Advertisers and advertising agencies believe that customers have needs and desires, which can be fulfilled through the purchase and use of products and services. Advertising works largely through appeal of emotions of envy, fear, anxiety, about one’s appearance and lack of status. It is widely assumed that advertising works if the AIDCA formulas are followed. The formula sums up the principles of advertising. The name of the formula is derived from the initial letters of the words: Attention, Interest, Desire, Conviction, and Action.

The formula suggests that the attention and interests of the customers must be gained first before the process of stimulating desire, imparting conviction and urging action in advertisements can bring about a change in the buying behaviors.

We are not usually carried away by advertisements unless the products themselves are of some value or use to us. After all, we do not have a lot of money to throw around. Advertisements grab attention by their sizes, color, visualization layout, positioning or by a striking headline or slogan or appeal.

Further, they stimulate desire for the product by various strategies such as making you feel ‘exclusive’ or ‘modern’ or ‘ with-it’ or perhaps by offering discounts or other incentives. Finally, advertisements impart conviction and urge action.

The importance of a good advertisement copy can hardly be over emphasized. All the planning, research and expense would go waste if proper care were not taken in drafting an advertisement copy that will achieve the purpose of advertising. The psychological aims of an advertisement are that the public must be made to:

• Look
• Like
• Learn, and
• Buy

‘The aim of advertising copy is that it shall be seen, read the message conveyed and then acted upon’. An advertisement, which fails in attracting the attention of the prospects and creating an urge in their minds for possessing the product, will naturally be of no use though a large sum has been spent lavishly on advertising the product by the advertiser.

A good advertisement should possess the following characteristics or qualities or values:

A good advertisement should possess the following characteristics or qualities or values:

1. Attention value – an advertisement must attract the attention of the potential consumers. If it fails in this mission, the whole money and efforts will go waste though it possesses all other values because everything else follows this. So, it must have display value.

• Use of Pictures: pictures have the immense display and attention value. The old Chinese proverb ‘one seeing is worth thousand selling’ indicated the place of pictures in attention value. A good sketch or photograph, if appropriately used, will not merely attract the attention of the consumer but all will tell everything about the product.
• Use of Display type or Heading: use of appropriate headings enhances the value of an advertisement to a great extent. To invite attention, the heading should be brief and meaningful, made up of three or four words and should be printed in emphatic bold display types. The headline should, generally, be in the form of a ‘slogan’ or a ‘query’ that will compel the attention of the reader
• Boarder Type: attractive boarder can be used to compel the attention of the readers. The boarder must have a distinctive look so as to separate it from the rest of the setting, a full page advertisement with a very small matter in the center and an artistic or novel boarder will have a very great attention value. Underlining of key words or an attractive arrangement of types may also catch the eyes of the reader.
• Price Quotation: prices should not be quoted on the advertisement copy except when they are very low as in clearance sale or special offers. But if an appeal is being made to high class customers who care more for quality that for price, a price quotation should be avoided and emphasis should be laid on quality
• Reply Coupons: reply coupons inserted in an advertisement in an unusual setting are yet another way of attracting attention of the readers to the copy.

1. Suggestion value- having attracted the attention of the reader, the next task would be to offer a suggestion about the use and the utility of the product that may remain inscribed on the mind of the reader even when he forget where he really saw the advertisement.
2. Memorizing value- the advertisement copy should be so drafted and laid out that the product will stick to the mind of the individual reader. Repetition of advertisement with slogan is an effective method of creating a memorizing value. Pictures and photographs confirming to the suggestion will have tremendous memorizing value.
3. Conviction value- an advertisement can prove effective and achieve the desired end when convicting arguments backs the suggestion contained in it. The advertiser must be careful not to include the statements in the advertisement copy, which do not confirm to the product.
4. Sentimental appeal- sentiments play a very important role in advertising, particularly in the case of food articles. Sentiments reflect the personal feelings and attitudes of an individual towards various things. They indicate reactions of a person in favor or against a particular product.
5. Education value- a good advertisement must possess educative value because the object of modern advertising is not merely to satisfy the existing demand but to create future demand. So a good advertisement should educate the general public about the uses of the new product or the new uses of the same product.
6. Instinctive value- human thoughts and actions are guided by instincts and inclination. All that one thinks or does has its roots in one instinct or the other. Instincts are the underlying forces, which compel the men to act in certain ways. The most important function of an advertisement is to induce, persuade and motivate the prospects to think well of a product and to take to its use.

• Self-Preservation Instinct: many of our thoughts and actions are inspired by our anxiety to preserve our people, health, our family and our belongings
• Hoarding Instinct: banking institutions, insurance companies or other government and non-government saving organizations serve to hoarding instinct of the people
• Parental Instinct: parental instinct takes the form of love and affection for the children. Those advertisers who deal in children requirements like garments, toys, baby food, etc may promote this instinct in parents i.e. motherly feelings of women or parental sentiments of men through their advertisements
• Self-Display Instinct: the advertisers of readymade clothing, women’s dresses, jewellery, etc promote instinct of self- display.
• Something for nothing Instinct: everybody has a vague desire to get something without paying anything for it. This desire is, more or less, present in everybody irrespective of the statues or income. Some advertisers use this instinct in the advertisement copy.

On the basis of the above basic instincts, the following themes or central ideas may be laid down for advertisements meant to advertise different types of products:

1. Pride- this theme can be used to popularize luxury articles among riches, the possession of which gives them a distinctive status and a feeling of pride
2. Beauty- this theme is used in advertisement for cosmetics, perfumes, toilet soaps, etc for both men and women
3. Health- in drug and food products advertisements, the use of this theme is used
4. Economy- it is central theme in advertisement of clearance sales or bargain purchases
5. Comfort- the advertisements for fans, electric appliances, refrigerator, etc contain this feeling of comfort
6. Fear- themes stressing the fear of death, accidents, personal loss through burglary, fire, etc and other untoward happenings in life are generally used by insurance companies or banking companies. The traffic police is also using this theme in their notes of caution i.e. ‘life is short, don’t make it shorter’.
7. Parental Affection- all advertisements of products meant for children such as toys, baby food and dresses, use this feeling
8. Patriotism- this theme may be used in advertisements for those who use foreign products
9. Achievements- this theme is used generally by large concerns engaged in the production of goods necessary for the development of country’s economy.
10. Emulation and Imitation- this theme is use where people buy more not to satisfy their genuine requirement, but as their neighbors happen to possess them thus, a good advertisement must possess the above qualities to make it an ideal one.

Tagged with: action • ads principles • advertisement • advertisement principles • aidca • aidca advertisement • aidca formula • attention • conviction • desire • good advertisement • interest • parental affection • principles • usa ads principles • visualization layout
 

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