Overview
TOPIC- TOYOTA CAMRY
TASK- STRATEGIC MESSAGE & SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
Strategic Message: The Promise
This section is very important. The words you write here will be the foundation for your strategic message. In this section, you clearly state the various strategic messages that will help generate all the creative elements of your ads. In the book Creating the Advertising Message, Jim Albright says that one of the best ways to concisely state the strategic message is to finish this sentence: “Target audience, you should buy this product because __________.” The words that follow because are a strategic message.
Or you might prefer the approach of David Ogilvy, founder of the agency Ogilvy & Mather, who said, “Advertising that promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell.” Ogilvy identified strategic messages by completing this sentence: “Target audience, we promise you that this product will __________.” Ogilvy's completed sentence becomes a strategic message.
You won’t pluck your strategic messages out of thin air. Instead, these important words will come from analysis of the previous nine sections of the SMP. For example, a strategic message will, ideally, overcome any brand image challenge. And, of course, your strategic messages will be benefits-oriented.
The strategic message is not a slogan. In fact, strategic messages will likely never appear word-for-word in an ad. Rather, they are the guiding principles of every ad. Each element of an ad—words, visuals, music and so on—should reinforce the strategic message.
A good strategic message helps build a unique and positive position for your product within the target audience's mind. A good strategic message makes a beneficial claim that no other competing product can make or has made.
To guarantee the strength of your strategic messages, you must test them against the previous nine sections by asking these questions:
Will the strategic message help move the target audience from the current brand image to the desired brand image? Will it help remove the brand image challenge?
Will the strategic message set the product apart from the brand images of the indirect competitors? Do any of the indirect competitors send this same message? (If so, the strategic message needs revision.)
Will the strategic message set the product apart from the brand images of the direct competitors? Do any of the direct competitors send this same message? (If so, the strategic message needs revision.)
Does the strategic message focus on an important benefit or benefits?
Is the strategic message consistent with the demographic and psychographic characteristics of the target audience?
Is the strategic message appropriate for any challenges within the current marketplace?
Is the strategic message consistent with the key features of the product?
Is the strategic message consistent with the key features of the client?
Will the strategic message satisfy the advertising goal?
Notice that in answering these questions, you move backward through the strategic message planner. Doing so ensures that the strategic message is on target and is supported by your research and analysis.
Each strategic message should be brief—ideally, one sentence.
Supporting Evidence: The Proof
Imagine that your target audience has seen your strategic message and responds with this statement: “Oh, yeah? Prove it.” In this final section of the strategic message planner, you list the facts—often presented as benefits—that support the truth of each of your strategic messages. These bits of proof sometimes are called selling points. No new information is added to the strategic message planner at this point: The evidence should come from the earlier sections of the SMP.
For example, the strategic message for a new healthy meals product might be: “New flavours! meals put you in control of a tasty, healthy, convenient and socially responsible diet.” Your supporting evidence for this message—drawn from earlier sections in your strategic message planner—would show that flavours! meals are indeed delicious and can promote health, and the packaging doesn’t damage the environment. In most cases, your ad would avoid presenting other benefits, such as low prices or availability in local grocery stores as part of this specific strategic message. Discussion of those benefits would be part of additional strategic messages.
IN THE FILES IS PART OF THE STRATEGIC MESSAGE PLANNER, so you understand what our topic is.