Creating Portraits

sales pitch a presentation to a client, portraying the world of the client’s intended audience and actions, to show how the client’s product is valuable in that world

positioning making a particular target group of consumers feel that a brand relates to their particular interests and lifestyles

branding creating a specific image of a product that makes it stand out in the marketplace

split-cable test a method for comparing the persuasiveness of two television commercials

Portraits of society are constructed through this meeting of research facts and artistry. Whether they are developing a magazine ad that details the joys of a Ford Mustang, a TV commercial that extols Pond's cold cream, or a video game that includes the McDonald's Hamburglar in its cast, the creator's goal is to suggest the product's usefulness for the audience. Of course, to do that, the ad people must have thoughts about the audience, particularly as it relates to the product they are selling. The goal is to imagine the product in a social environment that is appropriate for the intended audience and its values. Armed with these imaginings, a creative team can concoct a sales pitch—a message that portrays the world of the intended audience, a problem in that world, and actions that show how the product can solve that problem.

The next step is to illustrate the sales pitch in stories and settings that the creatives believe the target audience will accept. Often an agency develops different campaigns for distinct audiences. Editing and casting decisions take into consideration research findings about how different audiences look at the product and the world. This approach enables agencies to create an image of the product that matches what they believe will lead various audiences to feel good about the product and to purchase it.

Creating a specific image of a product that makes it stand out in the marketplace is called branding it. Ad practitioners consider the creation and nurturing of these product images—these brands—to be among their most important activities. The reason is their belief that people will pay more for a well-regarded brand than for a product they do not know or about which they have a bad feeling. Think about it: Which would you rather buy from your supermarket for a party—Pepsi or Coke (whichever you prefer), or something called Pop- Soda Cola? Even if your supermarket guarantees the quality of Pop-Soda Cola and says it tastes “like the big J guys,” and even if it's a dime less expensive, you might feel funny serving it to your guests. Chances are you would choose Pepsi or Coke. These are brands you trust; perhaps, after years of seeing commercials, you may even think that these products belong at parties.

Advertising practitioners try to make a particular target group of consumers feel that a brand relates to their particular interests and lifestyles. Doing that is called positioning. To position a product, agencies call on the research and creative activities that we have already discussed. Sometimes they will settle on a broad positioning for the product and then change it somewhat when advertising to particular target markets.

As a brief example, consider the position of Geico Direct, the fourth largest car insurance company in the United States. An insurance industry study described its brand image in the following way: “Geico occupies unique terrain in the autoinsurance space as a relatively inexpensive carrier that is fun. State Farm and Allstate, on the other hand, occupy more traditional territory (expensive and serious).”1 It's not hard to understand why. You've probably seen the two long-running types of television commercials created by Martin Agency that present its pitch. One series stars an earnest British gecko and another centers on self-righteous cavemen. Geico has created different versions of the commercials and also ads, many of which seem aimed at younger members of the driving public.

Once the ads have been created—and sometimes while they are being created-^ they are tested. A variety of methods might be used, from focus groups to actually running the ads in certain areas and evaluating the results. One trial method for comparing the persuasiveness of two TV commercials is called the split-cable test—in which the advertiser arranges with a cable company to send one commercial to one particular neighborhood's TV sets and another commercial to a separate though similar neighborhood’s TV sets during the same programs. Before the trial begins, the researchers monitor the sales of their products in stores in the two neighborhoods. After the split-cable showing of the commercials, the researchers recheck the stores to determine which commercial led to a greater increase in purchases.