Persuasive Advertising - J. Scott Armstrong [157]
In 2006, Citigroup abandoned its 136-year-old umbrella logo. Other companies that changed their logos in the early 2000s included Kodak, Continental Airlines, and Xerox. In 2003, Timex hired a new chief marketing officer, changed advertising agencies, and replaced one of the most effective, familiar, and enduring taglines in history—one the company had used for four decades—”It takes a licking and keeps on ticking,™” with “Life is ticking.™” Such changes are contrary to the consistency principle. Were they justified by analyses of the campaigns’ return on investment?
Evidence on the effects of being consistent over time
Analyses of 30-second TV commercials found that recall was 11 percent higher and persuasion 3 percent higher when ads were consistent over time in their use of characters, music, taglines, or slogans, than when the use of these elements was not fully consistent. Further support was provided with respect to maintaining a consistent tone: When 614 of the TV commercials were judged by customers on whether they “fit with the way that you feel about (the brand),” the ads above the median on this score were 17 percent higher on recall and 14 percent higher on persuasion (Walker 2008).
8.3. Campaign contrast
Contrast means that an ad diverges from what is expected. It might contrast with expectations for the brand, product, layout, or media, or it might involve different arguments, sizes, font types, shapes, colors, visuals, copy, or layouts. Or it might be just odd; for example, some advertisers have sought contrast by printing their ads upside down.
8.3.1. When strong arguments exist, consider using ads that contrast with competitors’ ads
By using an approach that differs substantially from other ads in a category, an ad might draw attention. It can also lead people to think more about the product.
Evidence on the effects of contrast
In a field experiment, U.S. subjects were shown one of two print ads for a camera phone. The ads were identical except for the offers: Half said, “Get 20 percent off the regular price,” while the other half stated, “Pay 80 percent of the regular price.” Because the “Pay 80 percent” version contrasts with tradition and it communicated a strong argument with the substantial price reduction, the researchers hypothesized that intentions to purchase would be higher for it. They were correct—it was 28 percent higher than the “Save 20 percent” version. As a further test, they conducted the same study in Hong Kong where ads typically state how much the consumer pays. Thus, in Hong Kong, because the “Save 20 percent” version was unusual, it led to purchase intentions that were 33 percent higher than the “Pay 80 percent” ad (Kim and Kramer 2006).
8.4. Slogans
The word “slogan” comes from a Gaelic word meaning “war cry.” A slogan or tagline—I use the terms as synonyms—is a short statement or summary about the brand. It offers the opportunity to memorably describe a key selling point for a brand or organization.2
Slogans were common by the late 1800s. They became even more popular when mass marketing of products began in the early 1900s. For example, “Say it with flowers” appeared in 1917 in a national campaign. By 1928, advertisers had registered more than 6,000 slogans with Printer’s Ink.
An analysis of 724 TV food commercials from 1999 to 2003 from the Ipsos ASI data-base found that 89 percent had slogans.
A copywriter, Frances Gerety, described the difficulty of coming up with a slogan. In April 1947, she was asked to think of a slogan related to springtime scenes or honeymoon spots for jewelry company DeBeers. She finally