INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Lecture week 6 Creativity and Creative Strategy

Objectives Discuss the nature of creativity Outline the mechanisms by which the process can be managed as part of the IMC Explain approaches to the development of creative strategy Examine the relationship between branding, positioning and creative strategy

ROLE OF CREATIVE STRATEGY IN IMC Create and support brand positioning Demonstrate consumer problem-solution Influence CDP and brand choice Remind users of reasons for purchase Reduce dissonance

ROLE OF CREATIVE STRATEGY IN IMC Brand awareness Provide meaningful information Change perceptions and/or attitudes Create conviction Provide reasons to change behaviour Reinforcement and reminder

THE ROLE OF CREATIVITY Applies to all aspects of IMC strategy: message elements media strategy E.g. Boddingtons “cream of Manchester” creatives and magazine approach to national launch Applies equally to all marcomms mix Can also be used when determining target audiences

STAKEHOLDERS Creativity means different things to different people ……. Consumers – entertainment & information Brand managers – clear positioning Agencies – awards Account teams – creative solutions

DEFINITIONS Imaginative and artistic Developing new and creative ideas Relevant to target audience But …. must be objectives driven, creativity without purpose is not effective communication “The ability to generate fresh, unique and appropriate ideas that can be used as solutions to communications problems” Belch and Belch 2004

MORE DEFINITIONS The ‘big idea’ that can underpin a whole campaign Attention-getting and catalytically relevant representation of the brand position Amenable to multiple executions Koslow et al (2003) creativity is: Originality, novelty or newness Problem solving Situationally appropriate

MANAGING CREATIVITY True creative processes involve ‘no rules’ but for IMC the process needs to be harnessed in order to justify and be accountable for the chosen approach Picton and Broderick suggest: Audit the competition and do something different Forget the logical proposition and find the brand personality Define the target so that you like and respect them

PRODUCTION LINE CREATIVITY? Immersion Digestion Incubation Illumination Verification

CHECKLIST (1) FOR HARNESSING CREATIVITY Does this advertising position the product simply and with unmistakeable clarity? Does this advertising bolt the brand to a clinching benefit? Does this advertising contain a power idea? Does this advertising design in Brand Personality? Is this advertising unexpected? Is this advertising single-minded? Does this advertising reward the prospect? Is this advertising visually arresting? Does this advertising exhibit painstaking craftsmanship?

CHECKLIST (2) FOR HARNESSING CREATIVITY Every ad should embody a clear, straightforward proposition Say what you have to say in as few words as possible Use humour with caution Give the target audience credit for some intelligence Be original

CREATIVITY, BRANDING AND POSITIONING Applied creativity means you connect with audiences through a clear position and differentiated and understood brand Brand relationships with targets have changed from advertising-led strategies to communication-led ones

USING CREATIVE APPROACHES TO DEVELOPING BRAND RELATIONSHIPS USP unique selling proposition focus on brand properties “I use” ESP emotional selling proposition focus on shared values “I relate” PBR participatory brand relationship focus on active involvement “I love”

PARTICIPATORY BRAND RELATIONSHIPS Creative strategies need to: Stay in touch Be surprising Be reassuring Stimulate Involve Add value

PBR IN PRACTICE TBWA ‘Disruption’ philosophy communicate by disrupting the conventional A way to reach consumers bombarded by marcomms messages Saatchi & Saatchi ‘Lovemarks’ “Lovemarks transcend brands. They deliver beyond your expectations of great performance. They reach your heart as well as your mind.”

Lovemarks Check out the website and blogs! www.lovemarks.com

POSITIONING – key approaches Positioning by attribute, product characteristic or consumer benefit Positioning by price/quality Positioning by use/application Positioning by product user Positioning with respect to product category Positioning against a competitor Cultural positioning Re-positioning

DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVE STRATEGY Identify the target audience Describe the basic problem, issue or opportunity the communication needs to address The major selling idea/key benefit/big idea Brand position Build/maintain a relationship between the brand and the target audience

KEY TYPES OF CREATIVE STRATEGY Generic: claims could be made by many brands; no real effort at differentiation; common in monopolistic markets Pre-emptive: uses a common attribute/benefit but gets there first USP: uses a distinctive differentiation based on product attributes Brand Image: differentiation often based on psychological differences/emotions

KEY TYPES OF CREATIVE STRATEGY Positioning: establishing a place in the consumer’s mind relative to the competition Resonance: uses significant/important situations, lifestyles, emotions that the target audience can identify with Affective/emotional: PBR type approaches, using emotions or ambiguity to break through clutter and indifference

Any Questions?