I have researched advertising design theories to gain insight and direction beyond my knowledge of what makes a design effective when its goal is to promote the purchase of a good or service. The following information is from two sources, I cite them both, and I do not claim any credit for the material presented below - these were just my notes.
From an Advertising Design Theories presentation published on Scribd by user m_dattaias I found the following useful information:
Three Theoretical Approaches for Advertising Design
1) The Hierarchy of effects model
This model clarifies the objectives of an advertising campaign and for each advertising campaign and for each individual advertisement. It aids the individual advertisement. It aids the marketing team in identifying the best marketing team in identifying the best message strategy. The model suggests message strategy. The model suggests that there are six steps a consumer or that there are six steps a consumer or business buyer moves through when making a purchase
a. Awareness
b. Knowledge
c. Liking
d. Preference
e. Conviction
f. The actual purchase
(These steps are sequential, consumer spends some time at each step before moving to the next
Before a consumer develops a liking or dislike towards a product or service, he or she must have sufficient knowledge of the product or service, once the knowledge is obtained and a liking is developed, the advertiser can try to influence the buyer to favor a particular brand or product)
It has similarities with other theories like the one dealing with cognitive, affective, and conative elements of attitude and attitudinal changes. The affective component containing the feelings or emotions of a person about an object, idea, or topic; the cognitive component being the person’s mental images, understanding and interpretations of the person, object, or issue; conative component being the individual’s intentions, actions, or behavior.
2) Means-end theory
It is the basis of a model called the Means-End Conceptulaization of Components for Advertising Strategy (MECCAS)
The MECCAS model suggests using five elements in creating ads:
a. The product’s attributes
b. Consumer benefits
c. Leverage points
A leverage point is designed to move the consumer from understanding a product’s benefits to linking these benefits with personal values. To construct a quality leverage point, the creative builds the pathway that connects a product benefit with the potential buyer’s value system.
d. Personal value
e. The executional framework
Means-End Chain for MILK:
LOW FAT → Healthy → Self respect, wisdom
CALCIUM → Healthy bones → Comfortable life, wisdom
INGREDIENTS → Good taste → Pleasure, happiness
VITAMINS → Enhanced sexual ability → Excitement, fun, pleasure
3) Visual and verbal imaging
Visual images provide:
a. Favorable attitudes towards ads. and the brand
b. Visuals are remembered more/better than the verbal copy
c. Visual images are stored in both the left and right sides of the brain; verbal messages are stored in the left side of the rain only
d. Visual images can range from concrete and realistic to highly abstract
Visual imagery is especially important in international marketing. Global advertising agencies try to create what is called visual Esperanto, a universal language that makes global advertising possible for any good or service. Visual images are more likely to transcend cultural images.
Clow, Kenneth E. and Baack, Donald. Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications. 196-225. Third Edition. 2007. Pearson Education, Inc. Published by Prentice Hall.
Notes that I took from Chapter 7 of the above cited textbook, titled "Advertising Design: Message Strategies and Executional Frameworks"
Message Theme – the outline of the key ideas in the ad
Message Strategy – primary tactic or approach used to deliver the message theme. There are three broad categories of message strategies:
1) Cognitive strategies
Presentation of rational arguments or pieces of information to consumers, which require cognitive processing
Five major forms of cognitive strategies:
a) Generic messages - Direct promotions of product attributes or benefits without claim of superiority
b) Preemptive messages - Claim superiority based on product’s specific attribute or benefit
c) Unique selling proposition - Explicit, testable claim of uniqueness or superiority that can be supported or substantiated in some manner
d) Hyperbole - Makes untestable claim based upon some attribute or belief
e) Comparative advertisements - When an advertiser directly or indirectly compares a good or service to the competition
2) Affective strategies - Invoke feelings or emotions and match those feelings with the good, service, or company.
a) Resonance advertising - Connects a product with a consumer’s experiences to develop stronger ties between product and consumer
b) Emotional advertising - Attempts to elicit powerful emotions that eventually lead to product recall and choice
3) Conative strategies - Designed to lead more directly to some type of consumer response. In terms of an attitude sequence, conative message strategies typically utilize the conative→cognitive→affective approach.
a) Action-inducing conative advertisements - Create situations in which cognitive knowledge of the product or affective liking of the product may come later (after the actual purchase) or during product usage.
b) Promotional support conative advertisements - Used to support other promotional efforts. Besides coupons and phone-in promotions, a company may advertise a sweepstakes that a consumer enters by filing out the form on the advertisement or by going to a particular retail store
Executional frameworks – the manner in which an ad appeal is presented, chosen after an ad appeal has been selected.
1) Animation
2) Slice-of-Life
3) Dramatization
4) Testimonials
5) Authoritative
6) Demonstration
7) Fantasy
8) Informative