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IMC Message Strategy

All planned brand messages should:
1) Create brand awareness
2) Change or reinforce customers attitudes
3) Stimulate some kind of response or action
4) Stimulate the interactivity that helps build brand
relationships
The IMC Creative Brief is based on these mandates
and how they relate to the brand decision-
making process.
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Creating Brand Value for a
Biscuit
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Brand Message Strategy
Development

The fourth step in the IMC planning process is
developing message strategies.

Companies and their marketing communication
agencies employ strategic thinking at a
variety of levels in the marketing
communication process.
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The Creative Message Brief

A creative brief is a document that provides
the guidelines for creating brand messages.
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The Creative Message Brief
Creative briefs typically include items
such as:
Restatement of the marketing strategy
Restatement of the marketing objectives in terms of
the intended message impact
The message format or approach
The psychological appeal
The selling premise
The big idea or creative concept
The message execution details
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Citigate Cunninghams
Positioning Platform
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Purpose or Key Problem

Identifying the companys main opportunity or
key problem is the first step in developing a
selling strategy.
This key problem should summarize the most
important finding from the SWOT analysis.
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Functional-Area Message
Objectives
For each MC area used in the MC plan, message objectives
need to be developed.
MC efforts are measured against their objectives, so stating
appropriate objectives is an important part of determining
the desired impact.
Creative message objectives are often based on some notion
of hierarchy of effects such as the AIDA model.
A less hierarchical approach includes awareness, attitude,
action and relationship building.
Brand message objectives and strategies need to dovetail
with the marketing plan.
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Appeals and Execution Style
Advertising Appeals
The approach used to attract the attention of
consumers
and/or
To influence consumer feelings toward the
product, service or cause
Execution Style
The way a particular appeal is turned into an
advertising message
The way the message is presented to the
consumer
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INFORMATIONAL APPEALS
INFORMATIONAL/RATIONAL APPEALS
FOCUS ON THE CONSUMERS PRACTICAL,
FUNCTIONAL, OR UTILITARIAN NEED FOR
THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EMPHASIZE
FEATURES
BENEFITS
REASONS FOR OWNING
MESSAGE CONTENT
FACTS, LEARNING, LOGIC
RATIONAL MOTIVES OR PURCHASE CRITERIA
CONVENIENCE, ECONOMY, FIVE SENSES,
DEPENDABILITY, DURABILITY, EFFICIENCY,
PERFORMANCE, ECT
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Rational Appeals
Feature appeals
Focus on the dominant traits of the product
Competitive appeals
Makes comparisons to other brands
Favorable price appeals
Makes price offer the dominant point
News appeals
News or announcement about the product
Product/service popularity appeals
Stresses the brands popularity
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EMOTIONAL APPEALS
EMOTIONAL APPEALS
THE CONSUMERS SOCIAL AND/OR PSYCHOLOGICAL
NEEDS FOR PURCHASING A PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EMOTIONS WORK BETTER AT SELLING BRANDS
THAT DO NOT DIFFER MARKEDLY FROM
COMPETING BRANDS
EMOTIONAL INTEGRATION
CHARACTERS IN THE AD EXPERIENCE AN
EMOTIONAL BENEFIT OR OUTCOME FROM USING
A PRODUCT OR SERVICE

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Emotional Appeals
Personal States or Feelings
Achievement /
Accomplishment
Actualization
Affection
Ambition
Arousal /
stimulation
Comfort
Excitement
Fear
Happiness
Joy
Love
Nostalgia
Pleasure
Pride
Safety
Security
Self-esteem
Sentiment
Sorrow / grief
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Emotional Appeals
Social-Based Feelings
Approval
Affiliation / Acceptance
belonging
Embarrassment
Involvement
Recognition
Rejection
Respect
Status
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ADDITIONAL TYPES OF APPEALS
REMINDER ADVERTISING
KEEP BRAND NAME IN USERS MINDS

TEASER ADVERTISING
BUILD CURIOSITY, INTEREST, EXCITEMENT
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Transformational Ads
The ads create feelings, images, meanings, and beliefs about
the product or service that may be activated when consumers
use it
These transform the consumers interpretations of use of the
product
The ad must make the experience of using the product
richer, warmer, more exciting and / or enjoyable than that
obtained solely from an objective description of the
advertised brand
It must connect the experience of the ad so tightly with the
experience of using the brand that the consumer cant
remember the brand without recalling the experience
generated by the ad
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Ad Execution Techniques
Straight-sell or
factual message
Science / technical
evidence
Demonstration
Comparison
Slice of life
Testimonial
Animation
Personality
Fantasy
Dramatization
Humor
Combination
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Consistency
IMC planners focus their attention on two
types of consistency:
One-voice, one-look
Strategic consistency
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The Consistency Hierarchy
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The Consistency Triangle
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Consistency Gaps
The consistency triangle is used to
identify gaps in brand communication.
The say messages must be consistent
with the do and confirm messages.
Gaps between any of these points
threaten brand relationships.
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A Mess of Messages

Many companies deal with a mess of message
due to a wide array of messages and
communication complexity.
Consistency leads to a positive, well-defined,
clear brand image recognized by all of a
brands stakeholders.