanence’;


Creative Campaigns:

Christmas 2010: ‘For those who care’ – recognising additional effort in buying gifts for those they care about;

Christmas 2011: ‘The long wait’ – reflecting the desire to give to someone else’Christmas 2012: ‘The Journey’

NKU: emotional demonstration of brand continuity through customer’s life-stages;


Marketing impact

Above-the-line share of voice: 2009 (7.5%); 2012 (10.6%);TV share of voice: 2009 (2.6%); 2012 (6.5%);

Effects:1. Advertising cut-through: ads got everyone’s attention;2. Enjoyment of ads: people loved ads;3. Enjoyment of music: people loved songs;4. Free media coverage: radio airplay/media exposure gave ads exposure;5. Social amplification: ads entered popular culture;6. Talk value: ads got people talking about JL;7. Emotional response: noticeable impact;8. Consumer behaviour: recruited more customers/spending more;9. Business results: ads increased sales and market share;


Marketing impact

Communications awareness:

Total communication awareness: pre-strategy (23%); post-strategy (55%);Awareness of TV ads: pre-strategy (8%); post-strategy (45%);

YouTube views: 10.5 million; 10 times levels of Debenhams and M&S;


Marketing implications

Recognition of value in quality TV advertising;

Recognition of ‘new rules’ of social engagement: mass relevance of social media;

Recognition that retail adverts can focus on ‘experiences’ with no mention of products;

JL Thinkpoints

As a communications strategist, how would you have understood JL’s situation and would you have advocated the same communications strategy?

At a creative level, how would you rate JL’s adverts?

If one was to replicate JL’s strategy, can you identify any organisations that could apply a communications strategy that was similarly creative?

Individual Assignment

Part 1: Analysis of Creative Brief

Appropriate background information?Extent to which current business problem/opportunity identified;Campaign objectives? What response should these objectives generate?Target audience?

Individual Assignment: Brent Cross

Organisational context: large, well-established shopping centre in prominent site in North London;

Issues:Role of shopping centres: retail and leisure; ‘dwell-time’; multiplicity of uses – a

‘quarter’;

Differentiation of shopping centres: a retail ‘experience’; functional and experiential destination;;

Breadth of catchment area: geographic, demographic and psychographic segments;

Organisational communication: recognition of diversity of B2B and B2C stakeholders;

Range of communication tools: omni-channel retailing;

Date post:	06-Aug-2015
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