Reading Reflections 1-4. Liz Moran

Chapter 1

What is advertising?

Advertising Comes in Many Forms--

Agencies are constantly looking for new ways to reach and engage the audience.  Advertisements no longer find consumers through traditional media such as print, television, and radio.  More and more often advertisements reach masses as popups, banners, mobile ads, and branded content.  

Chapter 2

The Project Process

The Project Process goes through the nitty gritty that is required before a "big idea" can emerge.  The book recommends listening to the client because "he knows his business best."  The client may not always know what his problem is but can provide insight into the problem they want solved and possibly what the competition is doing.  Additional research is necessary to discover more about the client as well as the target audience.  The strategy sums up the problem and gathered insight and leads the creative team toward the big (good) idea.  Jose Molla of La Comunidad stated, "The difference between bad and good creatives is that they both come up with the same pedestrian solutions, but the bad creative stops there and the good creative keeps working toward a more unique and interesting solution."  Chapter 3 explores the methods of discovering brilliant creative that sticks to the strategy and solves the client's problem in an interesting way.

Chapter 3

Creative Thinking

The book describes the origin of creative as a thinker's ability to combine intellect and perseverance.  Certainly thinking is required and intellect is necessary to come up with an idea that solves the problem outlined in the strategy.  As Molla explained, ideas need to expand past basic pedestrian thinking.  That's when perseverance comes in.  Creatives must approach the idea with a different look, be prepared to try something new, and flip everyday ideas upside down.  The last of these concepts-- reversal-- is explore in depth on page 35.  I have been taught to think with images first and then add words.  This method seems on par with what is laid out in the book.  Images grab the viewers attention before they take the time to read copy.

Chapter 4

The Brand Idea

Chapter 4 elaborates on the notion of parity products introduced at the beginning of Chapter 1. Many products and services available on the market have very similar if not identical competitors. Advertising helps creates brand image and separates products in the minds of consumers. Brand image helps position a product and its reputation to aid consumer decision making. For example, there are very few differences between Kmart and Target. Arguably, they are the same store. However, target has branded themselves in a way that is more appealing to affluent consumers. Kmart sells the same products at competitive prices but does not compete with the image that has been conjured by Target's ad and marketing teams. In a similar way, Pepsi and Coke have loyal customers who continue to choose one brand over the other. Both companies have put tremendous effort into differentiating themselves in the cola market. Coke sticks to a traditional, nostalgic route of advertising while Pepsi consistently positions themselves next to the hottest trends -- especially music trends. Consumers relate to these products on different levels and consciously or unconsciously use these messages to influence purchase decisions.