Tall Tales & Falsehoods

We looked at a campaign developed for Riverbanks Zoo. They did a great job at outlining their creative stagey. Details of their target audience, tone, message and concept along with their planned execution gives insight into how a campaign comes together. I want to make sure my students have access to this information as an ongoing reference point.

Riverbanks Zoo Personals By Chernoff Newman.

Defining strategy will lead to creating marketing tactics. Here are a few things to help you map out your way.

Get the facts:

• Define target audience
• Identify features and benefits
• Clarify the current position
• Align wants and needs with the product
• Call to action.

Do your research. Weather its through a marketing research firm of reaching out to focus groups and mail surveys the more info that you can gather about the consumer the better off you will be.

• Visit
• Talk
• Tour
• Review
• Read
• Interact

Features vs. benefits defines wants and needs. In doing this you can help define a creative strategy.

• Provide a framework for you ad (ie. basic facts, traget, product, competition and marketplace)
• Identify the ONE THING that is most important
• Support with information
• Connect people with the product
• Organize thoughts
• Justify creative decisions

Creative Brief is a liner progression of the design process. Where we are – Where do we want to be – How do we get there.

• What do we want to accomplish
• Whom are we talking to
• What do they think now
• What do we want them to think
• Why should they think this
• What is our message

(Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter)

FIND YOUR VOICE. This helps you set the tone of your entire campaign. Once you start to put it all together you get something like this:

• Objective
• Type of Product
• Target Audience
• Creative Strategy
• Tone of Creative

As we all know concept is key to advertising success. But in order to achieve a great concept one must research, define clear goals and find a unique connection with the audience. The following items helps one define creative strategies to draw upon a great concept.

1. Target Audience: Define exactly who your audience is. Is there multiple audiences?
2. Basic Message: In order to be successful one has to be able to put in words what the message you are trying to get across in one or two short sentences.
3. Benefits:  What is the most important feature of an item? How does it connect with the target audience?
4. Connection: How does the target audience relate to the product? What are their emotional responses to the product.
5. Reaction: What type of reaction do you want your audience to have when interaction with your product (or ad)?
6. Rational: Why? Why create the particular ad in the first place?

Assigmnet:
Poster Design - 16×10 with 1/8 in bleeds
Illustrate a favorite quote, saying, phrase by using only one type family with emphasis typography. Try to keep your color palate limited and imagery minimum. Remember to use basic design elements and principals.
Develop a creative strategy to help you!

Due Date:  Email High resolution PDF 1/28/10 before class. In body of email please tell a little bit about your process, the font family you used and why.