Newspaper ads that demonstrate the strategic role of Affinity

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There are many ways to create powerful connections with readers when you advertise in newspapers; whether the story you’re telling is intended to inform, entertain, inspire, stimulate thinking, generate feelings or even change behaviour.

Six distinct, but not mutually exclusive, strategic roles that newspapers can play were originally identified by The Newspaper Marketing Agency in the UK.

These roles have subsequently been validated by Ipsos Media CT and The Newspaper Works through a combination of qualitative and quantitative testing in Australia.

Six Strategic Roles

STheir definitions

Affinity advertising establishes emotional connections by mirroring the values or aspirations of readers.

The Role Map demonstrates how consumers connect with newspaper advertising across the six strategic roles, comparing the performance of newspaper creative against a footprint of all ads tested, or in the case of the six roles, comparing the performance of creative against a footprint of all ads tested.

Retail average

• 36 newspaper ads tested to establish All Newspaper Norm and Retail Average footprints

– Wave 1: July-August 2008, 27 randomly selected retail ads tested

– Wave 2: October-November 2008, 9 additional hand picked retail ads tested

• Sample: Australians 16+ in five cap cities

• Total 2,475 respondents and over 7,000 ad observations

• 100+ observations for each ad tested

The Newspaper Works’ effectiveness partner:

About the researchPhase 1

• Average of 9 newspaper ads tested monthly

• Various categories accommodated

• Sample to date: Australians 16+ in Sydney (n=300 in total)

• Further samples will include other metro markets

• 100+ observations for each ad

• Conducted online by Ipsos

About the researchPhase 2

The Newspaper Works’ effectiveness partner:

“Gives me a good feeling about the brand”

All Newspaper Norm

Affinity score for each ad

Significantly different to All Newspaper Norm at 90% c.l.

Newspapers can be an extremely effective medium to strengthen consumers’ affinity for a particular brand, as these advertisers demonstrate.

Affinity score for each ad Significantly different to All Newspaper Norm at 90% c.l.All Newspaper Norm

* Caution – small sample size

A straightforward approach can strengthen affinity towards a brand.

Both Mars and Kit Kat leverage the strong familiarity with their iconic packaging to help deliver points of relevance.

Affinity score for each ad Significantly different to All Newspaper Norm at 90% c.l.All Newspaper Norm

•Caution - small sample size

Providing information that improves familiarity and understanding for a brand while also differentiating, can help strengthen affinity.

Abbott’s Village Bakery uses back-to-basics heritage and Dairy Farmers uses a simple and direct approach.

Readers have personal relationships with newspapers so they provide an ideal platform to communicate brand ideas in more personal ways.

Unlike other media, newspapers are actively consumed. The act of reading requires concentration, which leads to greater connection.

Newspapers have distinct personalities and offer a range of sections that reflect readers’ passions and interests and provide relevant environments to tap into fully engaged minds.

Affinity advertising brings consumers closer to your brand by eliciting instinctive reactions that create personal identification or a sense of belonging.

Newspaper advertising provides a range of sometimes overlooked opportunities for advertisers to strengthen the affinity that consumers feel towards their brands.

Comments

Affinity advertising is not the exclusive domain of established brand advertisers.

Lesser known and new brands can also connect emotionally with consumers in newspapers.

And emotive imagery doesn’t always need to be utilised to connect accordingly. Even a clever use of packaging and a single minded message can engage.

In many cases the outcome of Affinity comes in combination with an attractive proposition (call to action) or delivery of new information that promotes consideration (re-appraisal / information), implying Affinity is driven by what, and how a message is delivered, not where it is placed.

While the examples presented in this report clearly demonstrate a dominant strategic role in each case, RoleMap isn’t a compass. Newspaper advertising tends to work across a range of roles, often feeding off each other in the process.

For example, more detail (Information) can provoke a rethink about a brand (Re)Appraisal) which in turn creates a closer emotional connection with consumers (Affinity).

While IKEA’s ad performs strongly as a retail ad by driving a Call to Action via its price point, it’s also helping build the brand with its eco-credentials story and in doing so encourage a rethink about the IKEA brand (Re)Appraisal, which in turns builds Affinity with the brand.

Virgin Blue’s topical ad (taking on Qantas), is seen to put an important issue on the Public Agenda, and in doing so gets consumers to rethink the Virgin Blue brand (Re)Appraisal, also driving a Call to Action in the process.

Beaurepaires performs very strongly in the classic retail footprint, delivering important Information when belts were being tightened (during the GFC) and in turn effectively driving a Call to Action.

Summary• Newspapers can be utilised across the full spectrum of strategic roles, some of which are traditionally associated roles for newspapers, such as Call to Action and Information roles.

• However newspaper advertisers are also increasingly recognising the role that newspapers can play in brand building roles; such as Affinity and (Re)Appraisal.

• Furthermore newspapers are being harnessed to drive important brand issues and causes (Public Agenda) and to extend and build on TV activity.

• In this report, advertisers have demonstrated both expected and fresh ways to bring their communication to life while still delivering effective outcomes for their brands.

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For more information on this or any of the other strategic roles that can be used in newspapers to connect powerfully with consumers, contact your sales executive or The Newspaper Works on:

Phone: (02) 9692 6300

Fax: (02) 9692 6399

Email: Admin@thenewspaperworks.com.au

www.thenewspaperworks.com.au

Questions?