Ads are everywhere. We see advertisements while watching TV, reading magazines, watching movies at the cinema, or accessing social media. If you want to find out what marketing strategies an advertiser uses to persuade an audience to buy a particular product, do an analysis by examining various aspects of the ad, such as narrative or text, images, music, and the star of the ad.
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Method 1 of 2: Studying Television Commercials
Step 1. Determine the target audience for the ad
Consider the selected advertising medium (such as a specific TV channel) to determine the target audience for the advertiser. This step helps you capture the opinion you want to form or the emotion you want to convey through your ad.
- For example, if the ad is shown by a TV channel that focuses on children, you might conclude that the advertiser wants to persuade the children or their parents.
- Another example, if you see an ad while watching a movie in a theater, determine the target audience for the ad based on the theme of the movie. The target of advertisements that are shown before the screening of horror films are adults.
Step 2. Determine how the advertiser captures the audience's attention
Observe the tips applied so that ads can grab attention, for example using colorful images or special effects because advertisers tend to prioritize promotional tools that are striking and persuasive.
- You can determine the target audience for your ad by observing the tips used to attract the audience's attention. For example, advertisements with very intense special effects aim to persuade teenagers and young adults.
- In addition to grabbing attention, advertisements are made in such a way that the product or service being promoted remains embedded in the memory of the audience. Know that attention-grabbing ads are created to keep you in mind the products on offer and want to buy them.
Step 3. Decide on the mood the ad wants to create
The main purpose of advertising is to form an audience's opinion about the product or service being promoted. Pay attention to the atmosphere displayed in the ad and what you feel as a result after seeing the product or service being offered.
- For example, an advertisement showing an artist smiling brightly, sunny weather, and a happy song aims to create a feeling of happiness so that the audience associates this feeling with the product being promoted.
- Advertisers usually create ads that show the positive side of their products. By reviewing ads, you can capture the opinion or value that the advertiser is trying to convey.
Step 4. Listen to the accompanying music, then observe how it affects your reaction
Advertisers often use music to trigger an emotional reaction to the product being promoted or create a jingle to keep the product in mind.
- For example, music that triggers feelings of sadness makes the product seem inferior.
- If you change the genre of your commercials, ask yourself: did your feelings change with you and why did this change trigger a different response?
Step 5. Observe what you think or feel when you see the artist in the ad
Advertisers consider carefully when recruiting artists who will star in advertisements. Try to find out what audience response advertisers expect based on the age, race, and gender of the advertiser.
- For example, beer advertisements featuring sexy-looking women use female appeal to promote beer to teenage and adult men.
- Consider why advertisers are hiring artists of a certain race or gender. Ask yourself: would your perception of the product change if the ad star was changed? This can indicate the existence of certain assumptions or motives in the ad.
Step 6. Analyze the narrative conveyed in the ad
Almost all commercials involve speech, whether from the ad star or voiceover. Observe certain words conveyed through advertisements to find out how they affect the emotions of the audience.
- If you want to analyze ads for a marketing subject, pay attention to certain words that are used more often, such as "delicious" and "sensational." The word is commonly used in advertisements so that the product looks attractive and of good quality.
- Pay attention to the words that describe the product indirectly, and then think about why they are used in the ad. Words that are not explicitly spoken in the ad are used to implicitly influence the audience.
Method 2 of 2: Reviewing Print Media Ads
Step 1. Determine the target audience for the ad
Consider the medium used (e.g. the type of magazine) to advertise to determine the target audience for the advertiser. That way, you can capture the opinion you want to form or the emotion you want to convey through your ad.
- For example, advertisements in fashion magazines are aimed at women, while advertisements in newspapers are aimed at the wider community.
- Think about how someone from one demographic would respond to an ad aimed at an audience from another demographic and why they would respond differently. This step helps you capture the implied message that the advertiser is trying to convey to a specific audience.
Step 2. Observe the action or activity served in the ad
This is commonly known as an advertising "plot" (eg a happy family on a cruise ship). Try to find out the important message you want to convey through the plot and the audience's opinion that the advertiser expects about the product being promoted.
- For example, if you see an advert for watches worn by a man on a cruise with his family, you might associate the watch with the joy of vacationing on a cruise and the joy of being with family.
- Remember that the advertising plot is not necessarily related to the product being promoted. The example above is a way for advertisers to manipulate audience feelings.
Step 3. Pay attention to the words written in the ad
Just like television commercials, the text in print media ads aims to provide information about a product or provoke an audience reaction. Ask yourself why certain words are used in advertising.
- Try to capture the message about the benefits of buying the product that is conveyed through the words in the ad. For example, do advertisers say their products make you happier, cooler, or prettier?
- The font used is also chosen with a specific purpose. Ask yourself how you would react if the text was printed in a different font and why.
Step 4. Perform image analysis in ads
Images and text in print advertising are equally important. Specify the selection of images in the ad to show the product or complement other images.
- For example, observe the images of people or objects used in advertisements and their impact on your reaction to the product being promoted. If the image of a person or object was changed, would you react differently?
- If you're analyzing your ad from an artistic point of view, pay attention to the colors you choose and the parts of your ad that use those colors. You may notice that certain colors are used to trigger the emotional reactions that advertisers expect.
- Sometimes, advertisers choose photos that depict a certain lifestyle (eg a 2-storey house in a luxury housing estate) so that the audience associates the product with the values and opinions they want to form through the advertisement.
Step 5. Consider the background of the ad and the audience reaction the advertiser expects
Background is one aspect of advertising that is very effective in influencing the emotions of the audience. Pay attention to the selected background image and how it affects your reaction to the product being promoted.
For example, a photo of a sunny beach, coconut trees, and white sand makes the audience feel calm and relaxed, while a photo of a busy road reminds the audience of a busy life
Step 6. Consider the layout of the various aspects of the ad
Advertisers must make the most of the very limited area of print media. Pay attention to the placement of text and images in the ad and imagine how the audience will react to the arrangement.
- For example, an ad that displays a lot of words stacked on top of each other and very few empty areas aims to make the audience like the product being promoted and want to buy it immediately.
- Another example, an ad with a lot of empty areas wants to make the audience feel a "calm" or "homely" atmosphere.
