Creating Great Advertising - Part 2

Do you tend to use the terms marketing and business objectives interchangeably?

Let me start with a funny story:

In Alice in Wonderland, Alice asks the Cheshire Cat “Which road do I take?” when she is at a fork in the road. To this, the response is another question “Where do you want to go?”

When she says “I don’t know” his “Then it doesn’t matter” reply is a classic.?

That’s the reason why setting goals for the brand is the starting point for the advertising development journey. If you don’t, then measuring success would be purely a matter of opinion, not based on objective criteria.?

Our Formula: Defining Objectives?

? Business Objectives:?

Brand teams should align with management to fix business goals that are quantitative and reflect the market and competitive scenario as well as aspirations of the firm.?

Business goals may look something like this:

?? Deliver sales revenue of Rs 300 crore in FY ’24-’25, a growth of 15% over the previous year.

?? Grow unit volume by 12% over PY.

?? Maintain gross margins of 65%

?? Increase price realisation per ton by 3%?

Now that we’ve established our business objectives the next step would be setting Marketing objectives. Let’s start with a game. Tell me what comes to mind when I say:?

“Daag Ache hai”?

I didn’t even have to mention the brand name and it popped right up in your head, didn’t it?

That is the real power of great advertising at work.?

? Marketing objectives:

Brand teams should set out the consumer and brand challenges to be tackled. When defined clearly and strategically, they set up a brand’s positioning and the unique associations to be owned. Memorable and effective slogans and signoff lines tie neatly into a brand’s marketing objectives.

Let’s take an example.

There are many ways to get from point A to point B (your business objective). If you wanted to go from Delhi to Chennai, you could fly, take a train, go by road (that’s one long trip!!), or walk (please don’t be silly). The final choice will depend on the time you have, your budget, personal preferences and possibly safety and security issues.

Similarly, there are many ways to increase brand sales.?

For example, Dettol grew the antiseptic liquid business by first establishing itself as the best antiseptic protection for minor cuts and bruises. Subsequent campaigns showed consumers adding a capful of Dettol to a post bath rinse, as a floor cleaner or while shaving.

While kids were the focus for cuts and bruises, adults and the entire family featured for the broader usage occasions. Their cash registers are going kaching! even today.

Setting these Marketing Objectives requires careful thought, deep consumer understanding and the ability to make choices and trade-offs. It takes discipline and hard work to focus, and the payoff is tremendous. A specialist doctor charges at least 2X higher fees than a general practitioner.

This takes us to the next stage in creating a great campaign. Watch our space for the next, all-important step in the advertising development process where we share our thoughts on Communication Objectives and Brand Positioning.

Have any of you struggled to align your business and marketing goals? How did you manage to tackle it??

#marketing #marketingobjectives #businessobjectives