DHL
Medium to be used
Looking at the DHL adverts, they portray different scenarios under which DHL can deliver quality services to their clients. Some of the scenarios that are depicted in their adverts include the forest, and the desert. In the DHL adverts, one of the message approaches that have been utilized includes the straight forward approach. Under this approach, the advert is designed in such a way that the benefits that the customers are likely to accrue by using the product or service being advertised are very clear (O’Guinn, Allen and Semenik 2008). The advert shows a variety of settings under which the company can deliver the orders to the customers.
Additionally, the other approach that can be observed is the demonstration approach. According to Lamb, Hair and McDaniel (2008), this is whereby the advert seeks to highlight the key benefits of the product or service by showing the product or service being used in a real life situation. For this reason, it can be seen that the advert portrays that the company can deliver in a number of settings.
Another technique that can be used in the message approach is the comparison approach. By using this approach, the marketer shows either a direct or an indirect comparison of the product against what is being offered by the competition (Gittings and Brierley 2002). From the adverts, the implication is that the other competitors are not in a position to deliver the same services.
Additionally, the other technique that is being used is the problem solving technique (Larry and Elliott 2012). In this technique, the advert shows the various places that DHL can deliver customers’ parcels. This implies that the customers’ needs can be taken care of by the courier. From the advert, it is clear that the company uses teasers. According to Stafford and Faber (2005), the use of teasers refers to a situation whereby the message in the advert is delivered in small bits so that the customers can understand the overall message.
Emotive response
The advert is intended to depict that DHL is committed to ensuring that the customers’ parcels are delivered as per their specifications. This can be also be inferred from their assertion at the bottom right of the advert. The company claims that as long as a destination has an address, they are going to strive to find it. This is supposed to engender a sense of security, in that the customer can be assured of the reliability of the company in delivering quality services.
Eye movement
The first thing that the customer notices upon looking at the advert is the mail box. Secondly, the person notices the environment in which the mail box is situated. Finally, the attention of the customer is drawn to the mantra at the bottom right corner of the advert. This is supposed to highlight to the customer that the company is committed to delivering the customers’ orders, even in the remote areas where their competitors cannot reach. This kind of eye movement is very instrumental in grabbing the customers’ attention and delivering the message in such a way that is clear to the customers (Applegate 2005).
FedEx
Medium to be used
FedEx is involved in the delivery of the parcels and letters as requested by the customers. According to Katz (2012), the various media that can be used for putting up the adverts include: magazines, television commercials, newspapers, outdoor advertisements, and websites. The medium used should be such that it is accessible by a large number of customers to ensure that the message gets to as many people as possible. This is because the advert is intended to create awareness about the product or service that the company provides.
The FedEx advert can be put up in magazines, for example the Forbes or even put up on billboards. The net effect of using such a medium is to ensure that the company is able to create a brand through continuous portrayal of the services to the customers. In this way, the customers acquire a favorable impression about the kind of services that are provided by the company.
Big Idea
The big idea in the advert is that the company will strive to deliver the services according to the specifications of the customers. The company further reiterates that it will deliver the services to the customers, even if it involves going out of the planet or even under the sea. This implies that the company will do all it can to ensure that the customers’ orders are delivered to their satisfaction.
Message approach and message execution
The kind of appeal that has been employed in FedEx advert is that of fantasy (Ormeno 2007). This can be seen through the company being depicted to have the ability to deliver parcels under the water. This is not a realistic situation but it nonetheless, it drives the message that the company is committed in delivering the services as ordered by their customers. On the other hand, message execution is done through the use of appropriate tone to ensure that the message is clearly understood by the customers.
To enhance the readability of the message being conveyed by the advert, the appropriate colors have been used. These provide the right contrast to ensure the readability of the text. This has been used to emphasize the fact that the company can go to any length to ensure that the customer’s needs are met satisfactorily.
Emotive response
The emotional response that is being evoked by the advert is that FedEx is the most reliable company as compared to the other companies including DHL. This is underscored by the fact that whereas DHL is portrayed as being committed in delivering services within the planet, FedEx is being portrayed as being ready to go even beyond the planet if requested to do so by their customers. This has the effect of conveying the perception that FedEx is the best courier services company in the world (Shimp 2008).
Eye movement
What grabs the attention of the customer at first glance is the mail box embedded on the floor of the sea labeled “letters”. Thereafter, the reader’s attention is drawn to the diver whose gear has been emblazoned with the name FedEx. Finally, the reader notices the message written at the bottom of the advert. The message says that there are no boundaries in as far as the delivery of the customers’ orders is concerned. This eye movement progresses in a very organized manner. This eye movement facilitates the identification of the problem, namely-delivering letters and parcels, and also identifies the solution to this problem that is FedEx. To enforce the perception that FedEx is the solution to the aforementioned problem, the advert avers that there is no delivery boundaries.
Effectiveness
According to Wells (1997), the effectiveness of the advert can be evaluated on the basis of the positive sentiments that it is likely to be engendered in the minds of the customers. In this regard, the advert should be in a position to help in the establishment of a strong brand. Some of the aspects that can be used to assess the effectiveness of the adverts include: persuasion, ultimate action, cognition, consumer’s perception, emotions, and association.
Perception
It can be said that the advert is vey simple, which is very critical in enhancing the understanding of the overall message. Additionally, the colors used in the advert help in portraying a positive sentiment about the company. For this reason, the advert is effective in that it helps in enforcing the perception that FedEx is the best company as compared to its competitors.
Emotions
The adverts highlight the challenges that the customers could be facing while looking for a company that can go to any length to ensure that the customers’ needs are met satisfactorily. The customers are influenced to think that the solution to their problem can be realized by engaging the services of FedEx. This is likely to engender positive sentiments in the minds of the customers, with a corresponding increase in the number of orders placed by the customers in the company.
Association
The advert makes use of imagery in order to pass on the intended message. While it is not realistic to expect that the company can go beyond the planet and under the sea to deliver the parcels and the letters, the advert is very effective in creating in the minds of the customers the notion that the company is very effective in ensuring the satisfaction of the customers. This convinces the customers that despite the challenges that the company may encounter, it will always do its best to ensure that the customers’ orders are followed to the latter.
Persuasion
The other area in which the effectiveness of the advert can be assessed pertains to persuasion. For this reason, the advert should be in a position to influence the customers to try the services provided by this company. Looking at the adverts for DHL as well as for FedEx, it is clear that the advert by FedEx is tailored towards convincing the customers that FedEx is the best company, when it comes to delivering customers’ orders.
Behavior
The other area in which the effectiveness of the advert can be assessed relates to the behavior of the customers. In this regard, the advert should be able to influence the customers to respond in a positive manner. This can be exemplified by placing their orders with the company that sponsored such an advert. For this reason, the ability of the advert can be assessed by looking into the manner in which it is able to net in more customers in the company.
Cognition
The advert is very effective in providing information about the services that are provided by the company. For this reason, the advert informs the customers that the company is willing to do everything that is required to ensure that the needs of the customers are satisfied. Additionally, the advert is very effective in highlighting the dominance of the company in the provision of the courier services (Wells 1997).
Reference List
Applegate, E 2005, Strategic Copywriting: How to Create Effective Advertising, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham.
Gittings, C and Sean Brierley, S 2002, The Advertising Handbook, Routledge, Oxon.
Katz, H 2012, The Media Handbook: A Complete Guide to Advertising Media Selection, planning, research and buying, Taylor & Francis, New York.
Lamb, C, Hair, J and McDaniel, C 2008, Essentials of Marketing, Cengage Learning, Mason.
O’Guinn, T, Allen, C and Semenik, R 2008, Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion, Cengage Learning, Mason.
Ormeno, M 2007, Managing Corporate Brands: A new approach to corporate communication, Springer, Berlin.
Percy, L and Elliott, R 2012, Strategic Advertising Management, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Shimp, T 2008, Advertising, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications, Cengage, Mason.
Stafford, M and Faber, R 2005, Advertising, Promotion, and New Media, M.E. Sharpe, New York.
Wells, W 1997, Measuring Advertising Effectiveness, Routledge, Mahwah.