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Unit 6
Advertising Campaigns
After-Class Reading
PASSAGE I Insights into Advertising
Advertising is a universal enterprise. Anyone who watches Chinese TV ads for pills that claim the power to increase a young person's height by several centimeters, make fat men and women thin and attractive, or even increase the length of legs is aware of the insidious nature of advertising.[1] The same types of unfounded claims are made everywhere, although they are better regulated in some countries than others.
A case study of a venture[2] into American advertising by a friend of mine might be helpful in understanding how ads are born and how they are used. This story involves the young U. S. couple, Jane and John Doe, in the innocent, early years of their professional development.
Jane and John were a rather ordinary faculty couple with several years of teaching experience in a Midwestern university. Being somewhat ambitious as well as naive, they decided to extend their graduate education by attending a prestigious university in New York City. In addition to being naive, the Does were also financially limited. They lived frugally, worked hard, but their limited savings were being exhausted by the high costs of living in New York City's uptown Manhattan area.[3] Matters were complicated when Jane and John dreamed of studying and traveling in the Caribbean islands, an idea which seemed unlikely in view of their near-poverty level life style.[4]
As frequently happens, but more often in dreams than in reality-a "silver lining"[5] appeared in the cloudy future of the Does. A popular TV show was recruiting out-of-town[6] people in an attempt to increase their market share among competitive TV quiz shows, all of which were sponsored by advertising. An acquaintance of the Does had appeared on the show and was urged to tell his friends to try out as well. John decided to try out for the show. John was accepted and succeeded in winning about $700 in prizes on the TV show. This made their trip to the Caribbean possible.
John's good luck was, however, not finished. The day after John's appearance on the TV show he received a phone call from a talent recruiter[7] for a large advertising firm in New York City. The recruiter had noticed that John's voice was picked up clearly by the studio microphones of the TV show, and that John's open personality suggested he might be a candidate for making a commercial TV ad. John asked about the product concerned, and was told it was a medication which had first been developed as a treatment for allergies and colds, but was being marketed as a non-prescription[8] pill for inducing sleep. "E Z SLEEP" had been expensive to develop, but not successful when used for allergies and common colds.
John had reservations about endorsing a medical product he knew nothing about, but having had his financial potential aided from the TV quiz show experience, he agreed to at least visit the office of the advertising company. He spent about three hours in the elegant offices of the company. The Vice-President, writers and managers all convinced him that the product had zero mammalian toxicity[9] in several tests, but that its effects were only about the same as a placebo when tested in clinical trials. John was assured that he was not asked to endorse the product, but only to play the part of an "actor" in a commercial advertisement at a prominent TV studio.[10] The studio work crew included 28 persons from makeup artists, to video cameramen, set designers, director and legal representatives.[11] The latter made sure that nothing could be inferred from the commercial that violated the strict regulations governing marketing of non-prescription medical products.[12]
John asked about the pay for making the ad and was told that he would receive $100 for the one day necessary to produce the ad. He would receive additional payments of $50 each time the ad was used on national television. The manager's estimate was that the average ad produced about $500 (an average of 10 times an ad was used). Success of the ad would be measured by an independent polling[13] agency which randomly phoned TV viewers and questioned them about that specific ad. If the ad became popular and was shown more often, and if the period of time it was used went beyond six months, John would be given not only the residuals, but would receive an excellent health insurance coverage for his family, and his membership in the Screen Actors' Guild would be paid for by the advertising company.
Agency legal advisors prepared a contract just before John made the commercial. This document spelled out the "actor's" and the ad company's liability, and required that John use the medicine at least once. John asked whether taking the medicine E Z SLEEP would make him too sleepy to make the ad, but the lawyer and managers just smiled and said, "not likely".
John made the ad, determined that the five or more hours required were hard work, but welcomed the $ 100 check, and he and Jane made plans for their Caribbean study and travel. Their frugal life style along with funds from the quiz show winnings and the ad payment made it possible for them to have an enjoyable professional and personal experience in the Caribbean islands. They afterwards returned to their Midwestern university with enthusiasm for continuing their work there.
The Does heard nothing from the advertising company until about 6 months later when a check for $ 350 arrived along with a slip[14] indicating that the ad had been shown seven times on national TV. Both John and Joan[15] felt the ad was not very good, and they thought that was the end of John's commercial ad career.
It was not until weeks later when John began receiving letters and phone calls from friends around the U. S. who had seen his ad on TV, that it occurred to him that the ad was being used quite a lot.[16]
By the time the Does had begun building their home two years later near the university campus, John had received more than $ 5,000 from the earnings of the ad, he was a member of Screen Actors' Guild, and his family had a health insurance policy[17] paid for them.
John was sent a copy of the ad, and to this day he and Jane feel the quality of the ad is not very good. In fact, it seems that there is little or no correlation between the quality or efficiency of an ad in marketing a product, and the actual sales of that product.
But, that is the nature of advertising. John's advice to consumers is, "Don't believe everything you see on TV ads, and don't believe half of what you read in magazines or newspapers in commercial advertisements. You would be much better off to seek reliable professional advice if you have need of medical care, and the same is likely true of business ventures as well.[18]" (1157 words)
Proper Names
E Z SLEEP
指一种用于催眠的药品名
Jane Doe
(女子名)简.多伊(泛指普通人)
John Doe
(男子名)约翰.多伊(泛指普通人)
Screen Actors'Guild
影视演员协会
New Words
advisor*
n. someone whose job is to give advice 顾问
e.g. Mary's financial advisor told her to invest her money.
cameraman
n. someone who operates a camera for films or television 摄影师
cloudy*
adj.
1) uncertain 模糊的，不清楚的，不确定的
e.g. I) The reason for her anger was rather cloudy.
II) Their policies on this subject seem fairly cloudy.
2) having clouds 多云的
e.g. I) We lay on our backs in the field and gazed at the cloudy sky.
II) Scotland will be cloudy with wintry showers likely in the north and east.
coverage
n.
1) a risk covered by an insurance agreement 承保范围，保险险别
e.g. You should check that your coverage has kept up with inflation.
2) the way in which a subject or event is reported on television or radio, or in newspapers 新闻报道
e.g. CCTV gave the story extensive coverage in the evening news.
designer *
n. someone who makes designs 设计者
e.g. The designer was proud of her fall fashions.
earnings *
n. (plural) the amount of money someone makes by working 所挣的钱
e.g. I) A large percentage of my earnings goes to taxes.
II) Airline earnings were expected to reach $ 5 billion.
frugal
adj. careful to buy only what is necessary 节约的，俭省的
e.g. The frugal student bought only the most inexpensive food.
guild
n. an organization of people who do the same job, or who have the same interests 协会，行会
infer
v. reach an opinion from a study of the evidence 推断，推定
e.g. I) It would be wrong to infer that people who are overweight are just greedy.
II) It is possible to infer two opposite conclusions from these facts.
insidious
adj. (of something unpleasant or dangerous) gradually and secretly causing harm 隐伏的，潜在的，暗中为害的
limited
adj. not much (of something) is available 有限的
e.g. I) She's had very limited movement in her legs since the accident.
II) Since space is limited, I shall touch on the language laboratory only very briefly.
lining
n. something that is used to form a line along something else 镶边
mammalian
adj. relating to mammals 哺乳动物的
prominent
adj. well-known and important 著名的，重要的
e.g. I) She had access to some very prominent people.
II) She was prominent in the fashion industry.
quiz
n. a game or competition, especially on TV or radio, in which you have to answer questions (广播、电视等节目中的)智力竞赛，答问比赛
quiz show
(广播、电视等的)智力竞赛节目，答问比赛节目
e.g. He took part in a television quiz and won several prizes.
recruiter*
n. someone who engages in finding and attracting new members for any group, class or company 招募者
e.g. The company has hired a recruiter to look for talented women.
regulate
v. control, especially by making something work in a particular way 管理，控制
e.g. I) Her mother strictly regulates how much TV she can watch.
II) Laws exist to regulate traffic on the highways.
reliable
adj. able to be trusted, dependable 可信赖的，可靠的
e.g. I) If John were more reliable, I'd ask him to take care of my bird.
II) We have it on reliable evidence that there are plans to build a road here.
reservation
n.
1) a doubt that stops someone from accepting something 保留意见，保留态度
e.g. I) I had serious reservations about his appointment as captain.
II) After three days, the strikers' demands were met almost without reservation.
2) an arrangement made so that a place is kept for someone in a hotel, restaurant, plane, etc. 预定
e.g. I) I 'd like to make a table reservation for two people for 9 o'clock.
II) He cancelled his ticket reservations.
III) Will you confirm your reservation in writing by Friday?
residual
1) n. (usually plural) a fee paid to an actor or composer for repeated broadcasts of a film, program, commercial, etc. , after its original presentation or period of use (因影片、电视节目、广播节目等再次播映而支付的)复播复映追加酬金
2) adj. remaining after a process, event, etc. is finished 存留下来的，剩余的
e.g. I still felt some residual bitterness ten years after my divorce.
toxicity*
n. quality or degree of being poisonous 毒性，毒力
e.g. Tests of the chemical have shown that it has a high level of toxicity.
unfounded*
adj. without a basis, not based on facts 无事实根据在，无基础的
e.g. The professor rejected the student's unfounded conclusions.
uptown
adj. (AmE) in or towards the northern areas of a city, especially an expensive residential area 城镇住宅区的
winnings*
n. (plural) money that someone wins in a competition or by gambling 赢得的钱
e.g. What are you going to spend your winnings on?
Phrases and Expressions
in an attempt to do something
in order to try to do, get, or achieve something 为了，企图
e.g. She was deliberately driving herself to exhaustion in an attempt to forget about the divorce.
pick up
see or hear someone/something, especially by means of an apparatus 见到，听到(尤指借助仪器)
e.g. I) It should have been possible to pick up signals telling us more about the moon itself.
II) They picked up the airplane on their radar screen.
spell out
explain something clearly and in detail 阐述，详细说明
e.g. I) His speech will spell out in some detail a short-term and a long-term strategy for growth.
II) The possible economic benefits of the treaty were spelt out in his recent book.
to this day
even now ,after so much time has passed 至今
e.g. I kept my promise, and to this day I have never told anyone her secret.
try out (for something) (AwE)
try to be chosen as a member of a team, for a part in a play etc. 试一试看能否选上(做某事)
e.g. Luke is trying out for the college football team.
PASSAGE II Developing an Advertising Campaign
Several steps are required to develop an advertising campaign. The number of steps and the exact order in which they are carried out may vary according to an organization's resources, the nature of its product, and the types of audiences to be reached. However, the major steps in the creation of an advertising campaign are (1) identifying and analyzing the advertising target, (2) creating the advertising platform, (3) developing the media plan, (4) executing the campaign. These general guidelines for developing an advertising campaign are appropriate for all types of organizations.
A basic question that marketers must answer as they begin to develop an advertising campaign is: "Whom are we trying to reach with our message?" The advertising target is the group of people toward which advertisements are aimed. Identifying and analyzing the advertising target is critical because the other steps in developing the campaign are based on this. The advertising target often includes everyone in a firm's target market. Marketers may, however, seize some opportunities to direct a campaign at only a portion of the target market. For example, the maker of a brand of hair-care products may define the target market for a shampoo as being females, 12 - 49 years old. The company may nonetheless wish to aim a specific campaign at women in the 35 - 49 age range. For this campaign, the firm's advertising target would be women 35 - 49 years old, rather than females in the 12 - 49 age group.
Advertisers analyze advertising targets to develop an information base for a campaign. Information that is commonly needed includes the location and geographic distribution of the target group; the distribution of age, income, race, sex, and education; and consumer attitudes regarding the purchase and use both of the advertiser's products and of competing products. The exact kinds of information that an organization will find useful depend on the type of product being advertised, the characteristics of the advertising target, and the type and amount of competition.
Generally, the more advertisers know about the advertising target, the more able they are to develop an effective advertising campaign. When the advertising target is not precisely identified and properly analyzed, the campaign has less chance of success.
Before launching[1] a political campaign, party leaders meet and develop a political platform. The platform states the major issues on which the party will base its campaign. In the same way, an advertising platform consists of the basic issues or selling points[2] that an advertiser wishes to include in the advertising campaign. For example, a motorcycle manufacturer might wish to include economy, speed, ease of handling, and accessories in its advertising platform. A single advertisement in an advertising campaign may contain one or several issues in the platform. Although the platform contains the basic issues, it does not indicate how they should be presented.
A marketer's advertising platform should consist of issues that are important to consumers. One of the best ways to determine what those issues are is to survey consumers to learn what they consider most important in the selection and use of the product involved. The selling features must not only be important to consumers; if possible, they should also be features that competitive products do not have. For example, the safety of their money is important to bank customers, yet they believe that virtually all banks are equally safe. Thus, the advertising platform for a specific bank should not emphasize safety. In this case, the marketer should look for other selling features that are important to bank customers and that are not available at competing banks.[3]
A media plan sets forth the exact media to be used (specific magazines, television stations, newspapers, and so forth) and the dates and times that the advertisements will appear. To formulate a media plan, the planner selects the media for a campaign and draws up a time schedule for each medium. The media planner's primary goal is to reach the largest number of persons in the advertising target per dollar spent on media.
Media planners begin by making rather broad decisions; eventually, however, they must make very specific choices. A planner first must decide which kinds of media to use. The major kinds are radio, television, newspapers, magazines, direct mail,[4] outdoor displays, and mass transit vehicles. After making the general media decision, the planner selects specific categories within each medium. A toothpaste marketer, for example, might decide to use television and magazines. The marketer then must consider whether to use children's, women's daytime, family, and/or late-night adult television programming and whether to use men's, women's, teen-agers', children's, and/or general audience magazines. Finally, the planner must select the specific media vehicles.[5] Having chosen family television programs and women's magazines, the toothpaste marketer, for instance, must select the exact television programs and stations as well as the specific women's magazines to be used.
Media planners take many factors into account as they prepare a media plan. They analyze the location and demographic characteristics of people in the advertising target, since the various media appeal to particular groups of people in particular locations. For example, there are radio stations especially for teenagers, magazines for men in the 18-34 age group, and television programs aimed at adults. Media planners also should consider the sizes and types of audiences reached by specific media. Several data services collect and periodically publish information about the circulation and audiences of various media.
The cost of media is an important but troublesome consideration. Planners try to obtain the best coverage possible for each dollar spent. Yet there is no accurate way of comparing the cost and impact of a television commercial with the cost and impact of a newspaper advertisement.
The content of the message sometimes affects the choice of media. Print media can be used more effectively than broadcast media to present many issues-or numerous details. If an advertiser wants to promote beautiful colors, patterns, or textures, then media that offer high-quality color reproduction - magazines or television- should be used instead of newspapers. For example, food can look extremely appetizing and delicious in a full-color magazine advertisement, but it might look far less so in black and white.
The execution of an advertising campaign requires an extensive amount of planning and coordination. Regardless of whether an organization uses an advertising agency, a large number of people and firms are involved in the execution of a campaign. Production companies, research organizations, media firms, printers, and commercial artists are just a few examples of the types of people and organizations that contribute to a campaign.
Implementation requires detailed schedules to ensure that various phases of the work are done on time. Advertising management personnel must evaluate the quality of the work and make improvements when necessary. In some instances, changes have to be made during the campaign to make it more effective in meeting campaign objectives. (1140 words)
New Words
appetizing
adj. (of food, etc.) stimulating the appetite(指食物等)促进食欲的，开胃的
e.g. I) Those cakes look a lot more appetizing than the healthier alternatives
II) Some very appetizing smells were coming from the kitchen.
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发表于 2016-7-10 09:23:26