ADVERTISING....WHO ARE WE TALKING TO?

THE FUNCTION OF ADVERTISING IS TO INFLUENCE DECISIONS.

DECISIONS ARE TAKEN BY HUMAN BEINGS. THEREFORE, OUR FIRST STUDY OF ADVERTISING MUST BE HUMAN NATURE, IN RELATION TO THE TASK IN HAND. SO WE TRY AND  ASCERTAIN WHY PEOPLE BEHAVE THE THE WAY THEY DO.

TO DO THIS, WE MUST STUDY THE HUMAN BEING IN TWO STATES; AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND AS PART OF A PEER ( OR REFERENCE ) GROUP. BECAUSE IT IS ONLY WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE CUSTOMER THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO APPLY GO PRINCIPLES OF GOOD ADVERTISING.

THE TWO GROUPS EXAMINED ON THE INSIDE

ANY PURCHASING DECISION IS FIRST INFLUENCE BY THE PERSONALITY OF THE PERSON CONCERNED. TO HELP AN ADVERTISER DECIDE ON WHICH TYPE OF PERSONALITY HE SHOULD AIM HIS PRODUCT AT, PHILIP KOTLER HAS PROVIDED FOLLOWING LIST.

RANGE

COMPULSIVE TO NON-COMPULSIVE

EXTROVERT TO INTROVERT

DEPENDENT TO INDEPENDENT

CONSERVATIVE TO LIBERAL TO RADICAL

LEADER TO FOLLOWER

HIGH ACIIEVER TO LOW ACHIEVER

OF COURSE, NO SINGLE PERSONALITY WILL FALL INTO ANY ONE CATEGORY PERFECTLY, NOR WILL PEOPLE USUALLY BE AT ONE EXTREME OR THE OTHER OF THE RANGE; BUT PLOTTING OUT A CONSUMER PROFILE ON SUCH LINES WILL HELP TO IDENTIFY THE ATTRIBUTES WHICH WILL INFLUENCE COMMUNICATION. BUT IT IS CERTAINLY ESSENTIAL TO CLASSIFY OUR PROSPECTS ACCORDING TO THEIR CHARACTERISTICS SO THAT WE KNOW WHICH TYPE OF CONSUMER NATURE WE SHOULD APPEAL TO.

THE FIVE SENSES

THOUGH WE COMMONLY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE JUDGE PRODUCTS BY ONE OR MORE OF THE SENSES, SIGHT, SMELL, TOUCH, HEARING AND TASTE, THIS IS NOT EXACTLY TRUE.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY DOING IS COMPARING RATHER THAN JUDGING. THEY ARE PLACING THE PRODUCT WITHIN A REFERENCE FRAME FORMED FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES AND ALSO OF THEIR ASPIRATION GROUPS.

THE PERSON WHO IS ASKED HIS OPINION ON A DISH OF SHRIKHAND, BASES HIS DECISION ON THE BEST SHRIKHAND HE HAS TASTED, OR THE ONE HE NORMALLY HAS, OR WHAT HIS MOTHER MAKES AT HOME. HIS OPINION IS ALSO INFLUENCED BY WHETHER HIS ASPIRATION GROUP CONSIDER SHRIKHAND AN ACCEPTABLE OR UNACCEPTABLE DISH.

THEREFORE, TO CREATE EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING IT IS VERY NECESSARY TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND THE STANDARDS BY WHICH TARGET AUDIENCE WILL JUDGE THE PRODUCT, NOT THOSE OF THE PEOPLE ENTRUSTED WITH THE SELLING THE PRODUCT.

THE CONSUMER REACTION IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH SHOULD BE GUESSED AT. IF SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON HOW THE CONSUMER CAN BE EXPECTED TO REACT, IT MUST BE OBTAINED THROUGH RESEARCH.

PS: NEXT PART OF THIS PIECE SHALL BE UPLOADED TOMORROW