POPULAR AND EFFECTIVE TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS AMONG RESIDENTS OF BATAC, ILOCOS NORTE

KATHLEEN JOYCE I. LAYAOEN Bachelor of Arts in English Studies (Communication Arts)

THESIS PROPOSAL

Department of Languages and Literature College of Arts and Sciences Mariano Marcos State University Batac, Ilocos Norte

December 2011

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Advertising is just one of the numerous tools used in the promotion. By providing information, advertising makes people aware of the availability of products and of the selection alternatives among different brands. Advertising communicates product features and benefits, various price options, and locations where the product can be found. All advertisers face a perennial challenge how to present their products, services and ideas effectively through the media to buyers. To do this, they must comprehend the important relationship between the product and the marketplace. The key to a companys success is the ability to attract and keep customers who are willing and able to par for their goods and services. This means a company must be able to locate prospective customers where they live, work, and play and then understand their needs, wants and desires, create products and services to satisfy their desires and finally communicate that information in a way that resonates them. Advertisers must first acquire an understanding of where their customers are coming from. Once advertisers develop a deep understanding of their customers, they can be more effective in adjusting or altering their customers belief in the products ability to satisfy their wants or needs. Advertising may use a variety of techniques to accomplish

this. By using just the right mood lighting or music, for example, a TV commercial can simultaneously capture customers attention and simultaneously capture customers are aware of the product addresses, they are more likely to act. Good advertising can have a curiously strong effect on a brands success. On the contrary, advertisements that are not catchy are being neglected. Advertising is intended to be persuasive-to-win converts to a product, service or idea. For advertising to be effective, consumer must have confidence it. So any kind of deception not only detracts from complete information principle of free enterprise but also risks being self-defeating (Leiss, 2005). According to Lydia Lee Kaid (as cited in Arrens, 2003), there are several reasons for the preeminence of television advertising. First, TV spots can reach a much wider audience that under the direct control of the candidate and his camping. Second, the spot can reach a much wider audience than other standard forms. Third, spots, because they occur in the middle of other programming fare, have been shown to overcome partisan activity. In addition, use of television will efficiently deliver the brands target audience. Advertisers are spending a lot of money to keep individuals and group of individuals (markets) interested in their product. This context gives the researcher the idea to conduct a study on the most popular TV ads and if these popular are effective in terms of encouraging the customers to buy or even patronage such product.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to find out the most popular effective TV advertisements preferred by the residents of Batac, Ilocos Norte. Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions; 1. What is the profile of the respondents? a. Age b. Gender c. Economic Status 2. What are the most popular TV ads for the residents of Batc, Ilocos Norte? What makes these ads popular? 3. Which of these TV ads are effective in terms of eliciting purchasing decision? What makes these ads effective?

Significance of the Study

During the marketing and advertising planning process, companies need to carefully consider the makeup of their ad campaign such as their target market as well as the advertising strategies to be used. This study is essential to advertisers because the result of the study will somehow offer a chance to nourish a more in-depth relationship between their customers, one that will be more fruitful for both sponsors and consumers. In addition, this study could

provide additional information for advertisers that might be considered for their advertising strategy making. Lastly, this could help future researchers since the analysis and result of this study can raise another issue that could do a separate study.

Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on the most popular TV ads and its effectivity among the residents of Batac, Ilocos Norte and the researcher will conduct a pre-survey on the last week of December 2011. The researcher limits the study to be conducted only to the three Barangays of Batac, Ilocos Norte.

Definition of Terms

To be able to have a clearer view, the following terms defined on how they were used in this study.

Advertisement. This refers to the carrier of persuasive information about an idea, goods, or services. Advertising Campaign. This refers to the planning, creation, administration and implementation for advertising activities.

Brand Image. This refers to the mental image that reflects the way consumers perceive the brand. Branding. This refers to the process of creating a unique identity for a product. Broadcast Media. Transmits sounds and images electronically, include radio, television, and interactive media. Channel. This refers to an instrument used to transfer a message from the encoder to the receiver which would decode it. Consumer. This refers to a person that utilizes goods and/or services. Customer. This refers to describe one or more individuals that use the product. Decoder. This refers to the receiver of an idea. Encoder. This refers to the sender of an idea. Demarketing. This refers to the efforts aimed at discouraging (not destroying) the demand for a product. Incongruity. This refers to the structure of advertising text that deviates from expectations. Positioning. This refers to the art and science of fitting the product or service to one or more segments of the broad market in such a way as to set it meaningfully apart from the competition. Puffery. This refers to the exaggerated, subjective claims that cant be proven true or false. Strategic Planning. This refers to the determining objectives, deciding on strategies, and implementing the tactics.

Target Audience. This refers to a group of consumers the advertisements message is addressed.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the review of related literature on TV advertising, specifically its goals, types, principles, advertising techniques, content analysis and the theories of knowledge (Hierarchy of Effect Approach and Conditioning Theory/StimulusResponse Theory) that have bearings on this study.

Conceptual Literature Advertising helps the organization or company achieve its marketing goals. So do market research, sales, and distribution. And these other marketing specialties all have impact on the kind of advertising a company employs. An effective advertising specialist must have a broad understanding of the whole marketing process in order to know what type of advertising to be use in a given situation (Arrens, 2003). In addition, (Scott, 1902) declared that the successful advertiser, either personally or through his advertising department, must carefully study psychology, understand how the human mind acts, know what repels and what attracts, know what will create an interest and what will fall flat, must be a student of nature and must know the laws of human mind. However Wilson Bryan Key promotes the notion that, to seduce consumers, advertisers intentionally create ads with sexual messages hidden in the illustrations.

Good or great ads work on two levels. First, the ads should satisfy the consumers objectives by engaging them and delivering a relevant message. At the same time, the ads must achieve the sponsors objectives (Wells, 2000).In measuring an ads success; it should heighten brand awareness as well as increased sales. Even though ad or campaign tries to accomplish goals unique to its sponsor, advertising performs three basic functions. First, providing product and brand information. Although many ads are devoid of information, providing the consumer with relevant information that will aid decision making is still the main function of advertising. The information given depends on the needs of the target audience. Second, providing incentives to take action. In most instances, consumers are reluctant to change established behavior. Even if they are somewhat dissatisfied with the current service or product, a habit has been established and learning about a new product is deemed difficult. Advertising provides the consumer with reasons to switch brand by presenting reasons through copy or graphics. Convenience, high quality, lower price, warranties, or a celebrity endorser are all possibilities. Third, provide reminders and reinforcement. Its amazing how much advertising is directed at current customers. Consumers forget why they bought a particular product brand of microwave or automobile. Advertising must remind the consumer constantly about the name of the brand, its benefits, its value, and so forth. These same messages help reinforce the consumers decision. Most TV advertising seems to provide this function (Rothschild, 1987)

Types of TVAdvertising Advertising is complex because so many different advertisers try to reach so many different types of audiences. All types of advertising demand creative, original messages that are strategically sound and well executed. Here are the nine major types of advertising (Wells, 2000): Brand Advertising.Another name for this is is national consumer advertising, which focuses on the development of a long-term brand identity and image. It tries to develop a distinctive brand image for a product. Retail or Local Advertising.Retail advertising is local and focuses on the store where a variety of products can be purchased or where a service is offered. The message announces products that are available locally, stimulates store traffic, and tries to create a distinctive image for the store. Retail advertising emphasizes price, availability, location and hours of operation. Political Advertising.Politicians use political advertising to persuade people to vote for them, so it is an important part of the political process to permit the candidate advertising. Although it is an important source of communication for voters, critics are concerned that political advertising tends to focus more on image than on issues. Business-to-Business Advertising.This includes messages directed at retailers, wholesalers, and distributors, as well as industrial purchasers and professionals such as lawyers and physicians. Advertisers place most business advertising n business publications or professional journals.

Institutional Advertising.This is also called corporate advertising. These messages focus on establishing a corporate identity or winning the public to the organizations point of view. Public Service Advertising.This type of advertising communicates a message on behalf of some good cause, such as stopping drunk driving or prevents child abuse. The media often donate space and time.

Principles of Advertising. Awareness measures learning and/or comprehension of a message. Researchers generally agree that there is a weak linkage between awareness ultimate sales, but also agree that some basic learning impact must occur if the advertisement is to be effective. Attitude (Perception) is the area that most advertisers want their messages to influence (concurrently, with, or in addition to, awareness). Having an impact here is important. According to Needham (as cited in Rothschild, 1987) appeal to both heart and head. While awareness measures attempt to assess appeals to the heart and head. Behavior is common measure in a post-test; it is rarely the dependent measure in the measure in a pretest because it is a weak response and is hard to elicit. Because it is the last stage of the hierarchy of effects, it is less likely to occur or change from the limited exposure of a copy test.

Advertising Techniques Most companies look at television commercials as an advertising vehicle for the other guy to increase companys profits greatly. Before making a TV advertisement, there are certain key elements they need to consider (Heller, 2001). Put People in Commercial. People relate to other people. Putting people into commercial can help draw the target audience in, as opposed to a 30 second shot of buildings interior, exterior, and the parking lot. Advertisers need to be careful about having people in the camera. They should be doing something that relates to consumers business so the commercial does not look like a photo that comes to life. Commercials often create an emotional ambience that draws viewers into the advertisement and makes them feel good. They are more attracted with products that make them feel good. Sounds Good.Music and other sound effects add to the excitement of commercials. Effective TV commercials merge video and audio into a powerful sales tool. Audio and video must match. Combining sight and sound should spark the viewers emotions and help them identify the product. Never Forget the Call to Action. Ad campaigns call to action gets customers to buy or act now. There are no words more important than to call to action. Tell them to call now. Order now. Visit the local dealer. Placement of the Commercial.This is very important since it determines who will see the advertisement. Frequency.Television is less demanding on frequency than radio but it still deserves more than a one-shot deal. Advertisers need to identify the key times the ad should run to reach the audience at least twice. More times would be ideal.

Star Power.Sports heroes, movie stars, and teenage heart throbs greatly influence viewers what to eat, what to wear, and so on.

Theories of Learning

For advertising to be effective it is important for advertisers to be aware of how the message may be met by the customers on the market. To make this easier, academics and professionals has during a long period tried to come up with theories and models that can show how customers respond to the advertising they are exposed to. By understanding the different behavioural levels that customers pass trough, the advertiser can create a message that will meet all requirements and thereby be effective (Cidvertising.com, 2007) The Hierarchy of Effect Approach is grounded on the base that to be effective and achieve the desired response, several steps has to be completed and passes. Any piece of persuasive communication must carry the audience through the series of stages that has been drawn. These stages are placed so that a customer has to climb them and one step cannot be reached until the previous is completed (Mackay, 2005). According to this model customers do not switch from being completely uninterested to become convinced to buy the product in one step. Lavidge and Steiners Hierarchy-of-effects model is created to show the process, or steps, that an advertiser assumes that customers pass through an actual purchase process (Barry & Howard, 1990).

The model is based on seven steps but a potential purchaser sometimes may move up several step simultaneously (Lavidge & Steiner, 1961). Lavidge and Steiner identify the seven steps in the following order: 1. Close to purchasing, but still a long way from the cash register, are those who are merely aware of its existence; 2. Up a step are prospects who know what the product has to offer; 3. Still closer to purchasing are those who have favourable attitudes toward the product (those who like the product); 4. Those whose favourable attitudes have developed to the point of preference over all other possibilities are still another step; 5. Even closer to purchasing are customers who couple preference with a desire to buy and the conviction that the purchase would be wise; 6. Finally, of course, is the step which translates this attitude into actual purchase (Lavidge & Steiner, 1961) Lavidge and Steiner (1961) also wrote in their article, that they are fully aware of the impulsive purchases that customers can make, but they mean that for higher economical goods these steps are essential for the advertiser to include. This approach also has a premise that advertising occurs over a period of time, and may not lead to immediate response and purchase. It is rather a series of effects that has to occur, with each step fulfilled on the way towards the next stage (Lavidge & Steiner, 1961). Behind this approach is the premise that advertising effects occur over time and advertising communication may not lead to immediate behavioral response to purchase, but rather, consumers must fulfill each step before the customer can move to the next stage in the hierarchy (Belch & Belch, 1998).

Conditioning Theory or Stimulus Response Theory triggers the consumers need or want, and this in turn creates the drive to respond. If the consumers response reduces the drive then satisfaction occurs, and the response is rewarded or reinforced. And that produces repeat behavior the next time the drive is aroused, demonstrating that learning has taken place (Rothschild, 1987). In short, when a firm advertises, it is sending a stimulus and seeking response.

In addition Stimulus Response Theory is a concept in psychology that refers to the belief that behavior manifests as a result of the interplay between stimulus and response. In particular, the belief is that a subject is presented with a stimulus, and then responds to that stimulus, producing "behavior" (the object of psychology's study, as a field). In other words, behavior cannot exist without a stimulus of some sort, at least from this perspective (as cited in Psychologistworld.com).

Fig.1 Paradigm of the Study

Profile Age Gender Economic Status/ Nature of Work

Popularity Effectivity