COP Practical Research Proposal

Write a proposal for the practical work using the following questions:

What is the research question?

To what extent can advertisement influence or persuade its audiences?

Do you have a hypothesis (an assumed conclusion that you will endeavour to prove)?

That certain advertisements are manipulative, but within specific sectors only. With many other categories advertisement has little effect and becomes a source of entertainment (advertainment). Also adverts only work when we want certain things- if I want to buy a chocolate bar I will go to the stronger brands, however with HPG less decision making is based on the advert and more on personal information and fact finding. 

What are the contexts of your research interests?

Advertising, advertising techniques, theory, 20th century.

Sources of primary/secondary research

Primary: Questionnaires and interviews, advert examples

Secondary: Advert thesis, advert collections

How will your practical work relate to your written work (synthesis)?

My practical piece will link to a section of my essay where I discuss how advertisments can play on our innate needs to sell products.

‘A technique used by advertisers is to appeal to our innate human wants and suggest that a particular product may be able to satisfy them.  They all target our basic needs for shelter, status, sustenance and sex (known as the 4 s’s) and claim  that pushing all the right buttons would sell products, ‘Once a businessman knows where his product stands in relation to the Four-S’s he can gauge his selling appeals with maximum effectiveness’ (Robinson citing Dichter, 1998).’

What methods will you use to research, develop, create and test your work?

Various advert examples and analysis. Study into adverts that use innate needs to sell products, categorise and analyse what things they have in common.

Provide a proposed timeline foe your work to completion (consider carefully whether you will need access to college facilities) 

From initial sketch to final printing I'd hope the project wouldn't take more than a week to complete. Personal deadline Tuesday 12th May.

Proposal Update: Proposed Idea for Practical Project

In my essay I identified certain target audiences that could be most vulnerable to manipulation through advertising as well as the innate needs of humans that advertisers play on (sex, status, food etc).

From this I want to produce a series of adverts that advertise our innate human needs 'Want respect? Want to be listened to? Buy Status!'. I will look into specific adverts that rely on certain innate human needs and use them to justify the layout of my needs adverts- e.g. look into health and beauty adverts/make up adverts for sex, watch and car adverts for status.

I will present these adverts as posters that can be applied to various contexts as well as an advertising strategy to support it.

COP Workshop: Technique, Content, Communication

Practice Based Research:

Is a form of research methodology that uses practice, alongside other forms, as a means of discovering or generating knowledge.

Based on the words, technique, content and communication extract the practical issues/aspects surrounding your chosen field of interest.

My question: To what extent can advertisement influence or manipulate its audiences?

ADVERTISING TECHNIQUES:

Avante Garde

The suggestion that using this product puts the user ahead of the times e.g. a toy manufacturer encourages kids to be the first on their block to have a new toy.

Facts and Figures

Statistics and objective factual information is used to prove the superiority of the product e.g. a car manufacturer quotes the amount of time it takes their car to get from 0 to 100 k.p.h.

Weasel Words

Used to suggest a positive meaning without actually really making any guarantee e.g. a scientist says that a diet product might help you to lose weight the way it helped him to lose weight.

Magic Ingredients

The suggestion that some almost miraculous discovery makes the product exceptionally effective e.g. a pharmaceutical manufacturer describes a special coating that makes their pain reliever less irritating to the stomach than a competitor`s.

Patriotism 

The suggestion that purchasing this product shows your love of your country e.g. a company brags about its product being made in America and employing American workers.

Diversion

The appearance of tackling a problem or issue, but then throws in an emotional distraction. e.g. a tobacco company talks about health and smoking, but then shows a cowboy smoking a rugged cigarette after a long day of hard work.

Transfer

Words and ideas with positive connotations are used to suggest that the positive qualities should be associated with the product and the user.

Plain Folks

The suggestion that the product is a practical product of good value for ordinary people e.g. a cereal manufacturer shows an ordinary family sitting down to breakfast and enjoying their product.

Snob Appeal

The suggestion that the use of the product makes the customer part of an elite group with a luxurious and glamorous life style e.g. a coffee manufacturer shows people dressed in formal gowns and tuxedos drinking their brand at an art gallery.

Bribery

Giving a desirable extra something. We humans tend to be greedy. e.g. Buy a burger; get free fries.

Testimonial

A famous personality is used to endorse the product e.g. a famous basketball player (Michael Jordan) recommends a particular brand of skates.

Wit and Humour

Customers are attracted to products that divert the audience by giving viewers a reason to laugh or to be entertained by clever use of visuals or language.

Simple Solutions

Avoid complexities, and attack many problems to one solutions. e.g. Buy this makeup and you will be attractive, popular, and happy.

Card Stacking

A propaganda technique so widespread that we may not always be aware of its presence in a commercial. Basically,Card-Stacking means stacking the cards in favour of the product; advertisers stress is positive qualities and ignore negative.

Glittering Generalities 

Using appealing words and images to sell the product. The message this commercial gives, through indirectly, is that if you buy the item, you will be using a wonderful product, and it will change your life.

Bandwagon

A form of propaganda that exploits the desire of most people to join the crowd or be on the winning side, and avoid winding up the losing side. Few of us would want to wear nerdy cloths, smell differently from everyone else, or be unpopular.

ADVERTISING CONTENT:

What makes up an Advert:

Reviews of the demographic, understanding the target audience as well as the position and image the product/service is trying to create. The unique selling point.

Messages that promote the benefits for the specific target customers. E.g. with a car, don't sell the features sell safety, reliability, affordability, status or desirability. A focus on satisfying customer needs and wants.

Understanding which distribution methods best suit the target market. What will the target audience see and look at, how can it be made so they view the advert a number of times? 

Setting a budget and creating different scenarios for reaching the most potential customers. Creating a test campaign which only uses a fraction of the budget so the results of these strategies can be analysed before signing full contracts.

Creating the advert for multiple platforms using graphic design to produce the clearest communication.

Tracking the effectiveness to understand how successful the campaign was.

COMMUNICATION IN ADVERTISING:

The Importance of Communication in Advertising:

Affecting Your Audience

Successful communication in an advertisement involves focusing on a certain audience with information that meets this group's needs. There are three main reactions that a good ad can trigger from these intended viewers. The first response is emotion, getting the target audience to feel something because of your message. Secondly, you want potential customers to think about what you have to say. And the third objective is to encourage them to take action, such as purchasing your product.

Communication Through Branding

Another essential type of communication is called branding. According to the American Marketing Association, branding is defined by a name, sign or symbol, which is designed to identify a seller's goods or services. The entire purpose of this often complex effort is to convince consumers that your product is the only one that can meet their needs. A good brand will: deliver a clear message, reflect credibility, connect with the consumer emotionally, motivate the buyer and build loyalty.

Developing Your Brand

Since your brand is one of the most crucial ways of communicating with a specific audience, it's important to spend time researching, developing and defining it. The goal is to make consumers feel a connection with the brand that represents your company so that you can influence their purchasing behavior in a way that benefits you. Brands that inspire an emotional response and are able to draw in the consumer build loyalty and a successful following.

Emotion and Branding

Emotion is powerful in a brand because it is an effective way to connect with an audience. Brands such as Starbucks, Google and Apple have found highly prosperous approaches to making their audiences feel good about their products. Furthermore, these companies succeed on an even deeper, more meaningful level. Due to compelling marketing strategies, many consumers feel these services are integral to their lives. This kind of communication is what every company strives for in its advertising.

Advertising Communication Objectives:

Branding

The first objective of advertising is to introduce a brand to a broadly-targeted market. Through the use of regional newspapers, radio and television, online and mobile device targeting and event sponsorship, advertising presents a psychologically-crafted message to a broad group of potential customers. Colors, shapes, slogans and other sensory triggers are used to arouse an image in the minds of the viewers. That image governs how they relate to the company introduced in the advertising and products. A classic example of branding through advertising is the Coca-Cola commercial that showed an ethnically, age and gender-diverse group of people on a hill singing "I want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony." Of course, the image of Santa Claus in his red and white snowsuit is from a 1930s Coca-Cola ad in the Saturday Evening Post.

Education

Advertising also introduces the product and conveys information regarding that product. Again, Coca-Cola's classic bottle with condensation that a smiling and clearly refreshed person is holding is an example how, in a print ad, Coca-Cola gets across the value of its product as a cold, refreshing drink that makes the consumer happy. Predominant red and white colors recall the good feelings of previous branding and the distinctive bottle shape identifies the product as Coca-Cola, even if the label is not readable.

Call to Action

Are you ready to drink a Coca-Cola right now? That is the call to action. When you see a smiling person drinking one, it reminds you that you would like to drink one too. The tag line "The pause that refreshes" validates your feeling and creates urgency. In fact, by the time you have seen a few years of Coca-Cola advertising, you are psychologically primed to respond to the red and white colors, the bottle shape and the brand name. You immediately consider whether you want to buy a Coca-Cola.

Urgency

Advertising also spreads the word of special promotions that create urgency. When you see an ad that proclaims a Memorial Day sale on items you want to buy, you know you must buy on the day of the sale if you want to get the attractive price. Ads with coupons provide the same sense of urgency. Not only does the coupon generally have an expiration date but it psychologically represents someone giving you the money to buy the advertised item. It creates a priority to spend the coupon on acquiring the item, even if its purchase had not been a priority before receiving the coupon.



RESEARCH/ANALYSIS EXPLORATION/EVALUATION TESTING

Comment on how you will engage with each of these aspects of practice based research (highlight opportunities for primary research)

My question: To what extent can advertisement influence or manipulate its audiences?

Research
Primary research: (questionnaire) Has advertisement ever influenced you?
What kinds of advertisings do you feel influence or manipulate you into buying products?
Which areas of advertising are the most manipulative?
Beauty, food, cleaning, games, electrical goods, children's toys etc

Analysis
Analyse what products have the greatest influence, also analyse examples people have given where the advert has persuaded them to purchase a particular type of product or the product advertised. See if there are any patterns, trends or groups and why these are particularly influential.

Exploration and Education
Look into particular product advertisements outlined from the research analysis. What techniques do they use, what imagery, colours, tone of voice, who are their target audiences? Further analyse target audiences- is the specific audience more vulnerable to manipulation (child, young girl coerced into caring about her looks).

Evaluation
 List the particular techniques common in manipulative advertising, overall and for specific sectors. Understand the patterns in adverts that are the most effective.