The Hindu Business Line : Your message + internal experience = resonance

THERE are at least three things that go wrong with most books on advertising: One, they focus on theory and principles, and give no inputs on how to create an ad. Two, they give great examples, which are all at least ten years old. And three, "a wealth of anecdotes by the giants" of the ad industry fill the pages, but you find "very little advice that applies to the struggling novice."

Thus analyse Tom Altstiel and Jean Grow Marquette University in Advertising Strategy: Creative Tactics from the Outside/In, from Sage (www.sagepublications.com) .

Four features make the book on hand different from the traditional ones. There is more of how and less of why, skipping "most of the principles and history of advertising," but supplying "tips and techniques, checklists and how-to-stuff." About 90 per cent of the examples are `less than five years old'. Student-created ads are given as examples, so you know "your competition." And, there are war stories in the form of case histories.

Creativity is useful outside of advertising too, write the authors. "The ability to gather information, process it, prioritise the most important facts, and develop a persuasive message is useful in almost every occupation," they explain. Driving forces of the ad revolution were icons such as Leo Burnett, David Ogilvy, and Bill Bernbach - all of them are cited extensively in the book. "First and foremost, they were copywriters," remind the authors. Though these giants headed mega agencies, "their first love was writing."

The book is laid out with care, designed pleasingly, and packed with appropriate photos and cartoons. Plus, there are `words of wisdom' in the margin. Thus, Jerry Della Femina confesses that advertising is "the most fun you can have with your clothes on." Helayne Spivak reminds that brilliant creative isn't enough, you must be creative and effective, because "it's a time for the strategic thinker, not just the creative rebel." And Jef Richards declares, "Creativity without strategy is art. Creativity with strategy is advertising."

1+1=3. How? "That is, your message + internal experience = resonance, which is greater than the sum of its parts," explains the book. "Resonance requires a connection with feelings that are inside the consumer's mind. You don't have to put in a new emotion, just find a way to tap what's already there."

Try the `one thing' technique to zero in on the `copy platform' or `creative strategy statement', which is "the central truth, the unique selling proposition, the big idea, or the positioning statement." It can be discovered by finishing the sentence, "If you could say just One Thing about this product, it would be ... " The authors recount how their new clients often struggle to complete the sentence. "The most common response is, `Gee. Nobody really asked that before. It's really so many things. I can't think of just one.' Then they provide a laundry list of features. No wonder they needed a new agency!"

One of the chapters discusses `issues in a changing marketplace' such as colour, race and gender. It is a matter of pride for the industry that 53 per cent of the jobs (US) are held by women, and that owners and CEOs "are far more common in advertising than in other businesses." Yet, the authors are disappointed that only 28 per cent of top management positions are held by women.

"It seems ironic that women are so often considered a specialty market when they make up 51 per cent of the US population and influence 85 per cent of all purchases, including making 80 per cent of all healthcare decisions and 65 per cent of all new car choices," notes the book. Other numbers about women are that three-quarters of all women in the US work full-time, and that women over 40 have "some of the highest spending power in the nation." Also, "there are 32.7 million women of colour, and they have $723 billion in purchasing power." Any similar statistics about India?

An insight of value is that women take brands seriously. Caveat, however, is that they don't bond with brands, which they perceive as aggressively targeting them. "The best way to reach women is to consider the unexpected and to pay attention to details - women do. Even the subtlest nuance can mean more. Give them time to make their decisions," advise the authors.

Compelling read.

BookMark@TheHindu.co.in

D. Murali