10/14/25
MESSAGE
STRATEGY
E K TA
‘MESSAGE’ OF 6M MODEL- TRANSLATING
STRATEGY INTO STORIES
• “Why should I use/buy?”
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TARGET SEGMENT
Based on? (many parameters)
Age: 20-50 years
Family income: upper middle+
Education: Bachelor +
Gender: Both men/women
Geography: Urban India (metropolitan)
Occupation: Both working/non-working (students)
Outdoor activities
Gadgets
Modern attire
Some behavioral attributes…
LIFESTYLE SEGMENTATION
Psychographics – Lifestyle (AIO)
– Activities: how do they spend their time?
– Interests: what they place importance on in their immediate surroundings
– Opinions: view of themselves and the world around them
Decide on the advertising/message setting
• Characters - type/appearance
• Music & artwork; tone - serious or humorous; contemporary or traditional
• Rewards consumers seek in their AIO
• roles in which the target consumer sees himself/herself
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Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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BRAND EQUITY
• Product value is enhanced when associated with a brand name and its meanings (quality,
premium, CSR, environmental concerns, etc.)
• Consumer Equity + Mindshare
– Consumer Equity= Sum of LV of all customers of a brand;
– (Mindshare ~ Marketshare); space of mind occupied by a brand for a particular market; also relates
to TOM
TOM AWARENESS
• Product category First few brands that come to mind
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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SHARE OF VOICE (SOV)
• How much noise your brand makes in a product category
• Noise ~ ads, sales promotions, sponsorship, news coverage (publicity), PR, etc.
• Helps in
– TOM awareness
– Brand associations
BRAND ASSOCIATIONS
Associations with a brand
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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BRAND AWARENESS MEASURES
• Recognition (aided awareness)
• Recall (Unaided awareness)
Which is easier and why?
BRAND AWARENESS MEASURES
• Recognition (aided)
– If coupled with a strong point-of-sales reminder of the brand
• Recall (Unaided)
– If no such reminder exists
– Top-of-mind awareness
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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USP - UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
• Value claim that offers a prospective customer a reason (specific, unique and superior)
to purchase a product
11
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
VALUE PROPOSITION AND USP?
12
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AD COPY
• Appeal- Motivational Stimulus
– Informational (Rational)
– Transformational (Emotional)
• Execution format incorporating the appeal
CONSUMER-ORIENTED VS PRODUCT-
ORIENTED APPEAL
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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PRODUCT-ORIENTED APPEALS
• Focus is on Product Features and Characteristics.
• Consumer Benefit is Implied
– Product Feature appeal
– Price Appeal
– Product News Appeal
– Popularity
– Generic Appeal
CONSUMER-ORIENTED APPEALS
• Focus on Consumer Benefit
• Rational
– Consumer self-enhancement appeal – Attain goals through using the product.
– Consumer service appeal - Stresses the various ways in which the product can be used. Ex. As
ingredients/food recipes.
– Consumer Savings-through-use appeal - Emphasizes savings through use of the product.
• Emotional
– Positive emotion (Joy, Humor, surprise)
– Negative emotion
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Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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HIERARCHIES
LEARN – FEEL – DO?
Or
DO – FEEL – LEARN?
CONTEMPORARY MODELS - FCB
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CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS/ PURCHASE FUNNEL
MARKETING FUNNEL
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Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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THE ‘INTEGRATED’ MARKETING
LANDSCAPE
REVISIT- PAST DISCUSSION
• Brief - When a client company outlines the issue that it wants to be tackled and presents it to an
agency
– ClientàAgency
• Pitch - When the agency presents its idea to the client company for tackling the issue presented
earlier to it
– AgencyàClient
• Layout – Drawings that show what the ad will look like
• Storyboard – A sequence of frames and panels that depict the TV/video commercial in still form
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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REVISIT- PAST DISCUSSION
ROLES IN AN ADVERTISING AGENCY
• Account Manager – Responsible for managing client relationships; Typically sees a number
of clients. (Account=Client)
• Account Planner – Represents the consumer in the creative process; skilled at
observing consumer behavior and analyzing consumer attitudes, thus combining the skills of
trend-watchers, researchers, and psychologists.
• Creatives/Creative department – People who dream up the ads; Usually consists of a
team of “creative director” (head of team), “copywriter”, “art director”, and “graphic designers”.
• Production – Oversees the realization of creative team’s vision.
• Media Planner – Who analyses the “when” and “where” part of placing client company’s
advertisement to ensure maximum impact among its target audience.
• Media Buyer – Who negotiates the purchase of advertising space.
CREATIVE BRIEF
• Convert Strategy (Vision, Insight, Objectives) à Action (Creative Team of Agency)
• Key Document – ‘Creative Brief’ (guide/blueprint)
– Converts Strategic vision into Action
– Who/What/Where/When/Why of a project
• Poorly written Creative Brief à Poor creative outcomes
– Ads (TV, Radio, Print, Online, billboard), store design (signage, layout, décor), brand consumer
communication (direct messages, emails), website design, social media campaigns, logo design, brochures
– Can be broader and more strategic (multi-year campaign), or narrower and more tactical (e.g., specific ad)
• Strategists
– Client, i.e., Brand Manager or Account Planners within agency (consumer research, data insights, brand
strategy)
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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HOW SHOULD A CREATIVE BRIEF BE?
ü Clear
ü Well-crafted
ü Carefully considered
• Should NOT be Vague and Meaningless
CLIENT-AGENCY RELATIONSHIP
STRUCTURE
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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WHO WRITES A CREATIVE BRIEF?
• Client's preferences
– Brand Manager
– Ad Agency
– Collaborate (asking the right questions)
• Co-created document – mutual ownership
• Assignment brief à Creative Brief
• Inputs from both sides à Joint responsibility
• P&G legacy – send employees to work at agencies before they could become Brand Managers
WHEN DO COMPANIES DEVELOP AND
USE A CREATIVE BRIEF?
1. Strategic Marketing Plan (STP)
1. Marketing Objective & Communication Objective
2. Brand Essence
• Ready to develop Creative Brief
• Convert Strategy into consumer-facing Creative Executions for the desired action.
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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CREATIVE BRIEF: THE KEY ELEMENTS
EXAMPLE: DOVE HAIRCARE
[Link]
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
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CREATIVE
QUALIT Y
WHAT MAKES ADVERTISING
PROFITABLE: PAUL DYSON’S MODEL
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
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BACKGROUND STUDY
• A Brand - ads created over a year (same market,
same category)
• Econometric analysis
• How much money did each ad generate?
• Diff between the worst and best ad (3x)
• Same exercise he did for Multiple brands (biggest diff
~ 12x)
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING
Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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NO ONE KNOWS IT'S ME…
MAGIC NUMBER- 7
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PROFITS MAGNIFYING OVER TIME
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
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MARKET ORIENTATION
• We don’t look at our brands or ads the way consumers look
• You are not the consumer
• Consumers don’t give a S***
• Brands overestimate the fame of DBA (more people know it)
• Brands underestimate the uniqueness
PALETTE OF CODES
• Distinct
• Repetitive
• Continuous
• Ad*7
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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CODE TYPES AND FLUENCY
FLUENCY TAKES TIME TO WORK
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IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
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BOTOMLINE
• Make less ads
• Carry them longer
• Emotion
• Fluency
• Consistency (30 years)
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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SUMMARY…
HOW DO WE GET A GOOD CREATIVE
HOW ARE EMOTIONS MEASURED?
• In combination with conventional quantitative and qualitative research studies
• Eye tracking
• EEG
• facial coding, and biometric
• GSR
IMC course handouts by Prof. Ekta
Srivastava at IIM Kozhikode; strictly not for
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