Unit 7 advertising

Advertising isn’t a science.

It’s persuasion, and persuasion is an art.

William Bernback

Words to remember:

adolescent – підліток, молода людина

adverse effect – несприятливий, протилежний ефект

allow – дозволяти; syn permit

appeal (to) – приваблювати, подобатись; звертатися до; lose one’s appeal – втрачати привабливість

beneficial – благотворний, корисний; вигідний; benefit – перевага

behaviour – поведінка

casual – повсякденний, неофіційний

commercial – реклама на телебаченні або радіо

competitor – конкурент; compete - конкурувати

deliberately – навмисно, свідомо

draw attention to – привертати увагу до

editorial – передова (редакційна) стаття (передача)

emerge – виникати, з’являтися

encourage – заохочувати

endorse a product– рекомендувати товар, виступати в підтримку товару; endorsement – підтримка, схвалення товару відомою людиною

eye-catching – привабливий, той, що привертає увагу; syn attention-grabbing

exclusive – вишуканий, ексклюзивний

good value for money – те, що варто своєї ціни

harm reputation – шкодити репутації

household products – господарські товари

impress – вражати

influence – вплив; впливати; syn impact; influential – впливовий, важливий

inspire – надихати; inspirational – натхненний, надихаючий

institutional (prestige) ad– корпоративна (іміджева) реклама, реклама фірми (а не її товарів)

mass media – засоби масової інформації

misleading – який вводить в оману, обманливий

outdoor advertising – вулична реклама, реклама на відкритому повітрі

overtake – переганяти; обходити

peer – рівний, одноліток

persuade – переконувати, схиляти; syn convince smb of – переконувати, запевняти; persuasive – переконливий

pester – надоїдати, докучати; pester power – здатність (дитини) упросити батьків (купити щось)

product placement – розміщення скритої реклами

prohibit – забороняти

publicity – гласність, прилюдність, реклама

purchase – купувати; syn buy

radio spot – радіо ролик

reach customers – діставатися покупців

recognizable logo – логотип фірми, який легко розпізнати

rid of – позбавляти

self-indulgence – потакання, потурання своїм бажанням

slogan – лозунг, призив, девіз

sophisticated – складний, вишуканий

sponsorship – порука, фінансування

street furniture – вуличне обладнання

subliminal – підсвідомий

subtle – витончений, вишуканий

suggest – пропонувати, рекомендувати; syn offer

unique selling point (USP) – унікальна властивість продукції, унікальна торгова пропозиція

urge – спонукати, змушувати

vulnerable – уразливий; ранимий

word-of-mouth – усний

Exercise 1 a) Starting up, answer these questions:

1. What is your favourite advertisement? Why do you like it? 2. Where can you see a lot of advertisements? 3. What commercials do you like? 4. What adverts should be prohibited on TV? 5. Do you agree that some advertisements have a bad influence on children? 6. Is there any connection between advertising and price?

b) What makes a good advertisement? Use some of the words below.

clever	interesting	funny	inspiring	eye-catching
powerful	humorous	shocking	informative	sexy

c) Do you think that the advertising practices described below are acceptable? Are there any other types of advertisement that you find offensive?

a. Using children in advertisements

b. Using nudity in advertisements

c. Promoting alcohol on TV

d. Comparing your products to your competitors’ products

e. An image flashed onto a screen very quickly so that people are affected without noticing it (subliminal advertising)

Exercise 2 In pairs, discuss the following questions. You may use the following expressions:

This ad appeals to me because …

I find it attractive because (of) …

I like the graphics and …

It gives me a sense of …

It makes me think of …

1. Of the advertisements that you saw on your way here today, which caught your attention most? 2. What elements of an advertisement appeal to you – image? colour? language? design? humour?

Exercise 3 a) Read three opinions about advertising.

(1) First of all, an advert has to be attention-grabbing and powerful. You need a strong image that is eye-catching, a catchy slogan, a joke or something shocking. In advertising we talk about the AIDA formula. A is for attention. I is for interest. D is for desire. A is for action. An ad needs to do more than get our attention. It also has to be effective and persuasive. It must get us interested, make us want the product and motivate us to go out and buy it.

Michael Hamilton, advertising executive

(2) Advertising has changed over the years. Adverts are no longer purely informative and focused on the product. Many of the adverts that we see today are short stories telling inspirational tales that are often witty, humorous and sophisticated. People do not want to remember that life can be dull. They want to see something original and creative. The adverts take away the ordinariness of everyday life and take us to somewhere exotic or romantic.

Miranda Hoyles, head of US advertising agency

(3) Many people talk about advertisements that are exciting and intriguing. But for me, an instantly recognizable logo is really important. Good logos have been built up so they are recognizable. Part of what makes a good advert is a clear symbol that people immediately identify with the company. A good slogan also helps you make a connection. ‘The real thing’ makes you think of Coca-Cola immediately. It’s also important that your slogan does not become irritating.

Christie Peterson, illustrator

b) Are these statements true or false?

1. Michael Hamilton says that adverts must attract attention and be persuasive. 2. He also states that an advert should encourage us to buy the product it is advertising. 3. Miranda Hoyles states that adverts nowadays are different from years ago. 4. Hoyles also says people like adverts that reflect everyday life. 5. Christie Peterson focuses on slogans and logos. 6. She says that excitement is more important than the image of the company.

c) Work with a partner to discuss the following.

1. Which opinion do you agree with the most? 2. Which opinion mentions an advert for a soft drink? 3. Which opinion(s) might these ideas for adverts illustrate? a) a fast car chase with lots of action; b) an advert with a clever use of a few words; c) an advert set on a beautiful island.

d) Find adjectives in the first two texts which mean the following.

1. attracting your attention because it is easily remembered; 2. very noticeable; 3. amusing and enjoyable, easy to remember; 4. very bad, upsetting; 5. works well and produces the results you want; 6. able to make people do or believe something; 7. funny and clever; 8. not interesting or exciting; 9. imaginative, using completely new and different ideas; 10. unusual and exciting because it comes from a distant country.

Exercise 4 a) Read the text and entitle it.

Often advertising is considered a synonym of marketing communications because it is the most visible tool of the communications mix and one of the four major promotional tools. Here we shall have a closer look at advertising.

Advertising is non-personal mass communication using mass media (such as TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, etc.), the content of which is determined and paid for by a clearly identified sender (the company). Advertising informs consumers about the existence and benefits of products and services, it draws attention to the ‘unique selling points’, the USPs of products (these are the qualities that make a product different from competitors’ products), and attempts to persuade them to buy them.

There exist many different forms of advertising, such as direct mail, billboards, newspapers and magazines, radio, television, and the Internet.

What is the best form of advertising?

The best form of advertising is the kind that generates the most business income proportional to the amount of money that can be spent (word-of-mouth costing the least). To determine this, you must first ask yourself what you want to achieve through advertising. Is your objective to increase sales of a single product or service? Or is it to get consumers into your store or services you offer?

The best form of advertising is probably word-of-mouth advertising, which occurs when people tell their friends about the benefits of products or services that they have purchased. Yet virtually no providers of goods or services rely on this alone, but use paid advertising instead. Indeed, many organizations also use institutional or prestige advertising, which is designed to build up their reputation rather than to sell particular products.

The world of outdoor advertising involves billboards, transport and ‘street furniture’ (things like bus shelters and public toilets). It is one of the fastest-growing segments, having doubled its market share in recent years.

New forms of advertising are emerging and they are overtaking traditional media like television, newspapers, magazines, etc. because of a shift towards internet advertising. The World Wide Web is a relatively new media and it is a phenomenon. Companies are experimenting in new ways to reach customers.

In the recent past some companies have considered placing company slogans or corporate logos on rockets, satellites and even space stations. The effectiveness of subliminal advertising has not yet been scientifically researched.

Another form of advertising is social network advertising. This is a kind of online advertising on social networking sites like Facebook.

Traditional mass media can be used to create new forms of communication to escape from message clutter. One of these new types is the advertorial (advertisement + editorial). For instance, a television programme can take viewers into department stores to introduce them to the latest fashion and beauty trends. At a certain moment in time, the show directs the customers to certain brands, the marketers of which have sponsored the programme.

Another type of creative communication on television is the infomercial (information + commercial) or programme-length advertising. During an ‘informative programme’ a product is presented and demonstrated to the consumer, who is urged to order it by telephone. Infomercials are very behaviour-oriented and try to bridge the gap between not knowing the product and ordering it in half an hour’s time.

These days, advertisers have come up with new ways of promoting their products. For example, product placement is now common. This is advertising in books, TV programmes or films by having a character, preferably played by a famous actor, use a particular product. For example, Tom Cruise’s character in the movie, Minority Report, had a computer with the Nokia logo on it, and his watch was clearly made by Bulgari. James Bond movies are, in some respect, one long advert for vodka, watches and cars. Twenty companies will see their products in the new Bond film, having paid $70m (₤44m) for the privilege. 007 has changed his vodka brand and ditched his Rolex watch, and, after driving BMWs in his last three films, he is back behind the wheel of an Aston Martin.

TV commercials are a very effective medium for advertisers, though these are very expensive. If an organization wants to have a 30-second TV advert during the annual Super-bowl game in the United States, they have to pay about 2.5 million.

Perhaps the most interesting development is the use of famous personalities to endorse a product. The basketball player, Michael Jordan, endorsed Nike products and wore them while playing. David Beckham, the footballer, endorsed Police sunglasses.

Getting well-known personalities to endorse a product can be very expensive, but endorsements certainly increase a product’s sales, especially if the personality has a positive image in the eyes of the public.

b) Answer the following questions:

1. What is advertising? 2. What forms of advertising are mentioned in the text? 3. Explain the concept of USPs. 4. What is the best form of advertising? 5. Why has internet advertising overtaken its traditional forms in recent years? 6. How can the idea of product placement be used in books and films? 7. Name and give examples of three kinds of advertisements.

Exercise 5 Match the words connected with advertising with their meanings.

sponsorship ▪ commercial ▪ promote ▪ misleading ▪ slogan ▪ endorse ▪ logo

1. an advert on TV or radio; 2. financial support a company gives in order to get publicity for themselves; 3. a short phrase that is easy to remember; 4. to say publicly that you support or approve of something; 5. giving the wrong idea or impression; 6. special design / symbol that a company puts on all its products or adverts; 7. to try to sell a product, e.g. by special advertising.

Exercise 6 Read the dialogue and choose the correct answer.

A: OK, let’s brainstorm how we’re going to promote / endorse this product.

B: Well, we could get a famous celebrity like David Beckham to endorse it.

A: I think that would be much too expensive. Commercial / Sponsorship of a TV programme would also cost a lot. And a TV logo / commercial is out for the same reason. I’ve seen some great TV shots which are visually beautiful and really eye-catching / shocking, often set in romantic or dull / exotic locations. But I don’t think they’ve been very effective / witty as people can’t remember the product they’re advertising.

B: I agree, but we don’t want something catchy / dull and boring. How about advertising on the radio – would the budget run to that?

A: Yes, we could stretch to that.

B: And would you like something witty and eye-catching / catchy?

A: Maybe. I want something new and dull / original. But most importantly, it must be persuasive / misleading. It must get people to buy the product.

Exercise 7 Read the interview with a marketing expert speaking about the different types of advertising.

Companies advertise their products for three main reasons.

The first reason is simply to inform the public that a particular product or service exists. This type of advertisement gives factual information about the product, provides price details and information about any special offers. This is called informative advertising and it concentrates on just giving the essential details. It’s often used to give information about household products that people buy regularly.

The second type is persuasive advertising and its function is to convince people to buy a product or service. The advertisement tries to achieve this by telling people that the product or service will bring beneficial changes to their lives. This often happens with cosmetic products where a person is persuaded that a certain face cream will rid them of wrinkles and make their skin look fresh and young. Services like cosmetic surgery work on the same principle.

The third type of advertising is known as competitive advertising because the purpose here is to convince people that a particular company’s products or services are better than any other produced by its competitors. In some countries, companies are allowed to mention their competitors by name in their advertising. In other countries, this is not permitted.

Complete the information

Type of advertising	Type of information given	Type of product/service
Informative
Persuasive
Competitive

Exercise 8 In pairs, write an advertisement for a product or service. Decide on your target market and how to make your product sound attractive. Using the information in your advertisements, try to persuade classmates to buy your product or service. Use the language suggestions below.

Persuasive language	Attractive sounding adjectives and phrases
You really must ... You really ought to ... You should try ...	long-lasting / durable / tough / delicious / tasty / mouth-watering / safe / secure / guaranteed / cheap / inexpensive / unbeatable price / convenient / comfortable / simple to use

Exercise 9 You are in charge of starting a new ad campaign to promote Soyatastic, a new soya-based drink. Use the notes and the phrases below to explain to an ad agency what you want.

Soyatastic

doing well in organic grocery stores

people at conventional grocery stores think drink is boring, plain introducing four new flavours (raspberry, blood orange, mango,

blueberry)

most important taste

also healthy, large sizes are good value for money

USEFUL PHRASES

• Discussing an ad campaign

• Typically, our products have appealed to ...

• We have a high market share among teenagers / 18-25-year-old men.

• We want to appeal to a younger / older audience.

• Our (name of product) is very well known, but we want to raise the profile of our ...

• It’s important for us to reinforce our brand’s positive image / to change perceptions of our product.

• We’d like to rebrand our product / to change our image / to create a new image.

Exercise 10 How do you think advertisements vary between countries? Read the opinions below. Do any of them surprise you?

A. I can tell the difference between a German ad and a British one immediately. I find German advertising very direct, whereas British advertising tends to be much more subtle. You know, a British ad for a chocolate bar might be all about something that has nothing to do with chocolate, but which somehow manages to evoke the idea of self-indulgence: a woman in a bath, for example. A German ad for a chocolate bar will always have a chocolate bar in it.

B. Henry Ford said that a car can be any colour as long as it’s black, and I feel the same way about advertising. A really good ad campaign will work across cultures and appeal to basic human needs – the only thing you need to change is the language.

С. I was in Japan a few years ago and was shocked to see how many famous Hollywood stars were advertising everyday products like cars and bath soap. They’d never do ads like that in the US because it would harm their reputation here. I’m not sure why it’s OK to do it in Asia, though. But a friend from Kyoto visited me recently, and she mentioned that these days, Japanese companies prefer to use Japanese actors in their ads. Apparently the West is losing its appeal!

D. Sure, something like fancy French perfume can be marketed in a similar way around the world: the only thing that changes is how sexy the ad is allowed to be!

E. But the ad campaigns for our wines are completely different in, say, the US and France. Our American ads show a couple drinking wine in a very exclusive restaurant; it’s clearly a special occasion. And our French ads show a group of adults, obviously old friends, having a casual meal at home. The product is the same, but the ‘packaging’ is completely different.

Which opinion refers to:

universal advertising? a change in status of foreign stars? differences in advertising styles? a product that has a different status in different cultures?