Role of Color & Words in Advertising

7/29/2019 Role of Color & Words in Advertising

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Ranjan Kumar | B.Tech(4th year, EE, 09115072)

GROUP

DYNAMICSROLE OF COLOR &WORDS IN ADVERTISING
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Advertisements or in short ads

Institute of Practitioners in Advertising defines advertising as - "it presents the most

persuasive possible selling message to the right prospects for the product or service at the

lowest possible cost." It is a combination of creativity, marketing research & economicmedia buying. In words of an economist The role of advertisement is to shift the demand

curve upward.

In a simple language, advertising is the communication relayed from companies to

persuade an audience to purchase their products. This communication is usually through

various forms of paid media -- TV and radio commercials, print ads, billboards and more

recently, product placement. Ads are placed where advertisers believe they will reach the

largest, most relevant audience. Commercial businesses use advertising to drive the

consumption of their product, while non-profit organizations may place ads to raise

awareness or encourage a change in behavior or perception.

It involves informing, persuading & motivating, maintaining established reputation or

image of brand once it has developed position in market.

What do ads do?

It is assumed that ads can do one of the following:

Create awareness of the brand Inform people about it Encourage or even persuade them to try it Create some sort of emotional or attitudinal bond between consumers and the bran-

d that will lead to regular purchase (brand loyalty)

So, for a successful advertisement it is very necessary built a positive image that sticks to

the memory.

Now question arises how does it work?

As advertisement is a kind of language that companies use to communicate with customers.

So, it is a creative act to use language in way that fulfills the means of communication. That

is why; ads are designed by guided and stimulated creative team. So that ads should bringtarget audience to life and show how audience is expected to relate to brand & respond to

them.

Creativity defines proposition or we can say essence of an advertisement. It is based on

positioning whether rational or emotional. It also provides support evidence. To target a
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group or a section people (we say audience), it is very necessary to combine rational and

emotional aspects, i.e., demographic characteristics / relationship with brand / usage.

For example, let the product be chocolate.

Women, aged 25-40, who love chocolate but may feel guilty about it. They are able to afford

little bit luxuries but will enjoy pampering. They are aware of brand but buy in frequently -

not seen as a day-to-day casual eat. So, we have to think of a brand as special and they arereluctant to buy it for themselves but like bring given it. So, we can see the brand as distant,

aloof, stuck-up and probably foreign.

Language of Advertising

Language has a powerful influence over people and their behavior. This is especially true in

the fields of advertising. The choice of language to convey specific messages with the

intention of influencing people is vitally important.

Visual content and design in advertising have a very great impact on the consumer, but it is

language that helps people to identify a product and remember it.

Parts of an advertisement:An advertisement layout has following parts:

Heading Visual Image Companys logo Body Copy Slogan

This is only a crude classification. The factors that make a normal advertisement a

successful and meaningful one are:

Color Words & Phrases used Jingles & Music
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People & Culture Media Time frame Positioning of post or text

Demography and many others.

The headline isusually the second

content the reader

sees to understandwhat it is the ad isconveying to its

reader. Headlinesare usually clever,

smart, funny and to

the point.Sometimes a

headline isntneeded if the visual

stronglycommunicates the

message.

A central visual is

used to tie in the

headline. We need

to know what it is

the company is

communicating. In

this ad the client

prefers a product

shot.

The companys

logo. We need to

know who is selling

the product or

service.

Supportbody copy.

In many cases this

varies. Some ads

have it and some

have very little. One

line usually

required, is the pay-

off to allow the

reader to make

action.

Slogan. This sticks

to memory and tellmain idea.
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These plays an inevitable role to fulfill the purpose, i.e., to communicate the information to

targeted audience and pursue them the required activity whether to use or buy the product

or to participate in the targeted activity.

Role of Color

Colors can be very important in advertising, as a matter of fact color is the earliest form of

advertising. Flowers and fruits have used colors to advertise to insects and animals in their

efforts to pollinate and reproduce since the beginning of time.

Why give emphasis on colors? Experts believe that colors have an effect on our physical

and psychological states. Colors reach out to our subconscious and create a positive or

negative reaction within 90 seconds. On the ads we have less than 30 seconds to make a

good first impression. Improper use of colors forth ads can convey the wrong messages or

mislead customers. So, Advertisers use the silent language of color to impress, motivate,divert and persuade targeted audiences prospects to buy.

Color perceptions vary depending on an individual's culture, ethnicity, gender, and age. For

example, if one is selling wedding gowns worldwide, it is wise to have a different ad for

each location. A model wearing a red gown would appeal to Indian/Chinese customers,

while a model garbed in white would suit the tastes of most of Western customers. If one

has a vague understanding of the cultural aspects of color psychology, one can make huge

mistakes in marketing strategies.

Red color: Wedding dress of Bride in India and China


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White color: Wedding dress of Bride in Western countries.

Researchers have also found out that colors have an effect on our shopping habits.

Impulsive buyers tend to respond to black, red-orange, and royal blue. Spendthrifts

respond best to sky blue, navy, teal, and pink. Conservative ones react to pastels like baby

blue, pink, and rose.

Pink color: Appeals Girls and babies


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Blue/ Black/Brown: Appeals Boys & Gents

White

Symbolizes cleanliness, purity, and youthfulness. It is the best backgroundcolor for websites. It is being used for clinics and hospitals to represent sterility. Fat-free

dairy products, additive-free foods, and skin care lines are best suited for this color.

Black Symbolizes authority, elegance, seduction, and mystery. It is suitable as a

background color for an ad since it goes well with most colors. If you want your ads to

exude drama, luxury, and class, picks this color. Masculine cosmetics, designer goods,

and five-star hotels are best suited for this color.

Brown Symbolizes dependability, efficiency, humility, and solidity. It does not

attract attention like primary colors but it gives a vibe of trustworthiness. Males respond

well to this ad especially with tinges of red, orange, and yellow. Furniture, lumber, and,

hunting and sporting gear are best suited for this color.

Purple Symbolizes dignity, mystery, regency, and spirituality. In ancient times it

was regarded as a rarity because it is uncommon in nature. It exudes creativity, femininity,and romanticism, making it an ideal choice for ads that are targeted for the female market.

It also gives a touch of class to cheap and simple products.


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Red Symbolizes excitement, passion, speed, and strength. It is the most powerful

and striking of colors. It should be a prominent color for ads that suggest fast-paced action

like comic books, computer games, and fast-food restaurants.

Pink Symbolizes comfort, femininity, gentleness, and well-being. Besides, lady-

likeness, it induces temporary calmness and relaxation. It is a favorite color of choice for

products like toilet paper, hypoallergenic toiletries, and baby products.

Blue Symbolizes authority, dignity, faithfulness, and dignity. It suggests sanctuary

and fiscal responsibility. Unlike warm colors, blue is associated with clear thinking and

productivity. From electronics to grooming products to educational materials, it is aflexible choice of color for their advertising.

Yellow Symbolizes alertness, cheerfulness, happiness, and warmth. It enhances

concentration and appeals to intellectuals. Products associated with vitality and stimulus,

such as food supplements and sports equipments choose this as their main color. It is

also suitable for promoting feel-good social activities and events sponsored by a company.

Orange Symbolizes ambition, endurance, pleasure, and strength. Products

associated with energy and vigor such as energy drinks, adventure trip packages, and

theme parks are well-defined by this color. Businesses that are made for mass marketing

like fast food outlets and motels can use this color to tell customers that they are getting

the most value for their money.

Orange/Yellow: For tour package/ Fast Food ads


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Green Symbolizes freedom, freshness, nature, and tranquility. It relaxes the eye

and has soothing effects. It is usually associated with finance and growth, making it fit for

insurance plans and saving schemes. It suits energy-boosting tonics, health spas, and

eco-friendly products well.

Green: For growth, natural and eco-friendly ads

There is a lot of thought put into color when marketing and packaging material is made, and its not

by accident that most companies stick to the same design and color formula with their products. If

one notices children's cereals are always bright colors - flashy design while more healthy adult

choices usually have white or cream color schemes - more dialed down in design? Not an accident...but an advertising formula!!

Role of Words

Have you ever seen an ad without any text? Be it a radio, TV, cinema, press, Internet or

outdoor advertisement, text is always an element of the ultimate importance.

The awareness of choice of a word in a statement is essential. Even if we choose a simpler

word, it might be because it seems more strongly marked to us. Our final goal is to

persuade a person to buy the product, but an intermediate goal might be the association ofa problem awaiting a solution with our product.

Both the mass media, when reporting news items and marketing and advertising personnel

have to consider the emotive power of the words they use. First, they make a decision

about what to communicate and what to withhold.


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It is important to understand the connotation of a word. Connotation is the feeling or ideas

that are suggested by a word, rather than the actual meaning of the word.Armchair, for

example, suggests comfort, whereas chairarouses no particular feelings.

Dark Fantasy: Lovely things that can be shared with loved ones only.

In the process of creating an advertising message we make such choices in the case of every

single word. They are not random or intuitive; at least they should not be such. The target

audience, of course, also puts its own meaning into certain words. Different people

sometimes interpret language in different ways.

One way in which advertisers adapt language to their own use is to take compound words

and use them as adjectives. These compounds often later become widely used in normalsituations. Examples of these compounds which have become part of the English language

are: top-quality, economy-size, chocolate-flavored,feather-lightand longer-lasting.

Colgate :Colgate prevents cavity

An expressive, precise and clear text can ensure that it will be perceived in the way we

want it to. Nevertheless, it might prove dangerous at times. When we say "Colgate


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toothpaste prevents cavity," we are in trouble if a person who uses this product hears that

they have cavity after all. The case will be different if we say "Colgate toothpaste helps in

preventing cavity." The former implies that all products of Colgate are helpful to prevent

cavity while latter implies only toothpaste does so.

Range Rover: Work Hard. Be SuccessfulWork hard. And if you do, you will Be successful. And if you are successful you can buy aRange Rover. And then you can Go in it to someplace where none of that matters.

Maggie: Fast to cook Good to eat, Taste bhi, Health Bhi & 2-MinuteNoodles

Maggie is known for ready to eat or instant cook able products. Initially Indian people were

not ready to accept new products with new tastes and from different culture. Although it

was focused on working women later initially but research showed kids are the largest

consumers. So, it was repositioned.


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Anything that can be cooked instantly and has good taste has to be good for health too. So,

it came up with taglines as Fast to cook Good to eat, Taste bhi, Health Bhi & 2-

Minute Noodles and jingle as Mummy bhook lagi, Bas do minute, Maggi Maggi

Maggi.

Buzzwords

New - customers like changes, they want to be modern, and thus calling something "new" is

usually very effective.

Cheap - the price of the product is often the most important criterion of choice on an

impoverished market.

Perfect, attractive, advantageous - who does not like such products? Moreover, these

words are better than for example "the best", because assurances that we are "no. 1" will betreated with reserve.

Guarantee, proof - these words often replace proof or guarantee themselves. Thanks to

them we feel safer and more peaceful.

Secure, sure - these words remind us of danger, but in a covert way. They do not evoke

strong feelings of fear - that is why they are useful in selling products that are to keep one

safe.

Conclusion

Color and words along with culture, people and other factors form an inevitable role in

advertising. Along with these, media for communication like radio, TV, posters, online ads,

etc. ; positioning of text in the advertisement, appropriate time weekdays, weekends, day,

night, morning etc. , targeted audience and many other factors also play a key role.

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Role of Color & Words in Advertising