ADVERTISING DESIGN: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AND TYPES OF APPEALS
• The creative brief
Designing an effective advertising message begins with understanding the objective of the ad and the target audience. Then, the advertising group agrees on the message theme, which is the outline of the key ideas the commercial will convey. The account executive or client must provide the support and documentation for the advertising theme or claim. Finally, the creative must be aware of any constraints to be included.
• Advertising theory
In developing an advertisement for an advertising campaign, there are theoretical frameworks that can be useful, including: 1) the hierarchy of effects model, 2) a means-ends theory, and 3) visual and verbal frameworks.
1. Hierarchy of Effects
The hierarchy of effects model is helpful in clarifying the objectives of an advertising campaign as well as the objective of a particular advertisement. The model suggests that a consumer or a business buyer moves through a series of six steps when being convinced to make a purchase:
a. Awareness. b. Knowledge. c. Liking. d. Preference. e. Conviction. f. The actual purchase.
Although the hierarchy of effects model helps creative to understand the impact of an advertisement on viewers, some of its underlying principles have been questioned. For instance, there are times when consumers may first make a purchase and then later develop knowledge, liking, preference, and conviction.
The major benefit of the hierarchy of effects model is that it is one method that can be used to identify the typical steps consumers and businesses take when making purchases. The components of the hierarchy of effects approach highlight the various responses that advertising or other marketing communications must accomplish.
The hierarchy of effects model has many similarities with theories regarding attitudes and attitudinal change,