The source of the advertisement is Christian Ronaldo, who is trying to convince the viewers in the effectiveness of the advertised product. The video uses the peripheral route to persuasion, where the recipient is not expected to engage into profound feature analysis of the product, but can be persuaded by the peripheral factors, such as liking Christian Ronaldo in this case. Therefore, decision-making is based on heuristic, which perceives the advertised message as an “expert advice”, thus not subjecting the advertisement to serious analysis. The method of using celebrities is quite popular due to the fact that they are regarded as experts and can easily appeal to the potential customers, especially to the young people. However, this method is associated with a number of challenges. Firstly, the Ronaldo’s behaviour and career success will influence the impact of the advertisement. Therefore, if his popularity decreases, so does the popularity of the advertised shampoo. Moreover, the image of Ronaldo is not associated with hair problems, therefore he is unlikely to be perceived as a very credible source. Hence, the use of Christian Ronaldo as the source for shampoo advertising is not completely appropriate.
The way in which the message is encoded including the use of visual and verbal elements.
Message encoding in this advertisement is conducted through three forms: verbal, musical and animation. Verbal component included the description of the expected effects of the product. In order to emphasize the dynamism of the advertisement and of the source, the music used in the advertisement is very fast, and it is combined with the sound of the racing car. Animation in the video includes both the speed and motion, implying high performance, top scores and productivity in highly dynamic environments.
Semiotic analysis of the message including a discussion of the object, signs or symbols used, and the interpreting.
Semiotic perspective on adverting implies that the message used for the marketing purposes is usually encoded. Once received by the viewers, it has to be decoded in a particular way. Thus, the use of the successful football player in the advertisement does not necessarily mean that this person has ever used the advertised product. There is no reference to this fact by Ronaldo himself during the video clip. However, the mere fact that he is in the centre of the advertisement is often decoded by the viewers as the sign that he has used the product himself. His good look and success is then attributed to the shampoo effect, therefore sending a clear message about the effectiveness of the product. However, this message has never been explicitly communicated, but merely implied with reliance on the semiotics of the human perception.
Discuss the channel or medium in which the ad was placed, such as the particular newspaper or magazine, and why this publication was chosen by the advertiser.
The channel chosen by the advertiser is broadcast media. Since the objective is to target as many people as possible, marketers have chosen TV, the media with the widest access to virtually all categories of the population. The fact that the advertisement also runs on YouTube adds to the population coverage, thus appealing to the largest possible number of people. The choice of the video over print media helps to emphasize the dynamism of the advert and makes the message sent much clearer.
The process by which the message might be received or decoded by the target audience.
Message is usually decoded by interpreting the signs and the message of the advert. However, in this case decoding can be perfect only if people are familiar with Ronaldo and if they associate him with success and good look. In case the message is not decoded appropriately, it is unlikely that the feedback of the communication is going to be positive and people will buy the offered product.
Choose one of the response hierarchy models discussed in the chapter and discuss how the source and message might influence various stages of the model. What type of feedback that the advertiser might use to evaluate the effectiveness of the messag?
According to the Hierarchy of effects model advertiser first appeal to the lowest stages of comprehension, such as awareness and knowledge, followed by creating the liking of the brand and objects, thus creating a preference and conviction. Finally, consumers should be convinced to make the purchase decision. The message and the source of the abovementioned advert impact awareness and knowledge of the product by merely presenting the shampoo. However, they also appeal to the liking factor by using Ronaldo, a famous football player, as the source and communicating the image of “coolness” and success, associated with the particular product. Promoting the quality of the product convinces consumers to prefer it over other brands, while the suggested use by the famous star builds up a conviction about the purchase. The effect of the advert on the purchase decision is the lowest, since it is usually done at the point of sale, however, all the previous steps are likely to lead to a purchase. The feedback to evaluate the message is easily obtained by the evaluation of the sales data. If people purchase more of the product, then the advertisement has been successful However, in the analysis it is necessary to eliminate other factors, which could have affected the sales.
What is your overall opinion of this ad from a marketing communications perspective? What changes, if any, would you recommend to improve its communication effectiveness?
Overall, I believe that the ad is quite successful. It is using the source, which is very convincing at the moment and develops a properly encoded message. The advertising channel is most appropriate for targeting the wide audience of the potential customers. If the feedback on the advert is positive, then it is possible to consider the advertising effort successful and the communication very effective.
