Keeping It Real in Advertising Creative

When it comes to selecting a message source to deliver an advertising message, there are compelling reasons to consider using animated characters instead of real people. An animated spokesperson will not be difficult to deal with in contract negotiations, will not get arrested or do anything to embarrass a brand, and it will not turn off audiences with annoying behaviors or mannerisms. These traits of animated spokespersons, coupled with their increased presence in ads, seem to make the decision to use animation instead of live action an easy one to make.

But, before you replace people with characters, check out a recent Nielsen study of the impact of animation on consumer response to ads. A comparison of animated versus live action executions found that brand recall was 22% higher for ads using live action. Further comparisons across demographic groups found that the difference in brand recall for live action ads was higher for women (+27%) than for men (+17%) and that consumers aged 35-49 had higher recall of live action ads (+24%) than 13-35 year-olds (+11%). While overall results suggest the impact of live action ads is greater, one exception was that animation execution had 28% higher brand recall for ads for food ingredients and seasoning.

Results of the Nielsen study beg the question “why?” The answer may not be all that complicated. Consumers connect with brands with which they perceive similarity and thus can be influenced by evidence that a brand is “like me.” Which creative execution can get that point across more effectively? Using real people, of course. Granted, we are not always going to identify with characters in ads (there are many characters that we do not want to identify with!). However, for ads using a problem-solution scenario or that attempt to resonate with consumers on an emotional level, having real people as the message source seems to get through to consumers more effectively than animated characters.

Center for Media Research - "Animation or Actors"

Brand Passion: Quality over Quantity

Social media not only gives consumers a voice, but it also gives marketers a channel to listen to what customers and others have to say about their brands. And, methodologies have been developed to analyze social media conversations that can give insight into consumer sentiment toward brands. One example of monitoring online buzz is Netbase’s Brand Passion Index, which measures the volume of conversations and the favorability of consumers’ sentiment.

The most recent installment of the Brand Passion Index examined social media conversations about e-readers. The results are interesting given that the category is in its infancy, but in some ways the findings are hardly new. Apple iPad dominated the chatter about e-readers, coming up in more than 90% of conversations examined. Despite heavy volume of mentions, the iPad drew mixed feelings about its functionality and performance as an e-reader. In contrast, Amazon Kindle was mentioned in far fewer conversations but the affinity expressed for the brand reflected passion for the brand. Of all conversations about Kindle, 87% had positive comments about the brand. Among the favorable sentiments for Kindle were its singular functionality, performance, and ease of use.

Results of the Brand Passion Index provides a lay of the land as to consumers’ beliefs and attitudes toward e-reader brands, but a more fundamental tenet of branding surfaces, too. Why do Kindle users like the brand? It is not because of hype or glitz; they love the simplicity of the product. It has one function: an e-reader. The single focus on an exceptional reading experience is not a weakness compared to the multi-function iPad but an advantage. Kindle represents a simple brand promise and delivers in the eyes of a vast majority of Kindle users.

Simplicity is not a liability for a brand. When a strong and relevant point of difference is possessed, consumers are likely to see the value and, as in the case of Kindle, sing the praises of the brand’s value to others. In the case of e-readers, quality of brand capability trumps quantity of capabilities. Focus on the quality of brand benefits delivered; that is what customers want and that is what they enthusiastically share with others.

Marketing Daily - "Index: IPads Generate Chatter, Kindles Love"

It’s OK to Say “I’m Sorry” but …

Customer service failures are inevitable. Even the best service providers will not come through for their customers sometimes, whether it is the fault of an employee, a product defect, or some external source. While minimizing errors and failures is a high priority, it is equally important to have clearly defined plans about how to recover. The question of how, when, or even if to say “I’m sorry” is raised by Neil Berman, CEO of email marketing company Delivra. Berman asks if companies are sometimes too apologetic, sending out apology emails for minor transgressions or even sending emails to all customers when an error affected only a few of them.

If an apology is warranted, Berman suggests the following guidelines:
• Be brief and to the point
• Take responsibility; do not make excuses or attribute the error to someone else
• Appearance of an apology email should be similar in appearance to other communications (e.g., use of logo, color scheme, and layout of email)

Berman’s suggestion that some marketers may be over-apologetic served as a pause for reflection on this issue. How important is a proactive apology in service recovery? Is it possible for an apology to fan the flames of customer discontent rather than correct a mistake? My take on this issue is that an apology, particularly if it is a sincere expression and not a scripted response, is a necessary first step in service recovery. However, the words of an apology are secondary to the actions taken to soothe an unhappy customer. An apology with no corrective action or worse yet, another service failure, serves no purpose.

The best rule to follow is AAA service recovery: Acknowledge, Apologize, Act. Begin by acknowledging an error or mistake occurred in a matter of fact way. Then, take responsibility and apologize for any inconvenience or harm experienced by the customer. Finally and most importantly, explain to the customer actions that can be taken (or have been taken already) to correct the problem.

Service failure can set the stage for a heroic recovery that instills customer confidence in your firm. Embrace that possibility by having a plan when it is time to say “I’m sorry.”

Email Insider - "Always Having to Say You're Sorry: Our Love Affair with Apology Emails"