Advertising Week 3

13.09.2016 (Week 3)

David Ho Ming Aun (0328394)

Advertising Principles and Practice

Advertising and Marketing, Decoding

Lecture: Creative and effective advertising message for a specific target audience

The lecturer began by asking us how long we took to be attracted or dismiss a print advertisement. Subsequently, the question "Are you creative? Why?" was presented to the class. The following slides went on to provide several definitions of creativity, and why we have the drive to be a creative, and how to be a creative person. Creativity in the context of advertising was also mentioned, that is:

1. making a relevant connection between brand and its target audience
2. presenting a selling idea
3. being unexpected

After being shown some memorable examples of creative advertisements such as AXE commercials, the lecturer taught us how to perform a segmentation of a market. The market can be segmented through these aspects:

1. Behaviouristic
2. Geographic
3. Demographic
4. Psychographic

The lecturer quickly divided us into small groups of one or two person(s) and asked us to quickly find out the definition of each segmentation, and then share in class.

Outcomes from the lecture:

• A broader definition of creativity in terms of advertising
• The different types of market segmentation
• The ultimate goal of advertising is about building blind trust with your customers
• It is important to humanise the brand by "transcending the logical connections" and provide an emotional bond, and to have similar values as the target audience.

Research: Target Audience Insight

Secondary Research

I began by finding out some definitions of Generation Y from the internet.

According to the Business Dictionary,

The generation of people born during the 1980s and early 1990s. The name is based on Generation X, the generation that preceded them. Members of Generation Y are often referred to as “echo boomers” because they are the children of parents born during the baby boom (the “baby boomers”). Because children born during this time period have had constant access to technology (computers, cell phones) in their youth, they have required many employers to update their hiring strategy in order to incorporate updated forms of technology. (BusinessDictionary.com, 2016)

WJShroer provides a more specific range of ages:

• Generation Y, Echo Boomers or Millenniums
• Born: 1977-1994
• Coming of Age: 1998-2006
• Age in 2004: 10 to 22
• Current Population: 71 million (WJSchroer, 2004)

But having browsed around various websites, it is generally accepted that Generation Y is born in and after 1980. Having taken a look at the definitions above, I shall proceed to define this target audience through the segregation method as though in the lecture. I will be analysing the target audience in terms of behaviour, geography, demography, and psychography.

1. Behaviour

From the same website (WJShroer) quoted from above, 

• "..incredibly sophisticated, technology-wise, immune to most traditional marketing and sales pitches.."
• "..less brand loyal and the speed of the Internet has led the cohort to be similarly flexible and changing in its fashion, style consciousness and where and how it is communicated with."
• "..often raised in dual income or single parent families have been more involved in family purchases…everything from groceries to new cars. One in nine Gen Y-ers has a credit card co-signed by a parent." (WJSchroer, 2004)

A journal in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour also found that fifteen percent of 20- to 24-year-old American millennials reported having no sexual partners since turning 18, compared to six percent of those born in the 1960s. (Twenge, Sherman and Wells, 2016) This proves contradictory to the widespread idea that Generation Y is a 'hookup generation'.

Link to CNN article regarding the journal of Twenge et al 2016: 
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/02/health/millennials-less-sex-than-gen-x/

Looking towards local Malaysians, a study by Muda et al in 2015 examined the online shopping habits of Gen Y in the Klang Valley area and found that:

• Gen Y in Malaysia mostly make online purchases through operators via Facebook, Instagram and Lazada respectively. (Muda, Mohd and Hassan, 2015)

In an article by marketing-interactive.com, a study found that Malaysian Generation Ys choices in brands display a sense of practicality while balancing an interest to pursue a well-balanced lifestyle.

Figure 1: 2016 Malaysian Gen Y's Top Brands (1/2)

Figure 2: 2016 Malaysian Gen Y's Top Brands (2/2)

It was also found that local brands maintained within the Top 5 choices of brands among Generation Y, showing that local brands have a prominent presence in the local market.

(Manjur, 2016)

2. Geography

From the results of the Malaysian Population and Housing Census in 2010, the following heat map was drafted:

Figure 3: Population density by state, 2010

This shows that the population of Malaysia is most dense in Kuala Lumpur, followed by Putrajaya, Pulau Pinang, Labuan and Selangor. However, density is relative to the cities' borders, and cannot be used as a determinant of a population. The most populated state, is in fact Selangor, with a total of 5,462,141 as of 2010.

3. Demography
According to the definitions above, it can be generalised that Generation Y is born between 1980 – 1994. This would mean that in 2016, Generation Y will be between 22 – 36 years of age.

According to the Malaysian Population and Housing Census in 2010, the results found that the median age was 26.2 years old, meaning that Generation Y is, in fact, a large percentage of the nation.

Figure 4: Number of population by sex and age group, 2000 and 2010

The following is a table describing the population of Malaysians divided through age group:

Figure 5: Population by age in Malaysia.

Gen Y makes up the largest segment of Malaysia's population as well as its Internet population, but they are not the largest segment of online shoppers. (Muda, Mohd and Hassan, 2015)

4.Psychography

A recent article by The Parade provides facts on the psychography of Gen Y in the US. I've summarised them below: (Prices are in USD)

• 87.5% of millennials do not measure success in terms of money, preferring to contribute more to society and philanthropic causes.
• 34% of millennials have a bachelor’s degree or more advanced academic credentials.
• More than 1 in 3 adults will be a Millennial by the year 2020.
• 250 – Average number of Facebook friends millennials have on Facebook.
• $1 Trillion – Total amount of U.S. consumer spending that millennials now account for.
• Millennials are less likely to settle down and have kids as young as prior generations.
• The most racially diverse generation ever, 43% of millennials are not of Caucasian descent.
• Millennials are the most receptive to cultural and social change.
• Gen Y’s optimism is infectious. Despite ranking among the world’s least skilled professionals, and an increasingly competitive job market, nine in ten Millennials say they will earn enough money to meet their financial goals. With women closer to closing the pay gap than ever (earning 93 cents for every dollar men make), they may be right.

(Steinberg, 2016)

Rough Sketches:

Figure 6: Week 3 Rough Sketches (1/7)

Figure 7: Week 3 Rough Sketches (2/7)

Figure 8: Week 3 Rough Sketches (3/7)

Figure 9: Week 3 Rough Sketches (4/7)

Figure 10: Week 3 Rough Sketches (5/7)

Figure 11: Week 3 Rough Sketches (6/7)

Figure 12: Week 3 Rough Sketches (7/7)

Idea Sketches:

Figure 13: Week 3 Idea Sketches (1/3)

Figure 14: Week 3 Idea Sketches (2/3)

Figure 15: Week 3 Idea Sketches (3/3)

Feedback:

Specific feedback

The ideas need to be narrowed. This batch of ideas didnt seem to show any potential. Time has come to develop and idea with legs and begin explorations while simultaneously working on potential options.

General feedback

The lecturer advised us to continue pressing forward in search of ideas that can convey thin. The lecturer also asked us to keep in mind that if an idea works in one ad, we should also consider how can it be expanded to work in 5 other advertisements.

Reflection:

Experience

The lecture felt slightly rushed as Monday's lecture was cancelled due to a holiday. As usual, I found the lecturer's insights into the topic interesting, and the additions of videos help maintain my interest. 

Observation

I've noticed the lecturer asking questions more directly to specific classmates. The discussion session on our sketches was slightly more challenging for me as I felt my ideas were not as solid as I would have liked them to be. I'm glad to see some of my classmates coming up with some good ideas with potential for expansion. I've noticed I've begun to struggle with managing my time between subjects as well.

Findings

I believe the lecturer asking more directed questions is more effective in getting a response out from classmates. I find that it is helpful to bounce ideas off friends, but slightly more time-consuming. I begin to find the e-portfolio slightly cumbersome. 

Book of the Week:

Figure 16: Week 3 Book of the Week

5 Giants of Advertising by Philippe Lorin and Cristina Alonso

"If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." Isaac Newton

This book is a biography of five giants in advertising, namely Albert Lasker, Leo Burnett, Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, David Ogilvy and Bill Bernbach. 

I found the book very comfortable to read despite its large size as it's large leadings and comfortable pacing helped maintain interest throughout the pages. It's very interesting to learn about the circumstances that made these giants embark into the field of advertising, and their curious ticks and habits. There is always something one can learn by looking into how the giants of yesterday perfect their crafts. 

From the extravagant child prodigy that is Albert Lasker to the humility of Bill Bernbach, here are some points that I found fascinating:

• Lasker worked himself to the bone, producing utterly fantastic work but perhaps an effect of this was the neglect of his mental health and personal time. This is contrasted with the work ethic of Bernbach, who did not bring home any work and pursued his interests such as music and reading.
• Leo Burnett has a tendency to protrude his lower lip when he disliked a campaign. This led to his colleagues coming up with the "Lip Protrusion Index" — sn LPI of 5 would mean extra nights of work, whereas an LPI of ten would indicate you were on the verge of being fired. I found this pretty funny.
• Ogilvy laid down some strict rules for new employees, which were frustrating for many under him as it could hamper creativity and lead to overly rigid campaigns, but the clients loved the reassuring format. They were as such:

1. Always include the brand name in the heading
2. Do not try to be clever or smart
3. Do not use analogies
4. Avoid superlatives
5. Use sentences of less than twelve words
6. Do not make jokes
7. Use photographs instead of artworks where possible

• Bernbach wrote a memo to his superiors in 1947: "I'm worried that we're going to fall into the trap of bigness, that we're going to worship techniques instead of substances. I don't want scientists. I don't want people who do the right things. I want people who do inspiring things... Let us blaze new trails." This struck a note with me as I look back on the way we are thought to come up with ideas through rigid formats and processes.
• Some of them were thoroughly dedicated to their work, to the extent they would immerse themselves only in the clients' products. A rather humorous example I found is one of Leo Burnett: Having passed out and lying on a table due to a lack of sugar, he mumbled to his colleagues, "Quick, a bar of chocolate." As a colleague rushed to a vending machine, Burnett feebly lifted his head and was able to shout: "And check that it's Nestlé!"

Figure 17: An advertisement by Bernbach promoting Clairol.

Figure 18: An eye-catching self-promotion by DDB.

References

• NST Online. (2016). Gen Y have less sex, says study. [online] Available at: http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/08/162609/gen-y-have-less-sex-says-study [Accessed 16 Sep. 2016].
• WJSchroer. (2004). Generations X,Y, Z and the Others. [online] Available at: http://socialmarketing.org/archives/generations-xy-z-and-the-others/ [Accessed 16 Sep. 2016].
• Muda, M., Mohd, R. and Hassan, S. (2016). Online Purchase Behavior of Generation Y in Malaysia. Procedia Economics and Finance, 37, pp.292-298.
• Steinberg, S. (2016). 
• Meet the Millennials: Understanding Gen Y — America's Largest Generation. [online] Parade. Available at: http://parade.com/506198/scott_steinberg/meet-the-millennials-understanding-gen-y-americas-largest-generation/ [Accessed 16 Sep. 2016].
• Twenge, J., Sherman, R. and Wells, B. (2016). Sexual Inactivity During Young Adulthood Is More Common Among U.S. Millennials and iGen: Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Having No Sexual Partners After Age 18. Arch Sex Behav.
• BusinessDictionary.com. (2016). 
• What is Generation Y? definition and meaning. [online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/Generation-Y.html [Accessed 16 Sep. 2016].
• Statistics.gov.my. (2011). Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal. [online] Available at: https://www.statistics.gov.my/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=117&bul_id=MDMxdHZjWTk1SjFzTzNkRXYzcVZjdz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09 [Accessed 17 Sep. 2016].
• Manjur, R. (2016). What do Malaysian Gen Y's look out for in brands?. [online] Marketing Interactive. Available at: http://www.marketing-interactive.com/malaysian-gen-ys-look-brands/ [Accessed 17 Sep. 2016].
• Pqi.stats.gov.my. (2016). Population Quick Info. [online] Available at: http://pqi.stats.gov.my/result.php?token=f90450620cd9510aed1d424402293651 [Accessed 17 Sep. 2016].
• Lorin, P. (2001). 5 giants of advertising. New York: Assouline Pub.

Picture Credits

Figure 1 — 2016 Malaysian Gen Y's Top 5 Brands (1/2)

Influencial Brands, (2016). 2016 Malaysian Gen Y's Top Brands. [image] Available at: http://images.marketing-interactive.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IB-PR-Table-1_2MY-Final-700x527.jpg [Accessed 17 Sep. 2016].

Figure 2 — 2016 Malaysian Gen Y's Top 5 Brands (2/2)
Influencial Brands, (2016). 2016 Malaysian Gen Y's Top 5 Brands - 2. [image] Available at: http://images.marketing-interactive.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IB-PR-Table-2_2MY-Final-700x525.jpg [Accessed 17 Sep. 2016].

Figure 3 – 5

Screencaps taken from statistics.gov.my

Statistics.gov.my. (2011). Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal. [online] Available at: https://www.statistics.gov.my/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=117&bul_id=MDMxdHZjWTk1SjFzTzNkRXYzcVZjdz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09 [Accessed 17 Sep. 2016].

Figure 6 – 18

Personal documentation

Link to Exercise

Link to Project 1