Client Perceptions of the Customer Orientation of Advertising Agencies

Abstract

A national random sample of advertisers evaluated the customer orientation of their advertising agencies. The respondents also rated the importance of various agency attributes for agency selection, as well as their level of satisfaction with the performance of their current advertising agencies. Client perceptions of the customer orientation of advertising agencies was found to be significantly related to clients' satisfaction with agency performance. The importance of customer oriented selling behaviors by advertising agencies are discussed.     

A Review of the Structure and Participants in Cameroon's Advertising Market

This article reviews the structure of Cameroon's advertising market. After discussing changes in the market since 1985, the authors describe its current structure. A comprehensive approach leads them to consider the market as a system based on interaction between institutions or organizations involved directly or indirectly in the advertising process. The authors conclude that, overall, Cameroon's advertising market is weakly structured and dominated by a small number of large advertisers. They feel that the advertising agency system, especially in terms of the services it offers, is poorly adapted to Cameroon's small and medium-sized advertisers. They therefore propose a system of small and medium-sized agencies that would play a specific role geared to the limited needs of these advertisers.     

Agency / Client Relationshipsas Seen by Influential on Both Sides

Abstract

This article concerns a subject of interest and concern to both advertising agency executives and their clients; i.e., how the two of them feel about each other and themselves in terms of the agency/client relation-ship. These perceptions and feelings were gleaned from a survey of agency leaders and major users of agency services. Based on the findings, some suggestions and directions are offered for making the agency/client dyad more harmonious.     

Kennedy,Sherril H., and David R. Corkindale. Managing the Advertising Process. Lexington,Mass.: Lexington,Books, 1976

Abstract

A mail survey was conducted among a sample of account and creative services personnel working in advertising agencies nationwide to determine areas of conflict in working relationships between these two groups. Additionally, respondents were asked to perform the same critical analysis of their colleagues within their own departments. Analysis of responses from 256 agency employees indicate that some disagreement between account management and creative services exists. Creative services personnel tended to be more critical of account management than account managers were of creative people. Results are explained by the differing perspectives of the generalist (i.e., account managers) and specialist (i.e., creative services) that must be brought together in an agency to produce effective advertising.     

Market Research and Advertising Strategy in Portuguese Agencies: Perspectives of Professionals

SUMMARY

The advertising campaign development process is frequently described in manuals and textbooks. Nevertheless, the empirical perspective gives us a better understanding of the real world. In this study, we tried to understand, to systematize, and to describe the process of research and strategy in advertising agencies. To accomplish this objective we conducted 25 in-depth interviews with advertising agency professionals in Portugal. Cross-analysis of the statements allowed us to identify 5 themes: research done by the client before providing the brief to the agency, client's brief, information gathering done by the agency, brief's discussion inside the agency, and creative brief.     

Some Institutional Aspects of Advertising

Abstract

According to the author, the public's attitude toward advertising is very low. Virginia H. Knauer. Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs, discusses some of the reasons for this consumer outlook and how some advertisers have overcome consumer objections.     

广告比稿模拟在市场营销专业广告学教改中的应用研究

广告比稿是广告主选择广告公司及广告公司获取业务的重要方式。市场营销专业的广告学课程,应使学生具备从企业角度判断广告提案是否适合企业所需的能力,以及从广告公司角度做出能解决企业现实问题的广告提案的能力。广告学的实践教学采用比稿模拟的形式,有利于学生促进学生全面掌握广告学理论,也更符合市场营销专业的培养目标。     

Roads to Be Taken: The Intellectual Odyssey of Charles H. Sandage—by Charles H. Sandage,Center for the Study of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship,Graceland College Lamoni,Iowa, 1993. ISBN 0–9636457-0-6. $16 paperback $24 hardcover

Abstract

The “green gap” is traditionally thought of as the gap between how consumers intend to behave regarding green living and how they actually behave. We extend the idea of the green gap by demonstrating a different kind of disconcerting green gap. There are three levels of green advertising—with tensions embedded in their differing agendas. An ethnographic content analysis and phenomenological interviews reveal that there is a macro agenda of saving the planet associated with nonprofit green advertisers. There is a meso agenda associated with for- profit enterprises. These commercial approaches do not appear to be aligned with consumers' micro agendas of saving one's own part of the planet (or at the very least, of not wasting one's part of it, as perpetuated by consumers). We then provide solutions for green advertisers in bridging this unsettling green gap among for-profit advertisers, nonprofit advertisers, and consumers who want to make being green and less wasteful easier in their everyday lives.     

The Effects of Advertising Rates on Newspaper Advertisng Linage: A Pilot Study

The highly complex area of newspaper economics is often reduced to the simple statement-advertising revenue is a function of circulation. While this statement is obviously oversimplified, it does express the perceived importance of the circulation/advertising relationship to management of newspapers. The relationship's importance is further amplified by the fact that newspapers partially base advertising rate structures on circulation and advertising linage levels. Yet, surprisingly, very few attempts have been made to study the relationship between newspaper circulation, advertising rates and advertising linage empirically.

This study examines the effect of differences in newspaper circulation and advertising rates on the amount of total advertising linage, national advertising linage and retail advertising linage.

The results imply that circulation seems to have a significant and strong positive effect on total advertising linage in the sample analyzed. Time-series analysis confirm this finding. Circulation's effect on national advertising linage is even greater-elasticities of one or larger.

The effect on local advertising linage is much less elastic. but still significant. The effects of the advertising rate on advertising linage are much less clear from this research. In fact. it is not possible to draw any significant conclusions concerning the way advertisers respond to changes in the advertising rate from the results of the research. This is an area that needs more indepth research.     

Pretesting TV Commercials: Methods,Measures, and Changing Agency Roles

Abstract

Research directors with the largest 200 agencies and advertising executives with the largest 200 advertisers were surveyed to examine their views on the current state of TV commercial pretesting. One-hundred and one agency researchers and 89 ad executives returned completed questionnaires (adjusted response rates of 52% and 49.7%), which asked them 23 closed-ended questions about (1) the methods and measures used to pretest TV commercial executions; (2) the perceived role of the agency versus the client in the selection of pretest methods; and (3) perceived changes in the role of the agency research department in TV commercial pretest research. Of those responding, 18 percent of the agency researchers and 19 percent of the advertising executives indicated that their agencies do not pretest TV commercials for assigned brands. Based on the responses of the 83 agency researchers and 72 advertising executives whose agencies pretest commercial executions, the findings suggest that the role of the agency research department has changed over the past 10 years. Most notably, there has been a proliferation in the use of qualitative methods and measures in TV commercial pretest research.     

Interplays between manufacturer advertising and retailer store brand introduction: Agency vs. wholesale contracts

In retail supply chains, manufacturers' advertising for national brands and retailers' store brand introduction may relate to each other, and two types of contracts, i.e., agency contract and wholesale contract, are widely used. This paper uses game-theoretic models to investigate the strategic interaction between a manufacturer's advertising strategy and a retailer's store brand introduction strategy. We derive the equilibrium outcomes, including wholesale price, retail price, market demand, retailer's and manufacturer's profits under different contract forms. We find that when the product cost is small relative to the perceived value of the store brand, the introduction of a store brand will benefit the retailer. The retailer is more likely to introduce store brands under the wholesale contract than under the agency contract. In addition, compared with the wholesale contract, the agency contract may increase both the manufacturer's and the retailer's profits and lead to Pareto improvement for them.     

Ethical Judgments of Sexual Appeals in Print Advertising

Abstract

This study explores consumers' ethical judgments about the use of sexual appeals in print advertising. It specifically focuses upon responses on the Reidenbach-Robin multidimensional ethics scale, ad attitude, brand attitude, and purchase intentions. The findings indicate that, regardless of the respondent's gender, the use of a strong overt sexual appeal in a print advertisement was not well received. Consequently, advertisers need to rethink the use of strong overt sexual appeals, especially given the controversial issues surrounding such advertising stimuli and their popular use to break through media clutter.     

A Proposed Response Model for Controversial Advertising

Abstract

A number of advertisers have used the strategy of controversial images (fear, sexual), or promoted their controversial product (alcohol, underwear), in a way to get the audiences' attention and a positive reaction. However, the use of controversial advertising can also potentially offend people and create a negative reaction. This article discusses controversial advertising and proposes a conceptual model of responses to controversial advertising.     

Ads aimed at dads: exploring consumers’ reactions towards advertising that conforms and challenges traditional gender role ideologies

Employing gender role ideology theory, this research investigates Australian consumer attitudes towards current advertisements portraying males as caregivers. Results of an experiment demonstrate that consumers perceive in-ad gender role portrayals of males as caregivers as atypical of the current advertising environment. Consumers who, in particular, hold a non-traditional (egalitarian) gender role ideology report a more positive attitude towards advertising that challenges traditional gender role ideologies (i.e., advertising that depicts males as caregivers). We suggest that non-traditional advertising that challenges traditional gender roles provides advertisers with an opportunity to stand out; however, advertisers must ensure that their key product-related message components are not overshadowed.     

Images of Freedom and Equality: A Values Analysis of Hungarian Political Commercials

Abstract

In Central Europe's first free election, Hungarian campaign architects created a genre of television advertising designed to communicate political party values by linking them with values of national importance. Using Rokeach's two-value typology, this culture-based study analyzes the political commercials produced by the nation's predominant parties in 1990 for their values-related content. Hungarian scholars, media experts and party officials contributed to this interpretive analysis of the campaign's visual images for their reflection of national and political values. Results suggest that political commercials are useful for identifying prevailing values and can contribute to an understanding of a nation's culture. The study has particular importance for advertisers in countries which are undergoing the transition to a free-market economy.     

Viewer Preference Segmentation and Viewing Choice Models for Network Television

Abstract

Individual viewing decisions have a direct impact on the media planning of television advertisers and, consequently, on the revenues of the major television networks. This paper represents an attempt to better understand these decisions. We use Nielsen people meter data to build a perceptual space for programs. That space is then used to develop models explaining viewers' decision to watch television and their choice of programming. The program-choice model is a clusterwise logit model which searches for segments with similar viewing preferences. A segment-level logit model is then used to model the on-off decision. These models can be used by advertisers and advertising agencies to understand the viewing audience better, and thus to help guide their advertising media placement decisions. The models can also help television networks design programs and program schedules that are more attractive to viewers (and thus advertisers).     

The Role of Culture in Creative Execution in Celebrity Endorsement: The Cross-Cultural Study

ABSTRACT

In advertising literature, an area rarely explored is cross-cultural studies on celebrity endorsements. A good deal may be learned from understanding how a culture's communication style can shape the type of advertising most effective for that culture. This study examines the creative styles (creative executional factors) found in the advertising of Korea and America. The two countries represent two distinct cultures—Korea being a collectivistic culture and the United States being individualistic. Both cultures affect the norms and rules that guide their inhabitants’ behavior, directly affecting communication styles. The study finds that embedded in the use of celebrity endorsement are cross-cultural characteristics. The details of these findings will be useful to international advertisers executing celebrity endorsement campaigns in different cultural settings.     

Consumers' Responses to Implicit and Explicit Gay-Themed Advertising in Gay vs. Mainstream Media

ABSTRACT

Further study is needed to validate concerns over gay-themed ads appearing in mainstream media. This study investigates the effects of such ads by comparing them to the effects of gay-themed ads placed in gay media. The study delves into the differential effects of implicit and explicit visual messages. It also examines how consumers' attitudes toward homosexuality affect their purchase intention as well as advertising and brand evaluation. The study's findings suggest that implicit, rather than explicit, gay-themed ads lead to higher purchase intention and more favorable advertising and brand evaluation. The study results show that the type of advertising message (i.e., implicit or explicit gay-themed ads) moderates the relationship between gay-media and mainstream media. Finally, this study finds that a low level of tolerance toward homosexuality results in lower purchase intention as well as less favorable evaluations of both the advertising and brand. Managerial implications are also discussed.     

Full Service Agencies vs. A la Carte

Abstract

This article examines the new phenomenon of à la carte advertising in which an advertiser acts as coordinator and purchases various services from independent operations. A la carte advertising is mainly motivated by a desire on the part of cost conscious advertisers to reduce costs of advertising. In the long run this move may be more costly to the advertiser specially in terms of reduced profitability derived from less effective advertising. Full-service agencies make the most sense for most advertisers and can even provide effective service on an à la carte or modular basis if so desired.     

Top advertisers & product categories in markets worldwide

The top advertisers and product categories give an overview on the nature of advertising markets. This review of the top ten advertisers and categories in the world's ten largest advertising markets shows that despite similarities, national markets remain distinctive.