|
Think about TV ads. Analyze. Ask questions. |
Consider these ideas for your own compositions. |
||
 |
 |
||
| WHAT
DO THEY KNOW?
|
WHAT
DO THEY KNOW?
|
||
|
After advertising research identifies the target audience, then the ad writer is concerned with that audience's knowledge about the specific product or service (not "knowledge" in general). Such information is usually obtained by various "consumer research" surveys, questionnaires, or interviews. In relation to audience knowledge of the product, consider the differences between the new and the old. New products and services can often be totally new inventions and discoveries, genuine innovations, which need explanations and demonstrations. Think about the vast number of new electronic products (calculators, computers, cellular) in the past few years. The ad writer's job here is to explain and to demonstrate the purpose, procedures, and benefits of the new item: what it's for, how it's used, or why it's worth the cost. Sometimes a new brand or new variety of an old product appears. In this case, the writer's task may be simply one of stressing "name recognition" by repetition. Constant repetition, in a blitz or saturation campaign, which simply associates a new name with something already known, is effective. The writer has to embed the unknown into that which is already known, and liked, by the audience. Old products and known services create different problems for ad writers. In this situation, they have to attract attention and add interest, yet without boring or annoying people with constant long term repetition. Many advertised products are standards, old standbys. Notice how cleverly ad writers can sell the same old soap or soup.
|
After you identify your intended audience as specifically
as you can, then focus on the common knowledge that this
audience shares with you. For example, we usually assume our audience speaks
English, and lives in our culture. You don't want to insult your
audience by explaining the obvious, or belaboring a point. The writer should then analyze the audience in terms of the degree of their knowledge about the topic. Are they "specialists" (knows a lot) or "non-specialists" (knows very little)? Specialist audiences are easier to analyze and write for because the writer knows what ideas need not be explained, and what examples and allusions can be used. Articles written for specialists spend much less time on general background material, and focus much more closely on small specific points treated in detail. Non-specialist audiences are harder to analyze and write for because if the writer explains too much, it seems patronizing or condescending. But, if the writer explains too little, it might be unclear. For a non-specialist audience, the writer has to give much more attention to background and context, complex issues have to simplified, and definitions and explanations have to be made. About your audience, ask yourself:
|
||
| | Welcome | Purpose | Audience | Limits | Structure | Attention | Confidence | Explicit | Implicit | Response| Omission | |
