Topic 9: IMC Appeals

Product Life Cycle Model:

  • Introduction: Establish Brand
  • Growth: Peak Sales
  • Maturity: Stable Market Share
  • Decline: Sales fall rapidly

Rational Appeals are appeals to logic, information, and evidence

  • Types of Rational Appeals:
    • Feature: Focus on key features
    • Price: Focus on price/sale
    • Competitive: Compare to other brands
    • Popularity: Focus on brand popularity
    • Scarcity: Focus on limitations → Like limited time sale

Emotional Appeals: Appeals to feelings or needs/wants

  • Personal Bases: How we feel about ourselves as individuals
    • Fear // Safety + Security
    • Love
    • Happiness
    • Joy
    • Self-actualization
    • Empathy
    • Sadness
    • Disgust
  • Social Bases: How we feel about the way others perceive us
    • Social recognition
    • Status
    • Respect
    • Embarrassment
    • Affiliation/Belonging
    • Rejection

Execution Techniques:

→ Rational Appeals:

  • Straight Sell:
    • Straight-forward
    • Focuses on the basics
    • But there is still room for other appeals, like emotional appeals
  • Demonstration:
    • Demo main functions
    • Focuses on information
    • Use keywords
    • Reserved for highly motivated consumers
  • Scientific:
    • focuses on Data
    • Effective use of Authority
    • Give the illusion of reliability
  • Comparison:
    • Generalizations
    • Establish your own judgment criteria
    • Shows superiority over other brands

→ Emotional Appeals:

  • Animation
    • Feels heart-warming
    • Attracts attention
    • Entertaining
  • Personality Symbol
    • Reflects “One Voice”
    • Involves a mascot
    • Has to be favorable
  • Imagery
    • Attracts more attention than text
  • Dramatization
    • Exaggerates the benefits of the product
    • But consumers get the overall message
    • Makes it feel memorable