Applied Learning – Susan Lulich on Effective Advertising
September 22nd, 2010 // 2:25 am @ Matthew
On Friday, September 10, 2010, Susan Lulich of DDB Chicago visited the University of Wisconsin School of Business MBA, Center for Brand and Product Management. The following is a summary of her key talking points.
Insights in the Driver’s Seat
Driving a powerful consumer insight is critical to connect with consumers and create behavioral change. Understanding an insight as “a unique point of view into human nature that inspires creativity” (Susan Lulich) helps explain how one may be used to create emotional and rational bridges with consumers. For instance, the Betty White Snicker’s Super Bowl ad carries a strong consumer insight in the main tagline: “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” This ties to together the story and humor for an effective television spot.
The ABC’s of Good Advertising
According to Susan, good advertising can be broken down into three key areas (the ABC’s). A) Attention Getting: The ad must break through the clutter and command the attention of the audience. B) Branded, easily identifiable: The advertised brand must be obvious and intuitive to the viewer or reader. C) Communicates something meaningful: This involves the use of consumer insights as discussed above. Additionally, good advertising should have strong talk value or share value. VW’s “Fun Theory” epitomized the importance of share value as it gained a massive viral following.
Emotional Advertising for Strong Connections
While many people consider themselves rational thinkers, especially when it comes to purchase decisions, we increasingly find the most effective way to drive consumer behavior is through emotional connections. Many times, a brand or product may have actual technical differences; however, the emotions surrounding the experience with a brand may be more salient and memorable to the consumer. Susan’s example of women’s reactions to using body lotion after going without it for four days provided a powerful and emotional consumer insight.
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