The Advertising Budget and Platform
The advertising budget should be worked out so as to provide for a relatively heavy impact in at least the first year, and preferably over the first two years. The aims of a campaign are:
- Inform the potential consumers of the product`s existence;
- Convey its special identity, its brand name, recognition features, such as distinctive name, shape, and color of pack;
- Obtain acceptance for its unique selling proposition -in this case the “X factor”, and the particular properties and features- in short to give the product a distinct identity (to `personalize` it) with consumers can associate their own ideas in a sympathetic way. It`s for this reason that the advertising for some products deliberately creates an actual figure to “represent” the product for example the many other animated cartoon figures that `speak` for the product on television, are featured in the printed advertising, and appear on the pack or label of the product itself, thereby assisting in obtaining product-recognition and a sympathetic response at the point-of-sale. Incidentally, the figure or symbol on the pack helps to continue the selling message by repeated impact on the consumer and his family and friends, inside the home, or wherever the product is used;
- Obtain the maximum acceptance for the advertising platform (the advertiser selling theme) as the basis for all merchandising, selling, and for the building of brand loyalty.
The “advertising platform”, or theme, needs particular emphasis, since it is the point of reference, so to speak, for all the activities concerned with the marketing operation, culminating in selling the product to the customers and, of course, aiming at repeat sales in the future. The advertising platform sets the tone for all the variations in the advertising and merchandising that will be carried out; it establishes the product`s personality, which, one fixed or formulated, is difficult to alter later on.
The advertising platform for a certain make of car is a compound of -unassailable quality, high social class, top rank business success, and luxury. The advertising platform for a certain brand of women cosmetics is -beauty compound it is- complete versatility of service. In every instance the advertising platform -in fact, also the basic selling theme- is compound of three aims:
- to embrace all the variations of attitudes (or the majority of them) to be found in the costumer group aimed at’
- to convey a tempting idea that attracts purchase;
- to “sell” a theme in that product field and preferably completely different from them.