Evaluating Advertising Creativity

that you find on-line, on a Billboard or in a print magazine or newspaper.  You will be developing a memo to your Marketing Director about the effectiveness of the ad and will evaluate the ad through the principles of Dan and Chip Heath, who wrote the book “Made to Stick” and developed  several principles of “Sticky” Ideas. Attached is an article that reviews the main principles of ideas that stick and are remembered by consumers. The basic concept is SUCCES, which includes:

• simplicity
• unexpectedness
• concreteness
• credibility
• emotions and
• stories.  You can also review the concept on the following you-tube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7U74c0Hzbk.
• In this assignment you will do the followoing:

1. Write a memo to management (formatted as a memo – information writing a memo is attached )
2. Explain to management that you are writing to assess the overall ad efficacy (ability to produce desired effect).
3. Provide an overview of the ad creative (and include in your presentation to class) What is goal of ad? What techniques are used to influence audience to purchase the product?
4. Reiterate who the target audience is.  How does advertising work to appeal to their core values? Is it reaching the mark? Is it effective or not?
5. Does the ad persuade consumers to consider purchase and what is the compelling message that does so?
6. How is this ad conceived to be successful and “Made to Stick” in the hearts and minds of consumers? Review the ad through the lens of the Heath Brothers “Made to Stick” Principles. Which one(s) are relevant and applicable to our ad. Most likely you will only have a few of the six that are applicable.

• After you have analyzed the advertisement creative and its effectiveness in your memo, advise your management about any specific improvements that are needed for the creative to be more effective (copy, visuals, color usage, age demographic of models, more contemporary? relevant? persuasive?
• Advise as to how you  recommend continuing to run this execution or changing it – and if change is needed, specify your recommendations.

Attached is article on “Made to Stick”  and information on how to write a memo. Use the memo format and make sure your language is geared to a business versus a classroom environment.

Every student should be prepared to present a shortened version of their recommendation to the class and be able to project their ad or TV video on screen in class on October 30th. Please submit your paper to Classroom Platform Assignments on time.

Here is the format for Memo:

To:

From:

Date:

Subject

CC:

1. Introduction of what you will be discussing in this memo
2. Overview of advertisement for your product – bring in copy to project on the screen
3. Review of advertising objectives and who target audience(s) are
4. Analyze effectiveness of ad.
5. Explain how this ad reflects one or more of “Made to Stick Principles
6. Provide your recommendations for improving ad, where is should be run
7. Summary and next steps

Presentation will be projecting ad and providing a shortened version of the memo. You will be presenting informally to your marketing team a brief summary of ad, target audience, assessment of efficacy of ad and which “Made to Stick” principles are applicable. You will finish with your recommendations for ad improvements. PLEASE MAKE MEMO AT LEAST TWO FULL PAGES OF OVERVIEW, YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON ADVERTISING, AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION. INCLUDE LINK OR SCREEN SHOT OF THE AD YOU CHOOSE.