Creative Strategy and the Creative Process: Concepting SBM 338 Lanny Wilke

What Makes GREAT Advertising? The Resonance Dimension Informational Transformational The Relevance Dimension

Formulating Creative Strategy: The Key to Great Advertising The basic problem the advertising must address The objective of the advertising A definition of the target audience The key benefits to communicate Support for those benefits The brand’s personality Any special requirements

Elements of message strategy A simple description and explanation of an ad campaign’s overall creative approach Main idea Details about how the idea will be executed rationale

How Creativity Enhances Advertising What is creativity? To originate, to conceive a thing or idea that did not exist before. Typically, involves combining two or more previously unconnected objects or ideas into something new.

The Role of Creativity in Advertising Creativity helps advertising inform Creativity helps advertising persuade Creativity helps advertising remind Creativity puts the “boom” in advertising

The Creative Process The Explorer – searches for new information, paying attention to unusual patterns. The Artist – experiments and plays with a variety of approaches, looking for an original idea. The Judge – evaluates the results of experimentation and decides which approach is most practical.

The Warrior – overcomes excuses, idea killers, setbacks, and obstacles to bring a creative concept to realization.

The Explorer Role Develop an insight outlook Know the objective brainstorm

The Artist Role Task 1: Develop the big idea Transforming a concept Adapt Imagine Reverse Connect Compare Eliminate Parody

Task 2: Implement the big idea Attention Interest Credibility Desire Action

The Judge Role Delicate balance Is this idea an aha! Or an uh-oh? What’s wrong with this idea? What if it fails? What is my cultural bias? What’s clouding my thinking?

The Warrior Role Get the idea approved, produced, and placed in the media. Stragegic precision Savvy psychology Slick presentation Structural persuasion Solve the problem

Concepting What is the problem? Can advertising solve the problem? What is the target audience? What are the product features/benefits? What is the One Big Thing? How much do we need to say or show?

Where is the product positioned? What are the competition’s strengths and weaknesses? What should the tone be?

Concepting Approaches Show the product Brand identity Show the benefit What happens when you use it? What will it do for you? Show the alternative What happens when you don’t use it? What happens when you use the competition’s product?

Comparison With other products Metaphors Borrowed interest Introduce something that seems unrelated Testimonials Endorsement What it’s done for others

The Concepting Process Just do it. Write, don’t talk. Throw it on the wall. When you’re on a roll, keep rolling. Funny? Show it, don’t tell it. Don’t be different just to be different. KISS Don’t second-guess the client. Build a “maybe” file.

Test Your Concept Self-evaluation Gut check Matchbook and billboard test Honest evaluation Creative director evaluation Client evaluation

The Edge Nudity, sex, violence, offensive language Music/sound effects Us versus Them Inside jokes/slang Production values/design

But remember…. Some audiences have lower levels of tolerance. How far you can push your target audience. The risks. Your personal moral compass. You may need to defend your idea.

You need a backup idea. Don’t be different just to be different. There needs to be a purpose.

When you’re stuck… Back up. Go back to the books. Talk about it with others. Take a break. Stay sober.

Next, ad strategy.