Post 5

Being an advertising major, I found “Backpacks vs. Briefcases” to be very relevant to me in particular. It addresses the overall basic format for developing and implementing advertising campaigns, something constantly reiterated to us studying this discipline. Although we repeatedly evaluate and criticize things such as appearance, personality and media based on our preconceived notions of societal, cultural and personal definitions and connections, advertisements tend to be the most overwhelming and intrusive sources of rhetoric. We are exposed to an immense amount of ads in a given day; as an aspiring advertiser, it is my goal to create the most salient and effective message as possible.

This process can be better explained by looking at a television commercial for example. Each commercial has a specific message or reason for being broadcasted. Reasons could include the launch of a new product, a company’s attempt to reposition or rebrand themselves in the consumer’s mind or to build awareness or support of a specific cause. This is what Carroll calls exigence. In order to effectively reach the audience emotionally and rationally, the exigence of an ad must be clear and compelling.

In order to achieve the most profitable results, companies target specific audiences on which their ads are to focus. This is done by comparing the values of your brand, the market shares, the psychographics of consumer segments and finding a group that is most beneficial to communicate with. For example, many pharmaceutical and medical ads are shown during game shows and other daytime TV to target elderly people. These products are meant to assist this audience, and this audience is known to be watching television during these specific programs at their designated times thus enhancing the overall interaction between brand and audience.

When developing an ad, there are many constraints to consider. The most hindering constraint is money or budget. Not every company can spend $3 million for a Super Bowl spot. Therefore, agencies are forced to strategically plan spending to augment reach and results. Another restraint is trying to convey a sometimes complex message in a short 30 second TV commercial or a one page print advertisement. It is the challenge of the company’s advertising agency to figure out how to overcome these constraints to build successful campaigns.