This assignment requires you to critique print advertisements. Assume you are the customer and that marketers are targeting you and customers like you. Alternatively, assume you are the brand manager for one of the brands you have selected, and you are comparing your own brand to that of a competitor. The more you incorporate the theory and applications that we have studied to date, the better the outcome in terms of your grade on this assignment.
First, choose two ads for brands in the same product category (e.g., clothing, cars, soft drinks, etc.) from any print source (Newspaper, Magazine, Flyer, Trade Publications, etc. but nothing from Social Media) that you feel exemplify either extremely effective or ineffective advertising. You need to choose one of each (2 points). What is your overall current perception of EACH brand independent of these ads? (2 points)
Second, describe the type of advertising this represents based on the classifications on page 20 (Figure 1-4) in Chapter 1 of the text (2 points). These different types are also described below.
Third, critique the ads, by explaining why you find them effective or ineffective. At this time, you are not comparing the ads but simply looking at each one independently. In your critique, specifically, think about the following issues:
1. Are the ads overall favorable to you? Why or why not? (2 points)
2. Are their messages clear and believable? Why or why not? (2 points)
3. Are the ads visually appealing? Why or why not? (2 points)
Fourth, compare the two ads along the following lines:
1. Are these ads directly competitive? How? Are the brands targeting the same customer segment? (4 points)
2. What is each ad trying to accomplish from an IMC Objective’s point of view? Provide your rationale. (5 points)
3. Which ad did you like the most? Which ad was more memorable? In your opinion, which one did a more effective job of communicating its message to the target audience? Explain how or why. (5 points)
4. Which ad did a better job of motivating customers to take some type of action (e.g., get more information, try the product, buy the product, tell a friend, etc.)? What elements of the ad accomplish this? (4 points)
