Exam 9: Managing Creativity in Advertising and IBP

Scenario 9-2 The Optima Bike Company manufactures broad-tire, three-wheeled, and two-wheeled bicycles mostly for the retirement market. Its primary market is seniors, usually those who live in retirement communities where there are clearly designated and safe bike paths. Seniors-and especially younger baby boomers-enjoy these recreational vehicles because they are easy and safe to ride. The company has had some early successes in Florida, Arizona, and California, where such communities thrive, but Optima now wants to expand to other retirement enclaves. It has learned from two well-conducted consumer research studies that the main way that male retirees buy the Optima line is through the urging of wives who want to exercise in some way other than playing golf. Optima decides to engage an ad agency to capitalize on this consumer insight and promote its bikes to newer golf communities. It asks two agencies-Alpha Agency and Beta Agency-to pitch for its business and gives each a meeting in which it conveys the information above. Alpha Agency is based in Miami and insists that its creative team is best suited to promote Optima. Its managers tell the prospective client that this team is well versed in advanced animation techniques and can dramatize the features of Optima's two- and three-wheeled bikes in a dynamic way. They'll focus on how fast they can go and how they can "transform the ride" into an adventure-this has worked in other ads, and this will appeal to male consumers who need to be lured away from the golf course. Following this initial display of product prowess, they suggest a campaign that demonstrates how the bikes can be customized to be more "comfortable and attractive for the ladies," including pink seat options. They finish by asking whether the brand name can be changed to "something more exciting." Beta Agency is based in Los Angeles and promises to serve as Optima's branding partner. It asserts that its creative philosophy is centered on long-term brand building. Its managers propose that they will develop the right message by applying the research-based consumer insight that women want to use the bikes to entice their husbands to leave the golf course once in a while. They suggest that their successful work in building regional appreciation for other brands, such as Sea-Doo water vehicles and Ski-Doo snowmobiles, indicates their prowess in branding similar but not directly competitive brands. They emphasize the difference that Optima offers in the recreational-ride category, and the consumer targets that differ from other brands. They close by complimenting this prospective client on how appropriate the brand name is, given its customer base and likely target consumer. -(Scenario 9-2)As often happens in new client-agency relationships,Beta Agency and Optima Bike Company conduct a joint brainstorming session prior to finalizing the IBP campaign strategy.Sam Spokes,head engineer and designer for Optima,interrupts the session frequently,refuting agency staffers' spontaneous suggestions that women love bikes,a bike is like a golf club,the bike will sell itself,and more.He also labels them as uninformed about various technical aspects of bicycle mechanisms.How does Spokes' behavior likely influence the brainstorming session? 

Explain the importance of collaboration-i.e.,creating teams and encouraging teamwork-in the creative advertising environment.Give three or four reasons why teams foster creativity in the real-life workplace of contemporary advertising.Consider ideas from The Wisdom of Teams by Katzenbach and Smith.

Account executives are the liaison between the agency and the client.

New ideas and breakthrough solutions occur when there is just enough tension and just the right clash of ideas,which is called: 

With the help of concrete examples,describe the tensions that are routinely found between creatives and managers within agencies.Discuss why these are so commonly found in the world of advertising.

According to John Sweeney,if you're working with a pool of talented people,they'll produce their best work if you: 

In his analysis of some of the most creative people of the 20th century,Gardner found that they often had troubled personal lives and were significantly childlike.

Creativity is viewed in the business world as a positive quality even though creative people can be hard to work with.

Scenario 9-1 The Excellent Agency specializes in developing advertising campaigns for smaller retail clients. Excellent is hired by Shadowleaf Shoes, a small regional chain of six shoe stores, to develop a slogan and specific ads to be used in a three-month newspaper campaign. Shadowleaf's marketing director, Manuel Margolis, is adamant while meeting with Excellent's account executive, Kia Chin, that the campaign must be catchy and modern to appeal to a target audience that has an active lifestyle and is between the ages of 18 and 35. More importantly, Margolis wants the slogan to be memorable and unique. Kia Chin, representing Excellent, develops a campaign and presents it to Margolis. The campaign is based on the slogan "Do What You Do in a Shadowleaf Shoe." Visuals depict men's legs-different sizes, skin colors, etc.-walking, jogging, dancing, and otherwise moving in every type of Shadowleaf's shoes. Margolis feels that this campaign will target young male consumers, but will also get the attention of others regarding the comfort of the shoes, raising awareness of the Shadowleaf brand. After running the ads, the Excellent Agency wins an advertising effectiveness award. It seems that the surprising and appealing visuals gave the slogan unexpectedly positive social meaning for people of all ages, not just men aged 18 to 35. -(Scenario 9-1)Which individual at the Excellent agency will be responsible for maintaining a good relationship with Margolis and the Shadowleaf organization? 

_______ is the ability to consider and hold together seemingly inconsistent elements and forces,making a new connection.

A fashion brand notices that its ads are indistinguishable from those of other brands.All the ads usually feature young people having fun.As a result,this brand launches a creative advertisement that shows celebrities buying clothes and acting like youngsters.In the context of this scenario,what was the purpose of this advertisement? 

Good ideas must come from the managers or the clients.

The thought processes of creative people are less orderly and logical than those of others.

Preparing and executing a breakthrough IBP campaign is people-intensive; it hinges on creative work and business acumen alike.

Todd has just been assigned the role of team leader of his creative group for a new ad campaign.Which of the following should Todd do first? 

Which of the following best describes the reason why account executives should not be fired even when ad agencies face lean times? 

Teams are able to liberate decision making when members: 

Howard Gardner discovered that creative minds were usually totally______ to their craft: 

Robert Sternberg's suggestions for boosting creativity stress that you should learn to redefine problems to see them differently from the way other people see them.

Which of the following are included in the list of guidelines for heading a creative team?