Introduction
When people think about the touring advertisement, the picture that comes to the mind is the people are driving Toyota Prado, BMW, and Mercedes. Mainly, the traditional advertisement techniques that are employed in this advertisement is the focus on the convincing the passive consumers that the product is superior compared to the others that are available in the market (Jones, 1990). However, these do not carry the similar power to the active consumers who expect the advertisement to have creativity (Fill and Turnbull, 2016). Moreover, both the passive and active consumers expect the advertisement to be entertaining as well as with layers of meaning which may be subjectively decoded as well as deconstructed. As a result of the advancement in the level of literacy of the customer, advertisers have to fully depend on the more creative visual approaches to communicate with their audience compared to the use of product based data as a major technique of persuasion (Andrews and Shimp, 2017). Further, with the cumulative dependence on the weak theories of advertising which only focus on the building the long-term brand equity by appealing on the emotion of the consumers, the traditional strong theories focus on the sales oriented as well as aimed to target the consumer’s rational thinking (Elliott, and Wattanasuwan, 1998). Thus, making the traditional advertisement to be considered as the ineffective and outdated strategy in the advertisement sector.
The products like the ones in the touring cars that need low consumer involvement are usually deemed to be quite ordinary. Therefore, several people do not have any emotional connection with the products (Andrews and Shimp, 2017). Therefore, for all the categories of the consumer low involvement products, the meaning based strategies to advertising are specifically considered to be beneficial, since they permit the brands to advertise the values which uphold relationships with the customers who identify with the values. Within the full companies like the touring one, the objective of the advertising is dependent on the persuading individuals to immediately purchase the product, rather than creating marketing for a certain brand. Moreover, to create an advertisement which is considered to be less oriented, and a more interesting to the clients, the advertisers should borrow the rhetorical approaches from the sociocultural and semiotic theories, which includes symbolism, polysemy as well as intertextuality to create the required meaning and create a visual argument for the brand (Andrews and Shimp, 2017). Overall, the essay will critically assess how symbolism, polysemy, and intertextuality can be utilized to improve the consumer brand connections by the emotional appeals in the situation where the people have become resistant to the traditional sale oriented advertisements.
The first technique used in the advertisement is the intertextuality. It occurs the ad makes various references to other discourse such as a cultural text, events, and films among others. By this technique, advertisers are aware of the cultural background of the consumers. Therefore, the audience will identify and understand the brand that is being advertised (Elliott and Wattanasuwan, 1998). Also, intertextuality allows the audience or consumers to attach more meaning to the product. As such, there is emotional interconnectedness between the product and the audience.
Another technique is symbolism, which is a tool that is not only used in the literature but also an advertisement. It helps sin appealing to the consumers’ emotions. It attaches meaning to what the consumers are looking for in particular product (Wang, 2015). These meanings appeal to people’s culture. Therefore, symbols speak many words in the advert, and one can easily demand and connect to the brand.
The last technique that is discussed is polysemy, which occurs when an advert may be interpreted in many ways by particular customers, or rather when different target audiences attach unique meanings to the product, which is achieved through purposeful ambiguity in communication a particular ad and the meaning are then dependent on the cultural context.
Polysemy meanings will engage the audience while entertaining them. The company by extension manufactures, conducts the marketing and selling the quality products. The campaigns are imperative in making the brand gain a competitive advantage over the rival brands. The customers will, therefore, develop a liking for the particular brand making it gain popularity. The beverage industry is a competitive sector, and so with effective campaigns, the brand will soar over the competitors. With the intense campaigning, strategies highlighted the company would be able to achieve its objectives in the target market segment. This discussion also gives elaboration objectives of the communication campaign. Various illustrations will be provided to cover the entire scope. Analysis of images, messages used by the company is analyzed to observe the effectiveness of the campaign strategy to meet its objectives. The company has considerably made adverts in the magazines due to the readability of the ad technique. The strategy has impacted positively on the marketing initiative for the new brand. The internet has been of a paramount value as a communication campaign tool for the company to meet its marketing agenda. The campaigns are imperative in making the brand gain a competitive advantage over the rival cars in the industry. The customers will, therefore, develop a liking for the particular type of the car making it gain popularity. The car industry is a competitive sector, and so with effective campaigns, the car will soar over the competitors. With the intense campaigning, strategies highlighted the company would be able to achieve its objectives in the target market segment.
The first example is an art print advertisement for a BMW. The print ad placed on a dark background reveals the BMW as the strongest and a supercar (Wang, 2015). The company primarily aims at maximizing its profits. The company therefore largely invests in marketing to achieve the objective through the communication campaign in the. The company has come with the six best communication campaign strategies in the world, think small being one of them. It is, therefore, easier to evaluate the market segment for the creation of the right content for the advertisement for the product in question. It significantly aided the company in cutting costs while penetrating to higher audience levels.
The ad by Mercedes makes it clear from the beginning the target audience. A middle aged man who has wealth and seeks to have prestige by owning a Mercedes, and they are really interested in in comfortable product spending through Mercedes (Wang, 2015). The ad has shown the car as having the sleek appearance at the car, both exterior as well as interior. The car is generally attractive and looks quite strong. Through the intertextuality, the ad was aimed at providing self-esteem as well as creating the need for status recognition, which many people in this vats marketplace are looking for. The ad can be interpreted using Maslow’s theory of needs, in which after buying this car one will be assumed to have archived their goals up the ladder in the hierarchy of needs. Thus, the ad has to strike the emotions of the larger market audience by showing a product that is not only luxurious but also safe. Indeed, the brand is iconic, a status that will help many consumers realize the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Overall, this was what Mercedes ad as looking for, a people or market that is yet to realize a new status by owning a luxurious product that gives value for money.
The ad stays closer to the consumer’s lives and “hearts” by giving them an opportunity to experience the feeling of buying a luxurious car. The advert’s underlying message to its consumers is that system of the safety system is crucial. This comes after there have been many deaths that are occurring on the roads, and it has become a public concern that needs to be mitigated. Thus, the ad gets into the emotions of the consumers by assuring that the car is safe (Hackley and Hackley, 2015). The advert suggests that the Mercedes brand is reliable and luxurious. The advert successfully sharpened and reshapes the image of the brand as well as significantly enhanced it within the most relevant product values of management, protection, innovation, as well as perfection. Also, the advert showed the features the product achieved better on, prominent the competitive advantage, which the car chains have over its rivals (Elliott, and Wattanasuwan, 1998). Them to look at the image further. The ad image and its copy overtly communicate that BMW is meant to ensure all times, summer and winter with its colour intact.
The second ad is that of a Toyota Prado car. The Prado is revealed to be driven in a non-tarmacked road. The implication is that the Pardo is a four wheel drive that that not gets stuck in mud or unlevelled roads. Also, the ad reveals that the car can be used for touring. The animals such as Zebra and leopard among others can be seen because the car can penetrate the park (Hackley and Hackley, 2015).
The products and power equipment are safe for use and bring a lot of fun as consumers experience unending fun and enjoyment when using them. The company relies on a wide supply base to manufacture a perfect mix of products they avail to the market. Toyota Pardo is committed to powering the dreams of the current generation and of those to come. The company has a large market base world over due to the popularity of the products they manufacture in the automobile industry (Wang, 2015). The company provides the best world experience on their automobile and power products for which consumers are also taken into consideration.
The ad profile shows the commitment of the company to include consumers in their current and future prospects. The people in the picture is lifted high up into the air showing the undying strength and the ability of the company to be limitless. The ad also is an embodiment of the same spirit, the company’s ability to soar is limitless. It is symbolic of the consumers’ excitement that whoever ventures into the world of the car will indeed get the satisfaction that they need. With Toyota Prado, one does not need to fear because your safety is taken into consideration.The ad is also an elucidation that the products from Toyota Pardo can be trusted. It is the commitment of the world team in the company that has constantly maintained the quality of the brand. The company has a profound culture in which every individual feel valued.
The final example is a print advertisement for red colored Mercedes, featuring a rather bizarre illustration of prestige that comes with the car. The car looks small and strong with bright color.
BMW is the brand that has usually positioned itself in order to satisfy the esteem of its consumers who seek to attain the status of higher social class (Greenfield, 2016). Usually, such clients are looking for a high-end products to showcase their social status. BMW a long-standing product within the car industry have usually managed to control the interest of several potential consumers as well as retain that of current users. The BMW is portrayed as eco-friendly by the ad. BMW’s target audience are believed to be those people who are scouting for a high-performance car that will placate their lifestyles.
Through the use of intertextuality, the BMW appeals to the emotion as well as the rationale. Thus, the ad aims to assist elevate the message of the brand that has luxury and power. The advert reflects the brand’s positioning as well as image. Moreover, the ad communicates the advantages of the product (Lagerwerf and Meijers 2008). Hence, the targeted market replicates the characteristics. The ad showcases BMW as promoting a lifestyle that many people yearn to replicate their status. Overall, the BMW advertisement appeals to the audience who have the financial capability to buy a car (Wang, 2015). The social class linked with BMW appeals to higher class people who are socially conscious. Moreover, the ad BMW remains to be one of the most prosperous players in the automobile industry. The attitude of the brand, BMW, equates to luxury.
Luxury brands suggest a strong as well as the lasting image within the consumer’s heart as well as the mind. For the majority of consumers, the BMW brand confers social status on the holder and becomes part and parcel of these client’s personal identities, including who they are as well as what are their value systems. The ad is linked to confidence, motivation, as well as an admirable feature of the car (Wang, 2015). These group of clients tend to trust that their social reception among class is related to the brands they own. BMW positions itself to justify the reason it belongs to higher social status with the higher sense of taste for automobiles. The advertisement, BMW, reflects the key elements of product positioning. The advert makes an intertextuality reference as to how people and animals are staring at the car. The implication is that it is a beautiful car. In this case, the mud or dirt on the car symbolizes the imminence and how the car is a four-wheel drive and cannot get stuck in the mud. The ad presents in detail the communication marketing campaign deployed by the company to meet its objective. It is therefore imperative to evaluate the marketing communication campaign the company intends to use them on newly introduced brand to the market being that the new brand has not gained popularity (Najafian, and Ketabi, 2011).
The ad tends to educate and provide the relevant information to the target customers, the consumers and buyers. For instance, the ad implies that Mercedes provides the information that the car is portable and efficient with low fuel consumption rate. The car is also easy to maintain. The customers are thus well aware before the purchase of the type of car they are purchasing, its power, strength, and durability. The information provided is therefore positive as it is educational and relevant to the effect (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker, and Brennan, 2015). Open communication about the company’s commodity significantly earns the trust of the consumers on the legality of the car about its value. Therefore, the ad is imperative in making the brand gain a competitive advantage over the rival cars in the industry (Friestad and Wright, 1994). The customers will, therefore, develop a liking for the particular type of the car making it gain popularity, Therefore, customers will, therefore, develop a liking for the particular brand making it gain popularity. The car industry is a competitive sector, and so with effective campaigns, the brand will soar over the competitors. With the intense campaigning, strategies highlighted the company would be able to achieve its objectives in the target market segment (Andrews, and Shimp, 2017). The desires of the customer can then be reinforced based on their buying culture. The company can thus integrate the lifestyles of the customers.
The communication campaigns have been categorically launched to achieve some objectives. The company primarily aims at maximizing its profits. The company therefore largely invests in marketing to achieve the objective through the communication campaign. Through the ads, the above three car companies have gained competitive advantages.
Conclusion
In summary, three types of the ad for BMW, Toyota Prado, and Mercedes have clearly reflected the class of car that gives people status and money for their value. Through polysemy symbolism and intertextuality, the ads clearly convince the clients that the advertised ads are the best and raise their social status. The cars are revealed to be safe and have got quality that makes them durable and reliable.
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